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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:
Hellbentwellwent · 31/01/2020 09:42

Your spidey senses are tingling for a reason. Mine would be too under these circumstances. Are you planning on returning to this house when your work secondment is over? If so would you be happy coming back to a house that’s had three kids and the usual amount of wear and tear? If it’s all sharp edges and concrete now, it’ll be dented edges and chipped surfaces.... Landlords who rent out properties as a long term investment build this type of wear and tear into their financial projections and running costs and it’s expected that repairs and refurbishing will happen, but it’s different if you’re an accidental landlord and renting out your own home that you expect to return to. Most tenants won’t treat your home with the care that you do, not all of course but most wont.

bingbangbing · 31/01/2020 09:44

They lied.

That's a deal breaker.

They will lie about other stuff.

Find someone else.

Louise91417 · 31/01/2020 09:46

I cant understand why you are javing such an issue with the children when you are allowing cats. Im a cat lover myself and have had many over the years but even the cleanest cat can destroy a house. Iv had to replace carpets and sofas wallpaper due to them using anything in their way as scratching posts, not to mention cat hair stuck to everything. And how do you no these cats are litter trained? Last thing you want is a house smelling of a years worth of cat peeHmm

RB68 · 31/01/2020 09:48

If I am truly honest it is likely you are storing up problems - a its too small so wear and tear will be high, b she is likely renting a 2 bed either as can't afford more or to be ner schoos - if its can't afford and she stops paying rent what are you going to do? With regards damage you can't even ask for a higher deposit these days so its a risk

I just wouldn't - sorry

namechangetheworld · 31/01/2020 09:48

YABU- it's incredibly hard for single parent families to find a home and she may not be able to afford a three bed property.

Not the OPs problem. She's renting out her house, not running a charity.

YANBU OP.

Chickychickydodah · 31/01/2020 09:50

Someone I know had 3 girls and 1 boy in a 2 bed council house, plus an extra girl every other weekend. The parents had to sleep on a sofa bed downstairs.They never got offered anything bigger by the council . Finding houses is hard.

Inliverpool1 · 31/01/2020 09:52

Fuck no. We had a 4 bedroomed house rented out to a family of 6 ... which we were when we lived in it. Every lock, window and door except the parents room has been broken, laminate trashed, holes in walls where they played darts - badly. Garden ruined. I reckon I got £13,000 in rent and they did £25,000 in damage. And here’s the best bit. They took me to a tribunal to get their deposit back and won ....you couldn’t make it up. Never again

Oldoaktrees · 31/01/2020 09:52

But...we don't know that she deliberately lied!
Could the following scenario have happened at all:

Woman calling round letting agents seeking a move to a area she wants. Pretty quickly it's clear to her that having pets is the main issue.
Therefore, after the third or so call, the conversation to the next letting agents is-
"Hello, Im seeking a house in area X but listen, I have two cats. Have anything at all with a landlord who will accept pets please?"

Could be she is prioritising the cats issue with the letting agent as she has been stung before?
It's not deliberately concealing children- its making sure cats are allowed.

Cornettoninja · 31/01/2020 09:53

OP isn't a housing charity

I agree. It’s completely up to the OP.

this is her HOME

You have no business letting property if you can’t overcome this mindset.

MaggieFS · 31/01/2020 09:53

  1. Has she been dishonest or did the form only ask for the name of the actual lead renter (highly possible)

  2. Is your insurance happy with that number of occupants

If both ok, could you meet her? She could be completely legit, and as op have said, have struggled to find anywhere bigger to take cats.

TheABC · 31/01/2020 09:56

I would query it. You can get three children into a two bed - but I would be worried about the aftermath and getting them to move on. Get more info from the letting agents to see if it was a cock-up or a deliberate evasion.

Lunafortheloveogod · 31/01/2020 09:57

Up here tis a common swindle to get a council house.. you need to be living in the area for a certain length of time and not be adequately housed. So a lot of couples break up “flee” the other into a far too small rental in the area they’d like trash the place and bleat for a council property, where inevitably the partner they flew from has a sudden personality transplant and moves back in.

But even then you don’t forget to mention your 3 children... if anything they’d be part of a sob story to a landlord. Or maybe she’s tried it and failed.

