Landlord here. I have had an enquiry from a prospective new tenant. He currently lives in Japan and have advised that they have sold their 2 bed flat in Japan and are looking to move to the UK. He has advised he has substantial amount of savings to cover rent for 5 years. He is willing to offer 12 months rent upfront but will look for a job once in the UK. He said he is a professional Accountant and currently working in Japan as a Accountant. He says he has a british passport but says he has never resided in the UK. He also says he has no guarantor.
Any thoughts on the above please or anyone with similar exerience? I can’t make full sense of this yet. Can you have a british passport if you have never lived in the UK before? He said he is not a British National Overseas which do not have indefinite leave to remain or other rights in the UK.
I would consider it if I had confidence in him. I’d check the passport/right to rent situation for him and anyone else planning to come. Id also check the story by asking for evidence that hed sold a property and that he has the funds available to him in the UK. Also his last job and his prospects here. I might also ask for at least 6 months rent up front.
The tenant gave additional information in that they have a British Citizen via British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1990 so don’t require a Right to Rent (share code). I haven’t come across this before and says he has proof of funds which he will give after viewing.
Am I correct in thinking its better to do 11 months rent upfront rather than 12 on a 12 month fixed contract and the last month as a usual month so that two months notice can be given be wither parties?
Yes you can have UK passport if never lived in UK, I was an expat for 25 years and my kids had UK passports, visited here but never lived here until their twenties. If his passport says “British Citizen” then that’s the same as anyone else who has one.
I would advise you to proceed with caution
The RRB comes in soon and rent in advance is no longer an option
If you are taking them you need to take 12 months if you are signing a 12 month AST
Write the contract as monthly rent and take 12 months Don’t write the rental period as payment period and you are covered
The 11 months are then just monies held in trust
However
You then have a sitting tenant with no U.K. based guarantor abd maybe no job and once the advance runs out he’s got no reason to pay
Also, he’s got to get a job
I have a nurse who’s come over and getting a job at the moment is a lot harder than one thinks
If you want to proceed make sure you have a U.K. based guarantor and do corroborate his story
I’ve just been caught out by an international and I should know better ( my eye wasn’t on the ball) but at least I have a guarantor and six months upfront
I am less inclined to take any internationals because of upcoming legislation unless they already have a job and a U.K. based guarantor