Large number of tenants leave it till last minute to find next home

Almost one in three tenants in the UK aim to move into their new rental home less than two weeks after they first make an enquiry to a landlord or letting agent online, new research suggests. While 31.2% want to move in that timescale, the research from The House Shop also shows that 63.8% say they need to move in less than a month after making their first enquiry. But meeting such a tight deadline means being prepared and many perhaps do not realise the work that needs to be done by the landlord and letting agent, the research report says. According to Nick Marr of The House Shop when an enquiry is made online it can often take two to three days before they receive a reply, especially if the property is being advertised directly by a DIY landlord who will usually have a full time job. ‘Even if the landlord replies to the enquiry instantly, the landlord and tenant will need to arrange a time for viewing that suits both parties, conduct tenant referencing checks, sign contracts, manage deposits etc. before the new tenants can actually move in,’ he explained. ‘Leaving just two weeks to get from start to finish is definitely achievable, but leaves little wriggle room to handle delays,’ he added. An analysis of the data shows that there has been a peak in the number of last minute enquiries during the month of September over the past three years and could be due to it being the time of year when students start their university and college courses. The majority of last minute enquiries for September only are concentrated around university cities such as Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Durham and Newcastle. According to the firm landlords can use the research to work out the best times to advertise their properties. The top time is roughly a month before the date the property will next be available, as this will match the expected move-in time frame for the majority of tenants actively searching online. The moving in date is often an incredibly important factor for tenants, as arranging interim accommodation to plug a gap between properties can be tricky, time consuming, stressful and costly.