r/Glasgow Tools

I've just finished renting out a room in Partick, and since I see a lot of "flat hunting is hard" type posts I thought I'd provide what I learned from when I was applying for the place (1 year ago) and when I moved out and we had to find someone new, especially since uni will be starting up soon.

First thing: if at any point you find yourself thinking, "fucking hell, I'm looking for a room not a job", unfortunately that's how it is more or less. Yes, you are going to be paying them, but no, it's nothing like shopping. When there's only one flat (or room) and a hundred potential renters, the powers that be are going to be selective.

And selective they are. I frequently see ads that see "women only" or "students only", and sometimes "vegetarians only". Some hosts might be flexible on the first two, unless they say it in the written description specifically, but the last is usually a dealbreaker.

And when it comes to getting ahead of other candidates, there are all sorts of things that can happen: you can get rejected by the landlord or potential flatmates because someone else had a better-sounding job, had better patter, seemed nicer, had the same religion, same political views, and in some exceptionally ugly cases, racism can play a part. And sometimes, names will be drawn from a bowl.

Needless to say, don't beat yourself up if you don't manage to get the room.

How did I get my room? A few things:
\-I didn't mention that I had a partner (and I am indeed, single). They'd apparently had issues with the previous flatmate's girlfriend staying for long periods, which caused the bills to go up quite a lot.
\-I took my shoes off as soon as I'd entered. Didn't wait to be asked.
\-I wore a face mask since these were earlier days - might not be so important now, but you never know when someone is immunocompromised so it might help that extra bit.
\-I had quite a few shared interests with one of the flatmates, and after the viewing was done we sat down and chatted for fifteen minutes. If you've got a good excuse, like you need to get back to work, no worries, but if you've got the time try to spend a bit of time getting to know them.

If you get selected, you'll also need to prove to the landlord that you'll be able to pay the rent on time and provide references. Don't worry if you've never rented before, the university should be a good enough reference if they take students. Be suspicious of any flatmates who don't want to involve the landlord: you don't want something breaking, contacting them and receiving "who are you?" are a response. Especially when you've supposedly paid this person a deposit.

Alright, there's a lot more to be said, if you've any questions fire them away.