Renting as a single parent

[Newbabynewmum]

I am pissed off. So sorry. This is just a rant really I'm not expecting anyone to reply.

I live in a terrace house with my DD - I'm aware I am lucky to live in a nice big house - it has uneven, unsafe patio tiles covering the entire garden. I've been out there once on the day I moved in and never since.

I have found lots of nice terraces with a bit of grass out the back and keep putting applications in. Eventhough my income next year is around £24k and I won't be receiving housing benefit I keep getting refused.

I am upset, and so pissed off. I have a guarantor and a good reference from my current landlord. I am continually being refused purely because I'm a single mum.

All I want is a bit of garden for my DD ffs. Gggrrr. Society is so fucking unfair on single mums, why do we get knocked back at every turn? Her dad can live wherever the fuck he wants, be me?!

The estate agent just said to me on the phone she thinks i won't find a landlord who will accept me tbh. I'm 23. I have 3 a's at a level. A degree. I'm going to be a maths teacher. Yes I have a DD but I'm an active useful member of society.

Arrrgghhhhhhhh.

[SoftKittyWarmKitty]

I've not experienced this before, in fact when I was looking, letting agents never even asked me whether I was single or not. Do they ask you outright, or do you volunteer the information? I think your letting agent is supremely unhelpful, actually - try a different one. Have you tried to get a property with a private landlord, rather than via an agent? I'm with a private landlord who I found on Gumtree - well actually, he found me after I placed a very positively worded wanted ad. Try that, and try looking in the property for rent ads in the back of your local paper (my landlord says he mainly advertises this way as it's cheap). Good luck - I live with my DS in a terrace with a tiny garden, but it's a godsend having some nice green outdoor space.

[OpinionatedMum]

Are you on HB now. If so, try again when you are not. It will make a big difference I promise. It's the HB landlords hate.

[Bethan86]

I don't have much by way of productive advice but i completely understand your rant! I'm also in the position of looking for a new rental property and have expereinced very surprising attitudes from letting agents. It seems to be a recent thing as its not something i've come across before. In the area i live in it turned out to be due rental market moving so quickly the landlords were getting their pick. It seems very wrong to me as if you can afford the rent and you have good references then you would think it wouldn't be a problem.

On a more positive note although it took a while, I've got there eventually. After trying a few different letting agents I found one that was a bit nicer and everything seems to be a bit smoother. So i agree with other posts saying try a few different agencies, or look privately as landlords seem to be much more human than the letting agents.

Good luck with the house hunting!

[noraa]

-like gillybean2 said can't you arrange the patio to be fixed?
-or find another estate agent, a more helpful one?

[gillybean2]

Have you spoken to your current landlord/agent to get the current patio fixed/replaced? Ask for a reductioin in rent if you are pying for a garden you can't use if it is unsafe.

Did the estate agent say why you won't find a landlord who will accept you? Most landlord simply want the rent paid and the house kept in good order. Seems to me the estate agent may be the initial problem here...
You may be better off finding a landlord who is not using an agent.