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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think renting to smokers and students, but not families, makes no sense?

64 replies

dreamingbohemian · 06/03/2020 12:50

Just started flat hunting (oh joy!) and saw what seemed to be the perfect flat, only to see at the end:

Smokers ok
Students ok
No families

AIBU to think this makes no sense?

If he's worried about kids damaging the flat, why rent to smokers? It's a furnished flat, the smoke will get in the sofas and mattresses and everything.

If he's worried about noise and the neighbours, why rent to students, they can be really noisy.

The flat doesn't look dangerous or anything. Just wondering why landlords don't rent to families?

I would normally never in a million years send that email where you try to convince someone that your own child is not a problem -- but honestly, I have one 10 year old who is super quiet and neat, and this flat could be perfect. So just trying to figure out what the logic might be, and whether I should try an email anyway.

OP posts:
Rosehip10 · 06/03/2020 12:52

That looks like he wants students to cram in as many as possible.

KahlanRahl · 06/03/2020 12:53

Maybe the owner lives next door and doesn't like children or the type of noise they can make? Some people really hate the shrill voices of little kids.

Thisismytimetoshine · 06/03/2020 12:54

Your 10 year old is technically a student Wink. Seriously, though, there’s no logic there whatsoever so I’d be concerned that even if you managed to rent it the landlord is such a halfwit they could cause ongoing problems for you.

Invisimamma · 06/03/2020 12:55

Students tend to move on ever year or two meaning they can hike the rent each time. They also tend to leave for the summer and they might make more on air bnb during that season.

Smoking indoors is just mingling though.

LettertoHermoine · 06/03/2020 12:55

I would a MILLION times prefer a 10 year old to a gang of students!!!

AriadnesFilament · 06/03/2020 12:55

It seems so very counterintuitive that I’d be concerned about him being a pain or utterly useless as a landlord actually.

Blackbirdblue30 · 06/03/2020 12:55

Children screaming in the night or early morning? Can you explain your child is past the toddler stage?

Winterwoollies · 06/03/2020 13:12

The damage a young family has done to a property I have is unreal. Students are shorter term and I have all summer to repaint and clean kitchens when they go before the next lot. I don’t blame him...

Runnerduck34 · 06/03/2020 13:14

They can charge students a lot more, they will charge per room on average £400-500 per month which is a lot more revenue than renting to just one family

AngelicInnocent · 06/03/2020 13:16

I would guess the other flats aren't family friendly and he doesn't want to put a family in and then deal with their complaints. Student neighbours doing weed kind of thing.

Youcunnyfunt · 06/03/2020 13:17

Noise? Maybe the flat isn't particularly child proof? Or there's issues with leaving prams in communal areas?

JingsMahBucket · 06/03/2020 13:20

Is that even legal to stipulate no families?

cakeandchampagne · 06/03/2020 13:20

“The damage” smokers do “to a property” “is unreal”.
The smell is difficult to fix- like cat urine.

namechanger2019 · 06/03/2020 13:20

Maybe all the other neighbours are students and they think it would cause conflict to have a family side-by-side with students?

ElderAve · 06/03/2020 13:22

Is it because families are harder to evict?

BritWifeinUSA · 06/03/2020 13:24

Would you want to rent a flat that allows smoking inside? It will smell awful.

DogInATent · 06/03/2020 13:25

Because "No families" looks better than "No DSS"?

It's always worth approaching the landlord, saying that you're very interested, in a position to take up a tenancy, but regrettably a quiet and well-behaved family and therefore excluded. That gives them the option to either explain why or to give you a waiver. It's almost certainly based on a past experience and you may just need to explain how you're not like that once you know what that was.

PleasePassTheCoffeeThanks · 06/03/2020 13:26

Could families been seen as more likely to not leave when asked to (end of tenancy etc)?

Enb76 · 06/03/2020 13:30

It could be that the landlord smokes and would object to families asking him not to smoke in communal areas whereas students are less likely to voice objections and smokers wouldn't necessarily care.

hellsbellsmelons · 06/03/2020 13:35

Very few smokers actually smoke indoors.
I'm a smoker and would never dream of smoking indoors.
I would imagine most are like that.
But.... students!!???
Just no!
But contact the EA and tell them your situation and ask them to put you forward any way.
See what happens.

But Enb76 has some good points there!

WhatTiggersDoBest · 06/03/2020 13:42

He wants to cram in young single workers or students so he can milk as much money as possible out of each bedroom with no regard for quality of life. You seriously don't want to be beholden to a landlord like that, even if you convince him to rent to you he will purposely be shyte about things.

Original poster
dreamingbohemian · 06/03/2020 14:12

These are all great points, thank you! I hadn't thought of lots of these.

It's true I've been so concerned about whether to try to convince him we'd be all right that it didn't occur to me that this might be a red flag about him as a landlord, or about the property. It's an area where rents have almost doubled in the last 10 years (in London) and I can imagine there is more interest in fleecing young people and hiking rents every year than getting a family in long-term.

Still don't really get the smoking thing -- maybe the last tenants smoked and the flat reeks, so he figures smokers won't complain about it?

I might send an email along the lines DogInATent suggests, but tbh all these points are making me think it's not a great idea anyway.

OP posts:
Summercat · 06/03/2020 14:26

@WhatTiggersDoBest

He wants to cram in young single workers or students so he can milk as much money as possible out of each bedroom with no regard for quality of life. You seriously don't want to be beholden to a landlord like that, even if you convince him to rent to you he will purposely be shyte about things.

All this. ^

Summercat · 06/03/2020 14:27

@WhatTiggersDoBest

He wants to cram in young single workers or students so he can milk as much money as possible out of each bedroom with no regard for quality of life. You seriously don't want to be beholden to a landlord like that, even if you convince him to rent to you he will purposely be shyte about things.

All this. ^

Summercat · 06/03/2020 14:28

Hmmm it is understandable tbh.

My DC were looking for a house (after the first year at uni and they couldn't stay in halls.) There were loads of houses in town that were 3 beds, and they had a lounge and a dining room. Many landlords turned the lounge and dining room into a 4th and 5th bedroom. (Then they put 2 little couches and a little coffee table in the 12 X 14 foot kitchen, and made it a living area for the 5 students, with a 32" TV on the wall.)

They then charged £450 to £480 a month for each student. So £2250 to £2400 a MONTH from each house. The council tax, and electric and gas and water rates were included, but that cost no more than 300 or so in total. So the landlords were making around two THOUSAND pounds a month profit.

No way could you make that from a normal family. (Outside of London.) One woman we knew owned 5 properties. 4 that were mortgage free. She was making a killing on the 5 properties. (All had 5 or 6 students each in them...)

Still, I can understand your frustration @dreamingbohemiam and good luck

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