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Original poster

Is anyone else angry that landlords very often say 'NO CHILDREN' when advertising?

178 replies

darcymum · 02/12/2009 13:42

Somebody I know is looking for a place to live at the moment and is finding it impossible because no landlords want to take a tenant with children.

I was telling another friend this and she said she was evicted when she was pregnant because the landlord didn't want children.

I was so mad about this I started a petition-

petitions.number10.gov.uk/Childlands/

I know children may not be the most careful tenants in the world but they have to live somewhere.

What do others think?

OP posts:
Original poster
darcymum · 02/12/2009 19:50

Pass it on then, I need at least 500 people to sign and you have no idea how much apathy is about.

I am quite happy if people disagree but most people I have spoken to think its terrible but then can't be bothered to even sign a petition

OP posts:
scaryteacher · 02/12/2009 19:54

I allow children in my property, but not dogs. I have no problem with cats at all.

It also depends on why you let the property out - my dh was posted abroad and I moved to join him. However, my house in UK is also my forever house, and we will eventually be returning to live in it.

I would like to give my tenants a long lease; unfortunately as dh is HM Forces, we do not know when we wil return to UK. We could get only 2 months notice, and will need somewhere to live when we return. My agent also advised against it if the tenants want to leave quickly.

Mine isn't a buy to let, so I am not concerned in turning a profit - I want it lived in and heated.

Original poster
darcymum · 02/12/2009 19:54

By the way, anyone live near Taunton or Honiton and want a FREE manicure or pedicure?

OP posts:
badietbuddy · 02/12/2009 19:57

Ooo I'm in Exeter, I'll take it

Original poster
darcymum · 02/12/2009 20:01

You would have to come and see me one evening in my house, I live about halfway between Taunton and Honiton 35 mins from Exeter.

I am doing a course at Tiverton College so need hands/feet.

Did you sign my petition?
Don't worry its not a condition though.

OP posts:
Kaloki · 02/12/2009 20:02

I understand the OP's view. Currently flat hunting as the place we are in is dire. Problem is, we are on benefits, have (caged) pets, and are planning on having kids. So we tick all the boxes really.

Getting into housing association is far from easy, so we are stuck renting privately.

I can understand the landlord's problems, but it does get frustrating being tarred with the same brush, especially when we're currently living in a flat where we have had to do most of the maintenance/improvements, due to a landlords refusing.

Hopefully we'll find a landlord who is willing to take a chance on us though.

badietbuddy · 02/12/2009 20:03

arf
Only joking, I don't need a manicure. Good luck with the course though And no I didn't. I do think your heart is in the right place, but what you're proposing just doesn't make sense to me

Kaloki · 02/12/2009 20:04

Gah, hopefully we find them soon. Yet another thing has just broken. Literally as I hit post.

Original poster
darcymum · 02/12/2009 20:06

Kaloki, sign my petition the easy link is very helpfully on the second post, or you could cut and paste mine.

OP posts:
Kaloki · 02/12/2009 20:10

The petition doesn't tackle the actual issue. I'd be willing to sign a petition to give landlords more rights against people damaging their property, because then they wouldn't need to discriminate (sorry landlords, not the right word, but I'm having a brain freeze) against anyone.

expatinscotland · 02/12/2009 21:00

And the other issue of course, is that when you have a large number of properties that are bought to let, as investment vehicles, you need laws that can help an investor liquidate that asset as soon as they can.

Hence, short-assured tenancies.

Then you have the issue of over-inflated prices, which means you have more people needed help from the state, in the form of HB, to pay rents.

It's a whole paradigm that won't be shifting any time soon, no matter what one's opinion of it all is.

mathanxiety · 02/12/2009 21:03

I think it is the right word, Kaloki. Maybe having HB contributes to the price inflation?

NickeeS · 02/12/2009 21:05

Well we are nice landlords, don't discriminate against anyone, take every case on it's own merits and like I say we have been sh*t on by tenants. We only take what we need from a deposit, to fix what had been damaged. We have also given a 2 year lease at tenants request as they are here on a two year work visa and want to stay the full two years.

ravenAK · 02/12/2009 21:24

Hmmm.

It's interesting that some landlords are anti children (I think fairy nuff if the property is totally unsuitable).

I have a colleague who has a few buy-to-let houses, & his 'target tenant' is a single SAHM, claiming HB.

He says that in his experience, they are concerned with their long term security (for schools etc), so look after the place, & he gets the HB paid direct, so no hassle chasing rent (most of it, anyway).

