Renting a 2 bed house to a family with 3 kids

[Beetle76]

I’ve got my hard hat on! I am renting out my two bed house while I have been seconded to a job in a different area for a year.
While it’s a small house, it’s in a good area so I received a number of offers for the full asking rent after the first viewing day. I decided to go with the person who stated they had two cats (I know what it’s like to rent with pets so I thought I’d help them out.)
The provisional paperwork listed a single tenant with their cats and I agreed to proceed on that basis. The full lease has arrived for me to sign and now it’s the tenant, plus cats, plus 3 kids.
My view is it’s a two bed house, one living room, small eat in kitchen and is thus not really suitable for a large family.
I didn’t base my decision on no kids, I just wanted to help out another cat person, and they happened to be the only applicant without kids.
I was expecting to have a kid or two in the house, it’s a great area for kids, but I think 3 is too many for the space. I don’t see where they would go - 3 kids beds would not fit in either bedroom, they are just not big enough. Maybe a sleeper couch in the living room? I suppose a kid could live under the stairs Harry Potter style 😂
But I fiercely dislike dishonesty and I feel they have been dishonest by not saying who would be living in the house from the outset. AIBU if I decide to pull the plug on this based that it’s not what I agreed to in the first place?
YANBU = it’s ok to pull the plug
YABU = it’s none of your business how many people are shoehorned into a rental property

I genuinely don't think he's deceived you OP. Especially if an agent is involved.
Last time I privately rented, I filled form out whilst sat in their office and they specifically told me not to mention my DC as they're not going to be lease holders and their details can be taken later 🤷🏼‍♀️

I voted Yanbu, but re reading it I saw that actually it us one adult and 3 kids so I assume the adult must be sharing with one of the kids.

I think I'd probe more into the living arrangement that they are intending on as I wouldn't be keen on 3 kids in one room (just feels like overcrowding) or the parent sleeping in the living room.

I think asking ages of the children is fair enough.

It woukd be nice to cut them a break as she's obviously not disclosed the children as it's put off other landlords.

Would you be happy if they went ahead but you just held a bigger deposit?

Last time I privately rented, I filled form out whilst sat in their office and they specifically told me not to mention my DC as they're not going to be lease holders and their details can be taken later

Depending whether or not the LL has specified to the EA children/number of people living in the property, the EA is deceiving his client, the LL, by encouraging you not to declare that children will be living in the home with you. Nothing to do with them not being leaseholders, just the fact that the estate agent wants to let the property as soon as!

The first form though is a financial one who will be on the lease and financial checks

The OP hasn’t said whether she specified children or not or if he said no to a question he later said yes too.

Because it’s likely he wasn’t dishonest he just filled in the forms as he saw it and was never asked. He was unlikely to know/care that the OP was renting out her home and not a BTL so probably didn’t think it was a big deal. Neither is it legally overcrowding (her house could cover 5).

But she can say she doesn’t want them and move o

If you'd been told in the first instance that it was 1 adult, 3 kids and 2 cats, would you have said yes? If you would, and the deception doesn't bother you, then carry on with it.

However if you'd said no having known the full information in the first instance, then say no now.

For me, the deception would mean and outright no, but even if no deception, I'd still say no due to the additional wear and tear on the property. Even the most well behaved children can easily wreck things (I have first hand experience of this!).

i wouldnt.

shes dishonest for starters, and would you actually be able to get them out after a year or is this going to have to go through court to get her evicted.

no, next

carly2803 if you bother to read the thread and updates it's a man the OP is referring to.

You should have said it's a dad actually. Based on probability it seems highly likely to me this is a divorce situation and dad will only have kids EOW. That is why they didn't mention the kids earlier and don't care about the bedrooms.

Also, just meet them and ask? Our landlady would only rent to us if we agreed to a current home visit to check our suitability.

Why's everyone suggest OP meets him? She's using an agency for a reason.

Don’t do it. The wear and tear will be double whet you would have had with a couple and I would also say no to the pets. If you are providing white goods be prepared to fork out for a new washing machine as it will be used a lot with 3 kids. You will regret it when you have stuff to repair or replace at leaving time.

