Struggling to find good tenants

Hi,

Just looking for some advice. My rental property has been on Openrent for just over a month with advertising on other platforms and I paid the extra for Rightmove approx 10 days ago. I’m struggling with the quality of the applications I’m receiving and don’t know whether I should accept that i’m only going to get lower quality applications or whether I should keep holding out for someone more decent. As background, I used an estate agent to manage previous tenancy. Despite referencing, the tenants stopped paying the rent so I had to go through the courts and get a bailiff to evict. I didn’t have rent guarantee insurance but will in future but very wary of being stung by poor tenants again.

I’ve had a total of 26 enquiries and 6 applications but I haven’t had a good feeling about any of them. Issues have been; majority of income coming from benefits, insufficient income or income not adding up or the family having 4 kids and 3 dogs. Whilst I appreciate I can’t discriminate against people on benefits i’m concerned about their ability to pay as we all well know local LHA rates don’t cover the rent and benefits like PIP/DLA can make up a large proportion of income but can quite easily stop being paid. I am happy to consider pets but when it’s a smallish 3 bed property, having 4 kids and 3 large dogs just seems too much and the chances of damage are higher.

I don’t know if I’m doing something wrong or whether that’s just the only type of applicant I’m going to get. It’s in a reasonably sought after location (maybe it isn’t so much anymore!), priced around market rate or some may say slightly high (£1100) and photos aren’t professional but decent. I’ve had about 3-4 people view who I did like and who worked full-time but they haven’t applied. Got ghosted by 1, another decided it was too far from work and one other preferred another property.

Many thanks!

It’s important to get the rental valuation correct. If it is slightly high, drop it by £50:00. Also, in my opinion not using RM and Zoopla from the beginning your property has only been fully exposed to the market for 10 days. Hang in their for the right tenant.

Good luck

3 Likes

Thanks! I wasn’t sure about dropping the price as I’m already attracting what I don’t want so surely that would just increase? I was on Zoopla and all the others from the beginning apart from Rightmove

1 Like

The good ones may think i cannot quite afford that and the bad ones may think, I can blag my way thru. Take the advice

5 Likes

Market is very price sensitive at the moment if there are a lot of rentals in your area it compound’s the issue. Find the sweet spot of price and tenants come a runnin. Professional photos are essential for advert appeal as is a complete description. I always activate pre- screening questions to weed out inappropriate applicants. Price is probably yr issue.

1 Like

You’re doing the right thing holding out for quality — especially with your past experience. Sometimes it just takes longer to find a good fit. Consider a deadline for re-evaluating pricing or marketing strategy. In the meantime, screen upfront with income clarity questions and protect yourself with RGI. It’s not about discriminating — it’s about long-term security.

2 Likes

Of the pool of applicants, the ones that other landlords have rejected will keep increasing as a percentage of the total. You have to hold out for one you can accept.

2 Likes

I had a flat that took over a 100 applications thro OR, because I got many that lied about their circumstance, had 3 couples that I submitted for referencing ect that lied so I kept their deposit. it cost me as even OR were not nice about it even though it was partly their fault, the applications come throught them.!! Anyway I held out 4 months for the right tenant, Do not accept anything but the right tenant or you will get problems. Oh and make sure you set the parameters on your add to weed out the dross.

5 Likes

Hi,

I understand your concerns but myself as a tenant I am struggling finding a property to rent for a long term.I have applied for few properties but few agencies even didn’t bother to reply as they should do if they would be professional.

I am a single mom of two boys and after a 10 year relationship which is not working anymore ,I have to start a new life with my boys. I am receiving support through Universal Credit at the moment but I am a serious person, living at the actual address since 2019 and having a nice relationship with the landlord.I am a student as well, I have finished 2 years of Business and Management in Tourism. My situation is just temporary and I have never stayed without a job, my last job was as a credit controller for 2 years and half and from there I went on maternity leave and as soon as I found a stable place for myself and the kids, I will look for a job. Sorry if my message is too long, I just wanted to say that not all people who are on benefits are same or unserious. Hope you will find good tenants in the end for your property and hope as well all landlords to not generalise people after their situation and to give them a chance, never knows, sometimes if landlords decide to meet the tenants in person, they would find someone suitable and they would take care of property as would be their house.

Apologies for my grammar mistakes but english is not my first language.

Wish you all the best.

Gabriela

4 Likes

Best to avoid agents and use openrent landlords only as the relationship is direct - tenant to landlord. At the end of the day you have to pass affordability for the prospective property and credit checks with previous employer and landlord references.

1 Like

Two things never to do in haste, marry or let.

8 Likes

Hi, I feel your anxiety, because I’ve been there before.. The advice below is all very sound advice.

I must stress that the very first impression anyone will have of your house are the photographs. And I cannot recommend enough that you get a professional to do them for you - I’ve used OpenRent’s photographic services before and he was brilliant. The difference between his pics and mine (which I thought were quite decent too) was palpable. The condition of the interior and the garden, if there is one, must look spotlessly clean and well maintained, and if you have a specific feature or a usp then make sure it’s photographed and included in the selection of photos you choose to market with. The more the better too, because you’re being completely transparent about what you have to offer from the get go. The less the ad tells you, the more there probably is that’s been concealed from applicants who could ultimately use it against you in the future.

The more detail you include in the supporting information helps the applicants to decide if it will meet their needs before expressing their interest in viewing the property, and minimises the risk of time wasted further down the line. Do check out what other adverts include by way of the blurb that supports their published photographs, and check that the supporting information matches what the photos reveal through the eyes of an applicant. It’s the things that people don’t show or choose to conceal at the advertising stage that so often will come back to haunt you.

