Renting with partner. Feel like there's nowhere to turn.

lookintotheskyx

My partner works full time and I've recently given up my job after 16 years to move in with her where she lives. There's roughly 2 hours between us, we did a 6month arrangement living together along with a relative to see how the commute would go and it drained my (our) finances so the ideal solution was for me to move closer. My career is winding down anyway and hers is just taking off so the idea is to move closer, find a job there and start again but I WAS intending to have a break from work and she is fine with that.

Landlords and letting agencies aren't however.

Firstly we went for a property with a letting agency. My partner passed the credit check as long as she had a guarantor, which she was able to also provide and she was merely 1 signing alongside guarantor away from getting the keys when she reminded them I would be moving in at a later date and what would the procedure be.

Despite the letters being informed from day one of the situation, THIS particular member of their staff was oblivious. She said I'd have to pass a credit check and I'd need my employment details. However she pointed out those would be moot as I would be moving in unemployed.

She emailed me the forms anyway and I filled in the application plus the credit check and declared the periods of bad credit I had in my late teens but didn't pay the fee to rentshield as I wanted the member of staff to go over it before I paid. I called the next day and they said they had spoken to the landlord and that he/she didn't want ANYONE unemployed moving in, even though my partner had been cleared as being able to afford it, along with guarantor. Not only that but they wouldn't even let HER move in alone as they feared I'd break the rules and move in too, despite my protestations to the contrary as well as my disgust at their assumption. So my partner withdrew her application.

We decided to try and find a private letter next and we saw a flat advertsied for rent on Friday just gone and she applied for it on the Saturday and got a viewing. She sent pics and I said it looked cosy and to ask them what the procedure was to go further. Again they were made aware of my pending unemployment and simply asked if they could meet me. So instead of waiting I got transport up to my partner so they could be put at rest/ Everything went well. I had great banter with this elderly couple and the flat looked a palace in the flesh. They handed us both the rental agreement to look over and it all looked reasonable apart from the no pets, as I have a 12 year old tom but I could easily make arrangements for a friend to take him in. So we handed the contracts back and again I asked where we take it from here. The woman did the sums, and it was cheaper than the place we had gone for with the letting agency. Only £295 for a 1 bed, furnished place and my partner gets around £850 a month. Plus bills it came to just under £410 a month so it was doable. The lasy said she'd have me sign my contract now and my partner come back on the following Friday so she could have someone else witness hers.

No problems there, so we left with a spring in our step.

Today she calls my partner and tells her they've had a think and they are not happy with out situation and that if she decided to leave, I would be left there jobless, unable to pay the rent. Now we don't have a crystal ball but we are firm in our desire to carry on this relationship until one of us dies, but they wouldn't have it. We proposed altering the agreement whereby if my partner left then I would leave too. They said no. We proposed altering the length of the agreement from 6 to 2 months and if I had not found employment then to turf us out. They said no. Ultimately the woman had put her foot down and I explained this was incredibly unfair as we had started signing and had our hearts set on it but they simply apologised.

So we had to give that up.

We're now left wonder !!!!!! we have to do to move in together.

Some options we're mulling over are to simply have my partner move in and make no mention and then simply move me in as a lodger.

Another option is simply not to mention my employment status or perhaps even embelish the truth to make people feel better.

We just don't know what to do.

I frequent this site often, and have always found answers to every problem but this is the first time I've wanted to post. I love my girl desperatly and we so want to live together but is it going to be this hard and where do we stand legally?

We'd appreciate any and all help. Thanks you.

ACG

What about offering a bigger deposit?

I failed a credit check on a property once (no idea how based on what I do for a living!) they asked me to pay 6 months rent upfront.

But if they have a bigger deposit that protects them against unpaid rent?

lookintotheskyx

ACG wrote: »

What about offering a bigger deposit?

I failed a credit check on a property once (no idea how based on what I do for a living!) they asked me to pay 6 months rent upfront.

But if they have a bigger deposit that protects them against unpaid rent?

