When taking a place on a six month contract with it to run on with two months' notice thereafter, I've made up for the lack of "normality", i.e. no employer salary cheque, etc., by paying the six months rent up front and then reverting to the normal monthly rent payment. Every landlord so far has agreed. It may help to think of ways you can persuade a landlord, and often than means paying more money (the interest I lost -- not much).