Is it because I'm a single parent?

[SirScallyWagsWife]

I've been looking for a place to rent for me and my two DC for months. I apply and then get rejected, I have a job, I can pay 6 months up front if needed. I can very easily afford the properties that I'm looking at so I know they're not out of my budget.

I just don't know what I'm doing wrong and beginning to think it's because I'm a single parent!

If they're are any landlords out there do you pick the two parent family's before any others?

Tia

What's your credit score like?

I actively chose a single mother
And much more likely that no drama
And clean and tidy
I was priced correct

I am now a single mother and never come across discrimination in the vice versa position either

How long have you had the job?

Where are you moving from?

Proved correct

Do you get housing benefit (or equivalent)? A lot of letting agents and landlords turn down tenants that receive it.

I would really doubt it. Don't know though!

Are you British? I had issues renting before in a similar situation due to landlords not wanting to bother with the right to rent checks if they have another candidate.

It can very well be the case. I work full time but because I get UC for childcare that put me out of the running.
Their logic is 2 people with an income is better than 1. Was so frustrating

I also actively chose a single mother. Being one myself, I thought that she would want a stable home for her children with no drama. It worked out well. As pp asked, what's your credit score like and do you rely on top up benefits?

It could well be because you’re a single mother, which is rubbish because I’m sure lots of single mothers make ideal tenants.

I think it’s less about the lack of husband and more about the presence of children though. If there are other potential tenants that are equally as good as you on paper but who don’t have children, then landlords will often prefer them as they believe there would likely be more wear and tear on the property with children. They can’t charge for heavier wear and tear as tenants are legally protected there, but it backfires when people want to rent with children and pets.

I have a decent credit score, I haven't worked there that long but none of them have asked me how long I have worked there just whether I work. The move would be quite far and my job is in the area that I want to live so it's not a case of losing my job with the move.

I do get a top up from UC but that shouldn't make a difference surely?
As a single parent I'm not sure how I could afford anything without the top up.

@NailsNeedDoing I'm not sure if that's the case as the houses we are viewing and 2/3 bed family homes in areas of families.

I do get a top up from UC but that shouldn't make a difference surely?

It will.
A lot of landlords still believe that UC is Benefits and DHSS etc

A lot of ads used to say "No Benefits / No DHSS" but a court case made it harder for then to openly discriminate, but not impossible too.
If they know you get a top up, it will be likely that that is stopping them. Also, if you're getting s top up, you might not set their minimum yearly income for the property. (This is their new way of saying No DSS. It'll be a minimum yearly income or an employer's reference etc. Different language, same outcome.)

The issue is Op that it seems (certainly in my area) that landlords have a huge list of potential tenants to choose from so if they see UC they may just go to the next on the list.
Some houses I was looking at didn't even want children! No pets, no children under a certain age. Crazy - these were 4/5 bed houses, supposedly family homes.

Yep, it’ll be the UC.

It makes your income feel less stable to landlords, who worry that it’ll be stopped/reduced. It doesn’t make sense - you’d get far more notice of a big benefits change than you would for losing your job - but sadly it’s a prevalent attitude.

No I meant are you moving from a rented property or say your parents?

@PalmarisLongus

I do get a top up from UC but that shouldn't make a difference surely?

It will.
A lot of landlords still believe that UC is Benefits and DHSS etc

A lot of ads used to say "No Benefits / No DHSS" but a court case made it harder for then to openly discriminate, but not impossible too.
If they know you get a top up, it will be likely that that is stopping them. Also, if you're getting s top up, you might not set their minimum yearly income for the property. (This is their new way of saying No DSS. It'll be a minimum yearly income or an employer's reference etc. Different language, same outcome.)

Well that's disappointing!

I have no idea what i'm supposed to do now!
What a load of crap!

It's a landlords market unfortunately.

I rang about a cheap 2 bed house in the arse end of a bad town the other week. It went online at midday in the Wednesday, I called on Thursday at 9am and they'd booked 3 days worth of viewings in that time.

Needless to say they didn't have room for a single parent on UC to even view.

I think it will be because you're on UC sadly.

This is actually unlawful and they're breaking the law to do this.

Do they even know you have a UC top up?

@Marni83

No I meant are you moving from a rented property or say your parents?

I'm moving from a rented property in another area, I can get good refrences from my current landlord, I have always paid on time, no bother etc

As a single parent myself, i am going to say yes.

So what happens…
You tell them verbally your situation?

Or are you filling in forms?

Basically through an agent or private?

@Marni83

Do they even know you have a UC top up?

I know on some of the forms i've filled in they've asked what i get as income as in Work/benefits/pension and i filled in what I get from who.

I thought i was just being honest obviously it was taking me out of the running all together!

Even if you present yrslf as divorced rather than abandoned by a babydaddy, you'll be slightly less prejudiced against