Moving from the States - no references

BlowInYank

Hi all, I'm moving from the States to start a research doctorate at Trinity this September. I'm moving with my son so I won't be able to avail of student accommodation. I have only ever lived with my parents, in American student housing, and in the house my husband and I have owned for the last nine years. Therefore I have no landlord references. Would I be able to use an American credit report? A scholarship letter from Trinity? What kind of documents can I provide?
Thanks in advance.

Really Interested

BlowInYank wrote: »

Hi all, I'm moving from the States to start a research doctorate at Trinity this September. I'm moving with my son so I won't be able to avail of student accommodation. I have only ever lived with my parents, in American student housing, and in the house my husband and I have owned for the last nine years. Therefore I have no landlord references. Would I be able to use an American credit report? A scholarship letter from Trinity? What kind of documents can I provide?
Thanks in advance.

TCD offer accommodation suitable for families. Your best bet is to contact the accommodation office.

http://www.tcd.ie/accommodation/StudentsandStaff/StaffFamilyRooms/

I know UCC used to have a person looking after students coming from abroad. I assume TCD do likewise.

BlowInYank

I appreciate the reply, but at the Trinity US Open Days when I had an actual representative from TCD housing to talk to, she looked at me like I had three heads when I explained that I needed housing for my son as well as me. The child minder on campus also has a waiting list, which I cannot get on unless I visit them in person AND provide a cheque from an Irish bank, which I cannot open until I have a permanent address in Ireland. So no guarantees whatsoever any which way. I've chosen to live outside Dublin and commute in as rent and child minding is much cheaper, plus I have friends who live in Carlow (but are unable to accommodate my son and me). I will give TCD accommodation office an email and see if I get a reply there, but I am not holding my breath. 

ace_irl

Hi Op, you could try to provide an employers reference as well, as extra support for a potential landlord. You may find it easier going through a letting agency.

BlowInYank

Employers reference? As in the employer I'm leaving in the States to move to Ireland? I hadn't thought of that, thank you. I'm hopeful for a letting agency but the one in the area I want hasn't replied to my query from last week yet.

ace_irl

A lot of my friends used employer references when they started renting cause they were first time tenants and it worked out okay for them. My dad is a landlord and he always requests an employers reference as part of the letting process. So worth a shot to have one with you.

Regarding the letting agent, I have always found that the best way to get yourself considered by them is to keep following up with them. Forward on your previous email and say you just want to follow up as you have yet to hear anything back, and then follow it up again in another week if you can. I would always follow up with a phone call to get a point on contact, but that would probably be a bit costly for you at the moment.

cruizer101

Might be worth your while getting in touch with mature students society http://maturestudents.csc.tcdlife.ie/
and also the students union should have a mature students officer https://www.tcdsu.org/part-time-officers#

They might both have experience of older students with children trying to find accommodation.

There is rental shortage at the moment so its not going to be easy for you as landlords can have their pick of potential tenants, and prices are high

How far out are you happy to commute from?

dennyk

Landlords want tenants that won't destroy their property and will pay their rent on time. Any documentation that you can pull together to demonstrate that will help; mortgage statements showing you owned a home and paid on time for many years would be ideal. You'll want proof of income as well, so an offer letter from your employer showing your salary (or current pay stubs if you're already working), or proof of any self-employment income. If you won't have an income, they'll want some sort of proof that you have the funds necessary to cover your rent payments, so bank statements might be a necessity (and if you have a scholarship, provide that info as well). Your proof of enrollment at Trinity will likely be needed as well, as they'll want to know you're residing here legally and aren't going to be deported for overstaying a tourist visa and leave them hanging. Similarly, if you have your paperwork completed for your study visa, provide that as well.

An American credit report couldn't hurt, either; if you haven't done so in the past year, you can get a free credit history report from all three agencies at https://www.annualcreditreport.com. It won't have your FICO score, but it will show all of your open and past credit accounts and payment history on each one, and Irish landlords wouldn't know what a FICO score means anyway; they'll care more that you've demonstrated fiscal responsibility, which your lack of late payments and delinquent accounts will demonstrate.

