Tenant reference potentially refused due to pregnancy

[tempnameforhelp]

Hello;

Long back story so won't bore you, but long and short is have been told by estate agency that mine & my husbands references (conducted by a 3rd party) will likely be refused as I am 18 weeks pregnant, and anyone going on maternity leave will have a tenant application reference come back as a no. Manager of estate agency told me this. I explained that my work don't "officially" know I'm pregnant as haven't submitted my mat leave request, so there's no way that the 3rd party could get that information. Agency manager then said "well I'll have to let the landlord know you're pregnant and he may not want to go with your offer". Offer is for full asking price, husband and I both fairly high earners (+90k joint salary) and have glowing landlord references etc. We really want this house, despite some terrible behaviour (as well as this!!) from the estate agency so far. We have put the only offer in so far. If the offer comes back refused, before referencing even starts, can we do anything at all? It's all smacking of discrimination to me. We have saved enough to cover the deficit of my wages whilst I'm on statutory mat leave pay, which is only for a few months anyway.

Thanks for reading this far! Any advice welcome.

Smacks of discrimination to me too but I've no expert advice to give you unfortunately, just my own experience. We applied for a mortgage to move house when I was on maternity leave and I was actually surprised that they used my normal earnings in the calculation and didn't take into account the fact that I was on a lower maternity pay and was probably going to go back part time (well I didn't tell them about the going back part time bit as it wasn't definite). I did question it as I didn't want to have any problems later down the line and they said they couldn't discriminate due to the fact I was on maternity leave. Other providers may take a different stance but that was my experience and I must say I was surprised as I thought they'd need to be assured of your actual income.

WHAT?! you shouldn't be automatically declined. Landlord could say no kids though.

I moved when I was about as pregnant as you, we were open with the agents and my employer knew so they I think confirmed I would be going on mat leave. For referencing we had to answer a load of questions on income, if income was going to drop (I think), savings, and how the rent was going to be split (DP paying the lions share as far as they were concerned because my income on mat leave wouldn't cover 50:50).

FYI rent is £1400, joint income before mat leave is £58k-ish (I'll only be paid slight more than statutory on mat leave) in London.

Thanks both - really helpful. Rent for us is same amount, also London. All just seems so strange. You'd think the agency would just pass the offer onto the Landlord, but this agency seems pretty shocking, had 2 missed viewings as agents didn't turn up, was sent to wrong address, and finally 2 agents didn't send the offer / application forms to the landlord, had to push over 3 days for that and eventually the agency manager sent them. We just really want this house. I just wonder if the offer comes back declined, it must be that the agency have told the landlord I'll be on mat leave and naively assumed we won't be able to pay the rent - we've saved a load so we can!! So annoying!

You may well be dodging a bullet here. If they are this bad while trying to interest people in letting a flat, imagine what they will be like when you are tied in. I would vote with my feet.

I know - it's ridiculous that we still want the house so badly when the agency are this terrible, but they're the letting agents not managing agents, and honestly the house is perfect for us. We've been looking for ages and we just really want this house!!

I failed a reference recently because I despite as a couple being able to pay 100% of the rent a few times over, my personal income suggested I couldn’t ‘comfortably afford’ the rent. Apparently they couldn’t let us do it on my OHs income because ‘if he leaves you then you couldn’t afford the rent on your own’..... letting agents are arseholes. Could you pay 6 months up front? That’s what we did to get the house we wanted (I won’t even get into the letting agents surprise that we were willing and able to do that)

We moved tenancies while I was on maternity leave (in fact, we took the baby to the viewing and subsequent meetings at the agency's office). It was a non-issue for them. I think it may have even gone (unofficially) in our favour as we were seen as a reliable family in whose own interests it would be to be good tenants.

When I was a landlord my prospective tenants were expecting. This issue for me was she was the high earner and with his salary alone they couldn't afford the rent when means tested. The estate agent asked her for her maternity package and it all added up so we went with them.

They trashed my house buts that's a whole other story.

(Our landlord did turn out to be a dickwad, but hey ho.)

We could offer 6 months up front but with moving costs, baby costs etc we wouldn't be left with a huge amount. I've rented for years, and have never had these kind of problems. It was when he said anyone going onto mat leave would fail a reference that I thought "I don't think you know what you're talking about" - my mat leave package could be brilliant, I could get full pay all the way through etc I won't of course but they're not to know how much money we do or don't have. They've suggested we may need a guarantor, even though my husband earns well over double the annual rent alone, regardless of my salary. Also, they don't / won't know how long I'm taking for mat leave, so how could I fail?!