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Getting cheap accommodation at the Fringe
After five years of letting accommodation for festival
performers and visitors we have noticed two things. You want your accommodation as close as
possible to the venues and you want it for as cheap as possible.
With the current financial condition of the country we
understand the latter is going to be even more important to our clients this
year so we have come up with some tips to show you how to get the cheapest
accommodation possible. Firstly, we’ll take
a quick look at why it is so expensive, which might help us find ways to bring
the cost down.
Risk:
Landlords of properties see the Edinburgh festival as an opportunity but also
a risk which is why they often won’t let their property unless the risk is
rewarded. There are a few terrible tales
in Edinburgh
about huge damage to some properties let out to performers. Most of this is complete myth, but
nevertheless has to be tackled. Most
landlords would accept less money from a tenant they either know or trust for
some reason. How to get that trust?
Offer a large deposit to show how confident you are that the
property will be left in fantastic condition.
As an agency we hold that deposit to ensure it is returned as and when
the property is returned to the owner in the same condition.
Also, provide as much information as possible about who is
staying. Age, sex, background, number of
people and what you are doing at the festival.
Some references from other landlords you have rented from in the past
either at home or on a previous trip to Edinburgh
are also useful.
Timing:
Most tenants ask us when is the best time to get
accommodation at the lowest price? To be
honest, there is no hard and fast rule about this, but simple economics would
suggest that it is when there is the largest amount of property available with
the least demand. Therefore, in most
cases the earlier the better. Most
landlords confirm they will let their property for the festival from around
March so the months of March, April and May are excellent months to book your
property.
By June and July, a great deal of properties are gone so the
choice is limited and the cost is normally a bit higher. However, some last minute deals are always
possible so don’t be discouraged.
Location:
We understand the reasons most performers and visitors want
to be so close to the venues, bars and attractions. However, for those who are willing to make
that extra 20 minute walk or late night bus journey the cost of accommodation
can be dramatically reduced.
Areas such as Leith, Meadowbank, Morningside and Polwarth
don’t generate the same demand as Old Town, New Town, Newington
and Marchmont. The rents charged during the whole year are also cheaper so
landlords have less expectation. If you
are willing to make the commute these areas will provide lovely accommodation
at very reasonable prices.
If you are flexible on location, agencies such as ourselves
can be flexible on price.
Hassle:
Landlords, like most people, do not like hard work. Therefore, they don’t like being asked to do
things for their tenants in preparation for their arrival. These are our top tips to offer a landlord to
get the price down:
- Offer to bring your own
bedding or buy it when you arrive.
The landlord therefore doesn’t have to worry about supplying these
and making beds. Edinburgh Festival
Rentals can order and supply bedding and towels to their tenants on
arrival if needed.
- Don’t demand wireless
broadband. With the availability of
wifi dongles and BT OpenZone, there are now many methods to access the
internet without a landlord signing up to an onerous 18 month contract
with BT or some other broadband provider.
Edinburgh Festival Rentals contracts an IT company over the month
of August to supply dongles and IT support for those who desperately need
this.
- Offer to book a cleaner at
the end of the month. Most
landlords factor in cleaning costs to their price therefore if you offer
to look after that for them then they’ll be willing to drop the price a
bit more. Edinburgh Festival
Rentals can provide details for a large amount of cleaning companies
available in August.
- Don’t demand a certain bed
layout. Edinburgh Festival Rentals
can provide you with bed suppliers who will deliver a single divan bed to
your rented property and then pick it up and dispose of it at the end of
the month for only £85.00 per bed.
You can pay the company direct on delivery and orders can be taken
immediately on booking your accommodation.
Hopefully, these tips will help you in trying to find the
most ideal accommodation at the best price for this year’s Edinburgh
Festival. If you have any questions
about anything in this article, please do not hesitate to contact us for more
information or go to: www.edinburghfestivalrentals.com
Best of luck to all those coming to Edinburgh this year, we
look forward to seeing you!
Edinburgh Festival Rentals team
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