Guarantors for tenants

GreenSnake

Nebulous2 wrote: »

I've had several children in rented accommodation over the past 10 years. Often low to middle-end, self-managed property. Until now I've never been asked to be a guarantor. One child has just moved and the flat is better, with a full management service. Sharing with one other person. Joint and several liability.

I had to sign up to be a guarantor and the agency used a company (at a cost to me) to provide a report on my suitability. They were very thorough, needed 3 payslips, 3 bank statements and they contacted my employer.

My impression is, like most things, there is a whole market out there catering for different levels of affordability.

Flats for people with less secure parents aren't as well looked after, aren't much cheaper, but are available without checks. Halls are often a slightly more expensive option but ease people into being away from home. Then students form groupings, decide who they want to share with and often several months in advance begin negotiating with landlords.

It's very common to be treated badly; queue for ages to be shown a flat with no-one turning up, go to mass viewings where the first people to put down a cash deposit get promised it, but then one of your group throws a strop and says they don't want it, be promised it and then have it withdrawn, get bounced into signing an onerous lease (a year when you want September to June) etc.

The thorough checking of the guarantor, with employers etc sounds like what my colleague has been through. Personally I don't feel comfortable with this. Not because I wouldn't pass their checks, but because it feels rather intrusive, when the student is an adult in their own right.

The lettings market you describe sounds quite dubious.
Will be advising my offspring to look at lodgings.

GreenSnake

silvercar wrote: »

Downsides of this view is that it will limit your daughter's options.

Students usually decide early on who they want to live with in Year 2. If your daughter then finds that her chosen friends want to live in a shared house and she has no guarantor, she may well be excluded.

True.
This is why I'm looking into this now, so I can advise her well in advance.

GreenSnake

LandyAndy wrote: »

I have acted as guarantor for both of my sons on four separate occasions. I can't say the prospect filled me with joy but I did decide that it was the best course of action because otherwise they would have had either nowhere to live or been living in a hovel. .

Did you look at lodgings (with a resident landlord / family etc) as an option?

GreenSnake

deannatrois wrote: »

I am one of those parents with a son at university, living in halls who is on benefits and unlikely to be able to be a guarantor. As both my children and I have ASD, and I am on benefits, I could not be a guarantor and don't know anyone who could be.

But my son is likely to remain in halls for the duration of his course because of his support needs.

If this wasn't the case I would be advising him to apply to be a student live in advisor in halls so he could still live in as he'd/we'd never be able to get him into a private rental. It is not normal for a second-year student to live in halls, but it is possible.

Thanks. Staying in halls could be a good option. This or lodgings would be the best options I think. My experience of student housing was a three bedroom house, adapted for 5 bedrooms. One shower and fridge between 5. I think we paid £150 each per month and split the bills on top. One student took on each bill. Looking back, a lodging with a family, perhaps with evening meal included would have been much more civilised.

aneary

I personally would not recommend lodgings.

Some have rules such as only allowed in the kitchen at certain times, notifications if friends come over etc etc etc. Whilst these don't seem too bad on the surface imagine if an assignment is due in and you are up late and need a tea/coffee/snack but you can't go in the kitchen. As for friends if you just want to study with a friend you have to request this.

As a 32 year old I lived with a live in LL and she turned out to be a complete nut job (she accused me of leaving the front door unlocked the previous evening I had been at my parents for the past 4 nights). If you child ends up with someone like this it will prove hard to find alternative accommodation mid way through the year.

GreenSnake

aneary wrote: »

I personally would not recommend lodgings.

Some have rules such as only allowed in the kitchen at certain times, notifications if friends come over etc etc etc. Whilst these don't seem too bad on the surface imagine if an assignment is due in and you are up late and need a tea/coffee/snack but you can't go in the kitchen. As for friends if you just want to study with a friend you have to request this.

As a 32 year old I lived with a live in LL and she turned out to be a complete nut job (she accused me of leaving the front door unlocked the previous evening I had been at my parents for the past 4 nights). If you child ends up with someone like this it will prove hard to find alternative accommodation mid way through the year.

I guess this comes down to how much supply and choice of lodging accommodation is available?

I was speaking to an older relative, who said that lodgings were previously more common in this country. He thought the tenancy changes brought in during the 1980s had reduced lodgings and increased lettings by absent landlords.

aneary

GreenSnake wrote: »

I guess this comes down to how much supply and choice of lodging accommodation is available?

I was speaking to an older relative, who said that lodgings were previously more common in this country. He thought the tenancy changes brought in during the 1980s had reduced lodgings and increased lettings by absent landlords.

It's a bit hard to tell if the LL is a nut job or not until you live with them.

silvercar

If I was disinclined to support my offspring through university, I would have told them this before they went. It may then have been a better option for them to study near home, so they would not need to live away.

The vast majority of students live in shared houses in their second and third years, you have to think it fair whether it is reasonable to deny her this opportunity. In my experience, learning to live with other people and manage without a fully fledged adult (eg live in landlord or halls manager) on site is part of the university experience.

GreenSnake

silvercar wrote: »

If I was disinclined to support my offspring through university, I would have told them this before they went. It may then have been a better option for them to study near home, so they would not need to live away.

The vast majority of students live in shared houses in their second and third years, you have to think it fair whether it is reasonable to deny her this opportunity. In my experience, learning to live with other people and manage without a fully fledged adult (eg live in landlord or halls manager) on site is part of the university experience.

I'm not going to tell them what to do. But once you hit 18, that's it in my opinion. No more handouts. I never had a penny from my parents, once I left school. I also would never have had a guarantor. They will be reminded of this in good time. It won't come as a surprise.

Pixie5740

GreenSnake wrote: »

I'm not going to tell them what to do. But once you hit 18, that's it in my opinion. No more handouts. I never had a penny from my parents, once I left school. I also would never have had a guarantor. They will be reminded of this in good time. It won't come as a surprise.

Unfortunately, Student Finance England consider your offspring to be dependents up to, and including, the age of 25. Your household income will be taken into account when Student Finance England decide how much financial support she is eligible to receive.

I do hope your children show as much care when picking out your care home as you will show when it comes to their university accommodation choices.

I think the point silvercar is making is not that you would be telling your daughter what to do but rather if she went to lodge with another family she would not have the same freedom and therefore learning experience as her peers.