AIBU landlord asking for Work contract

[crazymumofthree]

We have seen a property we like through an agent, agent has said landlord wanted a payslip (partner started new job so agent just said to get employer to write a letter stating hours and salary which we did, landlord not happy with this so said he was happy to wait till end of month, just sent payslip through to him and he's now asking to see DH work contract in full. This is all on top of a normal credit check done through a referencing company. I don't really feel comfortable sending through DH whole contract as it's a bit personal plus not really sure how I will send a 18 page contract through to him. I don't really understand why he needs it as we've already proved income in two ways plus the credit agency will call DH work and get references from them and also our current landlord. AIBU refusing to send it over? When asked why he wants all this extra info he said landlord had a dodgy tenant beforehand who didn't pay etc etc. We have had a bad experience with our last agent trying to increase the rent before we signed then taking our holding deposit so not sure if we are also being OTT worrying our end.

tbh if you want the place, send the contract.
Landlords do get a bit above themselves, but understandably.

You can refuse to send it but you may not get the property. Why not just send the front page or a page confirming hours, etc if that’s what the landlord is worried about.

I don’t blame the landlord for this at all - he is potentially entrusting you with an asset worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. He is doing due diligence checks on your backgrounds, considering your partner has only just started a new job.

You are well within your rights to refuse to show this document, and equally he is well within his rights to refuse to let the house to you.

Put yourselves in his shoes - would you want lots of proof before letting someone live in your house? Especially after his trust was broken with the last renters....

You could just try explaining that. It is 18 pages; it contains some very personal details; happy to send a few relevant pages.

Perfectly normal in my extensive experience of renting.

Don't really see the issue? Scan it in and send it as a PDF. Easy.

I'm currently in the seventh circle of hell with a referencing company who want three months of payslips ... for a job that hasn't started yet. The job for which we are relocating.

We've sent the contract, a signed confirmation from the employer that we are who we say we are, and anything else we can think of. No, they want three months' payslips.

I would be absolutely delighted if all I had to do was scan in 18 pages of a contract.

LRD, we had the same problem when relocating with payslips. Our only option was to pay rent up six months in advance which I appreciate not everyone can do.

Having been a tenant and a landlord I would send it.
It's not really a big deal and it is a complete pain when tenants don't pay the rent.
To be honest with a new job your landlord doesn't have a lot of security. He probably wants to be clear it is a permanent job and whether there is a probation period.

I don't see the problem. He needs to protect himself and ensure you aren't going to become a headache.

If you want the house send it. If you don't then don't and look for another house.

Photocopy it, redact the stuff you don't want him to see (ie black it out with a marker pen), send it as a pdf.

I would certainly not be sending a personal document to the landlord. Maybe to his solicitor as long as it was returned and no copies were made. As an employer, I'd also want to know if one of my employees was sending such a document to an external party.

Your contract with your employer has nothing to do with your landlord. That is why tenants have to pay referencing fees. If you are having to do all the legwork, I'd be asking for your referencing fees back, and I'd be looking for another property.

The LL has already had confirmation from the new job about pay, hours are irrelevant. He's seen payslip from the new job.
I cannot see any justification for showing the LL the contract.

I also don't see how the contract will show that they are able to pay in 6 months time or whatever. Probation period or not, the company could go bust.

I remember this from years ago when was a student renting with a friend who was working. He wants to know that you are in a secure long term job, not a contract that ends next week or a position with changeable hours which could mean that you can't pay the rent.

The landlord may have used a credit agency with the tenant he had trouble with, so wants to do his own investigation.

Redact the details that are too personal and give him a copy if you want the place. Someone else WILL do it if you won't. It depends on how you want the place.

Springtrolls Yes, but it's the best the landlord can do. He can't look inti the future and see if the firm ill go bust, but he can look at the contract and see that the position is, in theory, a long term one.

If you dont want to send the contract you could ask if an email from HR/the boss confirming he works there would suffice because it would have all the official work things in the footer.

I hope that makes sense im not very good at explaining.

As I understand, there's been no payslip? Just a letter from the employer? Im not surprised they want to see more, i.e. Whether it's permanent and if there's a probationary period etc. Especially if your title is anything to go by (3 children). It's a much greater risk than renting to, say, a childless couple who have both been in good, permanent jobs for a while.

Outrageous. Of course they want to know if job is permanent, no such thing these days, but terms and conditions etc none of their business.
The agency should intervene but bet they wont

He’ll just want to see that it’s a permanent contract, what the probabtion period is like etc. You’d usually just send it to the referencing agency but there’s nothing he can really do with the info if you give it to him so might as well.

JoJoSM2 the payslip was sent, but now not good enough and the contract requested.

I still don't see any reason to request the contract. Yes, there could be a probationary period, which isn't that unusual to have. It doesn't take into consideration that legally within 2 years he could be let go.

IF I sent my contract, I would take a black marker to it, and black out everything apart from my name, role and companies details.

When the letter was written this would have included salary and if the job was permanent, temp, zero hours etc.

scurry - we've offered that. They ignored it.

Sorry, I know it's not my thread, but wanted to reply!

We have already sent him a payslip - we have also sent a letter from HR detailing permanent, full time hours and pay etc and we will also be going through the normal referencing check in which I assume they will speak to HR themselves, I don't really see what else he will gain from the contract that he can't find from the two other documents he already has. Just seems strange as we've only ever gone through normal checks and it's also through an agent not directly the landlord. I get to be thorough just never had this before.

Not sure if it's any relevance but DH works in education so I am not sure they will want just anyone looking through all the details if that makes sense.

It's a 5 bedroom house so I don't think the children should be an issue.. don't think many couples will be wanting to spend so much for four spare bedrooms...

@Snausage this is exactly how we feel.. we will be paying £400 in referencing fees yet are having to do all the extra work for what seems like no reason at all as he already has all the information.

I get some tenants take the mick, if he just waits for the referencing to come back then he will see from our previous landlords we are perfect tenants and have never been late let alone missed a payment. If it had come back a bit iffy and he was then asking for more info I would understand. Just because we rent doesn't mean we aren't decent people!

I would be okay with showing it to the LL at a face to face meeting, however I would not allow copies and would give my reasons as the breach of Data Protection Act on both you and the employers behalf (potential for identity theft by anyone who can access the Agent or LL email or post) and Safeguarding (as it's a teaching post)*.

If that wasn't deemed acceptable I would tell them you are withdrawing your application. If you do withdraw, I wouldn't be surprised if you get a call a few days later from the agent saying that the LL has reconsidered this 'policy'.

*Because it's not productive to say to LL 'FFS, would you like a DNA sample and both my front teeth as well? We're trying to rent a house, not take possession the immortal soul of your firstborn.'

He also asked for proof of us paying rent for the last year and a copy of our savings account which we declined as he will get this from the referencing. Wondering now if it is the agent trying to just take the referencing money and get the info from us himself using the landlord as a ploy?!