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Original poster

Landlords refuse to rent flat to me because I have a toddler.

105 replies

StephA · 31/07/2012 14:42

Hello Mumsnet.
I have twice been turned down for flats I wanted to rent, because I have a toddler (this was explicitly stated). Where I come from, that's ILLEGAL. Is is legal in the U.K. to do this? Is is normal? I am getting worried about finding a place to live, as there aren't many affordable flats in my area and my lease is expiring soon.

OP posts:
pookamoo · 31/07/2012 20:40

We reluctantly have to rent out our home and live somewhere else. The house is full of stairs and straight onto a road with no parking. It is not suitable for a family with a baby or small child/ren.

I have told the agents that twice.

Twice they have let it to people who are pregnant, who, when the baby is born, decide to leave, because the house is not suitable. Hmm

It costs us about £750 every time the tenants change - I would say no to expectant parents or small children for that reason.

StetsonsAreCool · 31/07/2012 21:59

Mousy We ignored it with our first tenants, who had a 4yo. They were briliant tenants, took care of the flat, and we were both sad when they had to give their notice. But they had to move out because they had a surprise pregnancy, and no amount of creative layout could make the flat suitable for two children.

But the letting agents handle it all for us now. We've had enough problems with the freeholder in the past without challenging the terms of the lease now. TBH I'll be glad when we can be shot of the place.

Original poster
StephA · 31/07/2012 22:29

"You going to fuck about and not pay on time and ignore it if he gives proper notice so that he has to go to the expense of evicting you??"

Calm down. I'm going to pay the rent, on time, why wouldn't I? I'll be the perfectly fine tenant that I've been for the past 20 years. I'm going to live with my child, take care of him and take care of the flat I'm living in.

"no housing benefit for us"

None for us as well. Where did I say I was on benefits?

"it's how it goes"

What a doormat. I've researched this today and found that is it illegal in most other Westernised countries to refuse to rent to a person because he or she has a child.

"you can just make pathetic threats as a tenant to get your own way"

I don't see any mention of a threat, pathetic or not.

Are you having a really bad day?

OP posts:
SilkySmith · 31/07/2012 23:12

you would will struggle to get a land lord to say you are a perfectly fine tennant if you lied to them about who would be living in the flat, y'know just incase you ever want to move to another rented home... ever!

LindsC · 31/07/2012 23:30

oh yeah, if you get housing benefit and have kids you get council houses pratically thrown at you!!!... erm: NO!!!

Private landlords are a law unto themselves most of the time... and the really sickening thing is most of the private rental market is ex council housing!

Don't lie if you can avoid it, but if push comes to shove... do what you have to!

emmieging · 31/07/2012 23:42

Youre the one who said you don't give a fuck about the law OP! You said you would not declare that you have a child, move in, and then hopefully get to stay there because the landlord wouldn't want to have the hassle of getting rid of you! !

What a total lack of respect for the person who OWNS the house

LindsC · 31/07/2012 23:49

I love the fact people think that owning more property than you actually need to live in should automatically afford you respect... try not being a judgmental tw*t who discriminates against young mothers (even if that is still legal... and given the milk-snatchers are in power I doubt it will change), and maybe they'd earn some respect!

nailak · 31/07/2012 23:56

Fgs op was just venting her frustrations and probably didn't mean it seriously.

QuintessentialShadows · 01/08/2012 00:04

Letting a property to a young single "professional" mum with good references from both her "employer" uncle who owns a restaurant and former landlord who wanted rid of her cost me over 20k in repairs, not considering the part that the insurance company covered. 8 months without rent while repairs were carried out, while I had to pay mortgage and utility bills, including high electricity and gas costs due to needing the heating on full along with no less than 2 industrial strength dehumidifiers and one fan, for 6 months before repairs could even commence.... Sad When she did a runner she was two months in arrears, and had not paid bills for 3 months, leaving me with hundreds of pounds of gas and electricity bills to cover, since her latest meter reading.... Never again.

I am not some money grabbing landlord, we are a normal family who had to go overseas for a few years.

QuintessentialShadows · 01/08/2012 00:07

Oh, I forgot to mention, the house was let fully furnished. She, her mum, her brother and her husband (yes, she was actually married and living there with her entire extended family, running an illegal cab firm from my house) took ALL the furniture when they left. The only thing they did not leave was a forwarding address.

StephA, you will be glad to know that I was powerless. The police was not interested, it was not theft, as the contract did not clearly state that she could not draw on all the walls with spirit marker, nor did the contract specifically stipulate that she could not steal everything.

BeehavingBaby · 01/08/2012 00:12

Never been asked if we have children or not (TBH we go for the sort of house where they have the choice of us or a group of youngsters though) and no LL has been interested in a reference for years - all about the credit check these days it seems? Can't see a problem with keeping it under your hat TBH.

emmieging · 01/08/2012 00:17

"owning more property than you need to live in"

  • great spin

Try: had to move the other side of the country for work, cant sell house because it's worth less than the mortgage, having to rent yourself (even though you'd far rather be living in your own house) and then shitting yourself every month in case your tenant is late with the rent and your mortgage goes into arrears.

