first time renter

chump

I'll be renting a 2-bed apartment in Dublin CC within the next few months. I've been using daft to keep an eye on the places available and all that, and am quite impressed with the choice and price.
What I'm concerned about is 'timing'.
I ideally want to move into the place at the start of September, but I realise this is when all the students will begin to look for places. I'm no longer a student (after about 6 years!) and would probably be what landlords would describe as a 'professional'.
I'm just wondering if I'm going to have to compete with a raft of students when I start actively looking for a place. Would I be better suited to try and get a place sooner rather than later?

Another thing, it seems very few daft rental properties have images of the apartment. In general, from personal experience, are these places usually
dodgy, a mixed bag, or of the same standard as the ones that put up pictures?

Saruman

I can gice you this advice.. sorry not what you are asking for but i have not rented viea daft.

Anyway make sure your landlord has a rent book and gives you a reciept for everything. Otherwise you can not claim rent relief.

Maybe send a PM to morningstar if she does not comment on here.. she is a landlord i think so will know more about what to expect.

Supercell

Saruman wrote:

Anyway make sure your landlord has a rent book and gives you a reciept for everything. Otherwise you can not claim rent relief.

I've been renting for 16 years now so reckon I know the score pretty well.

The rent book as Saruman posted is needed, but only if its your first place to claim allowance on, once its done its added to your allowance every year even at different addresses, at least thats been my experience over the last 4 flats/apartments/shiiteholes ...

Regarding moving in around September, its my experience that most landlords at a certain price point won't allow students anyhow, so time of year doesn't matter..however - some places can be nice and welll priced and go to whoever is first to make a good impression (usually the first person to say i'll take it here's the deposit and doesn't come accross as a skanger ready to wreck the place).

I'd quesstimate if you are looking at places in the €700PM + range than you're probably not going to be competing with most students bar the rich kids which are in a minority.
If your price range is below this, get in early and be the first there, i.e. if viewing is at 18:00 be there at 17:30, and have a months deposit in hand, dress nicely and speak in yer finest voice

unklerosco

chump wrote:

Another thing, it seems very few daft rental properties have images of the apartment. In general, from personal experience, are these places usually
dodgy, a mixed bag, or of the same standard as the ones that put up pictures?

Well i went to look at two places a week ago.. both had no pics.. One was a plain n dull apt which needed a really good cleaning, the other was unreal.. Fitted out to a extremely high std, perfection.. Just moved in today..

Ring the est agent n ask if they've any pics, some have n just didnt put them on the site...

Calina

In general, daft only recently started having loads of pictures of apartments. So the absence or presence of them makes no real difference as far as quality is concerned. Price on the other hand can be an interesting enough indicator.

Speaking personally, I would
1) make sure you sign a lease and for God's sake read it before signing.
2) arrange to pay the rent by a traceable method. Bank transfer is popular
3) You only need the address of the house to register for rent relief. Do it, it's worth a couple of hundred a year. Call the Revenue Commissioners if you've any doubts.
4) I'm not sure what the going rate in the city centre is at the moment, but assume that if you've been checking out daft, you know what's within your budget and not. Depending on where in the city centre you are, the one thing I'd be concerned about is noise. I know a couple of people who used to live in Temple Bar and the noise drove me up the wall when I was visiting at the weekends.
5) Renting is a two way process. You and your landlord both have rights and responsibilities. Threshold is a good place to look for information on both.

Regarding the timing, I wouldn't worry so much about it. Mostly, students congregate around their colleges, and I think they all have increasing numbers of student accommodation units. Mostly, landlords - in my experience - want a statement of employment. If you're slightly above student price range (I'd be stunned if there were two bed apartments in the city center for under 900-1000E to be honest), then I reckon that it doesn't matter that you're searching in September. I had to go looking straight after Christmas once and that is the worst time of the year to flat hunt.

chump

thanks all