🏡This is based on my true story.
In the past 15 days, I experienced a very challenging task, that is, seeking a decent accommodation for myself in York. Maybe for some in poor financial situation, 15 days are not that long, I am quite lucky to have enough budget to spend on the housing, but I am kindda picky in living environment, including the house itself, the location and surroundings. The most important thing that I consider is the space as we now stay at home more time after COVID-19. Living comfortably is very vital in everyday practices.
This annoying and anxious experience started from the date which my current lease will be due in the mid-Sep. It was not the first time my looking for a place to live in the UK. But the first time was completely smoothly so that I did not perceive the difficulty of the housing market discrimination against a ‘migrant’ ‘student’. This disadvantage for me involves multi-level challenges.
First, being a student, your social class is quite low (actually is not regarded as an independent person), many landlords are not willing to rent their house to student. Many ads on the letting website put ‘NO CHILDREN, NO PETS, NO SMOKERS, NO STUDENTS’, which means children, pets, smokers, and students are not welcomed by the landlords.
Second, even the landlord has the confidence with you—a student, it does not mean you are accepted by the agent. They are afraid that you might be the nightmare to the landlord or the troublemaker to the house. To deal with your case, the property company like Linley and Simpson ask you two questions: Are you—
- A UK based guarantor: Someone who lives and is employed in the UK, earning a salary that is a minimum of 3 X the annual rent.
- Payment of rent in advance: this means paying the rent for the tenancy up front and in full. i.e. 6 or 12 months in one payment prior to your move in.
When applying a UK based guarantor, you heard of someone saying the school can help, so you emailed the school asking all the details, eventually, it only came with a business cooperation with another company, which asks you to pa 600+ more pounds a year to play this role.
Oh, come on, under such a circumstance, I am of course happy to pay 6 months or 12 months in one payment. A bond with 5000 pounds only generates 36 pounds interests in Barclays Bank, I would not mind giving you 6 months instead of paying a ‘virtual’ guarantor, who is not necessary for me.
Third, even you have a chance to view this property, someone might take the case before the long queue of viewing. If you message the agent, that is too late, there is always someone simply calling in and got the first place of viewing or even taking it without viewing, Hunters Estate Agents in York does things like that (2 bedroom flat to rent Winteringham House, Whitecross Gardens, York)! They even just promised that they will arrange a time of viewing for you, then in the following 30 minutes, they said someone already took this case without viewing. VERY Unfaithful!!! And no wonder that they are currently the biggest agent in York, which only favour and serve certain customers. They are like foxes or sneakers wanting to get the lion's share of the property market.
I have had very painful and shocking experience of this, after that, I gradually got the tips, calling in to enquire first, whether this case allows a student to rent. And emphasizing that you are a PhD research student not an aged 18-25 young student. Calling instead of emailing, which takes a slower pace.
Prepare some important reference at hand, such as the references from the ex-landlord, I am lucky to have one. She is more than a British beautiful landlady. Every time I show my weakness, she tells me how to be strong. Be Rock!!
Without AXXXX, it is impossible for me to rent a decent place in the UK after searching for more than 100 properties (not exaggerated). Without AXXXX, I would not know that I can position myself as ‘a working professional’, which I myself feel quite good and is more acceptable by most of the UK property companies. To sum up, growth with pain and anxiety, though!
Is this story only happened in York?
(I successfully booked a viewing of this pretty apartment in the first place, but it has been taken after 30 minutes when I arrived there)
這是基於我的真實故事。
在過去的15天裡，我經歷了一項非常艱鉅的任務，那就是在York為自己尋求合宜的住宅。也許對於一些財務狀況不佳的人來說，十五天沒那麼長，但我很幸運能有足夠的預算花在房屋上，但我對居住環境（包括房屋本身，位置和周圍環境）有點挑剔。我考慮的最重要的事情是空間，因為我們現在在COVID-19之後有更多的時間待在家裡。生活舒適在日常實踐中至關重要。
這種煩人和焦慮的經歷始於我目前的租約即將在9月中旬到期的日子。這不是我第一次尋找在英國居住的地方。但是第一次是完全順利的，所以我沒有意識到房屋市場會歧視“移民”“學生”的這個困難。對我來說，這個不利之處涉及多層次的挑戰。
首先，作為一名學生，您的社會階層很低（實際上不被視為獨立的人），許多房東不願意將房屋租給學生。出租網站上的許多廣告都標有“禁止兒童，禁止寵物，禁止吸煙者，禁止學生”，這意味著房東不歡迎兒童，寵物，吸煙者和學生。
其次，即使房東也對您有信心-一個學生，這並不意味著您被仲介接受。他們擔心您可能是房東的噩夢，或是房屋的麻煩製造者。為了處理您的案件， Linley & Simpson等房地產公司向您提出兩個問題：您有(能)-
-英國的擔保人：在英國居住並受僱的人，其工資至少為年租金的3倍。
-預先支付租金：這意味著要預先全額支付租賃租金。即在您入住之前一次付款6或12個月。
哦，拜託，在這種情況下，我當然樂意一次付款6個月或12個月。 5000英鎊的債券只能在巴克萊銀行產生36英鎊的利息好嗎，我不介意給您6個月一次付款,而不是付給一個我不需要的“虛擬”擔保人。
第三，即使您有機會查看此房屋物件，也可能有人在漫長的排看隊列之前決定要此物件了。如果您向仲介發送消息，那為時已晚，總會有人簡單地打電話進去獲得能看屋的第一名，甚至根本就沒有看它就決定了，YORK的Hunters Estate Agents就是這樣做的（案例: 兩間臥室的公寓可以租借Winteringham House，約克懷特克羅斯花園）！他們甚至承諾會為您安排一次觀看時間，然後在接下來的30分鐘內，他們說有人已經收了這個案件而沒有觀看,還把物件改為’不再有了’。非常不忠實！！！難怪他們目前是約克最大的代理商，只會青睞某些客戶並為其提供服務。他們就像狐狸或鬼鬼祟祟卑鄙者，想要在房地產市場上佔據最大份額。
我對此感到非常痛苦和震驚，在那之後，我逐漸掌握了竅門，要求先詢問一下這種案例是否允許學生租房。並強調您是博士學位研究的學生，而不是18-25歲的年輕學生。打電話而不是發電子郵件，後者會降低速度。
準備一些重要的參考資料，例如前房東的參考資料，我很幸運能有一個參考資料。 她不僅僅是英國美麗的女房東。 每當我展示自己的弱點時，她都會告訴我如何堅強。
這只發生在約克嗎？
