Suddenly can't even get to rental referencing stage!!!

nnb

I just want to pick your brains to see if anyone can help me work out what's going on here as I am mighty confused! it could just be purely down to being unlucky, but I have never had so many rejections on the trot!

I am in the rental market and have been for about 5 years. I am self employed which does put fear into agents but when they find out it's been a long time (nearly 15 years now) and they see my bank statements showing earnings, they calm right down. I have never had a problem getting accepted by an agent. UNTIL NOW.

I relocated 200 miles away to a cheaper part of the country. As I am self employed, my work came with me and I am getting more work than I was back home! Where I am living was only available for 5 months as the previous tenant had to break out of her contract and it was only meant to be a short term let for me so it all worked out great! However, the agent refused to let me pay weekly or monthly like they advertise and wanted me to get a guarantor. I'm in my 30s! I decided to avoid running to mum and dad for help and just paid my 5 months rent upfront as I could afford this.

Now I am coming to the end of my tenancy and it's all going to hell trying to find a new place! I have put in the initial application on 4 properties and been rejected by every single one. It's not even the main!referencing / credit check part - it's just the initial one which they then present to the landlords for them to pick who they would like!!!

So no one has looked into my references or credit history (I've looked on Experian etc and they're not showing that I've had any recent checks made). I always try to strengthen my application by emphasising how long I have been self employed, and that I'll happily put up a few extra months rent at the start to reassure them. You need to earn 2.5x what the monthly rent is - I easily pass this criteria, and I was paying DOUBLE the rent back home as it's so expensive there, so I can clearly afford it?! The application forms don't ask how long I have been in my current property (one did, and I clarified why it!is so short).

I do not have pets or!kids, I don't smoke or have parties, I'm not a student or on DSS, and I am basically a really good tenant! The viewings themselves go really well and the agents who hold the viewings always seem really positive about me applying!!

So why on earth can I not find somewhere??

I have spoken with all the agents who I applied for houses with and politely asked if they had any feedback on why I may not have been picked. Generally they're happy to help if they know - one of them was just preferring that there was a couple, one was my self employment, other two unknown and one of those was downright rude to me so lucky escape there!

Is there anything I am missing here that just makes me highly off-putting to landlords in this area? Unless they just hate southerners! haha

SuboJvR

Could you put together a letter/little "pack" to be sent to the landlord? Of course, depends if the agency passes it along of course.

But if you eloquently outlined your situation, even with a rough idea of income if you feel willing to divulge, you become more than a "self employed person renting on their own" to the landlord.

PasturesNew

It's the way of the world these days. Too few properties - LLs having preferences. Neither Self-employed nor single fit most LLs dreams of "the perfect tenant".

You probably need to look at the less conventional routes and see if there are any local well-known landlords with lots of properties etc etc and mostly leave those with agents alone.

Showing the ability to pay isn't enough for them.... you have to also jump through their hoops and match the LL's "perfect tenant profile".

Guest101

Could you not just setup a ltd company and pay yourself a wage?

nnb

SuboJvR wrote: »

Could you put together a letter/little "pack" to be sent to the landlord? Of course, depends if the agency passes it along of course.

But if you eloquently outlined your situation, even with a rough idea of income if you feel willing to divulge, you become more than a "self employed person renting on their own" to the landlord.

I do tend to include extra info in a covering letter (or on the form if there's a space for notes) and you can see I can write well... (I'm less moany in those though obviously!) With the last one that rejected me, I even made a note about the garden which had become a jungle due to neglect from the last tenants and was clearly not making the LL/LA happy when they found out and they were having to sort it out before a new tenant moved in. I made it clear in my viewing and cover note that I adore gardening so would certainly keep it up to a lovely standard I honestly thought that would help swing it... That was the agent who was insanely rude when I asked for feedback though, so sod them, I now hope the new people let it overgrow as well!

nnb

PasturesNew wrote: »

It's the way of the world these days. Too few properties - LLs having preferences. Neither Self-employed nor single fit most LLs dreams of "the perfect tenant".

You probably need to look at the less conventional routes and see if there are any local well-known landlords with lots of properties etc etc and mostly leave those with agents alone.

Showing the ability to pay isn't enough for them.... you have to also jump through their hoops and match the LL's "perfect tenant profile".

The LL getting to pick was actually a new one for me, I thought the LA got paid so the LL didn't have to do anything, partly to be able to pick decent tenants!

Going direct has been something I am considering but I don't really want to look at Gumtree as there's too many cowboys on there! I did look and advertise on Spareroom (as I've rented a whole property solo before via there) but it hasn't got any results this time around. I don't know where else to look? Do you have any suggestions?

PasturesNew

What sort of self-employed person you are might also have a bearing on a LL liking the sound of you. Who'd you choose?

- I am a psychic/medium, I do local fairs
- I am an ex lecturer in accounting and I run an accountancy firm
- I am a small builder/plasterer
- I knit and sell baby clothes online
- My name is JK Rowling and I'm just writing a book.

Do they know what you do? Is what you do "respectable sounding", or "bit odd/iffy"?

Guest101

nnb wrote: »

The LL getting to pick was actually a new one for me, I thought the LA got paid so the LL didn't have to do anything, partly to be able to pick decent tenants!

Going direct has been something I am considering but I don't really want to look at Gumtree as there's too many cowboys on there! I did look and advertise on Spareroom (as I've rented a whole property solo before via there) but it hasn't got any results this time around. I don't know where else to look? Do you have any suggestions?

The LL always 'picks', they may do so by setting criteria, or they may ask for the application pack. as a tenant you have a contract with the LL, not the agent.


I don't know why you think the cowboys aren't in letting agent windows either?

nnb

Guest101 wrote: »

Could you not just setup a ltd company and pay yourself a wage?

I hadn't thought of this. For some reason, I thought you had to be earning £70k+ or something and VAT registered to be able to do this. And now we probably see how I failed Business GCSE...

I am only self employed as my work comes from a variety of agencies and I have to declare my income myself, it's not a specific business per se. Would that make a difference?

nnb

PasturesNew wrote: »

What sort of self-employed person you are might also have a bearing on a LL liking the sound of you. Who'd you choose?

- I am a psychic/medium, I do local fairs
- I am an ex lecturer in accounting and I run an accountancy firm
- I am a small builder/plasterer
- I knit and sell baby clothes online
- My name is JK Rowling and I'm just writing a book.

Do they know what you do? Is what you do "respectable sounding", or "bit odd/iffy"?

Yes, I do declare what exactly I do - I have a main job (work is supplied by agencies who don't do PAYE), and I also run a small online business. The nature of both is definitely not kept a secret nor iffy sounding

Guest101

nnb wrote: »

I hadn't thought of this. For some reason, I thought you had to be earning £70k+ or something and VAT registered to be able to do this. And now we probably see how I failed Business GCSE...

I am only self employed as my work comes from a variety of agencies and I have to declare my income myself, it's not a specific business per se. Would that make a difference?

Certainly you don't have to earn anything at all to setup a company. (nor be Vat registered afaik, unless you meet the criteria)


So you are NNB Consultancy Ltd. (you may need to pay an accountant a few hundred pounds to keep your books)


You pay yourself a sufficient wage, and it's legitimate and not self employed.