Fellow landlord here. OP. Never, never rent your house to someone you feel sorry for. It will bite you in the ass. Been there, done that trust me. In our case it was a recently single mum, who needed somewhere for her and two kids. 2 months later left the house, breached contract after having multiple house parties and meaning we had to redecorate the house all over again, which had just been done.

Pets are very difficult to rent with, thanks to the tenants fee ban. Landlords told people until they were blue in the face that it would become harder to rent when they couldn't charge a pet deposit to cover the likely damage - yes it does happen.

And you should always meet the people you're renting your house to. Agencies give 0 shits who they're renting your house to, 0.

Could this be a parent where the custody is split?

For the people saying a 2 bed allowance is what is allocated by councils to 1 adult and 3 kids are wrong.

1 room for couple/adult (16+)
1 room for 2 children mixed sex until eldest turns 10.
1 room for 2 same sex children until eldest is 16.
1 room for 3rd and then if a 4th comes along.

And the whoever said the bollocks that a baby under 1 is not allocated a room, that's not the case. My daughter was allocated a bedroom the second she was born. So I was entitled to 2 beds. Under 1s are still people

This dad would be entitled to 3 bedrooms.

My daughter wouldn't need a room at her dads. She is clean and tidy, he is obsessively clean, he has a dog.

Maybe they can’t afford a bigger house, and by being overcrowded they will qualify for social housing. Not ideal for you, but this family might be suffering. Give them a break, I say.

And the whoever said the bollocks that a baby under 1 is not allocated a room, that's not the case. My daughter was allocated a bedroom the second she was born. So I was entitled to 2 beds. Under 1s are still people hmm
Can you really not comprehend that the allocation of a room for an under one year old is area dependent?
@StudentMummy19

The size of family to the size of house doesn’t matter I grew up in a small house in a family of 8 you make it work. However you really should be honest and upfront from the off you probably would have still be inclined to help her had she been honest maybe even more so. Can you ask the agent to ask why she kept this from you? It’s your house it’s your choice you have to be happy with who you have living there but don’t turn her away because of family size to room ratio

You're renting out the house, not taking in lodgers. You really have to let go.

As someone who is married, with 2 children and who can't do anything but rent a 2 bedroom house is ample room for us 4. The sweeping statements that because he has kids the place will be treated like a shit hole through wear and tear is also quite offensive. We have bi annual visits from our letting agent and every time we get feedback about how well we are looking after the property and the condition we keep it in.

Also there was a previous post from a LL to say that previous tenants left the property with a load of damp....I call crap. To have that extent of damp in a property there must be absolutely no ventilation to speak of whatsoever and/or a pre-existing issue. My previous property was riddled with the stuff despite constant ventilation and dehumidifiers. Turns out there was rising damp. As a responsible LL or if using a letting agency if it was that bad it should have been spotted on visits and treated/advice given to tenants on how to treat it.

Anyhoo, I digress. If his checks come back fine I think you should let the property to him. Would rather have a couple of hand marks on the wall than cat scent everywhere!

Are you in a good school catchment area? They may just want their kids in a good school and know this would do for the short term?

A blatant lie would be all I'd need not to rent to her/them. How they live/where they sleep etc is their choice, especially as a short-term solution.

Their values become important when they would be living in my property.

I do love and appreciate that you wanted to rent to the lady with the cat though.

Maybe they are renting short term to get in to a good school?

3 kids in a 2 bed house is hardly sardines.

we rented a two bed with three kids.
It was bigger than Ops property though.
kids were young and all 3 shared a room, had done since they were 6 months. But in our case the second bedroom was big enough for bunks and a cot.
So we had 2 adults, 3 kids and a cat (and 2 rabbits outside) in a 2 bed. No-one batted an eyelid and the house was left in excellent condition when we left.

But I voted YANBU simply because she told you it was one adult and 2 cats and no she has added in 3 kids.
The deceit is a red flag.

I would go back to the agent and say - where did these kids come from? If the agent says - we always tell them not to mention kids when viewing, then you know it isn; the tenant's fault

Your house your rules. You agreed on a single tenant and their cats.
Dishonesty is the problem here.