to not get why I'm being turned down for rental properties?

[Fpbww]

In our town (don't know if this is common in other areas) the process for renting is - view house you are interested in, submit a detailed application form (the longest has been 8 pages long) confirming employers, income, bank details, addresses and so on. Sometimes providing ID, bank statements, wage slips, you name it.

The landlord then has a look at the applications and decides who he/ she likes the look of best. And if you get to that stage, THEN they do any referencing, credit checks etc.

We've applied for 5 houses in the last month. We were offered one (having passed stage 1 we were invited to agree referencing/ checks), but decided due to some concerns over maintenance (a couple of damp patches which the LL tried to say were not actually damp!) we decided not to proceed.

With the other 4, we've been rejected at the first stage.

All different estate agents (there are about 20 locally) so it's not that

I can't see why on paper we are not attractive to a LL?
We're both in our 40s, no children at home, non smokers, no pets. We both work from home. We're looking to rent for up to 2 years.
Our joint salary is 3x the affordability criteria. DP is a director of his own small business, which I know is not always attractive to landlords, but his earnings are 50% of mine, so even if you didn't include his salary I could more than afford the place on my own.

Am I missing something? We needed to give notice this week but now are holding off as there doesn't seem much chance of finding something else quickly.

[Fpbww]

Oh just to add - we did ask the agents for feedback but they advised they couldn't provide 'due to DPA'

[mildlymiffed]

I think at the moment it is supply and demand. I had 9 couples view my tiny rental property. 6 offers, and so I could pick and choose. And not for the reasons you might think...! I went for a couple who were both key workers, that was the draw for me! I think there is just not enough rental out there and a huge amount of demand, so landlords can have their own criteria.

[LittleDandelionClock]

Maybe if you earn 3 X more than the renting criteria, and your DH is a 'director of a business' they think you can afford to buy, and are letting people rent who don't earn such humungous salaries as you and your DH.

They are probably mystified as to why you want to rent for 2 years or more with such an ample income, and as I said, they are letting people who genuinely cannot afford to buy rent the properties.

[Dixiechickonhols]

WFH? So more wear and tear than a couple out 7.30 am - 6.30 pm 5 days.

[Cantstopthewaves]

You say you are looking to rent for up to two years.
This would put me off. I'd not fancy having to find a new tenant say a year down the line if it could be avoided.
I'd be looking at someone who would be staying longer.

[notanothertakeaway]

Could it be -

They want one tenant only, to reduce wear and tear?

They think a family with children would want to put down roots and stay longer?

They think working from home = more time at home = more wear and tear?

I agree with PP that landlords may have their own ideas of what makes a good tenant, and it's not necessarily what you might expect

And supply & demand. They may have a number of tenants who could be suitable. Maybe they just go with first come first served?

[notanothertakeaway]

And if you're in your 40's on good incomes, perhaps they wonder if there is a reason why you haven't bought a property eg historic debt making it difficult to get a mortgage

[user1497207191]

Limited company directors are viewed as a "risk" at the moment as they weren't properly supported by the covid support grant schemes, so there is doubt as to how reliable they'd be in case of further lockdowns etc due to the risk of greatly reduced/no income.

As with all things credit risk related, those assessing risks don't look at individual circumstances, they look at "groups" and sectors, and self employed generally are currently viewed as being much higher risk than employees who, mostly, were supported via furlough if they couldn't work.

[DeepaBeesKit]

They will want tenants who are likely to stay longer.

[DeepaBeesKit]

Also both wfh increases wear and tear to property

[FAQs]

Does your partner have a registered office? If it’s the home address it might be an insurance issue.

[FreedomFaith]

@notanothertakeaway

And if you're in your 40's on good incomes, perhaps they wonder if there is a reason why you haven't bought a property eg historic debt making it difficult to get a mortgage

I'd be wondering this and thinking you managed money badly, which when they want your rent to pay the mortgage etc, they can't run the risk of you not paying.

Maybe because you've rejected a house too, the estate agents think you're not actually looking and aren't really bothering with you. Estate agents do talk.