In your advert stipulate the maximum number of people (including children) who will be resident, and stick to it. You are perfectly within your rights to decide this from the outset, without being compelled to explain why.. eg can your house really handle multiple bunk beds, 3 large dogs and all the sheer amount of personal possessions that comes with a large family?? Their quality of life must be taken into consideration, and cramped overcrowded conditions makes for a very unhappy home.

Likewise, your pet policy can be advertised as ‘pets allowed’ but add that this comes with certain conditions and exclusions. This can be a question for your pre-screening stage with each applicant.

eg I state that I have a maximum two cat policy (there’s a microchip cat flap fitted into a door) for my tiny two bedroomed terraced house, and I ask for a week’s rent extra as a non-refundable deposit to cover for the cleaning, carpet washing and sanitizing work that will be done at the end of the tenancy. I have never had a problem with this arrangement. And I don’t believe a word from anyone who claims their dogs are really really sweet, well-behaved and quiet.. You have no way of knowing how dogs behave when left alone inside for any period of time, or when someone rings the doorbell, or how they will treat a garden.. A previously good relationship with your neighbours could go horribly wrong too as a result. Something to bear in mind.

The crucial point is if they can meet the cost of the rent plus all the other day-to-day bills and expenses. So this is why I also urge you to use the pre-screening option through OpenRent. If they are already verified, then all the better. Include the essential question of what their total net income is per month, and that of any other named applicant who will be jointly responsible. Make sure they are clear that it’s net and not gross income per month that you need to know, and will undertake credit checks etc to confirm it. Don’t be fooled by those who say they are on bonuses or commission structures that tops up their main income. It isn’t guaranteed no matter what they might try to persuade you. And joint tenants must both be verified too, which the credit agencies may flag as risky if the other tenant is on a wage which doesn’t meet the minimum that you need if the lead tenant should lose his job.. The risk is yours to decide. Ask if they have a willing guarantor (should one should be required) to vouch for any shortfalls in income. Likewise, include the question:does the applicant have any pets they intend to move in with, and if so what and how many of them?

The pre-screening stage is invaluable for weeding out the bad eggs. Some will happily cherry pick some of the questions, and leave others blank. Chase up any unanswered questions, and the response should be enough for you to consider whether it’s worth them visiting the property or not. In my experience the pre-screening questions go a long way to help you decide to invite them for a viewing or not. And when you do meet them, your assertiveness will pay dividends.. Look them in the eye and use your instinct like it’s the last thing you possess!! Remember letting agents only see tenants as their commission; they just don’t care about your property. I will never use one again.

The help pages for landlords on here are a treasure trove of knowledge. Use them.. Good luck. I hope this helps :folded_hands:

6 Likes

Thank you . I found this very helpful.

Extra money as a deposit is illegal under the TFA . Pet deposits were banned. Currently taking extra rent is permitted .

1 Like

Is the issue the volume of inquiries, the quality of them or both?

If the volume then I would take a look at the price of the rental.

If the quality of the inquiries, then it does not sound as if you are experiencing anything out of the ordinary. There are lots of prospective tenants desperate for a rental property for numerous reasons and my experience is that they will apply for any rental property that comes onto the market regardless (I have had families with children apply for one bedroom flats). Ploughing through numerous inquiries is the nature of the beast and the way to avoid this yourself is to use a letting agent to do this work on your behalf. It pains me but many a time I have thought to myself ‘an estate agent is worth every penny’!

I think it is a case of review your property and ensuring you have not set your sights too high for the property you have on offer and if not then stick with it, you only need one good tenant to apply.

Good luck with your listing and keep us posted on how you get on!

Some good advice in your post, but you should be aware that the above is a breach of the Tenant Fees Act and probably of the deposit legislation. It would leave you open to a deposit claim against you and invalidate any s21 notice you may serve.

7 Likes

You are in this position because the last 2 governments have backed landlords into a corner by demonising them all and waging a war on them. It will only get worse. All in the name of protecting tenants. But ignoring the input from the private rental providers and only listening to ideologically biased tenant advocacy groups.

3 Likes

I have been having a similar experience too. So far I have had enquiries from someone with a CCJ (possibly for non payment of rent in the past) and a guy who has had 51 Ltd companies which have all one by one been dissolved over the years. One person asked if I wanted to meet for a coffee and come to some kind of arrangement outside of OR. Enquiries have been slow too.

I am beginning to wonder if nowadays people think they can bypass the checks of normal estate agents by going through OR.

I am now thinking about going back to a normal estate agent.

All the checks an estate agent does you can do yourself?

I agree, I’ve had a room vacant for over 6 months. but 99 percent of my applications come fromspare room not OR - so it’s area specific I think. I’ve had a lot of “I’ve ended a relationship ship, abusive relationship, father of kids kicked out of and by the way she is kicking out my dogs so I need all of this in the one room I am advertising.” Don’t fall for any of it, I’ve fallen for this bs multiple times, my bad for not learning after the first time. So I’ve hung out for a decent tenant I wont take any risks. Dogs - do no accept dogs, been there and I can assure it is more cost than the one week the person above is illegally taking. Cats are the same I think. Go onto OR or Sroom and check your competition. I’ve checked mine many times and my rent is in the ball park so just market is more quiet. I am getting a big flow of tenants suddenly, they seem to come in waves. My pics are great as it was an airbnb for a while. So go and dress the property a bit. We’ve dressed a property in London and it looked amazing… which part of UK are you in?

1 Like

Hi ,

My partner and I are good tennants looking for a decent landlord or landlady.

We are looking to move I. The Medway area asap.

Have you any suitable accommodation?