How to persuade a letting agency to allow me to rent from them... please help!

chocolate4

Hello,
I really need some advice on how to persuade a letting agent to accept my application for a rental. I know some landlords reading this will shake their heads in disproval about my situation but I am desperate to rent. I have a very bad credit rating, no guarantor and to top it off I am on a career break at the moment ( I am a single mum with young babies). so I am basically every landlord and letting agency's worst nightmare. My ex partner and I lost our house a couple of years ago - a very tough lesson was learned through that experience. Since then I have been renting from a letting agent with my parents as a guarantor. I now need to move due to the house being sold and now find that I can no longer use my parents as a guarantor.

After many attempts I have found another letting agent who will consider my application. I have been very honest with them and have offered to pay double desposit to make up for not having a guarantor. I have also supplied them with a good reference from my current letting agent. As well as the extra deposit they have asked for me to supply a 'guarantor' who is my brother and they said that they wouldn't do a credit check on him but just have his details on file. I did mention at the start that my brother also had bad credit and they said that this didnt matter as they wouldnt do a check on him. My brother is a very private person and reluctantly agreed to do this and gave them his work contact details, bank details and the agency who he rents from. I was then told that my application would be considered and I paid agency fees. I was also told by a woman at the letting agency to hand in my notice for my current place. However two weeks later and with me forever chasing them, I have been told to supply more information and to pay a holding fee. I dont really mind the holding fee but the information they are asking is too much for my brother. they are asking for banks statement from him and a credit report (even though they said they wouldn't need to look at his credit history!). I should mention that I am also supplying them my bank statements and credit report. I know that different letting agencies ask for different things but not even my parents had to do this in my current place. My brother flatly refuses to do this as he feels that it is invading his privacy.

I am phoning the letting agency up tomorrow and I am hoping someone on here could give me some advice on how to persuade the agency to overlook my brothers bank statements and credit report. I know I am asking a lot - but any help would be appreciated!

Annisele

If the LL of your new place has any sense, he's unlikely to accept your brother as guarantor unless:

• Your brother has sufficient income to pay both your rent and his own; and
• The LL is satisfied that your brother will continue to receive that income; and
• The LL is satisfied that your brother actually will pay your rent if you don't.

Your brother's past credit history issues really won't help with that, nor will the fact that he rents - it's much easier to pursue homeowners.

Is your brother/your bank/anybody else you know in a position to lend you six months rent? Sometimes LLs will accept six months rent in advance in lieu of a guarantor. (That exposes you to risks, but in the circumstances you describe I think it might be the best option if it's possible).

chocolate4

Hi, my brother is on a decent wage and they are checking his work references on that score. the letting agency knew of his adverse credit history and him not being a homeowner from the start and still said they would consider my application. I dont know anyone with six months rent to lend me - it's a lot of money to ask for and the bank certainly wouldn't lend it to me. Not sure where to go from here to be honest...

ruggedtoast

I would stay put. Your current landlord will have to evict you, when they do you then become the councils responsibility to rehome. If you have children you should be a priority.

Given your circumstances as described I dont think there is much point you trying to find a private rental; nor would it really be to your advantage to do so.

wageslave

If you cant provide a home owning guarantor a private landlord will typically require six months rent in advance.

Have you approached your local council about social housing?

It sounds as if you should be in a council house not a private let

wildheart83

Have you looked at private lets that don't use a letting agent? Gumtree / shop windows etc in the areas you are looking to live? It might be hit or miss, but if you have a glowing reference from your current LL / LA and can pay a double deposit, that's usually enough. But I agree with wageslave, you should be in council / HA accomodation, not renting privately xx

wageslave

It sounds to me as though you should go homeless. I know this will be a nightmare, and you have no idea how much I sympathise, but you talk about "your babies". Children need a safe, secure home and it is your duty to supply that.

If your kids are as young as they sound the whole homeless B&B thing wont really effect them. It wont be a walk in the park for you but you have to focus on the end game. A permanent home for your kids.

Private housing is a transitory thing, it is for six months or a year tops. It is not for a single parent with small children struggling to survive.

Bite the bullet and get yourself down to your local council. Tell them in X amount of weeks you and yours are going to be homeless and what are they going to do about it.

It wont be easy but sometimes the hard road is the best way to travel.

Good luck

G_M

Double deposit doesn't really help.
a) Most LLs take 1.5 months rent anyway, and the max is 2 months as above that there are legal implications that no sensible LL would want
b) If a tenant gets into difficulty, the extra deposit only delays the problem for a short period - after that the LL still has to deal with a defaulting tenant
So most LLs will want a guarantor. And as has been said, a guarantor who is 'reliable' - home-owning, credit-worthy, salary-earning etc

If I found out my letting agent was accepting a guarantor without credit vetting, I'd sack, or even sue, the agent!

I now need to move due to the house being sold

As ruggedtoast said above, stay put. Only a court can remove you - has it got that far?
And for the council to consider you, you MUST be evicted by a court NOT move out voluntarily.