Please can you help me understand normal (usual, accepted) practice here.
I’ve been told that it’s OK for a Landlord to mis-represent their name while engaging with an applicant - whether in person, or email, or on Open Rent etc. - if they don’t want to “let on” who they are.
So, I’m told, they could call themself something different in the early stages of contact, and only give their true, real details when they eventually sign the official Contract. (However, the Tenant is required to give true details right from the start.)
It sounds a little alarming to me? Aren’t people supposed to be open and honest at all times? Why would a Landlord want to ‘hide’?
Do you always give your full name, right from the start, to someone who applies to rent one of your properties?
Would you ever call yourself something different, until the contract stage?
On here, though, I can see all sorts of aliases and altered names…
I’m genuinely called Rosie (and you can have my surname too if you want it), but not everyone on this forum discloses their ID, do they.
The person/Landlord I was writing to, said they didn’t have to tell applicants (or me) anything about themself, and they were free to alter their name outside the ‘official’ process, and this was OK.
Is this a privacy issue (just keeping themself safe), or an attempt to deceive? What do you reckon?
it could be either, but I have never understood this. What is it about wanting to hide who you are? I want applicants to be square right from the start . If they later change their name they will not get a place from me. Lilewise if I were a tenant and the landlord later changes his name I would be worried. But I can understand nicknames being used Just once.
I don’t give my details unless I am proceeding with a tenancy.
I have had two beefy males turn up asking whether I would like to rent the property to grow cannabis.
As a female that is not a situation I want to be in.
There are a lot of immigration scams. In the last seven days I have had people withhold name, enquire under an alias and tell me they don’t need a right to rent check because their ‘lawyer’ said so!!
I don’t like giving my number to a random person. Like Colin I withhold information unless I am willing to proceed with the tenancy
In our area I have realised a certain group of Eastern Europeans are renting under one name but each time it’s someone different
If someone is not transparent from the get go I would not rent to them, that is their name does not match who turns up
“What is it about wanting to hide who you are”? you say.
Well, it could also be wanting to hide what you’re doing… illegally here in the UK, tax-dodging, all sorts.
This person (who apparently owns a property and wants to rent it out) steadfastly refused to provide any more details, and they spelled part of their name differently twice… and couldn’t give a good reason why…
I am wondering if it needs reporting, because something doesn’t smell right to me.
What would you say, though, to a potentially good Tenant who felt they couldn’t trust, because you were withholding your personal details? You weren’t being (in your words) “transparent from the get-go”…
Don’t Tenants have a right to know exactly who they are giving their own details to?
I give my name when I meet them
I don’t do virtual viewings
I open the door with a key
The photos match the house
If I have decided to proceed with tenancy I will send them a draft contract to read with all my details
By law details have to be provided in contract
Everything can be matched up on land registry
They are sent all the documents
Gas , EICR,EPC
They all have my details on them
How could I do a gas or electric certificate if it was not my property ??
Gas engineer and electrician have known us for more than a decade . They can referee me.
We are registered with our local authority so you can call the council and check we are accredited.
I expect full openness and honesty from a prospective tenant. I give that in return. If anything doesn’t smell right on either side, no tenancy. Simple. Absolutely no need to disguise who you are although I do understand if a landlord does not give all of their contact details in the first instance. However, false name is not acceptable. It is mandatory that a landlord’s name/company, address and form of contact are given in a tenancy agreement. All this should be easily verifiable. If not, do not proceed.
I have a phone with two SIM card slots . When I’m looking for tenants on Openrent I put a SIM card in the second slot which obviously has a different number to the day to day number that all my family and friends use to contact me . I use the 2nd number with prospective tenants right up to the point of contract signing then once it’s signed I give the tenant my proper number and ask them to use that from then on ,
. I then take out the 2nd SIM card and store it away for next time . I don’t want unsuccessful and therefore potentially bitter applicants having my proper phone number .
The 2nd SIM is from 1pmobile which is a cheap pay as you go SIM provider.
We never have any problems if I use my husband’s first name as the contact.
People tell the truth, do as requested and (on the whole) do not strop if we do not choose not to take them on as tenants.
If I use my name it is drama, drama, drama: lies about Right to Rent, CCJs, funds, pets, who/how many people will be living in the property, employment and “you must rent to me, it is illegal not to” etc.
So my hubby’s name is taken in vain whenever we advertise on OpenRent xx
I agree. I have posted before, as the fairer sex we are seen as a soft target. I have even advised wives to put their husband forward where there are issues with tenants.