If you pop her name into social media you’d be maybe be able to see the ages of her kids ie twin toddlers and a baby might just fit but 3 teens haven’t a chance, and possibly by the background of photos the nick of where she already is.

MoonlightMistletoe · 31/01/2020 09:58

Wtf is wrong with some of you people?

Since when was letting your property to single parent families a charity ? They arnt asking for the property for free, they are still paying the rent just like any other person!!

People looking down their noses at single parents is disgusting you are heartless. At least your alright Hmm

GiveHerHellFromUs · 31/01/2020 09:59

@MoonlightMistletoe nobody's judging her for being a single parent. They're judging her for being deceptive.

Would you like some ketchup for that massive chip?

ddraigygoch · 31/01/2020 10:00

She lied and the OP needs to risk assess because at the end of the day she literally pays if it goes tits up @MoonlightMistletoe

cakeandchampagne · 31/01/2020 10:01

The dishonesty is a big problem.
I wouldn’t rent to her.

MoonlightMistletoe · 31/01/2020 10:01

@GiveHerHellFromUs I was talking about the people saying "she's not a charity case" to me that's judging single parents.

I'd prefer bbq.

Tabbykitty · 31/01/2020 10:01

Don't do it.

I say that as a Mum with a similar size family who in the past had to stay in a 2 bed private rental for a few years.

But it wasn't the landlord's home and was a long term let. Two bedrooms yes but big doubles, two living rooms (had a dining table in one) and a large, family size downstairs extension bathroom. Your house sounds smaller.

The two bed we rented was quite scruffy when we moved in, she was very relaxed about wear and tear although we maintained it well. We rented it completely unfurnished so most of the wear and tear was on our furniture and we put room size rugs down over her old carpets that we took with us when we left.

I think you were generous agreeing to the cats. I say that as a cat owner and lover! And someone who had to wait 15 years until we bought our own home before getting a cat, always private renting previously.

Maybe it's because the kitten phase is fresh in my mind but you'll have to be prepared for walls/doorframes/floors to be scratched. My cat has scratching posts she uses and isn't destructive at all but there are a couple of small patches of wallpaper and a doorframe she's scratched. It's our house, I'm relaxed about her climbing the curtains too but I imagine a landlord (particularly if it's their home as in your case) rightly wouldn't be thrilled! No toileting issues with my cat but the tenants cats are going to be stressed with the move and overcrowded environment. If they spray be prepared to rip up your carpets.

However desperate they may be, I think as a prospective tenant it's important to be completely honest on your application. I'd say to the agent the original application didn't mention the children and the house just isn't big enough.

Look for a professional couple or maybe a parent with one older child who are looking for a short term let. No pets because you want to move back in within the year.

GFJoe · 31/01/2020 10:02

Since when was letting your property to single parent families a charity ? They arnt asking for the property for free, they are still paying the rent just like any other person

The issue is that she lied. Not that she's a single parent. I wouldn't accept someone into my property who had lied before they even moved in either. I wouldn't trust them.

MoonlightMistletoe · 31/01/2020 10:03

@ddraigygoch again because she's a single mother people presume it will go tits up? You take that risk with anybody.

GiveHerHellFromUs · 31/01/2020 10:04

@MoonlightMistletoe so are you saying single parents should be charity cases? I don't understand why you think they're being offensive. Nobody's judged her for being a single parent.
She needs to follow the rules like everyone else, single or otherwise.

GiveHerHellFromUs · 31/01/2020 10:06

Nobody's saying it'll go tits up because she's a single parent either. It's more likely to go tits up because she's (potentially) a liar

GFJoe · 31/01/2020 10:08

again because she's a single mother people presume it will go tits up? You take that risk with anybody.

No it's not because she's a single mother. It's because she's lied. People don't tend to trust people who lie, regardless of their relationship status.

GoldenCrunchMunch · 31/01/2020 10:10

Is it obvious from your house that you're a 'cat lady'. Just cynically wondering if she 'owned up' about the cats in a calculated way...

Devonishome1 · 31/01/2020 10:13

Could they be renting it to try and get a school place in the catchment area?