Finding a flat to rent in Edinburgh can be a stressful experience for tenants. There are not enough quality properties to meet tenant demand; rents are high, competition is fierce, and it can feel like a frenzy for tenants trying to secure the right property.
Moving house should be an exciting time; couples moving in together, students attending University, or people who are moving to a flat in Edinburgh for the first time. Starting a new tenancy can be a critical point in people’s lives and how the letting process is handled can make or break the experience. Here are 5 things that will help you avoid stress when finding a flat to rent in Edinburgh.
- Clear & accurate adverts – When searching for a flat in Edinburgh, time is of the essence so only viewing relevant properties helps tenants make the most effective use of their time. Wide-angled photos of all rooms in the property help remove suspicion about rooms that are omitted. A floorplan in an advert provides the layout and size of the property before visiting. Accurate descriptions are helpful with information on the local area and not just the standard clichés that litter the advertising portals.
- 24/7 instant viewing bookings – Through the use of the latest technology, tenants can book viewings out of hours without requiring a phone or email conversation with the letting agent. This speeds up the process significantly. 47% of Umega’s viewing bookings last month were made out of hours via instant online booking. Once tenants have booked, they receive text reminders of viewing appointments to help ensure both parties arrive at the right property at the right time.
- Don’t do “first come, first served” – Traditionally in the lettings sector, the first person to put a holding deposit down would secure the property. This approach leads to footraces from competitive viewing appointments to the lettings office, and whoever makes it through the door first wins. Fortunately, it doesn’t need to be this way. The alternative is to give any prospective tenant who views the property the opportunity to submit an offer by way of a one-page application with the details of the offer and some information about the prospective tenant(s). We encourage tenants to write brief covering letters to give our landlords a bit more information on why they would make good tenants.
- Dedicated letting negotiator – Another pain-point for prospective tenants is having to deal with someone they have not met before when negotiating their tenancy offer. By having dedicated Letting Negotiators, it means that the person who shows the tenant the property will also be the one negotiating their offer with the landlord through to eventually signing their lease with them.
- Clear communication – The list of legislation covering the letting industry in Scotland seems to grow longer by the minute. Very few prospective tenants have the time to study all of the legal aspects surrounding the rental process – especially when they’re in the process of moving home! By explaining the renting process in a way that is clear and straightforward, tenants will understand where they are in the process as well as what is expected of them, the landlord and the letting agency. This eliminates any misunderstandings or confusion.
At Umega, we want to play a positive part in tenants’ house-moving stories. We work hard to stay at the front of the latest innovations in technology and communication in order to improve the experience for prospective tenants. We aim to smash the negative stereotypes surrounding the lettings industry. If you have any other suggestions of how we can improve the tenant experience, let us know!