Girlfriend not been in UK long, likely to fail credit check to rent?

djkarl

Basically

We've viewed a house we like it and it's just within our budget. Today we completed the credit reference forms and sent it back to agent and are awaiting their reply.

Now my girlfriend has only lived in the UK for 6 months and has only worked for the last 7 weeks. I've been employed for over 6 years. The monthly rent is £525 pcm, I take home after tax near enough dot on £1000, my girlfriend on the other hand gets about £700.

The forms were quite detailed and wanted all sorts of credit information, her been in the UK for not so long she has no credit history, I was wondering if this is likely to create problems?

Also for I had a £2500 career development loan which thankfully will be fully paid off on the 21/4/2007 and I have one credit card which has a balance of £1400.

I have no CCJ's and never missed a payment on any sort of credit.

Can any of you with more experience see any problems?

zebulon

I was in the same situation with my 1st rent - was in UK for 1 year.

With some agencies the problem was not this but the fact that I was under 25yo (or both)

With one EA, they wanted us to pay 6 months of the rent up front (1year lease),
one wanted me to get a '....' (can't remember the word) - someone that would be liable for me in case I can't pay the rent - and in one case they wanted someone that was leaving in the UK for more than x years etc. (so not my parents)

Anyway, Our solution ?
we rented with a private landlord ... sorry

Did you ask them about this directly?
Hope someone can give you more info.

airforce_beret

an easy way to get her credit rating up is to get a store card with one of the high street shops, they generally give you £250 credit but you don't have to use it. Just the fact that you have the card usually works. I used it for mobile phone contract a few years back.

zebulon

airforce_beret wrote:

get a store card with one of the high street shops, they generally give you £250 credit but you don't have to use it.

I hope she's strong ... I couldn't resist

I wonder if even the credit check is good - the simple fact that she was in uk for 6months is in itself something they would want to put conditions on (like we were asked) - looks like some kind of discrimination though.

But they're must be many new foreign people renting through agencies - surely they can't all have credit history in UK...

airforce_beret

No there must be a loophole somewhere along the line. Aslong as you have payslips for what you both earn etc, then I don't see what the problem is. Aslong as they get their money, it shouldn't matter where your from.

scrummy_mummy_2

Interesting to see that the 'solution' to the problem suggested by one poster is to rent through a private LL, the inference being that they won't bother to do ref and credit checks!...not on my watch I might say!

If there is a problem with credit checks because someone has not been in the country long enough there are two viable solutions to the problem:

1. Pay cash for the entire rental period and other liabilities such as deposit
2. Get a guarantor to sign a deed of guarantee which accompanies the agreement...however, this person would need to be credit checked and referenced so make sure they will pass and that they understand they are agreeing to pay your rent should either of you or both of you default for any reason, and as such should know you quite well and trust you.

zebulon

scrummy_mummy wrote:

Interesting to see that the 'solution' to the problem suggested by one poster is to rent through a private LL, the inference being that they won't bother to do ref and credit checks!...not on my watch I might say!

Yep, that what we did, and still do actually, (not because I would have a problem with credit check though!) - but as I say it was our solution, and we could also find many reasons not to go agency (it often starts at viewing when they can't open the door :rotfl: )

Always had references taken of course (work, former LL) but never credit check (just once something that shows that my account balance was doing well ...) and we pay standing order.

scrummy_mummy wrote:

2. Get a guarantor to sign a deed of guarantee which accompanies the agreement...however, this person would need to be credit checked and referenced so make sure they will pass and that they understand they are agreeing to pay your rent should either of you or both of you default for any reason, and as such should know you quite well and trust you.

ah, guarantor, that's the word. that's quite tough when you arrive in a country - which was my problem because one EA would not take my parents as not in UK.

Anyway, good luck with this.

djkarl

I forgot to mention, the Agent is also the Landlord when i was looking i noticed it had 2 boards up one for an Estate Agent and a private number as well so i contacted the Landlord direct.

We'd have no problem supplying payslips or anything like that. Also i looked in to getting a storecard as such to get her a credit rating but even they seem to be a little more strict now with most wanting you have been a resident in the UK for 12 months before giving you a card.

Also Lloyds TSB are been very strange, she has a current account with them and they wont give her a Visa Debit card, so she has to use only Lloyds machines to get her money

zebulon

djkarl wrote:

Also Lloyds TSB are been very strange, she has a current account with them and they wont give her a Visa Debit card, so she has to use only Lloyds machines to get her money

When I arrive in UK I was only allowed a switch card (or was it solo - can't remember) that became then a visa electron debit card.
But even though I was limited with what I could get I could use all machines.


What kind of card did they give her?

djkarl

Lloyds Cashcard

Can only be used in their own machines and obviously no online purchases.

We went in to ask for a better card on saturday and it was like something out of Little Britain with the lady on the front desk saying "computer says no" and to check every FEW months