Hello Guys,
I’m about to rent out our property to two overseas professionals—a lawyer and a credit analyst—who are both on employer-sponsored working visas. I’m using OpenRent’s Rent Now service and came across information stating that the holding deposit must be paid using a UK debit or credit card. However, I don’t believe they currently have one.
Could you advise on how this situation can be managed? Is there an alternative way for them to pay the holding deposit if they don’t yet have a UK card?
Additionally, I understand we should check their right to rent in the UK—is it sufficient to confirm their visa status, or is there specific documentation we should request?
Apologies if these are basic questions—we just want to make sure we’re doing things correctly and fairly, and we would really appreciate any guidance.
Many thanks,
Giulia
Holding deposit must be paid using a UK card. Openrent offer no alternative to this.
There is lots of guidance available online for Right to Rent checks. Search for links ending Gov, and it’ll explain your options of seeing ID for UK residents and/or Sharecode for foreign nationals.
If they are paying holding deposits to you directly with the intention of registering it with the deposit scheme , then you may not have way to take the payment.
However you mention you are using OpenRent and the deposit will be paid directly to OpenRent. I will say how they pay it shouldn’t bother you. I expect the payment gateway OpenRent uses should be able to process bank cards issued outside of the uk. I expect the card owner to be charge some extra fees for international payments and foreign exchange. You should care less about how it works. What matters to you is give them a cut-off date or time. If by the date you set no deposit has been made, move on from them.
If you really like them and want them, suggest they open revolut account. This can be activated with a day. They open a sterling account with revolut. Fund the account with the foreign bank card, generate a sterling visa virtual card.
With the virtual card , they can pay for stuff online using the card number , pin and expiring date.
It is that easy.
As per right to rent. You do have to carry out one.
Ask them to generate a share code. Once you have their share code, visit the gov site to do the checks.
Go to google and check “landlord right to rent check”. You should get a link to the gov site.
If they are paying holding deposits to you directly with the intention of registering it with the deposit scheme , then you may not have way to take the payment.
However you mention you are using OpenRent and the deposit will be paid directly to OpenRent. I will say how they pay it shouldn’t bother you. I expect the payment gateway OpenRent uses should be able to process bank cards issued outside of the uk. I expect the card owner to be charge some extra fees for international payments and foreign exchange. You should care less about how it works. What matters to you is give them a cut-off date or time. If by the date you set no deposit has been made, move on from them.
If you really like them and want them, suggest they open revolut account. This can be activated with a day. They open a sterling account with revolut. Fund the account with the foreign bank card, generate a sterling visa virtual card.
With the virtual card , they can pay for stuff online using the card number , pin and expiring date.
It is that easy.
As per right to rent. You do have to carry out one.
Ask them to generate a share code. Once you have their share code, visit the gov site to do the checks. See link below