That’s what I’ve been doing the last two days, a tour of every agency I could find. I’m plugging away on Right Move too as an extra but haven’t had anything come of any of my enquiries on there yet.

Have you tried Gumtree? All of the Bristol landlords I know (admittedly only one) used Gumtree to advertise.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/estate-agents/agent/Severnside-Estate-Agents-Ltd/Bristol-80828.html

Talk to Amanda

+1 What Redhunter said!

and another in Knowle which was good but right at the top of my budget.

Blimey , things must have changed in the last 20 odd years since I moved from Bristol. That is a statement you would never have seen back then 😉

and another in Knowle which was good but right at the top of my budget.

Blimey , things must have changed in the last 20 odd years since I moved from Bristol. That is a statement you would never have seen back then 😉

I think he is referring to Knowle which is just next to Totterdown and has some lovely properties rather than the large council estate, Knowle West.

I think he is referring to Knowle which is just next to Totterdown and has some lovely properties rather than the large council estate, Knowle West.

Ah, sounds better. When I was growing up ‘artcliffe and Knowle West were places you tried to avoid. I don’t know what its like these days though.

Revs, The same..

Yes, Knowle not Knowle West!

Las today today touring the letting agents, just about to go to the one redthunder mentions as it’s out of the way from the others. Would carry on for the rest of the week in person but this is the first week off I’ve had in over 13 months so I need to have some downtime, will just spend an hour phoning every day or two the agents that were positive when I chatted to them. Some have been very poor in making me feel like I’m asking the impossible for my budget and not really seeming to be interested in helping me which is slightly odd. Mind you almost every agency has firstly asked my annual income and quickly put my max affordability at £900 which isn’t leaving much room for finding anywhere! Being just me seems to be putting me at a massive disadvantage compared to couples who can afford more.

Have you tried Gumtree? All of the Bristol landlords I know (admittedly only one) used Gumtree to advertise.

Don’t really want to go down that route as I’ve heard too many stories of dodgy landlords who advertise on there and FB Marketplace to get around the TDS rules etc. Two of the lads at work have been burned going that way (one was evicted with 3 days notice, the other has twice now been screwed over with rent increases and witholding of ‘deposit’ when moving) so that’s the last option for me really.

I can’t believe you haven’t been able to find anything for £900. I rent out a very nice 1 bed flat in Redland close to Whiteladies Road and Gloucester Road with off-street parking and I charge £975 per month in one of the prime areas for renting. The guy who owns the smaller top flat (also with parking) charges less than £900 per month. I’ve use Accommodation Unlimited on Chandos Road to find tenants, and the guy who owns the top flat uses CJ Hole I think. I would have thought you would be able to get something within your budget in places like St George, Staple Hill, or Kingswood.

It’s more a supply issue than anything. There’s so little coming to market that each one gets 40+ applicants within hours so you have to be checking all the time to even get considered for a viewing slot. When you get that scenario landlords can ask top money and pick the best tenants as they see fit. Me being on a single income in a new job isn’t the most attractive proposition but that’s all moot as I’m really struggling to even get viewings let alone to the selection stage! Every other time I’ve been looking to move it’s been 2 days tops before I’ve signed on a new place with a selection to choose from and viewings available that day on empty properties. Now it’s going to be a waiting game and once I’m back at work next week it’s going to be very difficult to get in on the initial rush to get viewings. I’m hoping that one or two of the agents I’ve spoken to this week will help me get on the viewing lists for suitable places but the volume of renter’s looking for places is so high that I can’t rely on that.

Yeah, there’s not a lot up in the Yate/Sodbury area coming on the market, i get the feeling being on waiting lists is the only way of trying to jump the gun, but there’s loads on them already.

You do have https://www.letsgolet.info/properties/ around here that does Yate area, Wotton is also a good place to check, this is on just now, probably not for long though https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/85700865#/?channel=RES_LET

I saw that one earlier in the week, was fully booked out for viewings after a day in the market. Very unlikely it’ll become available.

