Was I an evil landlord?
pep.fermi
Posts: 330
"Accidental" landlord here. Bought a house intending to live there forever with family until life came in the way and we moved (abroad). We thought it was better to let it rather than selling it. So I've been a landlord for few years now.
Last tenants moved out. All good.
New applicants turned up, a couple and her sister. I got a report from the agent: two red flags: 1) their previous landlord would NOT relet to them, and 2) their previous agent says they left the place messy.
So I had to decide whether to let our property to them or not. Two ways of looking at it.
A. It could well be that the previous landlord was unreasonable. I know this sometimes happens, I went through an unreasonable landlord myself. Decent people should not be penalized because someone else is evil.
B. I must decide based on the information I have. Although this information is incomplete, and possibly not fully correct, this is ALL I have. If I ignore it, I should not have looked at it.
Ultimately point B carried more weight for me, so I answered "sorry, no". But I feel a little bad about it.
Maybe they are great folks and I put them in difficulty?
Was I naughty?
Last tenants moved out. All good.
New applicants turned up, a couple and her sister. I got a report from the agent: two red flags: 1) their previous landlord would NOT relet to them, and 2) their previous agent says they left the place messy.
So I had to decide whether to let our property to them or not. Two ways of looking at it.
A. It could well be that the previous landlord was unreasonable. I know this sometimes happens, I went through an unreasonable landlord myself. Decent people should not be penalized because someone else is evil.
B. I must decide based on the information I have. Although this information is incomplete, and possibly not fully correct, this is ALL I have. If I ignore it, I should not have looked at it.
Ultimately point B carried more weight for me, so I answered "sorry, no". But I feel a little bad about it.
Maybe they are great folks and I put them in difficulty?
Was I naughty?
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Comments
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Whole point of the checks is to protect you. I wouldn’t take the risk, I’ve seen the state that tenants have left houses in that friends rent out. The landlord one could be them seeing an opportunity to get someone in at a higher rate but having two issues feels like too much risk. Other than credit ratings there isn’t much else you can go on other than maybe checking their social media and seeing if they had photos from the previous place or general lifestyle that suggests they might be dodgy.0
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Sell the house to a nice, young family and rid yourself of the moral dilemma?0
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If you had said yes and come to regret it you would feel a fool so you made the right decision0
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I rented a place during the covid years before buying current house and relocating. Was on rolling 2 month's notice contract. Landlord pays letting agency fees to find a new tenant, costs incurred. Got one lined up for the week I terminated.
Then they told me: no, that one not coming. Checks done by agency revealed 5 (five) undeclared CCJs (county court judgements), not told reasons but suspect unpaid debts / previous rentals.
"Red light spells danger..."
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