Having had bad experiences, he avoids single 'young professionals'. He also reckons that childless professional couples & two parent families aren't as good tenants as his single SAHMs as they tend to split up &/or lose jobs.

My mate is by no means altruistic about his landlording - he's very definitely in it as a long-term investment. I thought it was interesting, though, that not every landlord assumes children are a negative...

expatinscotland · 02/12/2009 21:38

Quite a few are anti any form of benefit.

We had to get partial HB to afford market rents, as we are working poor, and our not being able to secure a landlord who would take any DSS at all, was a major factor (well, along with our landlord wanting his house back, quite rightly, to live in) in our being declared unintentionally homeless and housed.

BeehiveBaby · 02/12/2009 21:41

All these "it's their house" comments, do you really think that it's OK that there's no situation available that falls inbetween a 6 month lease in 'someone else's house' and a mortgage?

Also, is a deposit for specific damage or allowed to be used to cover wear and tear?

Kaloki · 02/12/2009 22:05

"All these "it's their house" comments, do you really think that it's OK that there's no situation available that falls inbetween a 6 month lease in 'someone else's house' and a mortgage?"

Hell no, it's not a good situation. Wish there was some other alternative, I hate always living in someone else's property with no real long term security. The alternative is so far out of reach it's insane.

expatinscotland · 02/12/2009 22:06

it's part of the whole mentality.

'it's my house'.

it's seen as a possession by which to make money, not as someone's home for the time being.

TrillianAstra · 02/12/2009 22:08

It's not the landlords' reponsibility to provide your "human right to shelter".

They're only doing what you'd be doing in the same situation - trying to make money and have their house kept as nicely as possible. They may have different ideas about what that entails (dog-lovers often don't think dogs cause mess/smell, for example), but they want the same thing you would.

expatinscotland · 02/12/2009 22:11

'It's not the landlords' reponsibility to provide your "human right to shelter".'

Then why are they renting out a home for someone to live in?

They're in the business of providing shelters for people by the nature of the investment vehicle they chose to purchase.

expatinscotland · 02/12/2009 22:17

no one is saying tenants should have the right to trash someone's property and not pay rent.

paisleyleaf · 02/12/2009 22:22

Why are they renting out a home?
Like I said earlier many landlords these days are just everyday struggling people - not big profit making property tycoons.
The property is often a sort of insurance to fall back on if plan A fails they've still got a home. Plan A might be moving in with someone else. Travelling. Working away.
In that way it might be a pension or investment, in that they have a home to come back to.

expatinscotland · 03/12/2009 09:29

It's still a business exchange - a place to live in return for money.

Because being a landlord has become so often so personal in this country - it's my entire pension, my Plan B, my house - you get 'No Children' and the like more and more often.

Again, it's a whole paradigm and ultimately, as pointed out, one of the biggest legal pyramid schemes in all history.

Matters will likely come to a head in the next generation of young people, who are now teens, and then maybe we'll see a shift in mentality with regards to home ownership being the have all to end all because otherwise you face a very insecure future with regards to accommodation, but before that, things won't change.

WynkenBlynkenandNod · 03/12/2009 09:31

I am like Raven's friend and given a choice would chose SAHM single Mum's. For the first time I've gone for professionals for one flat and am having a nightmare. My reason is a bit different, I've had friends who have struggled so much to find somewhere to live that I feel if I can help then I want to. We've no plans to sell so I can offer security, I've had to move after 6 months from a rented property and can imagine how stressful it must be with children.

My current tenant saw the ad in the shop window after arriving to look at another flat at the same time as a single professional who said to her that as she had children she might as well go home as she had no chance of getting it over her. She rang up my other tenant who was dealing with it for me in tears. Poor woman was escaping from a violent partner and was having a truly bad time. She was a little unreliable with the rent at the beginning but has now sorted herself out and moved on, is happy and a great tenant (though suffering with a complete * for a neighbour above her which she's stuck with until I can legally get him out).

MillyMollyMoo · 03/12/2009 10:24

Nickees People have a problem with being held to randsom for the roof over their head that's why property shouldn't be for pensions and as many many landlords are now finding out property, like the stock market is not a one way bet however the stockmarket doesn't impact on ordinary peoples lives on a day to day basis.

It makes me laugh, people buying up first time buyer and family homes to let out like they are doing a public service to those who can't afford to buy and yet they could buy if it wasn't for speculators pushing up the prices.