Returning to Ireland - advice on renting temporarily

hibby

Hi all,

I'm currently living abroad but will be returning to Ireland next year. We will need to rent a place while looking for a place to buy.

Most rentals are minimum 1 year. We may or may not end up staying for a full year; we might find a place we want to buy after 6 months.

What is the best option:
1) Be up-front that we may not stay for the full year, and try to agree a shorter lease (presumably at a higher rent);
2) Sign a 1-year lease, with the intention of breaking the lease when we find a place to buy;
3) Sign a 1-year lease, and be prepared to pay up the remainder of the lease if we find a place to buy.

Another question: is it realistic to try to organise rental accommodation while overseas with a view to moving in on the day we arrive back in Ireland? As in, taxi directly from the airport to our new home.

If so, when should we start seriously looking? Any issues we should keep in mind?

Bigcheeze

hibby wrote: »

Hi all,

I'm currently living abroad but will be returning to Ireland next year. We will need to rent a place while looking for a place to buy.

Most rentals are minimum 1 year. We may or may not end up staying for a full year; we might find a place we want to buy after 6 months.

What is the best option:
1) Be up-front that we may not stay for the full year, and try to agree a shorter lease (presumably at a higher rent);
2) Sign a 1-year lease, with the intention of breaking the lease when we find a place to buy;
3) Sign a 1-year lease, and be prepared to pay up the remainder of the lease if we find a place to buy.

Another question: is it realistic to try to organise rental accommodation while overseas with a view to moving in on the day we arrive back in Ireland? As in, taxi directly from the airport to our new home.

If so, when should we start seriously looking? Any issues we should keep in mind?

Realistically you'll probably need a year anyway. By the time you find somewhere to buy it could be at least 6 months, allow another 3 months to close. If you buy somewhere that needs work you need another few months.

uberalles

If you go 1 year+ you don't need to sign another fixed term lease. You become a "part 4" tenant. See www.threshold.ie for more details.

I think go for a 1 year lease. Very few will be interested in less.

borderlinemeath

hibby wrote: »

Hi all,

I'm currently living abroad but will be returning to Ireland next year. We will need to rent a place while looking for a place to buy.

Most rentals are minimum 1 year. We may or may not end up staying for a full year; we might find a place we want to buy after 6 months.

What is the best option:
1) Be up-front that we may not stay for the full year, and try to agree a shorter lease (presumably at a higher rent);

Most short term rentals are excessively high. It would more than likely work out cheaper to enter a one year lease and be prepared to lose the deposit for breaking it.

2) Sign a 1-year lease, with the intention of breaking the lease when we find a place to buy;

Probably the best option. You have the option to assign the remainder of the lease to somebody else with the landlords agreement. Although if you do agree a lower rent the landlord is entitled to pursue you for the difference.

3) Sign a 1-year lease, and be prepared to pay up the remainder of the lease if we find a place to buy.

It's rare that a landlord will pursue a tenant through the courts for the remainder of a lease, it can happen but it's rare. Most cases they will retain the deposit.

Another question: is it realistic to try to organise rental accommodation while overseas with a view to moving in on the day we arrive back in Ireland? As in, taxi directly from the airport to our new home.

That will be tough. Photos on the likes of Daft/Myhome.ie can be very deceptive. You might arrive to the property and it may be a far cry from what you saw online. Paperwork may be an issue, even if you go through a letting agent (who don't really enjoy doing too much work;)).

Have you no family/friends that you could stay with for the first week or two? Or is it feasible to visit beforehand for viewings or can you travel a week or two ahead of your family to have accommodation organised? You could possibly stay in a b&b for the first week or so while looking for a rental.

If so, when should we start seriously looking? Any issues we should keep in mind?

What areas are you considering? There is a shortage of good rental accommodation in certain areas.
What is your budget? How many bedrooms do you need?
Have you children that need to be enrolled in schools?
Are you open to commuting? Plenty of accommodation in commuter towns around Dublin (if that's where you will be based)

BailMeOut

We moved back and would recommend renting for first few years at least. You will learn a lot about the market and where you will eventually really want to live during this time. You would also be putting yourself under a lot of pressure finding and closing on a home in a year with all the other madness of moving back.

