How to ask 'Have you been in prison?'

constant_2

Biiiig and urgent problem. Just been told that my delightful new lodger may have been in prison. No details known to informant.
Cannot ask directly as that will cause huge problems for my informant - wish they hadn't bothered passing on possible gossip but there we are.

renting out further rooms and cannot let this slide as now have responsibility for the new people. Please, please help if you can or if you have been in this position.

Alikay

Ermm...make out you're renewing your household insurance and one of the questions they've asked is "does anyone in the house have a criminal record?"

constant_2

genius! are you always this smart? i just bet you are. thank you very very much.
if i don't find out the repercussions from others could be appalling.

constant_2

Like I said in my post I cannot ask directly because it may rebound on the one who told me who was trying to protect me. As i want to protect my future lodgers.

Reference the insurance suggestion - to my knowledge telling lies is not fraud.

I take your point about honourable people -of course - but my problem is that, if the conviction was for, say, theft or violence, then my knowing and not telling prospective lodgers leaves me in a very bad position and frankly is just not fair on them.

Then you say "might (hopefully?) end up with you inside ". Gee, thanks.

bigblackdog

if he/she has been in prison , are they likely to declare it ? when you ask reg insurance ?
can you do a crb check ? or do they have to give you permission for that?
perhaps you can put it on the list for future lodgers if it worries you that much
say as it is a shared property a crb check has to be done for insurance purposes
not sure if it would be acceptable to do it now they have moved in though

iamana1ias

constant wrote: »

Reference the insurance suggestion - to my knowledge telling lies is not fraud.

What is it if not fraud?

mlz1413

how long has this lodger been with you?
have YOU had any problems / concerns?
has the 'friend' who told you a grudge against lodger?
even you have said this could be gossip so why don't you question friend more and get them to find out real set of events - if they are trying to protect you they will put themselves out to help you, wouldn't they?

constant_2

"No precise legal definition of fraud exists. In the public service, the term is used to describe such acts as deception, bribery, forgery, extortion, corruption, theft, conspiracy, embezzlement, misappropriation, false representation, concealment of material facts and collusion. For practical purposes fraud may be defined as the use of deception with the intention of obtaining an unfair advantage, avoiding an obligation or causing loss to another party."

I would admit to the 'false representation' if I do the insurance suggestion but is this fraud thing worth pursuing? All I wanted was some help with a serious problem.

constant_2

Friend knows no more and cannot find out more. No grudge, just feels protective toward me the way I do now toward prospective other lodgers.
I have had no problems - altho it is only a few days - but actually really like the guy - and , if it was just me, I would leave it and make up my own mind.
But it isn't just me, is it?

mlz1413

sorry but I'd take your friend with a pinch of salt then, they have passed on idle gossip, which they can't remember how they find out so can't go back to and get any details.

I assume all your lodgers will go through the same vetting process as this one so all will be treated fairly?

Also what will you do if your friend tells you your next lodger has possibly been to prison?

BitterAndTwisted

As lodgers have very few rights and certainly no security of tenure the easiest way to resolve this would be to give this chap notice. Depends on how much you trust your informant's information and your own instincts. Being sent to prison for non-payment of a motoring-fine is a million miles away from being put inside for an axe-murder.

I certainly wouldn't construe asking the question and tying it into your insurance as "false representation". This person is living in your home and you should be able to protect yourself from possible physical harm or being taken advantage of financially.