Renting in Edinburgh - limited practical advice

This is meant to be a short companion post to my rant.

I've been living in Edinburgh on-and-off for around 7 years, starting when I was a student. I've learned what I like, what I dislike, what I can tolerate and what I won't. Obviously, when you're a student from a middle class Eastern European family, with no income - your choices are limited.

What I look for in a flat

1. No mice; I've lived in a couple of mice-infested flats before and it's not fun.

2. Reasonably warm in the winter or at the very least not impossible to heat without the electricity/gas bill bankrupting you. What's warm for me is ~20°C. What's warm for a Scottish person seems to be ~10°C, and that's considered toasty.

3. Fewer flatmates is better. For me personally, I can only handle one.

   I prefer things to be calm and quiet, and the more people there are the more crap you have to deal with.

   For one, having unexpected guests has always gotten on my nerves. I remember the time like seven flatmate's boyfriend's friends were doing pre-drinks in our kitchen just as I returned home. I just wanted to microwave something, watch some Netflix then go to bed.

   Noise, people being absolute slobs, and smoking weed are also pretty common.

   To calculate the number of people you'll have to deal with, multiply the number of flatmates by two, at least.

   If you're a student, you can't really be picky about this. You take what you get and you pretend to be happy about it.

4. No weird smells. This instantly disqualifies about 75% of the flats on the market, so you might want to be less picky about this. Constantly having a stuffed nose (due to the said weird smell that might have been mold now that I think of it) helps.

5. Bathroom must have a window. Else it's a constant battle against the mold. No, an air extractor is never enough.

Some tips

1. Use your common sense, listen to your gut. If something seems off with either the flat or the other flatmates / landlord, it probably is.

2. No visible cracks between the floor and the wall (see "critterion" #1).

3. Being on the ground floor can be kinda sketchy. Always felt weird knowing people on the street could see into my room.

   Ground floor flats are also harder to heat, and more prone to having mice. Basement-level flats are included here, and they tend to smell weird too.

   Generally, the higher the flat is, the warmer it'll be. Might be an issue during the summer, but it'll be a godsend any other season.

4. Finding a student flat is much easier around winter. People finish their PhDs, or take breaks (some more ... long-term than others) - which means more rooms to choose from.

5. Finding a nice place in July-August is extremely difficult, even if you've got the money. Private landlords with properties that look like they're from this century tend to rent out rooms for 2x-5x the price for the Fringe festival (Bilbo's "After all, why shouldn't I?" comes to mind).

   September's surprisingly chill, because first-years get uni accommodation and the other students probably already have something set up.

6. Always look at the state of the windows. Any draft coming through? Are they older than Thatcher? Probably skip, although this is manageable with a thick curtain and some light DIY.

7. Take a look at the washing machine, under the rubbery bit that's in front of the drum. If it's absolutely disgusting and it's not a one bed / studio, I'd skip that place. This is more of a vibe check re: the people you're going to live with - it's also such a PITA to clean up (had the displeasure of having to do it twice, in two different flats). In a similar vein, take a quick look at the fridge.

8. If renting through an agency, check reviews (not the ones on their websites, obv) and forums. There are a couple that should be avoided at all costs, and it's not hard to find out which. Not all of them are bad - but most of them are.

9. Always view in person. Don't assume a pricier place will be fine. Most agencies require an in-person viewing and for good reason. I'm more of a risk taker so I skipped this by using private landlords. 33% satisfaction so far.

10. If it's cheap and central, it's likely going to be shit.

    There are some exceptions with private landlords, e.g. people in their 30s buying their first flat who want some extra help with their mortgage. You can get some pretty good deals this way, but they're few and far between, they go very fast, and you're matched against other high-elo applicants.

11. Renting a flat that's 20-30 mins away by bus isn't the end of the world. Bonus points if it's close to the tram.

12. Always take timestamped photos when you move in, of absolutely everything. The upstanding agencies make you do this anyway, so just do the same for the shitty ones and for private landlords, no matter how nice they seem initially. Evidence is good to sidestep any potential BS, come deposit-reclaiming time.

13. If the curtains are drawn in every photo and you can't see the outside, expect a surprise :)

14. Beware of clown car situations. You move in, and it turns out that the significant other, or the ever-revolving line-up of hook-ups, or the clandestine family members just weren't around for the viewing (gasp!). Sadly, the only sure way to avoid this is to rent a one-person place.

Good luck!