Unfair charge for tenant referencing unmarried couple?

Lilibee

We had a similar thing when we moved into our current house, but in our case the issue was whether or not we would need a guarantor. OH was going back to university to do his masters and therefore had no income, but if we'd been married my income (more than enough to cover rent) would have been classed as joint income so he wouldn't require a guarantor. But we're not, so we're now in the ludicrous position of having a guarantor who earns much less than I do.

BitterAndTwisted

You're contemplating giving up on a perfect property for the sake of a measly £70? Bonkers.

mynameisclare

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

You're contemplating giving up on a perfect property for the sake of a measly £70? Bonkers.

And that's just the attitude that means letting agents get away with charging totally unreasonable fees. The only way to change it is if tenants start voting with their feet.

Clearlier

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

You're contemplating giving up on a perfect property for the sake of a measly £70? Bonkers.

If it were me I'd be more worried about what kind of a mindset this suggested. If they're concerned about this (and so far as I understand it makes no difference to their costs) what other irrelevant thing are they going to have a problem with?

G_M

If your concern is the 'discrimination' against unmarried couple I fail to understand.

Whether a couple get married or not is, of course, a personal choice.

But marriage is more than a religeous function - it has legal implications. There are a whole host of ways in which married and unmarried couples are treated differently:
Tax
Benefits
property rights on split up
children
etc etc

If you choose to live together/take out a joint tenancy but not marry, you may be treated differently to a maried couple doing the same.

As suggested above, one implication is the legal way debts are linked where couples are married.

As two (legally) unconnected individuals I am unsurprised you are each credit checked individually.

mynameisclare

Married people are NOT responsible for each other's debts though

debrag

we aren't married and only paid £70 I think.

G_M

The issue does not appear to be about the cost. Credit checks actually cost from £15-£50 + whatever mark-up the agent/landlord chooses to add on for admin/profit/etc.

The issue is whether it's 'fair' to charge differently dependant on marrital status.

Married people are NOT responsible for each other's debts though

Correct. But a credit search on one will show up CCJs/bankrupcy on the other - hence why one check might suffice.