If looking for temp accommodation to rent try holiday homes. We rented holiday homes for about a month when we first arrived and they were more than happy to rent for extended periods.

djimi

It would be absolute madness to move into a place without having seen it first. Lot of places on sites like Daft look fine in the pictures etc but turn out to be complete dives when you see them in the flesh. My advice would be to book into a hotel/guest house for a week or so while you look for somewhere to rent.

As for how long you can rent, well in my mind it would be sensible to rent for a year regardless until you see where the house market goes. Prices are still falling in most areas; you could end up actually saving money by renting for a year while taking your time to look for the right property.

silja

I agree renting for a year is a good idea- between learning the market and offering on a house and closing, it'll take many months. However, many people these days ask for a 6 months break clause in their 1 year contract (in case they need to move for work etc), so it is perfectly ok to ask for that when you rent.

Most decent landlords will be reluctant to rent to you without meeting you in person and you seeing the home. You live very far away, but might you be coming back for a holiday for Christmas or similar? That would give you a chance to at least visit a couple of rental agencies, or maybe put the word out amongst friends and someone who has a place that their their tenant will be leaving in a few months may be willing to show it to you.

hibby

Wow, brilliant answers, everyone, thanks!

To those who are suggesting staying in a hotel or B&B for a week or two, I have one word: Dogs.

Family may be an option for a day or two, not a week or two.

What areas are you considering? There is a shortage of good rental accommodation in certain areas.
What is your budget? How many bedrooms do you need?
Have you children that need to be enrolled in schools?
Are you open to commuting? Plenty of accommodation in commuter towns around Dublin (if that's where you will be based)

We'll be looking for somewhere handy for the daily commute to Dublin south city centre. That could be Dundrum, Bray, Leopardstown...
Budget maybe 1400 euro, but I notice that rents are amazingly high now, considering what's happened to house prices.
We essentially need one bedroom, but strongly (strongly!) prefer a house to an apartment. Dogs again.
No children, no schools.
Commuting, yes, that's an option, it's not forever after all.

hibby

BailMeOut wrote: »

If looking for temp accommodation to rent try holiday homes. We rented holiday homes for about a month when we first arrived and they were more than happy to rent for extended periods.

Thanks for this brilliant suggestion.

djimi

If youre not against the idea of commuting then it might be worth checking out somewhere like Naas. Youd get a hell of a lot for that kind of budget and in reality would not need to spend anything like that to get a decent place.

Wrt finding a rental, even if you can only stay with family for a couple of days I would go with that option. Maybe book some viewings in advance but under no circumstances should you agree to rent anywhere without seeing it or meeting the landlord first. The chances of getting stung badly would be very high...

borderlinemeath

hibby wrote: »

Wow, brilliant answers, everyone, thanks!

To those who are suggesting staying in a hotel or B&B for a week or two, I have one word: Dogs.

Family may be an option for a day or two, not a week or two.



We'll be looking for somewhere handy for the daily commute to Dublin south city centre. That could be Dundrum, Bray, Leopardstown...
Budget maybe 1400 euro, but I notice that rents are amazingly high now, considering what's happened to house prices.
We essentially need one bedroom, but strongly (strongly!) prefer a house to an apartment. Dogs again.
No children, no schools.
Commuting, yes, that's an option, it's not forever after all.

When you are looking to rent, don't immediately dismiss properties that don't say pets allowed. It's a box that most landlords don't bother ticking. If there's something that catches your eye there's no harm in asking the landlord/agent if pets would be considered. Most landlords would probably prefer pet free rentals but not necessarily all. (I prefer tenants having pets to children but that's from previous experience of a tenant that was a bad parent and let her street angel/house devil destroy walls, doors, floors, chairs etc:mad:)

Plenty of properties near to where you are looking but the further out you go the more you will get for your money. As you say, it won't be forever so it may be something you can put up with short term. It'll also give you an idea of what you can bear commuter wise when you do go to buy. You won't get a one bed house, they're hard enough to come by, but lots of two beds and three beds.

Make sure your dogs have their pet passports and paperwork ready, otherwise they may end up quarantined.

dudmis

hibby wrote: »

Budget maybe 1400 euro, but I notice that rents are amazingly high now, considering what's happened to house prices.
.

DOnt forget to haggle with the landlord/agent. Our house was advertised for 1800 and we got it for 1500.