Tenant Selection

jimjames

Has anyone renting or looking to rent a property found they are in the situation of having viewed but the landlord has other potential tenant viewings booked and is making a decision after all viewings on which tenants they prefer to have the property?

Any views on how the process was conducted and any problems it caused or suggestions for the best way to handle it? While I want to be totally fair I also obviously want tenants that are in the best position to pay the rent long term and to have the minimum void period as well.

BitterAndTwisted

It should never be "first come, first served". The landlord will do the credit-checks and take up all references as usual, and if there's nothing to choose between any of you (unlikely), decide which one they get a better feeling about on a personal basis. They can make that decision based on the colour of your hair if they like..

Yellowstar_2

I suggest you make your intentions clear to all possible tenants at the outset - that's the fairest thing to do.

But you might want to be a bit careful about how you go about this... About 12 months ago my OH and I viewed a property immediately after another couple. We liked the property and so made an application there and then with the LA. The LA came back to us saying that they had already accepted the other couple's application and holding deposit. They explained that they weren't supposed to accept any other applications, ut that the LL had instructed them to renege on that agreement if we offerred more rent or signed for a longer tenancy. Maybe it was the LL, maybe the LAs were acting off their own initiative (higher fee?). I'll never know becuase we walked away.

We have all necessary deposits, and great references. We didn't walk away because we were concerned that the LL wouldn't like us, we walked away because we didn't want to deal with a LL that accpeted an application, but was prepared to renege on it and ask potential tenants to out-bid eachother. The LL came back 48 hours later asking us to reconsider once the other couple's refs were back. We told him where he could stick it.

If you're up front and honest about the process, and what the criteria are, from the start - then that's reasonable enough. But you might not want to annoy potnential tenants too much...

Just my two cents'

Yellowstar x

jimjames

Thanks for the advice. I've been totally open about the process and some of the first people to call weren't able to view until later as I was also busy. Despite explaining everything, I did have one couple turn up nearly an hour before their allocated time (and before I was at the property so current tenant wasn't too happy) to do their viewing because they wanted to be first in line. One prospective tenant has offered a higher rent but I didn't want to go down a bidding war route.

It is a fantastic house and everyone who has seen it wants it so very hard to choose between the different people. At the moment my preference is for a couple rather than one person or single parent/child as I feel they are more likely to maintain it but a hard decision when I have heard some horror stories about rental agencies ripping them off.