Because thats the reality for many people these days

LindsC · 01/08/2012 00:19

so basically what you're saying is that your going to judge all young single mothers by her standard then... fine I'll judge all landlords by the example I've been set. As in didn't bother doing any gas saftey checks or maintenance for a year, to the point the roof came in a fortnight before xmas leaving us to have to go stay with family... but what was I going to do I was a young single mother who had no-where else to go... apart from to court!... where I won!

The OP is not saying she intends to do anything illegal in the property, she's not saying she's going to mis-use the property in anyway. She just wants somewhere to live... but as women in this position are clearly the only remaining group of people you can discriminate against, logic states they must be the scum of the earth doesn't it!

FFS!

lisaro · 01/08/2012 00:22

What's illegal or not in other countries is totally irrelevant. This is the UK. It's not illegal here. If the OP thinks she'd be better off in that situation then she knows what to do.

LindsC · 01/08/2012 00:22

"Try: had to move the other side of the country for work, cant sell house because it's worth less than the mortgage, having to rent yourself (even though you'd far rather be living in your own house) and then shitting yourself every month in case your tenant is late with the rent and your mortgage goes into arrears."

try lowering your standards and letting the lower-classes move into your house for a reasonable rent... their HB would be paid to you directly and you wouldn't have to worry about "professionals" blowing it all on martinis.

QuintessentialShadows · 01/08/2012 00:25

We have had to rent for the last year, as our most recent tenants had a long term contract. They moved out last week.

They were really short of money. We agreed that that I would do the check out (according to the contract they were to pay the check out upon leaving and we at the beginning of the tenancy, the check out cost £99.) saving them money.
They would also clean themselves, rather than paying £330 plus vat for a professional clean.

Of course, they did not clean the house. I dont think they had cleaned the last year at all! They even left rubbish behind, and stuff they did not want, half drunk bottles of russian alcohol, etc.

Because no official check out clerk was brought in, I cant get the cleaning fees I had to pay off the deposit. Sad

Being a good landlord is very expensive. Nobody can afford this, unless you are a mug, like me. Sad

Our own landlords are hardnosed bastards, of course.

QuintessentialShadows · 01/08/2012 00:26

LindsC, did you see my below post?

That is what "lower standard tenant on hb" can get you. Angry

I honestly dont see why anybody would let their house unless they bloody had to. Tenants are usually crap and dont give a shit because they dont own the house, and look upon their landlords as money grabbing bastards who pay their house on tenants hard work and money.

NarkedRaspberry · 01/08/2012 00:31

Housing benefit is paid to tennants. And if the council discover that it was wrongly claimed guess who they go after to get it back? Yup, the landlord.

QuintessentialShadows · 01/08/2012 00:33

The tenants don't necessarily pay rent, even if they are on housing benefit. (Especially not if they want to be evicted to get a council house.... ) Even if they are in arrears, the housing benefit will NOT be paid direct to landlord....

emmieging · 01/08/2012 00:33

I agree quint.
We have very little equity in our house, and if ever we have to move for work we would have to be very reluctant landlords- renting out our house here to cover the mortgage while paying rent elsewhere. It wouldn't be a choice, it wouldn't be about making a profit, it would be about covering the bills !

The op has basically admitted that she would be prepared to totally flout the tenancy agreement and bring her child to live in a property without permission. Anyone who doesn't see that as a total and utter lack of respect clearly has no idea.

QuintessentialShadows · 01/08/2012 00:35

Having also experienced the pain a bad landlord can be, it is a shame there is no such thing as "references" for landlords so that tenants get an idea whether the landlord is fair, going to make repairs in a timely manner, etc.

LindsC · 01/08/2012 00:36

or maybe... just maybe they'd be thankful for a nice place to raise their kid, that someone was actually not going to be a judgmental prick and type cast them, and really look after the place. I've had to rent houses in the past and how well I looked after them largely depended on how much of a mug I thought the landlord was trying to take me for... the last place I would have merrily burnt to the ground, this one we're moving out of is being given back in better shape than when we got it...

QuintessentialShadows · 01/08/2012 00:36

We are back in our house now. It will take us a while to feel "at home" again. It is no castle, but is is our castle, and we will make it nice and feel safe and be happy that nobody is damaging our property.

QuintessentialShadows · 01/08/2012 00:37

LindsC, I am sorry, but I think very few think like you.

emmieging · 01/08/2012 00:37

And there's the usual misinformation on here about HB being paid direct to landlords - it isn't fgs! And many mortgage agreements and insurance policies do not allow tenants who receive HB- so its totally out of the landlords control.

But of course it's far easier to just stick to ones prejudices and label all landlords greedy bastards innit