#WeAreInternational Student Ambassador Lauren Bouvier shares tips from her journey renting in Edinburgh, from preparation, all the way to moving.
I recently went through the journey of finding, navigating, applying for, and moving into a new flat. As an international student, I did feel as if I was starting with a massive hurdle and disadvantage. It’s a hard sell, please rent to me, an international student with no contract-set income, no UK guarantor, and at the time, a pet cat. I knew I was not at the top of anyone’s list of ideal tenants on paper.
There are a few reasons for this move. I was previously with a letting agency that, unfortunately, was not actioning maintenance requests. There are ways to enforce repairs if the agency or landlord is not taking action, you can read more on Shelter Scotland's guide to repairs. In my circumstance, the extent of the condition and the need for repairs within the flat exceeded that of a livable condition. The second reason was that the other person on the contract wanted to move, ending the joint tenancy agreement. In Scotland, when one person wishes to leave a joint tenancy agreement, it means that a new joint tenancy agreement would need to be completed. To read more about your rights as someone on a Joint Tenancy, please visit Shelter Scotland's their page on joint tenancy. At the moment, all tenants in a joint contract must consent to the tenancy ending. One tenant cannot end the tenancy for all. Rather than ending the joint PRT, the existing tenant can (with the landlord's permission) assign their interest in the lease to a new tenant, so the lease can continue. Depending on the landlord or agency, the process will look a bit different. Still, the letting agency requires a complete redo for every applicant. This meant that I no longer met the affordability index for the flat I had lived in for 3.5 years due to rent increases. Therefore, I had to find a new flat.
Photo Taken for Goodbye Instagram Story [Image of flats in Edinburgh]
The Prep
Edinburgh is a complex flat hunting market. After a panic (as we are all entitled to panic a bit), I started looking for flats. In reflection, it’s easy to see the steps I took, but in the moment, everything felt like crisis management. In Edinburgh, the go-to flat hunting apps and websites include Rightmove, Zoopla, and Spareroom. Rightmove and Zoopla serve as hubs for free flat listings. I set up my notification settings with both that specified the flat type, bedroom amount, and price that I was looking for.
I then reset my Spareroom profile. Spareroom is used when people have a room in their flat that they need to fill. This usually means you are joining or replacing someone on the contract. Spareroom does require a bit of time and effort to set up. For lack of a better analogy, it’s a bit like a dating app for the rental world. Though you are looking for flats that meet the parameters, it also means you need to put some time into building up your profile for others to review. I’ll admit, Spareroom is a labour of love; it takes a lot of time to find, coordinate, and manage it. Flat hunting is a huge mental load, and it can feel like a full-time job, so use what works for you.
The other websites I used included Gumtree for finding a private landlord (i.e., a landlord who does not use a letting agency) and Facebook. Facebook is a bit of a mixed bag. Still, in Edinburgh, there are dozens of housing/flat sharing groups that were set up with the intention for people to find housing. Though it is important to always exercise caution when using sites like these, as there are fewer protections in place to mitigate scammers.
To avoid scams, there were a few things that I did. I would not even humour a post that did not include a Landlord Registration Number (LARN). If one was provided, it is easy to check: copy the number to the Scottish letting agent register and verify that the details match. The other directory you can check is here. My next step was coordinating flat viewings. For every flat, through any website, it is important to view the flat. For me, I wanted to make sure the space was in good, livable condition and met my needs. With the speed of the market, my advice is that once you know you may even be a little bit interested in a flat, schedule a viewing. My peers and I have been in a situation where the agency or landlord operated on a first-come, first-served basis for applicants.
Before flat viewings, I made sure I had as much together as I could. I asked my supervisors, University Accommodation, and work manager for references. Please note that some agencies will not provide a reference without a fee and a 28-day notice. I also had my right-to-rent share code ready to share. The right to rent code is part of your eVisa sharecodes that you can access. I also had copies of my UK bank statements. As I have also lived in the UK for over 6 months, I now have a UK credit score that could also be checked. The two core things I did not have were proof of monthly income, due to a 0-hour contract or a UK guarantor. I researched which agencies would allow for International Guarantors and would also ask, when looking at private flats, if they would consider international guarantors as well. The other option, in Scotland, is paying rent up front to secure a flat. Though this option is not financially feasible for most, some agencies or private landlords will accept you as a tenant if you can pay 3-6 months' rent up front, in addition to the deposit.
