Friend Turned Down By Estate Agents Because He Doesn't Work, Yet Has Money To Pay For A Flat
Hi,
A bit of a complicated issue, so please bear with me.
A friend of mine has been the main carer for his mentally ill father for many years, but now his mother is taking over the carer duties as she is retiring from work.
My friend has worked, albeit intermittently, but has had to look after his father for a number of years. His father is unwell, but is not ill enough to warrant sectioning according to his GP and his local Crisis team.
He is looking to move into his own flat, and has money from inheritance, but every time he speaks with an Estate Agent they instantly put the phone down on him as he is not in work (he hasn't been able to, but they don't want to know that!) Even despite offering to pay 6-12 months rent in advance they still say he's not suitable.
I would have thought that most agents would have said that paying in advance wouldn't be a problem, especially after the economic downturn. He has good references and no criminal record, so why is he 'unworthy'?
Obviously, the Estate Agents have to look after their interests. However, surely they know that not all tenants are textbook perfect and that if somebody is willing to pay them in advance (they're going to get money anyway) then maybe they shouldn't be as judgmental?
Would appreciate any feedback.
Thanks
Adam
That sounds a bit unfair from the estate agents.
May be if he was to put in writing that he can pay 12 month up front from the bank and has the funds to do it with and is able to pay the following year up front as well.
So what happens if someone is working fulltime and there work end. So they go and claim some benefit and it takes nearly two month to sort but they are still at the rented home.
I would go back to some of them with a letter from the bank and see what happens from there.
Alexender
Thanks for the comment Alexander,
I passed your reply over to him, and he has been to the local CAB (Citizens Advice Bureau) about it.
The bad thing for him is that Landlords can apparently discriminate against non-working people, when it comes to choosing tenants. They cannot refuse a property to ethnic minorities, homosexuals etc. yet somebody who is out of work but has money can be told in law 'no'.
It's all 'luck of the draw' although one or two agents have said they will consider, as he has provided bank details and references. One of the agents who turned him down before has been in touch, and been a bit more sympathetic this time (they're having trouble finding tenants for their properties, wonder why with their poor attitudes?) so maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel for him.
I would personally say that the law should be that if a person has money in the bank to pay 6-12 months rent in advance and the insurance bond, they cannot be discriminated against UNLESS they have a criminal record.
Thanks again and best wishes.
Looks like you got some good advice from the previous poster.
I would question why an agent is showing interest. What is there propertys like ?. So are they using or trying to use your chum as a last resort because they have been to picky and the property owner is offering to take there business else where.
I also agree that if a bank can provide written confirmation that a person can pay a years rent up front and a bond as well then why not write a tenancy agreement to say that they must pay the six month rent up from the last two weeks of the eleventh month or there tenancy agreement will end. Surely they could do something like that.
In this day and age I would have thought they would want people in who can pay the rent and not someone claiming dss money and it always being behind all the time.
Jamie
It sounds to me like these estate agents may have had there fingers burnt in the passed and now prefer to stay clear of such situation.
I guess at the end of the day there is nothing to stop a person whom is renting in fulltime work finding them selfs without work 3 week down the line then they have all the messing about with housing benefits and delayed payments etc.
I think that there should be means of proving that one has the said funds and may be put them in an account that can pay three month up front and then monthly from that account, also that the customer of that account can not withdraw that money unless they can prove rent is paid and that they have moved on from the said property. The bank would give proof of this before and after confirming that there is enough funds to cover the rent and every month after.
If the customer wishes to show the said landlord funds in that account then that is up to them I would say but overall on here there is some good points made.
Darrell