to ask for advice from anyone who has rented out property

[headinclouds101]

Sorry to hijack AIBU - need to make a very quick decision and would welcome comments from anyone who has rented out property - or indeed the perspective of anyone themselves renting privately.
We have to rent out a house we have inherited but can't sell at present. Must decide quickly between tenants A - couple with a small baby - they are on low wages but can afford the rent while she is on mat pay. Concern is if 5 months down the line she gives up work (or indeed goes back to work but has childare costs ) he would not be able to afford on own.These people really need to find somewhere to live fairly soon.
Tenant B a 40ish single guy - steadyish though not especially well paid job. He is already in rented house that he does not have to leave in a hurry- but ours is much nearer his place of work. Slight concerns are that he has been in debt in the past - he was up front about this as it would probably come out in a credit check. Also pehaps unfairly , concerns about his lifestyle if he is single man.
I know that nobody can make the decion for us - but would greatly welcome any thoughts as OH and I have been going round in circles. We live too far away from the property to meet them - so no "gut" feelings. The agents favour the man as his situation is not as likely to change in six months as the couple - also he has an established history in private renting. However we don't want to be "pushed" by them.
In particular I would like to know if a joint tenancy of an unmarried couple is likely to cause any more problems than a single tenancy. The agency we were using indicated that it might - but were woolly about why.

Can I just put forward the POV of a tenant?

I needed somewhere to live when I became a single parent to DS. Really hard because no-one wanted DSS/HB tenants. I was looking for work, and had been working but was returning from the UK. All I can say is my Mums friend rented her house out to me and because of having a young DS (22 months) I was extra careful with money to keep a roof over our heads and took a job (I didn't want) to earn money to keep the roof until what I wanted came along. I have been doing the job I want for 4 years now, I'm 3 years into an OU degree and in 4 years will have my dream job.

I would just say that a family who want to put a roof over their heads will do what it takes - therefore the couple with the baby are unlikely to risk losing it.

HB can also be paid direct to the tenant (in my case it changes as childcare does - school hols etc) and therefore it won't mean you are over/underpaid but will get your rent paid monthly.

Dictat, I am shocked (although not surprised) by your post. Your husband is acting illegally if he does what you describe. And I come at this from the POV of a LL. Both my father and husband are landlords.

I share the reservations others have mentioned about housing benefit. My dad once had a student nurse in his flat who was claiming housing benefit, improperly as it turned out. He had no idea. She buggered off and the HB was claimed back - from my father. But as things stand, neither prospective tenant is claiming HB so I'd forget about that. The couple might end up on HB but equally the single guy could be redundant in the next crash that is coming.

I'd probably go for the couple in the OP's shoes, but I would expect a bit more wear and tear on the kitchen, etc as a result.

I have experience with renting property and I would definitely advise you take the family. I believe that in the main, people with young children generally try to keep the place nice for their kids and don't want any trouble. Basically, they want a nest for their family and strive to maintain a decent roof over their heads.
I would be concerned about the guy with bad financial history and in my experience, blokes on their own are untidier, don't maintain the house as well and are more likely to move on quickly. Hope that helps.

Thanks for all advice so far. We are leaning towards the family but have not yet decided.
If it makes any difference we are not in any way going to be depending on the rental income from this property. We need to rent it because we don't want it empty - particulary in winter months.
However although we do not actually need the income we can't afford for the property to actually cost us money in terms of legal costs or anything else that might crop up iyswim