Hi everyone,
22 years a landlady and a portfolio of houses. NEVER known it quite this tedious, for me that is. I’m talking applicants! I placed my advert onto all portals via Open Rent, it’s been 6 days and I have had 26 applicants. Every single one is totally unsuitable. Dogs, CCJ’s, insufficient income due to being economically inactive to name but a few. My advert is clear but many of these applicants start by saying 'I know your advert says no…but I though’t I’d ask anyway.
Shoot me now!
Landlords are selling up for all manner of reasons S24 and rent reforms mainly but I am considering selling up due to entitled applicants assuming landlord preferences are discretionary…
It’s exhausting!
You might already have done so, but just in case, have you turned on the option for Tenant Screening for your advert? You can then select your criteria so it makes it a lot easier for you to see who’s got sufficient income etc. and then it’s easier to short list only those that respond properly and fully meet your criteria. I always use the tenant screening option. You can also select Auto-Reply to maybe state something along the lines of “if you do not meet the requirements of x,y,z, then I will not be able to consider your application”. Hopefully that makes the process slightly less tedious. Good luck!
Given the ecomonic situation it would be a surprise if the response was not as it is. you are lucky you do not have a house in multiple occupation ,Since september 28 an AFDD additional electrical change is mandatory for HMO will cost in excess of £2000 without it no five year test certificate…does not apply to social housing of course! The government have increased tax on renting of buy to let property making it barely worth the risk,now seem set on making HMO uneconmical as well!
I advertised with Open Rent and was not successful in 3 months they give you, as people had CCJs, Universal Credit - that was ok but never came to view the property. Working people could not give all the information or could not get any response from their employers or previous landlords or no landlords. A lot of people never came to see the property, once appointments were arranged. Open Rent stated that there were so many applicants, so the rent was too high. In the end I was able to rent it out to someone who directly contacted me as they knew my previous tenants, who worked with them and rent was agreed at15% more. So it was not the rent being too high. Then the second property when it went empty, I was able to find tenants very quickly with a higher rent, without advertising with Open Rent.
If a ccj is paid what’s the problem as they stay on file for 6 years
Housing benefit is guaranteed rent
Even if your working n get uc they don’t want to know also this gaurentor has to earn over 35x the amount of u don’t warn 30k what do Single parent family’s do they have no chance
@Jeanette Risk assessment nothing more.
Takes alot to get a CCJ.
I will consider working and UC.
No such thing as guaranteed rent from benefits tenants, rent is paid to tenant not landlord. Very difficult to get paid direct to LL
Who did you advertise with? I find on a consistent basis that ORent applicants are well below par for my HMO and flats. I only use ORent for their contract and deposit.
Single mothers are fine. Ideally they need to be working. I have done appointments with both UC and single mothers but they have not kept appointments and phoning them and waiting for them an hour after the appointment has not helped. They never respond to calls or when it is responded to, it is not their number but a relatives. So I always had the feeling that they are not serious about taking the rental on. Also UC people need to allow the council to pay rent directly to the landlord. This is risky as well, if the tenants start working and just stop paying rent. UC stops paying rent as well. I had UC couple. Just paid 2-3 months rent and stopped. It took over 8 months for court case, bailiff etc to get them out of the house. It cost loss of rent, bank interest charges, some work done in the house, cost to take them to court, bailiff, lock change etc. It is not ideal for the LL if the tenants do not wish to pay or cannot afford t pay rent on time.
From experience 99% of agencies will say no pets but push to talk to landlords and they accept some … im struggling to find people who will accept a universal credit top up even though i work full time and never missed a payment in my entire time as a private tenant, there are decent genuine people out there it just seems impossible to be given a chance so its worth asking… dont ask dont get
One thing is sure, not all the renting population are bad risk. What is true that Landlords are getting tighter on criteria due to bad tenants and the ever demanding legislation. I read the other day that one Landlord licensing scheme was abandoned by a council as only good landlords applied, making the scheme totally ineffective. As Mita said, turn on auto screening.
So Sue, keep going, say you will not reply unless the questions have been answered and if CCJ’s or dogs do not apply. Let me say for those about to type on their keyboard I am an animal lover but know like many other LL the problems pets can give, Yes, not all pets are a problem but the untrained owners are.
I never use to take people with UC, now nearly all have UC of some description / top up and are good tenants in many ways. So take your glass of wine and chill, advertise at multiple places if needs be.
One thing is sure the current economic situation, more LL are going to be moving on unsuitable tenants and we all know what that means.
Use the selection criteria.
I’ve had great success with open rent and also talk to prospective tenants first and ask them I will want to see bank statements, refs, credit checks etc if that doesn’t put them off then they can view. No CCJs or guarantors. Trouble.
You r saving lots £ using open rent
It’s called desperation. Nothing about being stupid. Landlords everywhere seem to be selling up and the housing market is thinning out as a result. Patience is required in everything we do nowadays from making phone calls (press 1 for this, 2 for that and then getting cut off) to dealing with making normal opticians appointments. Is it me or have things gone so down hill since covid. Responsibility has gone out the window. Anyway, back to the topic, there are too few houses being chased by too many people on limited income.
so its worth asking… dont ask dont get