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Work Reference Required - Girlfriend Isn't Working

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  • 05-01-2009 5:10pm
    #1
    Kintarō Hattori
    Registered Users Posts: 14,988 ✭✭✭✭


    Hey Folks,

    After 18 months in our current place the girlfriend and myself are looking to move somewhere else. We have been paying €1000pm but want to move as each summer we have a cockroach problem and also because the neighbour above has put down a wooden floor and we can now hear lots of noise.

    I have been working in the same job for almost 7 years and can easily pay the rent. The girlfriend was working for ulster bank for 2 years but was let go a few months ago but is a good saver and so money really isn't an issue. While she's looking for a new job she is on jobseekers benefit but as I mentioned I can easily cover the rent.

    The problem is the first thing you're asked by a rental company is 'Are you both working?'. They also want job references. How am I going to get around this? Trying to find somewhere to move looks like it might be difficult as we can't get around this.


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    #2
    AARRRGH
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,382 ✭✭✭✭AARRRGH


    Could you pretend you're going on live there on your own...? (I'm assuming it's a one-bed place you're getting.)


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    #3
    Fatloss08
    Closed Accounts Posts: 509 ✭✭✭Fatloss08


    are there even cockroaches in ireland

    ive never seen 1


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    #4
    Kintarō Hattori
    Registered Users Posts: 14,988 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    Fatloss08 wrote: »
    are there even cockroaches in ireland

    ive never seen 1

    There are indeed. They tend to live indoors.


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    #5
    banshee_bones
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,160 ✭✭✭✭banshee_bones


    *shudders* ugggghhhhh cockroaches, had no idea..... :eek:


    Will Ulster Bank not give her a reference? Or do they want a letter from your current employer to say you are employed?


    Surely with the current economic climate rental agencies would be more understanding of your situation.


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    #6
    AARRRGH
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,382 ✭✭✭✭AARRRGH


    I'm not saying you should do this, but it would be quite easy to give them a letter on some sort of headed paper saying she works full-time and earns x amount of money...


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    #7
    January
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,862 ✭✭✭✭January


    There's a chance they could ring the employer to check the reference... I know some letting agents that do that.


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    #8
    Kintarō Hattori
    Registered Users Posts: 14,988 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    banshee_bones wrote: »
    Will Ulster Bank not give her a reference? Or do they want a letter from your current employer to say you are employed?

    They generally want one from your current employer.
    AARRRGH wrote: »
    I'm not saying you should do this, but it would be quite easy to give them a letter on some sort of headed paper saying she works full-time and earns x amount of money...

    Ah that's always risky as it's possible they can ring up and check these things out as happened to adrieanne above.


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    #9
    Clare Bear
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,613 ✭✭✭✭Clare Bear


    I just gave them a friend's number saying it was my boss to ring for a reference. The Letting agent didn't ask him a thing. I know plenty of people who do it, it's not the end of the world, the Letting agent isn't going to ask them a million and one questions, all she asked was if I work in such and such a place, he said yes and that was it.


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    #10
    krugerrand
    Registered Users Posts: 67 ✭✭krugerrand


    Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

    I have been working in the same job for almost 7 years and can easily pay the rent. The girlfriend was working for ulster bank for 2 years but was let go a few months ago but is a good saver and so money really isn't an issue. While she's looking for a new job she is on jobseekers benefit but as I mentioned I can easily cover the rent.

    The problem is the first thing you're asked by a rental company is 'Are you both working?'. They also want job references. How am I going to get around this? Trying to find somewhere to move looks like it might be difficult as we can't get around this.

    Sorry that your girlfriend got let go. In your post you say that you can easily cover the rent yourself. Best thing is to just tell the letting agent the full story. I don't think you will have any difficulties.


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    #11
    anotherlostie
    Registered Users Posts: 1,722 ✭✭✭anotherlostie


    Would it be a problem if only one of you was working? My brother and his (now) wife lived together before being married and she didn't work for a lot of that time. Once your income is adequate to cover the rent, I don't know why the employment status of your partner should concern them.


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    #12
    Kintarō Hattori
    Registered Users Posts: 14,988 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    krugerrand wrote: »
    Sorry that your girlfriend got let go. In your post you say that you can easily cover the rent yourself. Best thing is to just tell the letting agent the full story. I don't think you will have any difficulties.

    I had planned on letting them know that we don't forsee any problems.
    anotherlostie wrote: »
    Would it be a problem if only one of you was working? My brother and his (now) wife lived together before being married and she didn't work for a lot of that time. Once your income is adequate to cover the rent, I don't know why the employment status of your partner should concern them.

    I agree that once you can cover the rent then employment status shouldn't come into the equation but it is a big thing for rental agencies/landlords. It's nearly always the first question out of their mouths.


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    #13
    Mrs OBumble
    Registered Users Posts: 25,939 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    Kintarō Hattori wrote: »
    I agree that once you can cover the rent then employment status shouldn't come into the equation but it is a big thing for rental agencies/landlords. It's nearly always the first question out of their mouths.

    Kia ora

    IMHO always be honest: if you try telling any kind of lie it may well come back and haunt you one way or another. No one wants a dishonest tenant.

    The "are you working " question isn't only about money. It's also about whether you're students or bums who are going to sit about the house all day and either wear the house out faster or drink lots and annoy the neighbours. So make sure you have a good tale about the post-graduate study or voluntary work that your girlfriend is doing, or the sick relative (who lives nearby but not with you!) that she's caring for, or whatever-else-it-is that's getting her up and out of the house each day.

    There are a lot more rental properties available now than even three months ago. Landlords and agents are keener than ever to get a viable tenancy signed up.

    Good luck.


    Oh - and how did you edit your status, complete with macrons???? ;) Enquiring minds and all ...


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    #14
    Kintarō Hattori
    Registered Users Posts: 14,988 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    Hi All,

    Thanks for the sound advice. Well it looks like we're sorted. We went to see a place, I gave them a work reference and that was it. We're moving into the new place at the end of the month.

    JustMary, VB which is the program boards uses is very flexible and had you chosen a username which had macrons in it then you could have used that name. If you want to change your username now to something else then you would need to subscribe to boards (which is what I did). There are options for monthy, three months and yearly subscriptions. It doesn't cost much and it's nice to give something back.


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