How to prove potential tenants are cousins for non HMO house

Landlord Discussion
1

I have a large house in Brent up for rent to single families only.

I’m advertising it as a family house but all of the responses I have had are from groups of friends who suddenly become ‘brother and sisters’ or ‘cousins’ when I say they have to be related.

Does anyone know what is acceptable proof of being cousins is? Will I have to ask to see their parent’s birth certificates or can I accept their word or a letter from them saying they are related?
All are foreign nationals.

I have asked Brent council for their criteria but haven’t heard back from them.

I don’t want to get a HMO licence on the house if I can help it.

Thanks

2

If its cousins, I’d want birth certs for them and the two related parents.

3

accept their word ? Not a chance… Gangs of friends will not look after your property

4

Do you have access to your parents birth certificate? Or do your children have access to your own birth certificate?Just wondering how possible it is to have access to such documents :flushed:

5

No, but Im sure I could get a copy within a few days if I asked. These tenants are going to have this issue wherever they go so they are going to have to find some convincing evidence.

6

I agree with Oluwakemi that it would be very difficult for a lot of people to provide these documents quickly, esp if they are from overseas.

And Colin - yes you are completely right that next thing there will not be 5 or 6 but considerably more!

David the applicants I’ve been getting for this lovely house are people who have previously been ‘beds for sheds’ tenants so have never been even asked for their passports before let alone work references.

So what I did was put it back in the court of Brent Council and asked them several times before they finally came back with

Just to confirm, the Licence Holder would need to ask the tenants to confirm in writing how they are related as cousins

So I clarified with

‘Thank you for your response.
So if the tenants say that they are cousins, and say how they are related in writing that is sufficient for Brent council?
Please confirm that the tenants do not have to produce any further proof?’

And got this in response

Hi Linda,
This is correct.
Please also ensure the tenant is aware that giving incorrect information is an offence and could result in legal proceedings.

Which pretty much follows Brent’s general narrative that all tenants are honest, truthful and exploited; and that all Landlords are lying lowlife scumbags.

7

@Linda Ok, well I guess you now have something from Brent indicating that they wouldnt pursue it further. Im not sure many landlords would be bothered to go through that process and I wouldnt recommend any other landlords to assume the same from their own local authority without such a letter. Its therefore still in any tenants interest to have evidence of familial relationship if they want to progress past step 1.

8

This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.