How can my son effectively screen tenants?

[worriemama]

He brought a house in London. He now wants a tenant. How can he find people who:

1. Aren't criminals/dangerous people
2. Won't treat him badly and steal from him etc.
3. Would pay their rent on time
4. Don't tend to smoke/take drugs/host loud parties

Can he make his tenants go though a basic dbs check? Shall he look at their CVs and ask for character references?
Shall he only room with teachers, childcare workers and the like?
Is there an agency he can use?

I've had several lodgers. The only mistake I made was taking someone without enough time to think because I was in need right after XH moved out.
I would meet with them, follow my instincts, take a picture of their ID, take a deposit and ask them to leave if it wasn't working out (only had to do that once - same guy referred to above)

You can't do a DBS. Only employers can do a DBS.

He also needs to be aware that house sharers generally don't like sharing with an owner. The relationship isn't equal, and the owner tends to get angsty about every little thing, because it's their house.

Flat sharers renting rooms from a distant landlord get on a lot better because they are equals in the relationship, so it's way more relaxed.

Ads usually say “non-smoking, professional working people only” to keep out the riff-raft. But the rest is what the credit check is for. Character references is a bit much.

He doesn’t want a tenant, he wants a lodger. Put an advert on spareroom.com. Have a chat, see how he feels with them.

Taking in a lodger can be tricky.
Even someone you get on at work with may be unbearable to share a house with.
(past experience) 😉

You need to step back a bit OP.

Get lodgers/tenants via an agency. Surely he can work this out himself. And it’s bought, ffs!

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I have lodgers through 'spareroom'. My current lodger is lovely. I've only been 'stung' once. Trust your instincts/gut feeling when you meet a prospective lodger, although even with that caveat (and my husband vetting the lodger who was sharing with my son) you can get some cheeky f*ers. Insist on D/D being set up. Insist on a deposit of at least a month. And do be prompt in pointing out if any rent isn't paid, within 24 hours, or out they go.
I could not live in this house without a lodger. The rent is life-changing (for me).

''@worriemama · Today 17:46
@Hintofreality · Today 17:37

How do prospective tenants know your Son isn’t a dangerous crack addicted pervert thief?

He can always share his LinkedIn with them to prove that he is in a respectable professional job''

Yeah, because we never hear of any dodgy lawyer, accountant, police officer, banker or teacher.

They never make the news...

Having a ''professional job'' is not necessarily a sign of honesty these days.

I think he needs his mum to call them up for a chat.

He clearly needs to be up front about the strange relationship you have together. I want to know this as a prospective tenant.

How old is he???

Is this the same son that got expelled from uni you posted about earlier? Perhaps he should get to a better place with his job worries before finding a house sharing

How to get credit checks on potential lodgers? My son wants to rent out his spare room.

Your other thread says he got booted out of university for cheating (and is only now about to start his first job), sounds like he has no business wanting above and beyond the bog standard stuff landlords require. This really isn’t a job for his mother to do 😵‍💫

He is in a good place financially
he worked hard to earn money alongside his uni ; dw he is not a drug dealer lol
He can afford a house with the help of me and his father

As for the job, since the screening company/employer only cares about the last 5 years, and the dates of his attendance, I doubt they will find out he was expelled

You can advertise through open rent and they will do referencing for £20 per tenant.

What do the bog standard checks landlords usually do?

Are you serious?

I’m done.

Does your son know the difference between lodger and tenant? If so, that’s a good start. He can google his obligations and what’s legally required of him.

If you’re adapting to not having him in your house anymore, have you looked in to any hobbies or clubs? You seem to be fretting over things that are (politely) not your business, on this thread and the other one. It’s not a good route to go down, you can support him as an adult without getting stuck solving his minor issues for him. You raised him to adulthood, let him fly.

Just looked at the other thread 😳😳

You can do a basic check yourself now - I'm a self employed housekeeper and I did my own DBS check and got my certificate before I started advertising for business.

www.gov.uk/request-copy-criminal-record

I suppose he could ask for a basic DBS but I would be really baffled about being asked for one as a tenant (I have an enhanced one for work anyway) and wouldn’t be willing to spend my own money on one for somebody’s spare room. I think credit checks, paying a deposit, and just general conversation to make sure we’re a good fit should be enough.

@yahtzeecandle
. Patronising?

Everyone bloody well has to start somewhere. Why bother to make such comments