Hi,
First timer renter and I have several viewings with potential tenants. What do you do if the first viewer says they want flat?
Do you still show it to others and have some way of filtering or is it first past post?
Thanks
1 Like
let them all see it and choose the best . Do not rush it . Do not be swayed by sob stories. Use head not heart. Do not believe all you are told > check everything. .Join a landlords association for training
6 Likes
I agree with Colin.
Think what questions you may still have for 1st. If they are keen they will be willing to wait a little while you have other viewings. Just because you have one good applicant doesnât mean next wonât be better. But set yourself a timeframe.
Remind any applicant that once they put down holding deposit they have to be ready for referencing (covering credit, employment, income, previous LLs) and if they donât want to do that or donât cooperate with it or have been untruthful they lose the holding deposit. Ask if they will be supplying a guarantor.
Good luck
1 Like
Ferndale .what questions do you have prepared to ask?
1 Like
My plan was to search here for questions e.g.
When are you looking to move in ?
What is your relation to any co-tenants ?
The rent is ÂŁ@@@ pcm. How will you pay the rent? (i.e. employed income, self-employed income, savings, benefits, someone else will pay, etc.)
What is your annual income ?
Can you provide a guarantor if required ?
Can you provide past landlord and employer references ?
1 Like
What pets do you have? Why are moving? Is it for yourself only? Where do you live now? All good questions for you and us.. If they do not want to answer ,then reject them. Its not just about how much income they have, you have got to like them and they you.
2 Likes
Google âquestions for landlords to ask tenantsâ youâll find lots of good lists.
Slightly surprised you hadnât asked any of those yet and were considering going to next stage and cancel other viewings.
Knowing about all the people who will be on the tenancy not just the one who viewed, is pretty important- you are trusting all of them to take care of your valuable property..
Asking âif there is anything you should know about before it shows up in referencing â is a good q too so is asking if they can provide details of current and previous LLs and why they are moving
If rental is more than 30% of gross income they will likely fail referencing which may mean you canât get rent guarantee insurance to cover possibility of them not paying rent
Good luck
1 Like
Forgot to say I ask â do you have any ccj s , been declared bankrupt or have an IVA ?â
2 Likes
Whom else do you propose will be living in the property (Inc any children) and your relationship to them? (Not just co tenants)
Can you and any co tenants show a past history of steady employment/income and paying rent on time
Can you (and all proposed occupants) provide proof of the right to live in the UK (if on a visa when does it expire)
How long do you want to rent the property for
(People who want to stay long term are more attractive perhaps than those who want to leave in 6 months after theyâve saved for a deposit on a house)
(For partners) is this the first place youâve rented together/how long have you been together
What do you do for work/do you work from home
Have you rented before?
Do you know what your responsibilities are as a tenant?
Good luck
1 Like
I have had people saying that they want it but then donât follow through.
You need to make a judgement on them too.
Get all the viewings done then assess. Itâs like an interview for a job, check references on the previous landlords, if they fell out with their previous landlord then likely they will fall out with you.
2 Likes
Just to say on @Chris50 âs last point, if tenant says they fell out do try to get both sides and be skeptical like @Chris50 suggests
references from a previous LL not a current one may be more useful. A current one will give glowing refs to help get rid of them if they are poor tenants. I know some letting agents donât use past LL refs for this reason (you can see past payments monthly of rent by getting their financials/referencing)
Good luck
2 Likes
Remember that todayâs market is particularly difficult as many applicants will be hoping to gain access and then use the latest protections laws that allow them to stay regardless of payment obligations. Also, to my surprise, even a decent person with supportive but divorced parents will pay no regard to your property and damage it or steal anything when the time is right. Inventory critical, guarantor critical, no sub-letting of rooms etc, the list goes on. You want to find long term employee with a reputation to keep in tact and references that align with their story. Checking employee reference and stated address told me they were evicted from house and living elsewhere. Another reference informed me they were not working there anymore. It is a contest for the lowest risk tenant.
3 Likes
I had an applicant once who said he lived a couple of streets away. I said what street is that as I know them all. He could not ârememberâ. I asked do you have any CCJ S ,he said he was not sure. ! .No place for him. One lie and leave.
4 Likes
Just out of intrest Colin as an experienced LL would you deliberately view (either openly or covertly) their CURRENT address from outside to give you an idea of how they possibly maintain or dont property?
1 Like
I have done this in the past
2 Likes
Apart from 3 monthsâ arrears instead of 2 monthsâ and a four-week notice period, nothing else has changed. LLs also have Grounds 10 and 11 to fall back on so itâs hard to see how this really justifies claiming that âthe latest protections [sic] lawsâ allow them indefinite leave to remain.
I think your definition of a âdecent personâ and mine may differ. Not sure why parents being divorced has any bearing on the situation.
Nothing has changed in this regard. It always has been.
Letâs not forget that for tenants, itâs a contest for the lowest risk landlord.
1 Like
Indefinite i assume in the sense of how long it takes to get thru the court system to get out a bad tenant âŚrisk is always greater for landlords as there are about 2.8 million landlords to 25% of households renting in the UK ( about 17 million in rented?) As I always say ,they have to like me and I have to like them. So money does not come into likeability
2 Likes
âthat allow them to stay regardless of payment obligations.â is simply untrue.
under RRA there are various grounds a tenant can be evicted including for rent arrears (8, 10, 11). The main change in terms of protection is tenants canât be evicted for no reason at all. And the number of months arrears before eviction can start has increased.
There have always been some tenants who fall into arrears for a variety of reasons. The number who choose from the start to pay nothing is probably âmanyâ in the sense of not being in single figures - but the vast majority of tenants arenât nightmares just like the vast majority of LLs arenât rogue.
But doing thorough referencing, RGI, inventory, getting a guarantor etc will be even more important than ever because the nightmare tenants get the same extra protection as the good ones.
1 Like
I what basis is a landlord a risk? Tenant examines property, likes or dislikes, proceeds or passes. They will agree no rent increase for two years or three. They have two or three years in a property. After that, the Tenant will decide to stay or go.
1 Like
(Bad) LLs are a risk to tenants and in many many ways
-may not maintain or do repairs when needed or may be very slow or get bodged or diy fixes that are poor - hence Awaabs law in the RRA to help protect tenants from hazardous living conditions
-may not get health or safety stuff done (annual gas certificate, eicr, fire risk assessments)
-may not protect deposit in a gov scheme properly or may try to unreasonably withhold part or all of it at end
- may demand rent increases that are unreasonable or unfair/out of line with market increases because tenant understandably once settled in a place wonât want to move
-intrudes/visits without notice or only provides the minimum 24h notice
-tries to charge tenant for damage which is wear n tear
-can evict LL for a variety of reasons which tenant has no control over (quite rightly such as wanting to live in a place or to sell it)
At the moment LLs can evict a tenant with no reason at all (changing under the RRA from 1 may)
You may say itâs a market and tenants can just move and have recourse to help from shelter, citizens advice, no win no fee lawyers and the property tribunal and all of that is correct but much of the power in the relationship is with the LL and itâs hard to force a bad LL to do things properly via the law (just as itâs hard to get bad tenants to properly take care of a place or pay rent arrears via the law).
1 Like