Is it a good idea to let my flat to new immigrants?

jandspace

I have a flat and put it on the market. I got an offer from a new immigrant.
They have just come to UK and they just started their jobs (permanent, full-time) but haven't received their first payment yet.
They don't have their previous jobs in the UK to prove.
Do you think I should accept their offer if they can pass referencing?
I am worried if they can pay rent without any financial problem. Please advise me.

sevenhills

Do they have a history of paying for housing? They would probably not be eligible for housing benefit.

Martico

Meet them, use your judgment. They could be the best tenants, they may not be, same as anyone. Permanent full time jobs seems to be a big tick. 

Emily_Joy

Just ask what type of visa do they have if any. Certain types of visa require sufficiently high salary so paying the rent isn't likely to be a problem whatsoever. Also ask about their employer. There is a mile difference between someone who just arrived to work as a nurse and someone on the Global Talent Visa.

goater78

Immigrants is quite a broad term.  You need to ignore this and just judge them on how you would judge anyone else. Do they have good references and can they prove they can pay the rent? 

poppy12345

sevenhills said:

 They would probably not be eligible for housing benefit.

New claims for housing benefit for working age people is no longer possible, unless living in either supported or temporary housing. Help with rent is now paid as part of Universal Credit. Whether they could claim this will depend on their immigration status. If they can claim it, whether there's any entitlement will depend on their financial circumstances.

jandspace

Thank you all kind advices. Please don't get me wrong. I don't have any prejudice or preconceived notions about immigrants but just would like to hear experiences, as I am a rookie landlord.

The couple have just started their jobs so my concern is whether their employment is secure and trustworthy. The reference will give me the details though.

mi-key

jandspace said:

Thank you all kind advices. Please don't get me wrong. I don't have any prejudice or preconceived notions about immigrants but just would like to hear experiences, as I am a rookie landlord.

The couple have just started their jobs so my concern is whether their employment is secure and trustworthy. The reference will give me the details though.

No jobs are really secure anymore. Someone could have been working somewhere for 10 years, then be told the company is closing or moving tomorrow.

If their jobs are doing something skilled, or with recognised companies then I can't see any reason to worry more than letting to someone who has lived in the UK all their life

_Penny_Dreadful

Can they pass the Right to Rent checks? Thats where I’d start. Then I’d look at affordability and any references they can provide. How do they stack up against other potential tenants who are interested in the property. 

I’ve had to rent in a foreign country before in a very hot rental market and I think what got me over the line was having plenty of time left on my visa, comfortably being able to afford the rent, employer references and no pets. 

eddddy

jandspace said:

The reference will give me the details though.

What referencing are you planning to do?

If they've just arrived in the UK they won't have any credit history, and they won't have a previous landlord to give a reference.

I guess their new employer might confirm that they've just started working for them, and they might confirm their salaries - if the prospective tenants give consent.

Realistically, I think you'll just have to rely on your instincts when you talk to them.

(Or are you going to attempt to contact somebody in their country of origin for some information?)

user1977

jandspace said:

They don't have their previous jobs in the UK to prove.

What would anybody's previous jobs in the UK prove? My past jobs aren't going to pay my future rent.