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

Update tomorrow, please OP. Good luck and remember that your agent should be ARLA registered.

Did he not mention them previously because it’s shared care, or he’s only having them for a couple of nights a week? If that’s the case I can see why heygond for a two bef

Just get it over with and reject him if you have such a problem with it.

I'm a single parent and every rental I've vacated has either been left in the same condition it was in (if it was clean and in good shape) or significantly better/cleaner condition (if it was dirty and in poor shape when I moved in). How can so many pp on a parenting website claim that children damage properties more than a pet would? Do any of you have children? Drawing on walls. What parent doesn't know that children's pens, crayons, pencils, paint are washable? What parent wouldn't know how to clean up after their own children, supervise their own children? A tiny, tiny, minority. Most families look after their children, look after their homes, provide a clean and healthy environment. I can't believe that the pp demonising children and on this thread could be parents or even be people who like children.

This! Any rental I have stayed in since having children has been much cleaner than previously (pre-kids) and left in pristine condition. As others have said I'd be more concerned about animals.

I think one adult and 3 children in a 2 bed house is absolutely fine and a lot of posters on here are discriminating and making assumptions. I've only read a few of the posts but seems like he is separating and having the children on shared basis so they won't be there the whole time. Even if they are, one could be in with him and the other two in the other bedroom. Also, for our last rental we were asked about adult details initially and only later about details of children so could this be the case with Estate Agent?

OP - if you have a bad feeling about it though just say no but don't be scared off by the posts on here.

Are they only going to be there EOW and one night in the week? I'd be happy with that - maybe he assumed that wouldn't count initially, but perhaps the tenancy agreement is more demanding and explicit.

So @Beetle76 what are you going to do ?

Long chat with the agent today. (I do trust this agent as I rented from them for the better part of a decade. They are very fair.) Agent has proposed to put in additional conditions in the lease. I do agree with the agent: if this person has been honest about the situation, and it’s all above board, then they shouldn’t have a problem agreeing to a lease on those terms.
Good night all - it’s been a long day for me and it’s now very late! Thanks for the input.

So basically the agent told you they were honest (didn't intentionally leave the children off the application) and the information on the initial form didn't require him to put details of the children occupying just him as the tenant?
I think you should have had this conversation with your agent before you jumped to conclusions about integrity-

But in The original application he didn’t mention his kids. At all

How is that honest ?

I get you went to help someone and with cats

What extra terms will be in the tenancy

It may not have required him to state them on the initial application as 'tenants' as they wouldn't be, they'd be occupants, which was brought to the attention by him to the agent (given that the Op knew prior to the checks being received anyway)

If he had intentionally left them off and was 'dishonest' the agent would have stated this when it was brought up in conversation with the OP- which she has now said is a deal breaker so wouldn't be continuing with his application, but she is, subject to additional clauses being put in place (slightly contradicting her 'it's not suitable for children' argument? Perhaps a raise in deposit/rent has been discussed?)

Our houses are one double bedroom 12'x9' plus one other bedroom 10'6x 7' the small room just takes 2 single beds or bunks. One of these houses was rented out long term to a couple with 3 kids - the parents slept downstairs on a sofabed. The mum might take your smaller bedroom instead of the double bedroom. Lots of possibilities to fit in, you are just jumping to conclusions. If mum doesn't think the children will be a problem neither should you, but I'd want to have coffee with them first.

Hi. Looking to rent for a couple with 8 year old. If anyone have pls let me know. Areas Morden, Sutton, croydon, mitcham