Hello,
I'll be a new postgrad this autumn in U of Nottingham. I need some advice re: private accommodation. My partner and I are currently living in HK, which is crazy expensive, so we thought we'd pop over to Nottingham early in mid-July and look around to secure a flat and live there until the course commences. Is it possible to find a flat within two weeks in the UK, and are landlords okay with non-UK residents (no local credit score)? We're US citizens, so we have that score. And we'd be on a tourist visa for a bit until the Tier 4 visa kicks in. If anyone has any experience with this, much appreciate the advice! Thanks in advance!

(*sorry, I couldn't select the off topic category for some reason, so it's going in phd advice/support)

Hey Nad,

If you are on a tourist visa they may ask for proof of your acceptance to the University along with at least a month deposit too. It depends wherever you get a private landlord or go through an agency. Private landlords are likely to be more flexible (Plus usually no fees) but can be hard to find. Id check out Gumtree for private landlords and rightmove.co.uk if you're happy going with an agency. You will be able to contact the agency beforehand to see what evidence they will need. I secured a private rent in a weekend when I moved to England but it was tough going so providing you can provide the the right documents then two weeks is definitely doable.

Good luck with your search

A

There's also this new legislation stuff:
https://www.gov.uk/check-tenant-right-to-rent-documents/who-to-check

We don't really do credit checks on tenants here like you do in the US. We usually just have to show bank account statements to prove we can pay. Worst case scenario, you will be asked to pay 6 months rent up front.

I think you will be find re tourist visa as long you have a letter of acceptance from the uni.

Hey, I'm not sure if this is still relevant, but as another American who sort of had to move here sight unseen, I would say that AirBnB is your best friend while you look for a flat. When I was looking in Sheffield I was paying about £20 per night, so you don't have to rush due to a hotel budget or something.
See if your uni has any help with private accommodation - my uni at undergrad has a site that only lists landlords and properties they've vetted,so you know it's not a scam, and they don't charge agency fees.
I found that letting as a non-EU student is really difficult with letting agencies, they will ask for 6 months up front - from everyone in your property (maybe not such a big deal if it's only a flat for the two of you, but still a lot of money at once!). With private landlords you tend to get a lot more flexibility.
And from my experience background checks aren't really a thing, they'll just ask for a scan of your passports and proof that you're a student.