Rentals and Cats in the UK
Hi All!
So, my husband and I decided a few years ago that we would like to live in the UK after I graduated from vet school (obligatory GO GATORS!).
He is the UK citizen and I am the US citizen.
Being who I am, we have accumulated an inordinate number of cats that we are taking with us when we move (FOUR! I know, I know, that's crazy cat lady territory) and we have already gotten them most of the way through the PETS passport process (we have only to get their paperwork USDA certified and buy their plane tickets plus the last minute things like tick/tapeworm treatment of course). They are coming with us, or we're not moving - though obviously, we'd really like to move!
So the main problem I am coming up against is that it seems like pet-friendly apartments are almost impossible to find. On top of that, it seems like renting a place in the UK is kind of ridiculously complicated.
We would like to live in Cambridge, but for as short-term a lease as possible in case I cannot find a vet job there (my vet friends say it is difficult as they have an over-saturated job market due to the vet school in the area)...so six months or less.
Does anyone have any hints or tips on how to find pet-friendly rentals in Cambridge?
Does anyone know how long I can expect it to take? We were planning on flying over for a week (having of course rung up the estate agents in advance to book viewings during the time we are going to be there) and we will hopefully have my mother-in-law in tow to possibly act as a guarantor if we need it. Husband has not lived in the UK in the past five years, and although he still has a bank account at Halifax - he never had a credit card or bought a car or anything so of course has no credit at all in the UK. I realize we will also probably need references like whoa.
I am having a mini-freak out (ok, more like major) as it is sooo easy to rent here in Gainesville, Florida - you literally turn up and they take a deposit and you're set and I hadn't counted on all this complication.
Advice/suggestions very welcome.
So, my husband and I decided a few years ago that we would like to live in the UK after I graduated from vet school (obligatory GO GATORS!).
He is the UK citizen and I am the US citizen.
Being who I am, we have accumulated an inordinate number of cats that we are taking with us when we move (FOUR! I know, I know, that's crazy cat lady territory) and we have already gotten them most of the way through the PETS passport process (we have only to get their paperwork USDA certified and buy their plane tickets plus the last minute things like tick/tapeworm treatment of course). They are coming with us, or we're not moving - though obviously, we'd really like to move!
So the main problem I am coming up against is that it seems like pet-friendly apartments are almost impossible to find. On top of that, it seems like renting a place in the UK is kind of ridiculously complicated.
We would like to live in Cambridge, but for as short-term a lease as possible in case I cannot find a vet job there (my vet friends say it is difficult as they have an over-saturated job market due to the vet school in the area)...so six months or less.
Does anyone have any hints or tips on how to find pet-friendly rentals in Cambridge?
Does anyone know how long I can expect it to take? We were planning on flying over for a week (having of course rung up the estate agents in advance to book viewings during the time we are going to be there) and we will hopefully have my mother-in-law in tow to possibly act as a guarantor if we need it. Husband has not lived in the UK in the past five years, and although he still has a bank account at Halifax - he never had a credit card or bought a car or anything so of course has no credit at all in the UK. I realize we will also probably need references like whoa.
I am having a mini-freak out (ok, more like major) as it is sooo easy to rent here in Gainesville, Florida - you literally turn up and they take a deposit and you're set and I hadn't counted on all this complication.
Advice/suggestions very welcome.