[JustDanceAddict]

We put our property up for rent a month ago. The interest was phenomenal- usually it’s a bit of a slog to find tenants. We could pick and choose.

[user1497207191]

@Dixiechickonhols

WFH? So more wear and tear than a couple out 7.30 am - 6.30 pm 5 days.

That could definitely be a factor. I've got several clients with student lettings and they've all reported a much higher level of wear and tear over the past year due to the students spending all their time in their flats studying due to not having lectures/seminars so studying, cooking and socialising in their flats rather than spending the days on campus and evenings out socialising. They've been looking at more repairs/replacements of the cookers, microwaves, kettles, etc., more worn out desk chairs, more maintenance of things like cupboard and drawer doors, fridge/freezer doors, etc. They've been looking at hundreds if not thousands of pounds of extra money simply due to greater usage due to students staying in and not going out!

So, yes, it's certainly a possible reason for a landlord to be reluctant to have WFH-ers as tenants if they have other applicants who don't WFH.

[dreamingbohemian]

We've been fairly lucky getting rentals and what we've been told a number of times is that it's because we have a school-aged child and so LLs know we will be wanting to stay put a long time.

Are you telling them you only want to rent for two years?

Is your job seen as stable, like you'll always be able to find work?

Otherwise it's just luck, there's a lot of demand out there so it will probably take some time.

[lurker101]

We have friends in a similar situation, they’ve lost several places despite on paper being great potential tenants that can very easily afford the places they’re looking at.
Everywhere they’ve looked at has went to offers above rental asking price.

I think they’re losing out because they are likely to be able to buy soon, which will be obvious to someone seeing their finances and will make them less attractive to landlords who typically prefer longer prospective tenancies.

In your case I would avoid mentioning that you’re WFHers if possible - more likely to be irritated by/or irritating other neighbours.

[UndertonesOfCake]

DP is a director of his own small business

Is the nature of the business something that they could (mis) interpret as causing additional wear and tear to the property? If so I'd stop specifying that he works from home.

[TatianaBis]

It’s the wfh. That means you’re in 24/7.

[HarrietsChariot]

It's most likely due to there being an excess of suitable applicants. If a landlord can chose from six or more candidates who on paper all look like good tenants, at least five will be disappointed for no obvious reason.

Of course it could be something to do with you or your application. Is there something about your jobs that might be offputting? Landlords have their prejudices, many will favour people with "worthwhile" jobs like nurses over people who proof-read for a living. Or is there something in your background - people tend to identify with people who are like them, be it race, age, job history, so favour them over people who are different.

[lastqueenofscotland]

@FAQs

Does your partner have a registered office? If it’s the home address it might be an insurance issue.

This is a big issue - most rental properties will have a clause stating businesses can’t be run from them

[SirChenjins]

Could the landlords own multiple properties in the town (like the ones who owned 900 in one town on a thread recently about Homes Under the Hammer) and reject you because you (rightly) complained about the damp? Or maybe know other landlords and have spoken to them, and they’ve got you down as ‘difficult’? (I’m not for a moment saying you are, I’m just throwing another suggestion into the ring)

I would also suggest that up to2 years is quite short - if I was a LL I’d be looking for longer than that. WFH wouldn’t bother me, it means that you’re in and therefore keeping a close eye on the place during the day.

[Jamallama]

Do you have debts? Or repaying debt? That can affect things when they look at your credit score.
As others said, don't say your DP works from home or is a company director.
Try looking in the small ads of the local newspaper for properties to rent. Not all landlord/ladies use a letting agent. You may have more luck with those than the ones who use agents.

[Doubledoorsontogarden]

Did you offer more than the asking price on rent? I had 8 applicants after 2 days of viewings. Many offered up front payments and higher than advertised rent.

[user1471538283]

In my contract it states that a business cannot be run from it so I wonder if it is because your DH is self employed and works from home? I think it is something to do with insurance and potential debt.

Could you pass the criteria on your own?

[Viviennemary]

I agree your high earnings could be working against you here. If you earn three times whats required the agents might be suspicious that not all is what it seems.