First-time renting questions - employment check and application fees.

G_M

bristol_pilot wrote: »

A credit check is a particular joke - you pay rent in advance, so they are not offering you credit! They only do the credit check so that they can charge the fee! Don't be a mug - rent direct. Plenty of private landlords on gumtree, in the local paper or even in the newsagent's window.

This may be fair enough where the LL is charging the tenant cost price for the checks (although I would argue that it is always unreasonable to carry out a credit check where credit is not being offered - it is not an 'ability to pay the rent' check!),

'Credit check' is probobly a misnomer - it's really a tenant vetting process which includes elemments of financial vetting eg has the applicant ever been bankrupt, have they County Court Judgements against them? What current debts do they have?

I'm a private LL. I don't use an agent. I DO vet applicants (and as I said, pass on the associated costs, not to make profit but to cover my costs/protect myself.

True, I'm not granting 'credit', and tenants pay in advance, but I want to be confident not just that I'm getting the first months rent in advance, but that I'm likely to continue to get rent month-by-month. After all I'm handing over a £200,000 asset!

So yes - it IS both an 'ability to pay the rent' check and a 'likely to pay the rent' check ability !

There are lots of horror stories about wicked landlords (esp the old not returning the deposit chestnut) but believe it of not there are also quasi-professional tenants who pay a month then default, play the legal 'rights' system till finally evicted, then move on leaving debts and damage, to the next rental/next landlord. tenant vetting is amongst other things about spotting these people.

G_M

bristol_pilot wrote: »

Don't be a mug - rent direct. Plenty of private landlords on gumtree, in the local paper or even in the newsagent's window.

Beware of Gumtree! I'm sure there are lots of genuine LLs advertising there, but there are definately scammers too. Just as LLs 'vet' prospective tenants, tenants need to 'vet' LLs! Do they really own the property? Have they got permission to rent ie from their mortguage lender? etc

There was a case on this forum recently of a 'LL' who drove a tenant past a (beautiful)house, put on some pressure (can't show you inside till current tenants leave, lots of interest, if you want the place you need to pay 1st months rent and deposit now.....). Then vanished with the cash!

YBNB

Quick update - thanks to all who responded. We ended up needing a guarantor because MARAS refused to recognise my full-time working status because I'm employed by a foreign-based country.

We got there in the end. Thanks, all.