Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Flip

Original poster

Is it normal when viewing a rental property

22 replies

bronze · 05/09/2010 11:06

to be given the third degree about your wage/income etc by the agent. I was expecting a credit search but not that. Made me feel uncomfortable.

There is more to it but I'm afraid I will drip feed when I get an initial answer

OP posts:

mintyfresh · 05/09/2010 11:55

Not on the initial viewing - we were asked about it although not interrogated, when we decided to go ahead and rent the property.

That would make me feel very uncomfortable too bronze...

Chatelaine · 05/09/2010 13:36

That sounds quite normal. The agent is acting quite responsibly on behalf of their client. They can then compare what you said against further credit searches if you plan to proceed. Our daughter rents in London from a private landlord and he insisted on taking the photo of all the new flatmates! Just protecting his interests I suppose.

ib · 05/09/2010 13:38

I've never had that.

scaryteacher · 05/09/2010 13:39

I think it may be due to insurance as well. I know that some insurers won't let you have landlords insurance for non payment of rent if the tenant doesn't earn a certain level of income.

Original poster

bronze · 05/09/2010 13:49

I think it was the way she asked.
She was pretty snobby and obviously didn't think we were good enough.
In the end she said that there were other people interested who had got there first but she would call us.
Guess what no call and the place is still being marketed.

DH has a reasonable enough wage btw and we have paid a mortgage for a similar amount for the last 9 years never having missed a payment.

I just don't think we were posh enough for her.
Shame really as it was the only place in our village and now we'll have to move the children schools twice

OP posts:

Original poster

bronze · 05/09/2010 13:52

Scary- for us to even consider this place and think we must pass the credit checks then it would be obvious we would have a high enough wage

OP posts:

Chatelaine · 05/09/2010 13:55

If the place is still being marketed and you still want it, don't be put of by the manner of the agent, imo. With all your paperwork in place, stand your ground and insist she put your application to the owner. If you still feel you are being unfairly discriminated against then you could take it further.

TheCrackFox · 05/09/2010 14:08

Is there a legal way of tracing the owner? She might be horrified by the agent's antics as any time her property is empty is money down the drain for her.

mamatomany · 05/09/2010 14:32

No credit check show you have no bad debt not that you can afford the rent. Responsible agents are now checking you can afford the place working on the old 1/3 rent/mortgage, 1/3 bills and 1/3 for living calculations.
This worked for many years and prevented people getting in a mess in the first place.

Original poster

bronze · 05/09/2010 15:24

mama but we're not in a mess and it seems unfair that because we live our lifestyle a different way we should be punished. We will have no debts and only one credit card paid off monthly. We choose not to have foreign holidays and new clothes. I grow my own food and am thrifty. How can we compare to someone whos spends hundreds on these things.

We can prove that we can afford more than 1/3 as our mortgage is currently more that that

A credit check would show bad debt yes. In other words someone who had defaulted on their mortgage. We never have.

We could even provide a guarantor but were never asked.

OP posts:

mamatomany · 05/09/2010 15:41

That's fair enough but what gave her the impression you couldn't afford it then ?
And she'd have egg on her face if you went in to see her boss and had a quiet word, backed up by paperwork I guess.
We were asked for bank statements before we were allowed to offer on a house by one agent in 2004 so it's not a new thing and tbh it is a good idea.

Original poster

bronze · 05/09/2010 15:49

probably too common Its quite a posh area with lots of emphasis on material goods and I really can't be arsed with it all. We did turn up in a decent car though. I would have thought agents would have learned not to judge so quickly by now though

OP posts:

SofiaAmes · 05/09/2010 15:51

Have you looked for flats in other ways besides through an agent. As a landlord, I always look for tenants on the internet on places like gumtree and craigslist. I would rent to someone like you! I stopped using agents because they wouldn't bring me people like you and instead brought people who looked good on paper, but in reality were not particularly good tenants.

Heartsease · 05/09/2010 16:34

I would expect to provide evidence of income once you've said you want to take it, as part of the process of sorting the paperwork and references etc. back at the letting agency, but certainly not as a topic of conversation while viewing the house.

pluperfect · 05/09/2010 22:33

Jesus, pictures of prospective tenants?! Chatelaine, where did this happen?

Chatelaine · 06/09/2010 12:30

We thought it a bid odd! DD rents in London and recently moved after finishing Uni. This time she has a slightly eccentric private landlord who likes to have his picture taken with all new tenants. It really does sound odd I know and when we asked our daughter about it she felt the same but that it was harmless, the picture was taken with the other 2 as well, nothing inappropriate, no alarm bells rang but of course we wanted to make sure. We came to the conclusion he was just doing all he could to protect himself. DD is sharing with 2 other professional females and it's a nice flat. They all had excellent references etc but he obviously wanted a photo. tbh I don't blame him! We could have become indignant but chose not too iyswim. As I write this I am making a mental note to ask DD to check the bathroom for hidden cameras. Yuk, what a thought.

Chatelaine · 06/09/2010 12:32

No, not of prospective tenants. When she signed the tenancy. Sorry.

pluperfect · 06/09/2010 12:52

Ah, a bit better that they had already signed up, Chatelaine.

It suppose it depends on his personality: if he were horrible, it would feel oppressive; if he were hospitable, it would create a sense of responsibility for the property.

Unfortunately, lots of horrible, awkward and pervy-seeming people think they come across as normal and nice, so this is probably a bit of a risky strategy!

Jackstini · 06/09/2010 14:44

I would take it further if you really want the house Bronze.
As a landlord I would be royally pissed off if some snooty agent was preventing me getting a tenant! (which is why I do not use them for my properties!)

BeenBeta · 06/09/2010 15:07

bronze - I think you are being oversensitive.

My advice after 25 years of renting is you should offer this information upfront without being asked. It makes the agent and LL happy. Renting a nice roperty is about selling yourself to the agent and LL so they choose you and not someone else. You would have had to provide the info anyway either as a tenant or mortgage holder.

pluperfect · 06/09/2010 15:54

If it's still being marketed now, despite your open expression of interest, the EAs are being lazy sods, forget about their snobbery. Jackstini is definitely right on this! Then, hopefully, the LL will tell the EA they will never be used again, for having treated potential clients like that! (and for failing to do their duty by the LL, as well!)

Chatelaine · 06/09/2010 16:16

I agree with BeenBeta - At the first opportunity you need to put yourselves in a favourable position with the agent to beat off the competition. Nothing wrong with that.

Flip