Find an area you like and then sign up to their neighbourhood Facebook page. I live in Winterbourne and there’s accommodation being advertised every other week.

I live in Keynsham and love it as a location. Easy access to the cycle path, train station to Bristol and Bath, a couple of mins by bike and you are in the countryside. A few pubs and restaurants within walking distance of most areas.

Really liked the look of Keynsham when I went there on Tuesday to visit the letting agents there, it’s on the list for definite. A few people have told me it’s crap but I guess they mean it doesn’t have the city life stuff which I’m not bothered about, easy access to riding via the old railway is more of a priority for me.

Well that’s my week off over and I’m no further to finding somewhere. Did think I’d got lucky on Friday when a place in Kenynsham became available as I was in the agents but they quickly contacted the landlord who wants them to put the rent up from £900 to £1k so that’s pushed it out of my budget,not just for why I want to spend but for what the agencies will classify as me being able to afford!
Have got a viewing still booked in for this evening in Yate but even the agent has described it as ‘small’ so not holding out much hope.

The big issue though is that my new boss is a bit concerned about whether I’ll be able to find somewhere soon, they’re making some special arrangements for me currently to accommodate my long commute and that’s not sustainable. If can’t find a place very soon then it may well be a case of having to give up the job, putting me back to square one. It’s something I really don’t want to have to do but the commuting isn’t sustainable, partly due to cost but mostly due to time. There only so long I can go on not knowing if I’ll get back home in time to get a decent meal cooked all week, having to rely on takeaways and snacks just isn’t good.

Hope it works out, Yates not too bad, but it does seem to be suffering from a rental shortage like most areas, prices are getting daft to say the least, hoping it slumps soon as it can’t keep going up like this!

Bit late to the party on this but I see a fair few for rent signs around dursley at the minute.
It’s not as close as you may like, it takes me around 35 minutes to drive into Bristol around 6.30am. Normally 45 minutes home. I enjoy living there. Great riding on the doorstep, not much going on in the way of nightlife though!
I’m from yate and moved to Dursley just because it was so much cheaper!

Have a look over the bridge in Chepstow, Caldicot, Newport if you are really struggling.

In you situation, I think I would choose an area, set you sights on an agent that has lots of interest in the area. Go in with a box of biscuits, and give them you situation. Get to know them, they get to put a face to the name and it may well give you the edge over someone else. Worth a try?
How about a shared house for a while? Take the pressure off. Try out an area?

Bit late to the party on this but I see a fair few for rent signs around dursley at the minute.
It’s not as close as you may like, it takes me around 35 minutes to drive into Bristol around 6.30am. Normally 45 minutes home. I enjoy living there. Great riding on the doorstep, not much going on in the way of nightlife though!
I’m from yate and moved to Dursley just because it was so much cheaper!

Yeah, nice sainsbury as well 😁, you can drive to Yate and cycle from there, park near the bacon factory and he’d be on the cycle route all the way and loads of places to stick the car

Dursley is so far out I’d be better off staying with my commute from Cardiff. Same for Chepstow, Caldicot etc as the drop in rent prices is minimal. Since the bridge toll went the demand has spread west into South Wales pushing up prices. Also I really don’t want to have to use the car for commuting if I can help it. It’s getting on in age and miles so if I was commuting in it for the foreseeable future it would have to be changed, something that will be very costly right now.

In you situation, I think I would choose an area, set you sights on an agent that has lots of interest in the area. Go in with a box of biscuits, and give them you situation. Get to know them, they get to put a face to the name and it may well give you the edge over someone else. Worth a try?

That’s pretty much what I did the whole of my week off last week. Hasn’t made any difference as there’s nothing they can do if there just aren’t any properties to offer. Would work in normal times but right now there are so many applicants for every property that becomes available they don’t have to much more than choose the people who can afford the rent (and any subsequent increases) with room to spare.

