Hello! I am a British Citizen (born and bred) who has been living overseas for the last 18 years. As my Mum has fallen ill this year I have had to return back to the UK to ensure I am closer to her. As she lives in a council property that is for over 55s I am unable to live with her so I need to rent my own property.
The problem I have is that I am a self-employed freelancer and have been for 9 years, what referencing can be done for myself? I don’t have UK tax returns as I have done these all overseas.I don’t have any UK credit history anymore, and I cannot provide a Landlord reference as again this was all overseas (well my landlord would provide me with a reference but it would not be in English 
)
I just feel a bit lost as I know I am a good tenant and have always paid my rent on time, and respected the properties I have lived in.
Any advice much appreciated.
This is what I would ask of you …
Do you have bank statements?
You will have accounts from overseas and your employment contract?
Provide the reference for your landlord or at least their details
The prospective landlord can find a translator for your reference
Do you have a credit history from where you left?
How will you pay rent in this country?
Do you have a U.K. based guarantor?
Are you able to pay a few months upfront?
Thank you so much for your reply this is helpful
Yes to Bank Statements
Being a freelance consultant, not all my jobs have had contracts - that said my current one does but only gives basic information about what I need to do for the company.
Yes I can provide contact details for all my old landlords, as I say it would just be that the reference would be in a foreign language or at least very broken English
Not sure I could even get an overseas credit check they don’t have any such things as Experian.
My current contract is with a UK-based company and the money I get from that will pay my rent and is now showing in an online UK bank.
Not sure how Guarantors work - I have my parents here in the UK but they are both retired so I guess they could not be a guarantors - so I guess no.
Yes I do have some savings so could pay 2/3 months rent up from if that was required.
Retired guarantors can work if they have equity eg savings or home
I take retired people. Often students only have a grandparent as a guarantor
I would take your profile if it all checked out
When you apply for your property include all the things you have documented
Say that you have bank statements to verify
Thank you so much for your kind responses. It is much appreciated.
@Mary13 if you are to live with your mum as her carer then the council or LA or whoever should allow (i am in exactly the same situation my dad lives in a bungalow specifically for over 55s/disbaled however as i am his carer i am permitted to live here this also serves another purpose as due to me being his carer i am disregarded from CT bill so they knock more off that too we are with Regenda I obv dont know yours but i certainly would enquire with them and put something in an e mail to them as long as the tenant is over 55/disabled NOTE they HAVE said that once dad is no longer with us I have to move out as i dont fit the criteria (hence my recent house search
Thank you @Gary Gosh its such a nightmare. Mum doesn’t need a carer as such, she is not disabled and is slowly getting better (I hope) but still needs me closer than I was. I am not sure that the Council will accept that. Eventually next year as well I do hope that my husband may join us (not for at least 9-12 months) so I think I would need to look even then for our own place as his visa application would not allow him to be in a council property.
Just so hard as I never even considered I would need to come back to the UK as I had made my life abroad - all the things you never think about
not sure what your tax status is overseas, but watch out for getting stung for tax in your final year of repatriation. If, like me, you come back mid tax year then you could have a sizeable amount of income to declare from overseas earnings on your first UK tax return.
if they are homeowners on pensions, they are better value guarantors than someone with a salary. Pensions are guaranteed income for life. Salaries aren’t.
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