As for a bank account, I was able to open a current account with Bank of Ireland while I still lived in the US, using my US address. It took a phone call, lots of emails, and FedExing some paperwork, but it was well worth setting up ahead of time, as without a bank account you'll have a hard time putting down a deposit on a place, and without a permanent address you'll have a hard time opening an account. Once you do find a place to live, you can update your address with BoI easily enough.

As far as finding a place to rent, it's very unlikely you'll be able to do so from overseas in the Dublin area; the market is just too crazy for a landlord to take a chance on a foreign tenant who isn't even in the country yet when there's a line of locals waving fistfuls of cash right outside his door. You should plan to make do with short term accommodation (AirB&Bs, holiday homes, hotels, etc.) for a bit while you look for a place here once you've arrived.

Mrs OBumble

Ask your friends in carlow to help you find a place: their local relationships will likely be worth more than references .

dev100

dennyk wrote:

As for a bank account, I was able to open a current account with Bank of Ireland while I still lived in the US, using my US address. It took a phone call, lots of emails, and FedExing some paperwork, but it was well worth setting up ahead of time, as without a bank account you'll have a hard time putting down a deposit on a place, and without a permanent address you'll have a hard time opening an account. Once you do find a place to live, you can update your address with BoI easily enough.

I think your required to have a PPS number now before you have a bank account . It was a good few year ago when my Polish friend came to live here and I think only 1 bank would allow her open an account without a PPs number even at that she had to produce it within a certain length of time. I'd say things are even tighter now.

dennyk

dev100 wrote: »

I think your required to have a PPS number now before you have a bank account . It was a good few year ago when my Polish friend came to live here and I think only 1 bank would allow her open an account without a PPs number even at that she had to produce it within a certain length of time. I'd say things are even tighter now.

Would depend on the bank, I imagine, and you'd likely need one for any interest-paying account to process DIRT, but I opened my current account a year and a half ago with no PPS number. I don't even think I ever gave BoI my number after I got it, come to think of it.

dev100

dennyk wrote:

Would depend on the bank, I imagine, and you'd likely need one for any interest-paying account to process DIRT, but I opened my current account a year and a half ago with no PPS number. I don't even think I ever gave BoI my number after I got it, come to think of it.

It's to do with Fraud/ money laundering and knowing who s who . I think I even needed it for my credit union account. I'm surprised you didn't get asked.

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Samuel T. Cogley

Many Landlords rent directly without the use of an agent - they tend to be willing to be a bit more flexible.

dennyk

Elemonator wrote: »

Are you planning on buying here OP? If you have a house in the States, you should decide whether you want to hold on to it or sell it and buy here. You'll get crucified here on rent. Consider what is a better investment?

OP is here on a study visa; she would not be able to get a mortgage on that even if she had an income (which it sounds like she does not). Renting is her only option, really, unless she has the cash to buy outright (and that would be a foolish idea when she doesn't currently have long-term permission to remain).

She may not have a house in the US to sell, either; she just said she owned one with her husband, so he may still be living in it there while she is here studying (or maybe they're divorced and he got the house...).

Elemonator

Sorry everyone, didn't give too much attention to the OP when posting :P

BlowInYank

No worries. I really appreciate the responses, this blew up more than I anticipated.

My husband and I are still together but his career (city firefighter with 12 years in) is impossible to transfer in terms of income or pension. So he's staying in the States to continue working and I'll be studying for about 3 years. No possibility of buying, although my husband's income and my scholarship means I have a decent monthly budget for renting.

I forgot if I mentioned it here or not but I'll be living in Carlow as I have close friends with a daughter close in age to my son there. I know the commute will be long but I'll be able to afford a decent multi-bedroom flat or house for the price of a small Dublin studio (if I could even find one).

Thanks again for the advice.