Thank you for replying. :-)

We'll try that when we next apply and if the hurdle approaches. We could never afford 6 months up front and I doubt a few more quid would help if they consider that later on I could become an issue. But in the meantime is it worth her just moving in alone and me sneaking in? Does this breach tenancy at all?

Tbh we don't want to do that because at the end of the fixed term, they'll remember what we did and simply kick us out.

We've been up front and legit about everything but it seems to be working against us.

We've found a few places that accept DSS so feel we're probably OK to go for them because even if they fear the main breadwinner leaving and I'm still claiming benefits then at least they will get the housing benefit. But a lot of these places are what my partner calls dodgy areas and it kinda hurts to be discriminated against. I'm not naive to the workings of the world but my partner is a sweet little thing and she just bursts into tears over all this and it's because of my pending status that is causing it but the commute wasn't going to work out financially and long distance is killing us internally.

We're not splitting tho. We'll plug away until we're given a fair deal. I just hope someone here has some kind of get around or honest solution.

pmlindyloo

The landlords are concerned because you will have a joint tenancy and therefore are both liable for the rent.

If you don't find somewhere soon you could ask if your partner could be the tenant thereby having full responsibility for the rent and you could be a permitted occupier.

The only thing about this is that you would have very few rights as you are not on the tenancy agreement. if your relationship is very secure then this may be a way forward.

I have done this with my husband. He was the only one to have a credit check etc as I was retired and wouldn't be able to afford it on my own.

lookintotheskyx

pmlindyloo wrote: »

The landlords are concerned because you will have a joint tenancy and therefore are both liable for the rent.

If you don't find somewhere soon you could ask if your partner could be the tenant thereby having full responsibility for the rent and you could be a permitted occupier.

The only thing about this is that you would have very few rights as you are not on the tenancy agreement. if your relationship is very secure then this may be a way forward.

I have done this with my husband. He was the only one to have a credit check etc as I was retired and wouldn't be able to afford it on my own.

Thank you for your reply.

This mirrors a post I was just reading:- forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=3072284

Do most private/letting agencies go for this arrangement?

So would my partner just enquire about a property and say that she would like to be the sole tenant and have her partner as permitted occupier?

Also, I notice that you say this was the only way for yourself DESPITE being married also? So even if we were married the arrangement with regards to renting would be the same? No security my end, I mean.

Eejay

pmlindyloo wrote: »

If you don't find somewhere soon you could ask if your partner could be the tenant thereby having full responsibility for the rent and you could be a permitted occupier.

This is what we've done - I'm married but I'm a student and don't have a 'proper' income (I get my student loan, but that's all), so I'm a permitted occupier. It doesn't really make any difference to me - I can still speak to the LA about problems etc. and they don't treat me any differently. We did pay three months upfront and committed to staying for a year, but that was more so we could negotiate a discount.

lookintotheskyx

Eejay wrote: »

This is what we've done - I'm married but I'm a student and don't have a 'proper' income (I get my student loan, but that's all), so I'm a permitted occupier. It doesn't really make any difference to me - I can still speak to the LA about problems etc. and they don't treat me any differently. We did pay three months upfront and committed to staying for a year, but that was more so we could negotiate a discount.

Thank you for your reply :-)

Do a lot of letting agencies allow this permitted occupier status then? Only reason I ask is because the initial lettings agency we started with insisted that I "had to go on the tenancy" and no other option was offered. I guess they relied on our ignorance not to question this ruling.

Also, would it be preferable for my partner to move in first and then join her and tell the LA that i'd like to be added to enquire with the LA about her getting flat and me joining her as a permitted occupier beforehand?

ultimatedingbat

Me and my parttner had this issue. He rented the house, then a fewm onths later we enquired about me being a permitted occupier, as he'd proven he could pay the rent, no issue!

lookintotheskyx

Will they still not raise any issue with if my partner were to leave the property and I stay. Is it suddenly not a concern if I'm a permitted occupier.

ultimatedingbat

I believe from memory as a permitted occupier shoudl the tenant leave you are oblidged to either leave or become the tenant yourself

frisbeej

So basically the agencies/landlords are saying that anyone who isn't in employment, like maybe for example a stay at home parent, can't live in a rented house?