Work reference

jason78

Hi,

Myself and my partner have viewed a few places but have come across a stumbling block twice now and that is the lack of a work reference for one of us. Is honesty not the best policy here? On both occasions I let them know my true situation. I was made redundant last month so I'm not sure what the landlords are expecting me to do (obviously I'm looking for work).

I welcome any advice!

jason78

Anyone? Is it better just to have the person currently working to view the place and have them take out the lease in their name?

Kimia

It's a tough one OP, I empathize with you. You can just be honest with the landlords and say that you've been made redundant but your partner earns enough to cover you both or something like that. You're not alone in that boat, that's for sure.

jason78

Yeah it is a tough one

Thing is, they haven't a clue about my financial situation whatsoever - I actually have more than enough to cover rent for a few years. But once they hear that I'm not working (just finished up last month) that's it. Frustrating isn't the word.

silja

I don't know if you'd be comfortable with that, but you could show the prospective LL your bank statement showing you have the money to cover rent?

odds_on

Part of the usefulness of an employment reference is to see if you are a person who stays in one job or flits from job to job. The latter may be liable to not want to stay in a rented property for a year.

Did you not get a work ref from your employer - the landlord might accept that.

However, a thought - say you sign a lease for a year and in a month's time you get a job offer in a different part of the country - you are pretty well stuck with your fixed term lease (although you can assign the lease to another person acceptable to the landlord but that could take time).

jason78

silja wrote: »

I don't know if you'd be comfortable with that, but you could show the prospective LL your bank statement showing you have the money to cover rent?

Not entirely comfortable doing that! Is it normally done?

Part of the usefulness of an employment reference is to see if you are a person who stays in one job or flits from job to job. The latter may be liable to not want to stay in a rented property for a year.

Did you not get a work ref from your employer - the landlord might accept that.

However, a thought - say you sign a lease for a year and in a month's time you get a job offer in a different part of the country - you are pretty well stuck with your fixed term lease (although you can assign the lease to another person acceptable to the landlord but that could take time).

I did get a work ref from my employer but that basically says that I've been made redundant etc. Is that worth anything to a prospective landlord?

As for getting a job in a different part of the country - I don't think that will happen. I do have a few things lined up where I'm looking to rent but no work as of yet.

odds_on

jason78 wrote: »

I did get a work ref from my employer but that basically says that I've been made redundant etc. Is that worth anything to a prospective landlord?

As for getting a job in a different part of the country - I don't think that will happen. I do have a few things lined up where I'm looking to rent but no work as of yet.

IMHO, if there was no mention of how long you worked there or if the employer was satisfied with your work etc., as a prospective landlord (or employer) I would consider the reference as not very impressive to rent a valuable property to you.

Sorry, but that is how it goes.

PhoenixParker

Has this actually been a stumbling block when you've found somewhere you like and you're looking to sign or a lease or is this just what you're seeing in the ads?

If it's just something in ads, I'd ignore it. If you like the place talk to them about a workaround. I've never had a problem with not having references or stuff, even where they said they were looking for them.

jason78

Stumbling block when looking to sign - everything has been all fine with a couple of places up until that point, then they don't want to know you.

You say you've never had a problem - can you expand on that? Did they ask for a reference and you said you were out of work?

PhoenixParker

I've moved between the UK and Ireland a number of times.
First time I moved to the UK they wanted work and landlord references and a credit check. I'd never rented anywhere before, just started my new job and had no credit history in the UK. I explained that and they had no problem whatsoever. I even saved myself the £30 fee they charged to run the credit check.

Renting in Ireland I had no landlords references. Never rented here and the last landlord in the UK never answered his phone anyway, there was no point giving them that. Wasn't a problem.

I've never had a problem with simply explaining the situation and offering them what I've got. I do usually bring it up first, and always with the attitude of well here's a list of other things we can do. In your case bank statement, higher deposit, copy of your redundancy check, an extra landlords reference, a mention of your career path and that there are jobs available, maybe some contracting work?

What they're looking for is evidence of ability to pay (work reference) and evidence of not being a pig/reliability (landlord reference). Your job is to prove both of those by whatever means you can.

Monife

When my partner were looking for an apartment in May, all agents/landlords accepted a mutual landlord reference and a work reference from my own employer, seeing as my partner wasn't working at the time (also made redundant).

Will the rent be paid from your account of your partners? Perhaps have it paid from your partners and state when viewing that you were made redundant but have plenty of savings but that the rent will come from your partner and that he/she will have the work reference.