New landlord question, need help re tenants?

tbs624

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

What the agents will do is take a "holding deposit" from this family while they do the credit-checks and take out references.

Not necessarily - not all LLs/LAs ask for "holding deposits", not least because they provide little protection for either party. A T who is prepared to hand over a great deal of personal info plus the costs of those third party referencing checks is likely to be pretty serious about going ahead.

OP - LA's are always keen to get a T in asap so they get their fees plus the commission on the rent asap. Don't be rushed - the LA works *for* you so don't let them dictate.

As for not renting out to families, house trashers/rent dodgers come from all walks of life and household sizes.

Has this property previously been your own home btw?

ruggedtoast

As someone who has been on the other side of the fence i would query why you have opened the property for viewings if you're just going to muck people around who want to rent it.

No it is not normal to visit people in their home or ask for refs two landlords ago.

flora48

If the tenants pass all the checks I see no reason not to rent to families with children, there are all sorts of folk out there.
My property is rented to a family with 2 teenagers and 3 dogs, and I am told they get on well with the neighbours and the LA says the property is in very good order. As a PP said families don't want to uproot very often which is good for me as the landlord.

G_M

ruggedtoast wrote: »

As someone who has been on the other side of the fence i would query why you have opened the property for viewings if you're just going to muck people around who want to rent it.

No it is not normal to visit people in their home or ask for refs two landlords ago.

Taking time to vet, take up references, and select a tenant is not mucking people around. It is taking a professional attitude to your business.

Tenants frequently express a desire to rent a property, but meanwhile view others. This too could be seen as 'mucking the landlord around. It isn't. Selecting a home (esp for your family) is a serious decision and tenants have a right to take their time, compare properties etc.

It's all part of the two-way process of agreeing a tenancy.

I get even more amazed when I hear house buyers/sellers complaining the other side is taking more than 24 hours to decide about a £X00,000 deal!

jamie11

ruggedtoast wrote: »

No it is not normal to visit people in their home or ask for refs two landlords ago.

No? Perfectly normal in the world I come from.

Current landlord may want nothing more than to get rid of these tenants and therefore be tempted to fib a bit, previous landlord will not have this pressure on him.

G_M

tbs624 wrote: »

Link broken G_M

Thanks. Fixed.

Ulfar

MY only concern would be the property is too small for them, even though both kids are the same sex they are going to have to share a bedroom.

dizziblonde

I'd be more concerned the agents are pushing you to the people who are "less picky" and "ask less arkward questions" - kind of shows the level of service you (and the tenants) are going to get from these clowns (disclaimer: I rank letting agents below estate agents and only slightly above amoeba in the grand scheme of things). Basically they're pushing you for the ones who'll give THEM an easy life - and are likely to be off somewhere else again in a couple of years when the kids grow if it's already at "a bit of a squeeze" levels as they both hit teenage years, acquire a million friends and a wardrobe bursting at the seams to acommodate etc etc.

Your house - up to YOU if you want to rent it to them (or families in general), don't be pushed by a LA wanting their fee quicker.

Have never had a LL want to visit us at home btw - would have been happy for them to do it (to prove the cat isn't a raging furniture destroying psychopath hanging from the ceiling - much too much like hard work for her and might mess up her meticulously groomed fur) but have never ever been asked for that one and I rented privately for well over 10 years.

may_fair

Sandie11 wrote: »

Anyway, my concern is that it is a family with 2 children ( 7 & 13), I read not to rent out to families with children, but I have to say this seems a little harsh.

They are at least old enough not to scribble on the walls etc, but you will get more wear and tear with a family (or with young men/students) than, say, a childless couple or two young professionals. However, as has already been pointed out, families are more likely to stay long term, which is preferable to frequent changeovers/voids.

What's far more important is relability and ability to pay the rent.

ruggedtoast

G_M wrote: »

Taking time to vet, take up references, and select a tenant is not mucking people around. It is taking a professional attitude to your business.

Tenants frequently express a desire to rent a property, but meanwhile view others. This too could be seen as 'mucking the landlord around. It isn't. Selecting a home (esp for your family) is a serious decision and tenants have a right to take their time, compare properties etc.

It's all part of the two-way process of agreeing a tenancy.

I get even more amazed when I hear house buyers/sellers complaining the other side is taking more than 24 hours to decide about a £X00,000 deal!

I had the misfortune to have to rent in this country for five years and never found any part of the tenancy to be two way.

As a tenant I have never not had to put down at least £300 as a non refundable holding deposit.

You then jump through a dozen hoops to prove you are worthy, commit to a lease which if you are lucky the landlord wont renege on a few days before you are due to move in, and then invariably move into a place the owner hasnt bothered to clean which has a tranche of defects he / she could never be bothered to fix for the last people.

Then if you complain too much about any of this you will be evicted 6 months later.

The only thing that would make this process even worse than it already is would be to be told the landlady couldnt make up her mind for some reason and might want to visit me in my home to nose around my belongings and also ask me to provide a reference from someone I have probably had no contact with for years.

What on earth is that about? Never ever heard of that happening.