any letting agents, or people with experience of renting?..

Can't say much only rented a few places myself. Just wanted to comment and ask why you're paying 6 months in advance? If you enter into a contract for at least six months you'll be guaranteed that term (unless you break the terms of the tenancy, but that would still be the case even if you paid up front). I see no advantage to it, only disadvantage, that being they have your money months ahead of when they should have.

I`ve rented for the past 3 years almost in the same house. I personally dont see the advantage or paying 6 months upfront. Hell 6 months rent in one hit is well on the way to a deposit on a mortgage lol.

We initially started on a 6 month contract. We tried to get the rent lower by saying we`ll take a 12month contract but they wouldnt have it so after the 6 months we went onto a rolling contract and just go month by month. If your pay monthly contract is for 6 months they couldnt just terminate that and kick you out unless you did something seriously wrong. But then saying that if you paid 6 months upfront and they turfed you out you should get your money back anyway but seriously i cant see any advantage to paying that huge lump sum upfront.

If you rent, just make sure you go over the place with a fine toothed combe and mark down absolutely everything on the inventory. That way you`re more or less covered come time to move out and you get your full deposit back. ALWAYS haggle the rent price, if things arent up to standard you offer it to them to either get it up to standard or reduce the rent.

Our agent is a complete ****** to be honest and didnt sort out anything we highlighted in the inventory so we went direct to the landlady and she sorts everything now and we havent spoken to the agent in almost the 3 years we`ve lived there.