"Switch to rentals"

hedgehopper_2

For various reasons I'm too angry and upset to go into now, our purchase has fallen through.

We need to get somewhere else sorted out asap as notice is running out on our current accommodation, so I really need some answers and quick, specifically:

- what is the situation with landlords and babies/children?

part of the reason we were moving was to start a family in the next 6 months, so unless we want to start the process of buying somewhere very quickly (and I doubt either of us will want to go through it again for at least a year) we will be renting at some point in the future with a baby.

I've just never thought about this before - I do know plenty of families who rent, but I don't know if they had to mention their plans to the LL up front (like with a pet!) or if a LL has the legal right to reject a couple with children. Do you have to 'declare' it on the tenancy, as in 'there are two of us now but there will be 3' or does it not 'count' legally because they are minors?

Thanks all - I could speak to friends about this but am feeling a bit raw about the whole thing and don't want to have to go through the sorry saga of what happened. They don't need to know!

Looking on the bright side, we were hugely worried about what prices may do in the next few years and felt we had bid fairly high during a possible 'peak', so every cloud, etc. Also interest rates would have risen while I was off work, so it's not all bad. At least we get to keep our deposit this way too! (can you tell I'm trying to talk myself out of a funk!)

FATBALLZ

We had a child in our current rental property. You certainly don't have to declare it, and surely any attempt by a landlord to make it a term of your tenancy that you can't get pregnant (or have to abort a child) would be a breach of your human rights. Your landlord can of course give you notice if they find out and take exception to the idea, as they can give you notice after 6 months for any reason they like. But most reasonable human beings wouldn't have a problem with it.

hedgehopper_2

Fatballz> Thanks this was what I'd assumed, but if anything, the past 6 weeks have taught me not to assume ANYTHING EVER about property law. Also, our current letting agent are so ridiculously stringent and litigious about the smallest thing that tbh it wouldn't have surprised me if there was some clause they could slap on that would now allow basic human rights!

Grr, it's all just crappy timing really. thanks for your reply

sequence

No landlord would care if you're having kids, and if they do, steer well clear!

Mini_Bear

Im sure a landlord would get funny if you rented a studio flat with a baby on the way. But i'm sure landlords of family size houses near good schools etc realise a single person or young couple are not going to rent it unless it gets filled!!
Good luck OP!

pingu2209

Some landlords do care if you have children. When we looked to rent just over 2 years ago, a few properties would not take us as we had 3 children (even though the house was big enough). For the same reason as not accepting pets, some landlords think children do more damage that is not always recouped through the deposit.

N79

No need to declare and children cannot be tenants so they do not need to be listed on the tenancy agreement.

While there are LLs who try to refuse children any LL of a family home that does this is clearly mad and you would be best well away from them. I can almost understand LLs of upmarket city centre flats etc wanting to have no children, but otherwise no.

If you have a child during a tenancy then there is nothing the LL can do and no need to inform them. The idea that it is any of their business at all just boggles!

clutton_2

familes make the best tenants as far as i am concerned - they want long term lets, they want security of tenure and they look after their homes in case I evict them !!

jockosjungle

You don't have any children so they cannot even use it as an excuse to reject you, and once you've got one and been paying rent for a year, they're not going to get rid of you.

R

PasturesNew

It's certainly not something you need to even mention to them. It's none of their business (unless the block is specifically in a "child free" special zone, of which there are about 3 in the whole country).