For flat viewings, I recommend having some questions mentally prepared in advance. The UK is amazing for its rich history, but this means that a bit of work goes into making the historical flats functional. Some of the questions I had lined up in my head included checking for double-glazed windows, pest history, application and move-in timelines, deposits, and a space to ask specific questions. I would also ask if it was okay to take pictures for myself to review. When I felt like a flat was a good fit, I also asked for an application. If you view a flat that you like, throw in an application. Applying does not mean renting. Most agencies and landlords will have a multi-step application. If the landlord wants to move forward with you as a tenant, then they will push for the full reference and checks to finalise the application.
But if you view a flat and you’re not vibing with it, don’t feel pressured to apply or ask questions. When I viewed agency flats that I didn’t end up applying for, I would email and ask if they had other properties that met my needs and set up notifications for their own postings.
The Admin
I applied for a handful of flats, but I managed to get a positive outcome with a private landlord for a 2-bed flat. Once the application and reference checks were completed, it was time to start the flat move process. This meant putting in the 28-day notice for the original flat. Shelter Scotland has a guide on moving that covers all the tasks associated with moving flats, including notifying the heat, electricity, broadband, and council tax that I was moving. Sometimes, you can take your bills over with you if you wish to, this is a great way to avoid cancellation fees. But sometimes the provider isn’t available in your region. I personally consulted Uswitch to see what providers and offers were available in my new flat.
The other admin bit is the deposit. In Scotland, deposits are held in a third-party system called My Deposit Scotland, as well as two others; Safe Deposits Scotland and Letting Protection Scotland. The landlord will ask for a deposit and once it is paid, it will (should) be stored, and you will receive a receipt of the deposit. The deposit must be registered within 30 working days of the tenancy starting. Under Scotland’s policy, the deposit is not accessible until the end of the tenancy, whereby the landlord can use it to cover the cost of unpaid fees, damages, or other items, with notification to the tenant of the list of deposit deductions. The remaining balance of the deposit will then be sent back to the original payee. It is important to know that you do have rights and can dispute the deposit that the agency/landlord claims. For more information, read here.
The Now-Empty Living Room of the Previous Flat [Image of a living room showing a coffee table, sofa, and a window]
The Move
I had a small overlap of my two flats, which meant I could do a bit of a staggered move-in. On the final two days of the original flat, I was incredibly lucky to have a friend with a car who was willing to help move the remaining stuff. The last day in the flat, my flatmate and I spent cleaning the flat and ticking the agency’s provided checklist. When completing the exit inventory, remember to take detailed photos of the flat. These will be useful if there is a dispute over the flat's condition later. This also meant returning the keys to the agent.
Saying goodbye to a flat can also be an emotional event. It is important to give yourself space to reflect and feel those emotions. The process is stressful. Often, it feels like an invisible ticking clock is fueling the journey. But once the dust settles, try to take some time for yourself to reset and reflect. I knew that my original flat carried years of memories, people, and moments and the new flat provided the space to reset and start a new chapter. I am incredibly thankful to have had such a support group of people helping me with the flat move.
The mental toll of moving can be a lot. It is a pressure cooker for stress, and sometimes it can really impact you. I got sick after moving. Once the dust had settled, a cold that should have taken a day or two to get through lasted a week. It was clearly my body telling me that we were tired, a bit burnt out, and needed to rest. My mental health also took a hit. The situation is high-stress and fast-moving. I consider myself a strong admin person, and it still knocked me back. I felt like my brain was stuck in a fog, some of the cognitive actions and decision fatigue hit hard. It meant I had to keep things simple, push the unnecessary decisions to a later date and focus on establishing my new routines in the space.
[Image of a fireplace]
Take the small wins. The main reason, aside from practicality, I moved into the new flat was the fireplace. I loved having a flat with a touch of Edinburgh charm. My friends and I also kept the conversations about the new flat as a new chapter and a new beginning.
For more information about the types of accommodation available to international students, visit our advice pages.
If you’re in need of support, get in touch with your university advice service or Shelter Scotland.
