Letting agents are the worst way to get a flat – go through your mates instead

I’m pretty sure the 7th circle of hell is one long flat viewing


It’s that time of year again.

Even just writing this article now I’m getting PTSD flashbacks. Slimy estate agents, stuffy, overpriced flats filled with ten groups of people, endless application forms, endless rejection. Please. Never again.

Unless you’re an all girl flat of 4th year medics, you probably know exactly what I’m talking about, the marathon of suffering that is flat hunting. More often than not you could be searching for months before you find that overpriced, cramped flat you’ve always dreamed about.

The thing is with letting agents, you’re screwed either way. You’re either drowning in a mountain application paperwork after you’ve applied to half the flats in Edinburgh, or you’re having a stress related heart attack trying to secure a first-come-first-serve flat, because one group started calling up the agency before the viewing had even started.

At this point, you’ve looked up the finer points of squatters rights and whether its legal to camp on the meadows because the idea of going to another viewing makes you question what the point of anything is anymore.

The daily grind, looking for flats

Whilst it might be good to get a bit existential in the classroom to impress your tutor, getting a flat doesn’t need to be this much of an ordeal. The problem is, the estate agents know they can get away with it because the demand is so high. So forget estate agents and forget Lizzie the medic with her colour coded spreadsheets and inhuman time keeping, you can circumvent them all by just going through your mates instead of the more official channels.

If you know someone with a nice flat, ask to go round it before the viewings start and get them to contact the estate agent saying they have a trustworthy group willing to take it off their hands.

Go fuck yourself Zoopla

This really works out best for everyone involved; you get a flat without any hassle and the estate agents get to rent out their flat without any hassle. The estate agent may be a mysterious breed of human being, but you should never underestimate their laziness, some agencies will even give your friends a bottle of wine, or some cold hard cash for getting rid of the flat so quickly. Take it from me, every year I’ve tried to get a flat through estate agents and every year I end up taking one of my mates flats anyway simply because it’s just so easy. Flat hunting just isn’t worth the time or effort, so save yourself the stress.

Because honestly, unless you’re Billy-no-mates, save yourself the hassle this year and never go to a viewing again. Even then, you’re better off looking on Gumtree.