Didn’t make the viewing this afternoon as I finished work too late to make it. Will try to rearrange it but I don’t want to mess the agent around with continuous missed appointments.

This flat just popped up on my Facebook feed in the Keynsham bargains group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/208046809303758/permalink/5067795429995514/?sale_post_id=5067795429995514

Have requested to join that group, can’t see the ad until then.

Managed to get to see the place in Yate, it was actually a small 1 bed house. Far too small though, just nowhere to relax in it at all.
Also had two viewings booked in for tomorrow but both of them have just phoned me to cancel as they have just been let out. Could have viewed the more promising one of them yesterday but I couldn’t get any time off work so I fear it’s back to not being able to see places quickly enough before they’re snapped up! Has put me on a massive downer going into the weekend.

Any views on what Filton is like? Just managed to get a viewing on a decent flat on a quiet cul-de-sac that’s within a stone’s throw of the big Airbus site, it’s pretty much a carbon copy of my current place just a 9/10th size. Got to let them know by 10am tomorrow whether I want to start the offer process so any views would be appreciated!

Depends on which bit AFAIK, but nice enough 👌

Filton itself not too bad, not the most happening part of town but easy to get in/out. Ideally don’t be too close to Southmead or Lockleaze as they are both quite rough. That said, I know people who live in both and they don’t seem to mind.

Sorry to hear you’re having such a crap time finding a place. I know several others in the same boat.

Fingers crossed this is the one!

Is that the airbus site at the roundabout or the one nearer the old aerodrome?

Both are fine, you’re deep in the city, but loads of amenities around and things to do, not too hard to get out and over to the north, wales, etc.

It’s a busy old area at times, but if you’re cycling to work it’ll be easy enough

I think given your travails in trying to find somewhere, anywhere, Filton will be fine. You’ll be able to cycle easily enough. Easy access to motorways if you’re headed anywhere at weekends. It’s pretty residential with some busy roads through it. Buses to get to Gloucester Road with an abundance of pubs, casual dining and independent traders will be easy. Pretty sure the scooter scheme has been extended out to the ‘burbs now as well.

You could have ended up in the arse end of nowhere outside town with rubbish public transport so you haven’t done too badly if you get this one. Sorry it’s been so rubbish trying to find anywhere. 🤞 for this one. Good luck.

Fingers crossed for you! Filton isn’t a bad place to be for the reasons dd and others have said. Easy to get to places like Westbury and Henleaze too. Not far from Parkway either. 👍

Just south of the old aerodrome. I’ve requested to be considered tonight, it’s decent enough and I can always use it as a base to get settled in Bristol and then that buys me time to explore and search different areas if needs be in the future.

Now just got to hope I don’t lose out to someone better!

Great riding on the doorstep, not much going on in the way of nightlife though!

Capones ftw

Someone different, not better!

Its definitely an eye opening experience to see your trials and tribulations in trying to rent a place in Brizzle.

Certainly is surprising.
I’m definitely being taken for a ride by my kids! 🤣 I could let their rooms and buy a new bike every month!

It’s daft in Bristol, especially if you are a bloke, I struggled without a bit nepotism on my side. Seems that once you are in Bristol it’s a bit easier, but getting her **** sucks, hope it works out.

Also, Nibley/North Durdsley is a fantastic place to ride.

Filton is handy for the new arena they are building in the old Brabazon Hanger at the edge of the airfield. You’re also not too far from Gloucester Road which has plenty of amenities.

Its definitely an eye opening experience to see your trials and tribulations in trying to rent a place in Brizzle.

It seems to be the current normal talking to others in the same boat now. The new rules over certificates, tax relief etc has really hit the small landlords hard so lots are selling up. That leaves the corporations with the big blocks who can now dictate prices, terms and only pick the best tenants and however they choose to judge that. The shortage means they have all the power in who gets a place and that disadvantages anyone with poor wages, pets etc. I’ve heard it’s getting similar in Cardiff too but not to the same extent so far.