Found a house to rent - but panicing!

confuzzled7

I was discharged from bankruptcy last year but haven't yet full cleared up my credit files.

Yet I've just found a lovely new (well, it's not new, it's very old!) house to rent (I'm in rented at the moment but rented it long before I went bankrupt). The new house is lovely and the agent has championed me to the landlord all the way along (it was basically down to them to choose between me and another couple, based on suitability, as they wanted someone quiet who'd create minimal disruption as the cottage is directly opposite their own house). I hard today that the landlord wants me to move in and I'm over the moon... but have just crashed down to earth too and am now panicking.

The agent mentioned that they now will send me a form to fill in online for referencing purposes, and that I'll be charged £50 for the checks (which is fair enough). At this point I panicked and asked her, tentatively, what sort of things they check. She assured me I'd sail through (she knows I'm a teacher and seems to think this excludes me from all wrongs!) and said it basically just checks my salary is sufficient to cover the rent (which it is), that I am who I say I am (which I am!) and gets a reference from my current employer and landlord (which will both be fine)... no mention of a credit check. Am I being naive in hoping and praying that they won't run credit checks? Should I sit tight and wait and see what the form actually says? Or should I call her tomorrow to 'confess all' (I know I'll cry down the phone when I explain it).

I'm so worried that I'll now lose this lovely house.

My Mum knows the situation and has offered to be a guarantor if needs be - will this help? I'm worried because she's also only in rented and I think I've heard that a guarantor has to be a home-owner - does anyone know if this is right?

Sorry for waffling on.

debt_doctor

Hi,
Generally they do require guarentors to be homeowners. Also Im afraid your probably right in the fact that a credit check will be made. It's one of those catch 22 situations of should I or shouldn't I tell.

DD

confuzzled7

Oh, I'm screwed then.

debt_doctor

I hope not. People still manage to get private rented when they have failed the credit check. You should highlight (perhaps direct to the prospective landlord) what a good tenant you will be, and no issues of other debts threatening your ability to pay the rent.

Hope it works out for you.

DD

skintasusual

I would be honest! but they should look at your reference from your landlord favourablY! I know CCJ's are not a problem with the checks they do but i was honest about them before they did it and it was all fine.....maybe BR same? x

imindebtjayne

similiar situation, but 3 months into my br I found a house I wanted, not sure what to do, luckily on my second viewing bumped into landlord and was totally up front explained I was br and why, he was great, then spoke to agent who were also really supportive. Surprisingly failed the checks, Had to have a guarantor (yes had to be a home owner). Got a 12 month tenancy with option to renew.

Be positive am sure it will work out ok for you

Best of luck

NorthernOne

I am discharged now 5 years, clean file, good job and good credit history since and always rented. I decided to go via an agent rather than direct on this occasion. Normally you need to pass the agency searches so the landlord can get insurance and on the form it doesn't specifically ask but I put it down anyway and i had already told the agent (they said we would have to see if it effects my application, or give us your £150!!!).

Needless to say I was declined.

If I could get a guarentors then I would need to pay another £50.00 for checks. I said no as I don't have anyone and ended up telling the agency take or leave it. Ended up paying 2 months deposit job done

What's interesting is that I spoke to LAS as I was annoyed that they ha declined me even with checking my salary etc and they said that a bankruptcy is an instant decline simple as and nothing will change that even if I had 1 million in the bank a bankruptcy is declined.

The agency will take their money but maybe its worth letting them know and asking them to speak to the landlord and offering an extra months rent like i did, the agency will still say take the checking option as they want their money!

Hope it goes well

ky822000

Admittedly I am with a non-brankrupt partner, but our credit check went through fine. My wages are paid into one of her accounts, and she transfers extra money from her wages into that account to cover bills. The agents were fully aware of my bankruptcy at the time we applied for the house and we did not have to pay any extra because of it.....

Maybe all agents are different ? The agents we went with first of all never bothered doing the checks - that's a nice earner, thank you!!

Good luck x

Ineedaname

As £50 is such a cheap fee to pay (these days) for credit and reference checking it may be that this agent will be open to negotiations as per NorthernOne's experience. It seems the big agencies that charge a couple hundred for checks are less flexible.

They have championed you so far and you have a good record of paying with your existing landlord. They'll not necessarily be told you are BR in the credit check results, but it sounds like that will be declined. So nothing to lose by letting them know beforehand.

Stay positive and let us know how it goes.

CreditMonkey

I was massively in debt and having house repo'd. Was on a DMP but had stopped paying it to save for my rent deposit and BR fee and I still passed private rent credit check....! If I passed anyone can.

Some companies dont do the same type of credit check that a loan company would do. They usually check to make sure you have the means to pay and the intention. I.e regular wage deposits and how long you been in your job etc. How many times you've moved before. All of that is more relevant to them. They'd rather rent to someone who has moved twice in 10 years and had the same job (who might be BR) than someone that has moved 9times in 10years and had 8 different jobs.

confuzzled7

CreditMonkey wrote: »

I was massively in debt and having house repo'd. Was on a DMP but had stopped paying it to save for my rent deposit and BR fee and I still passed private rent credit check....! If I passed anyone can.

Some companies dont do the same type of credit check that a loan company would do. They usually check to make sure you have the means to pay and the intention. I.e regular wage deposits and how long you been in your job etc. How many times you've moved before. All of that is more relevant to them. They'd rather rent to someone who has moved twice in 10 years and had the same job (who might be BR) than someone that has moved 9times in 10years and had 8 different jobs.

I really hope you're right - I'm sitting here on tenterhooks waiting for the form to be emailed so I can see what it says. Keep nearly picking up the phone to the agent to spill the beans and explain the situation but really want to sit tight until I've at least seen the form. I've only lived at 2 addresses in the last 10+ years so hopefully that will count for something and, although I've changed jobs a few times they've all been teaching at within the same 2 LEAs so, hopefully....

Still feel sick, though.