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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Renting a 2 bed house to a family with 3 kids

462 replies

Beetle76 · 31/01/2020 02:51

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

OP posts:
Fivetillmidnight · 31/01/2020 06:17

I would also imagine that if she is moving from a much bigger house to a smaller one 'for a year' that she is separating from a partner.

For all the people out there saying 'no' , I hope you are never in a position where you have to re-home your beloved family pets because you can't find a home to rent which will take them. If you own your own home then you are very lucky. Not all of us are in that position.
The problem of renting with a pet is so difficult that many many women stay in abusive relationships rather than leave their pet ..

Cherrysherbet · 31/01/2020 06:19

YANBU. For me it wouldn’t be about the kids, but I hate dishonesty. If they lie about this, then what else will they lie about?

8by8 · 31/01/2020 06:26

I’m a landlord. Have you spoken directly to her, or is it all through the agent?

I’d go with a calm question - are they sure the house is suitable for the children? You weren’t expecting to rent to a family with children and are concerned that it’s not suitable. Make clear that you won’t be changing anything about the house for them - we had a tenant on a 6 month lease really annoyed when I wouldn’t replace all the furniture to change the look!

Pluckedpencil · 31/01/2020 06:27

You had me at dishonesty. It was a big lie and they knew it.

ponyprincess · 31/01/2020 06:31

YANBU the dishonesty would bother me. Why mention the cats and not the children? It"s up to you to decide what you are comfortable with, you are not responsible for looking after their housing situation

Tellingitlikeitisnt · 31/01/2020 06:40

I’m guessing it’s a divorce and the kids won’t be with the adult full time hence feeling they can manage a few nights a week to sleep on sofa on lounge and let kids have the beds.
It might be only place near school that lets her bring the cats?

OhTheRoses · 31/01/2020 06:58

8by8 I agree.

Lookedtwice · 31/01/2020 07:03

YAB a bit U. Why don’t you question it to check that they will all fit rather than just withdrawing the offer?

I know two different families of 2 adults and 4 children and both families live in 2 bedroom flats. 2 bunkbeds in the smallest rooms. They say it’s a bit of a squeeze but fine.

HomerSimpsonSmilingPolitely · 31/01/2020 07:09

OP what was on the original form? I'm just not sure that she's lied, from what you've said. If she was trying to hide it from you then she just wouldn't have included them in the tenancy application, surely? Why bother to admit to it now?

It sounds to me like maybe there has been a miscommunication rather than an actual lie.

Monny1 · 31/01/2020 07:10

Don’t do it. They lied. They should of been upfront with you. You might live to regret the situation later, if you do.

Jellybeansincognito · 31/01/2020 07:14

Yanbu. An overcrowded house just raises the risk of damp and mould.

Plus the dishonesty would put me off.

Els1e · 31/01/2020 07:15

I wouldn’t be put off by the 3 children. It would be cosy but doable and I know people in rl that manage this. My neighbour has 5 kids and are a 2 bedroom house. Boys in 1 room, girls in other room, mum and dad on sofa bed. They’ve managed for years like this and like the house and area, so say they have no interest in moving. But the dishonesty would bother me. Why not talk to them and ask why they didn’t declare their true situation at the outset?

Longwhiskers14 · 31/01/2020 07:16

Ultimately this is your home and you need to be happy with who is living there while you're away. Don't let anyone guilt you into signing a contract that makes you comfortable. Frankly I'd be blasting the lettings agent who clearly knew more than they let on.

wesdxc12 · 31/01/2020 07:16

I had this. Man who viewed the house said it was for him and his wife. He turned up with 3 kids. I couldn't turn them away, although I did think they'd struggle as it was a 1 bed and a box room. In the end it wasn't the kids that were the problem, it was that he was inherently dishonest about everything. They also left the place in a disgusting mess. Think baby sick down the side of the arm chairs and front of the TV.

Dishonesty is a huge red flag .

Oceanbliss · 31/01/2020 07:17

All these accusations of dishonesty! How was she dishonest when she has included them on the lease? She hasn't lied about having children because she has clearly stated that in the lease. Logically, there had to be some kind of miscommunication. Not dishonesty. Someone who has lied about not having children is not going to include them in the lease agreement. It's bloody well defamatory to be accusing someone of dishonesty without absolute proof. I can't abide by slandering someone, discrediting them, assassination of their character just so you can operate on negative assumptions and not have to make the effort to clarify with the person. No, so much easier to accuse them of some sort of poor character trait like being dishonest.

Poetryinaction · 31/01/2020 07:18

I'd rather help out kids than cats. But the dishonesty would put me off.

SmileCheese · 31/01/2020 07:18

I don't understand all the people defending her and saying she didn't lie. The fact that others discolsed they had children suggests that she deliberately left off the information when filling out the form. If there was no space to disclose the information then surely the OP wouldn't know if any of the other tenants had children.

I would be inclined to find other tenants. Whilst I'm sure they could fit in and be content there for the year I wouldn't like that they were initially dishonest and I would be constantly wondering what else they were not telling you or what they might lie about next.

NotQuiteUsual · 31/01/2020 07:19

I don't think 4 people in a 2 bed is an issue. We have 5 in a 2 bed and genuinely it's not a squeeze. We do have two reception rooms though, and I'm starting to get fed up of the toddler waking me up farting(we'll be moving in the next few months finally)

Frouby · 31/01/2020 07:19

Just contact the potential tenant and ask her. It's probably a divorce situation, she's waiting for funds, can't get the cats in anywhere else etc. Or it might be a catchment thing. She may be renting your property just to secure a school place.

Poetryinaction · 31/01/2020 07:21

Why are you charging the same as a large 3 bed down the road?

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 31/01/2020 07:22

YANBU. The dishonesty alone would put me off and I would have no trouble declining to sign the lease.

I’d wonder why the omission and if there was anything else I didn’t know. I’d also worry about rent payments with so many dependants but appreciate I’m not a LL so may be over thinking it.

Plus that’s a lot of potential wear and tear with a small house and so many occupants.

Longwhiskers14 · 31/01/2020 07:22

I meant uncomfortable!

nakedavengeragain · 31/01/2020 07:27

@poetryinaction probably for the same reason the tenant hasn't chosen it. Could be anything. Houses are worth whatever someone will pay and it's seems someone's willing to pay.
The one down the road might be next to a cursed burial ground or opposite the local sewage works. The OPs house might have a view of the Taj Mahal, its own private beach or comes with a cellar full of wine.

TheTruthAboutLove · 31/01/2020 07:29

YABU there is no dishonesty here. It all comes down to what the form asks for, and if she was being dishonest she wouldn’t have declared the children at all on the lease prior to moving in. It’s all speculation and MN thinking the worst of people, that everyone is out to scam everyone else.

It most likely is a divorce situation going from a bigger home to a smaller one, I don’t see the problem myself as long as her checks come back clear and she can pay? All this talk of her not moving out and bailiffs and the like is the usual MN catastrophising, it’s very unlikely to happen if she has good references and credit check. Any tenant could default and whatever, I don’t get why according to MN it’s more likely to happen because it’s a single Mum with children and cats?!

FlamingoQueen · 31/01/2020 07:29

Could you ask the agent to ask why she didn’t mention the children? You could say you have concerns the house won’t be big enough and that your property may get damaged over the year due to lack of space for them to move around in.
I lived in a 2 bed house with 2 young dc and 2 guinea pigs and there wasn’t really room to swing a cat (luckily then we only had guinea pigs!). By the time my dd was 18 mths we’d moved to a 3 bed house.