Renting question. Credit scoring update timeframe, and how long

debtmess

Will try not to make this too long so long story short.



When I took my current rental I guess I was lucky I knew my credit rating was shot to pieces (former dfw) so my landlord did not credit check me I just had a meeting with him took bank state,nets everything and he trusted everything was turning around.

Hubby moved in was fine just signed new tennancy agreement

We have since decided to move area the long story short my credit check will fail me with the new lettings agency, I simply no longer have a credit rating as I have nothing on credit (noodle 1/5 rating) I have no Ccjs just a few straggly bits from my pre lightbulb moment

Hubby has excellent rating, we have applied for joint tenancy, what happens when 1 of the party's has a low score and 1 passes?

The new house is a few hours away very nice and ticks every box, we have new jobs to go to, downside we will not have a guarantor, my family do not own etc. I feel awful that we will lose this because I was let's face it very very stupid, hubby is fully aware of the credit past but I have a feeling I am going to hold us back for the next few years.

Any thoughts/ideas

jamesd

Tenancy checks are looking for adverse information like CCJs, not a lack of lots of credit accounts or the presence of lots of them. The "straggly bits" are presumably old late payments rather than old CCJs and defaults? If so, how old they are might matter a bit if you get asked for a full credit report but they are probably too old to matter for letting given that you became debt-free almost four years ago. You'd be able to show a clear change of conduct and lettings are negotiations unlike big banks.

debtmess

Thank you, we are still none the wiser, still awaiting to hear of we have the house or not despite all information being given on the 12/01/15 and paying the fees (£240) each for the checks to take place.

Tried ringing (answerphone) and last email 2 days ago suggested someone would be in touch when there was an update.

Starting to think we have paid out £480 for nothing, surely a credit check does not take this long to complete

eilidhcatriona

debtmess wrote: »

Hubby has excellent rating, we have applied for joint tenancy, what happens when 1 of the party's has a low score and 1 passes?

This happened when we rented our current place - we moved from London home to Aberdeen, I transferred with my company whereas OH was job searching therefore unemployed, so the credit check passed me and asked for a guarantor for him. The affordability criteria said I would be able to handle the rent on my own, so we did as the lease in my name with him named as a "permitted occupant". Perhaps that would be an option if you fail and your husband passes affordability criteria.


£240 each seems a LOT for credit checks. I think ours were about £100 in total. As for timing, I think ours took about 10 days, mostly because my work and our then letting agent took their time over providing references.

happy_bunny_2

Your credit history won't be an issue, as only shows CCJs and worse on rental checks.

Both getting new jobs may be a factor, unless you provided info based on your current jobs.

While you don't want to unduly annoy anyone, asking when you can expect a decision is reasonable, especially when paying so much for something that costs so little...

happy_bunny_2

eilidhcatriona wrote: »

This happened when we rented our current place - we moved from London home to Aberdeen, I transferred with my company whereas OH was job searching therefore unemployed, so the credit check passed me and asked for a guarantor for him. The affordability criteria said I would be able to handle the rent on my own, so we did as the lease in my name with him named as a "permitted occupant". Perhaps that would be an option if you fail and your husband passes affordability criteria.


£240 each seems a LOT for credit checks. I think ours were about £100 in total. As for timing, I think ours took about 10 days, mostly because my work and our then letting agent took their time over providing references.

You shouldn't be paying for credit checks in Scotland, unless it was before that rule came in?

debtmess

And still nothing!

Another email and 3 attempted phone calls (all going to answer phone each time)

We expected a wait of a few days to a week for checks to be carried out (and quite rightly) I know current landlord was asked for reference last Friday (landlord knows we are looking to relocate and was happy to give reference) but this is now dragging into second working week with simply no answer:mad:

Luckily an earlier house we had contacted a private landlord about has fallen through over an issue (we do not know what this is) and sister in law is going to look at it today, she has a critical eye and will give us an honest answer if it's worth us going to visit and sort paperwork early next week .

How do we go about getting our fees back? As right now I'm a little angry that there has been a complete lack of contact, we have tried chasing with no answers and it's now off putting that we would use a let tinge agency that quite bluntly would be so hard to get hold of

eilidhcatriona

happy_bunny wrote: »

You shouldn't be paying for credit checks in Scotland, unless it was before that rule came in?

Really?? It was the first time we'd ever been asked to pay for credit checks. To be honest we didn't think too much of it at the time - we were in London, my parents were viewing flats, and this was actually the first one that would accept pets so we jumped on it. It was April last year.

happy_bunny_2

eilidhcatriona wrote: »

Really?? It was the first time we'd ever been asked to pay for credit checks. To be honest we didn't think too much of it at the time - we were in London, my parents were viewing flats, and this was actually the first one that would accept pets so we jumped on it. It was April last year.

http://scotland.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/advice_topics/finding_a_place_to_live/renting_privately/letting_agencies

eilidhcatriona

That is interesting...any idea when that rule came in happy_bunny?

happy_bunny_2

No idea, but I rented in Scotland and no one charged me a penny, or even tried to. Across 3 agents.