There are many different places that a tenant can search for landlord insurance customers that let out their properties on a private basis. Some landlord insurance customers use letting agents but others will manage the whole rental process themselves. To find private property to let, go to:
Local newspaper advertisements, including Loot and Dalton's Weekly. There are usually plenty of advertisements in newspapers, but attractive properties get snapped up quickly, so get the paper as early as you can and start phoning as soon as office hours commence.
Internet sites, there are many sites that you can go to find
landlord insurance clients advertising their rental properties. As with local newspapers, it takes time for properties to be loaded up to the net, so you still need to contact letting agents directly.
Advertisements in post offices and other shops. These are an excellent source of local information, which is particularly good if you already live where you want to rent. This cheap form of marketing is very popular with small-scale landlords insurance customers with one or two rooms to let.
Work. Human resources departments may be able to advise on local accommodation, and there may be a noticeboard with advertisements. It isn't always easy living and working in the same place, so try to make sure that you really do get on with the person you are looking to rent with.
Talking to friends and contacts is useful if they can recommend a good landlord insurance customer or warn you off a dodgy one. You may find out which properties are likely to be available before they hit the high street, so you can get in early.
Letting agents. All the above search methods can be time consuming, and you might find it easier to let an agent do the work and provide you with a list of suitable properties. Usually they produce a free list on a daily/weekly basis, or some agents will charge an arrangement fee for finding a specific property. These arrangement fees do vary from one letting agent to the next so do ask about their charges.
Accommodation agencies. If you are a student, start with the university accommodation office for information and advice, and then perhaps tour the local accommodation agencies because they work in this market sector.
Local councils usually allocate their accommodation on a points system or a banding system in which priority is given to people who have lived in the area for a certain length of time but other factors relating to specific needs are also considered. Your council should be able to provide a leaflet explaining how their system works. There is often a long waiting list.
You could also try a housing association, also sometimes known as registered social landlords. These are non-profit-making bodies that aim to provide affordable accommodation and are one of the major providers of state-funded housing. In many cases they have taken over what was council housing stock. There is a central waiting list for all council and housing association homes in most areas, but some housing associations also run their own separate waiting lists.
