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Great work reference but no landlord reference

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  • 16-02-2016 9:26pm
    #1
    Texas Jack
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 531 ✭✭✭


    Hi guys

    Myself and my girlfriend attended a viewing of an apartment tonight which we absolutely love and are 99% certain to have gotten.

    We both provided great work references and said we'd have a landlord reference tomorrow morning but I don't think that's possible.

    We both lived at home until we were 24 and we lived together last year for about 10 months into a 12 month lease.

    We went through some problems and broke up and moved out which consequently broke the lease with 2 months remaining.

    Thankfully we're back together now but with no landlord references.

    What can we do? Do landlords actually check these up?

    If we asked a friend or relative to give us a reference would this work?

    Any help greatly appreciated as we don't want to lose out on this place

    Cheers! :)


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    #2
    athtrasna
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,420 ✭✭✭✭athtrasna


    A landlord shoud check up on references before handing over the keys to an asset worth at least five figures.

    Mod note

    Suggestions of fraud are not welcome on this forum.


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    #3
    snowey07
    Registered Users Posts: 373 ✭✭snowey07


    why dont you just be honest and tell them exactly what happenned? and then explain how happy you are blah blah so will be staying long term - or offer an extra week of a deposit to show your commitment ?


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    #4
    MouseTail
    Registered Users Posts: 1,663 ✭✭✭MouseTail


    Have you asked your old LL for a reference? I know you left early, but that's not the end of the world. Your prospective LL wants to know if you were on time with your rent, kept the place well, and wasn't a pain in the a** for the neighbours.


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    #5
    handlemaster
    Registered Users Posts: 6,003 ✭✭✭handlemaster


    For this reason and others LANDLORDS should ask for two references when prospecting tenants. Old landlords can and do give great references to get rid of tenants.

    OP from a landlords perspective its good that you have work references but work pays you. Its more important to have a good references from someone you pay and their experience with you.


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    #6
    Graces7
    Registered Users Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    handlemaster wrote: »
    For this reason and others LANDLORDS should ask for two references when prospecting tenants. Old landlords can and do give great references to get rid of tenants.

    OP from a landlords perspective its good that you have work references but work pays you. Its more important to have a good references from someone you pay and their experience with you.

    It can go wrong. Thankfully I have never been asked for a reference ( rural Ireland..). Two landlords would baulk. I have never missed paying rent and have taken care of houses. One told me when I was moving to leave anything I did not want and he would sort it; they were planning to refurbish and would get a skip. The next tenant told me he was badmouthing me for having left stuff in the outbuilding... The second one! The house flooded as he had laid flagstone on the bare earth and up bubbled the water. When I left it was inches deep... I cleaned surfaces etc... when I approached the agent re the deposit, she told me he had told her I had left the place very dirty and rubbish everywhere... thankfully she knew the reality...


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    #7
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 24,714 ✭ [Deleted User]


    handlemaster wrote: »
    For this reason and others LANDLORDS should ask for two references when prospecting tenants. Old landlords can and do give great references to get rid of tenants.

    On the other hand you could say that asking for any reference is pointless really due to the ease at which one can be done up falsely.


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    #8
    handlemaster
    Registered Users Posts: 6,003 ✭✭✭handlemaster


    Kelsey Flabby Steel wrote: »
    On the other hand you could say that asking for any reference is pointless really due to the ease at which one can be done up falsely.

    Who the tenant ? .. good luck with that


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    #9
    MarkAnthony
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,934 ✭✭✭MarkAnthony


    Kelsey Flabby Steel wrote: »
    On the other hand you could say that asking for any reference is pointless really due to the ease at which one can be done up falsely.

    It's not pointless but it is a risk. That risk is minimised to a degree by calling the reference and engaging the BS detector. If one's spidey sense starts tingling then it's usually a good idea to politely apologise to the prospective tenant and explain the wife's mother's second cousin's friend needed the place for a while and you'll get back to them. At which point you move to the next person on your very long list.


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    #10
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 24,714 ✭ [Deleted User]


    handlemaster wrote: »
    Who the tenant ? .. good luck with that

    It not difficlt to make up a reference and give the number of someone in your family, they just have to be well able to bull sh*t. Not encouraging it by any means just saying having a glowing reference or two may not be what they appear to be.
    MarkAnthony wrote: »
    It's not pointless but it is a risk. That risk is minimised to a degree by calling the reference and engaging the BS detector. If one's spidey sense starts tingling then it's usually a good idea to politely apologise to the prospective tenant and explain the wife's mother's second cousin's friend needed the place for a while and you'll get back to them. At which point you move to the next person on your very long list.

    Pointless was the wrong word really, I'd definitely be asking for references where I vetting a tenant and most will have a real reference but at the same time its easy enough to "create" one give the phone number of someone you know (who isn't easily thrown and will be able to handle questioning).

    Its hard to know how to be sure a reference is real or not but it would be helpful for LLs if there was a way to really verify it.


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    #11
    Graces7
    Registered Users Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    Kelsey Flabby Steel wrote: »
    It not difficlt to make up a reference and give the number of someone in your family, they just have to be well able to bull sh*t. Not encouraging it by any means just saying having a glowing reference or two may not be what they appear to be.



    Pointless was the wrong word really, I'd definitely be asking for references where I vetting a tenant and most will have a real reference but at the same time its easy enough to "create" one give the phone number of someone you know (who isn't easily thrown and will be able to handle questioning).

    Its hard to know how to be sure a reference is real or not but it would be helpful for LLs if there was a way to really verify it.

    Tenancies are supposed to be listed with PRTB so get the name and address from them .. Simple enough


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    #12
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 24,714 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Graces7 wrote: »
    Tenancies are supposed to be listed with PRTB so get the name and address from them .. Simple enough

    Leaving aside the fact only the address is listed on the registry, the registry is not realiable nor does everyone bother to register.

    Also even if they have the name of the previous LL nothing stopping the person pretending to have that name when called for a reference.

    The point I'm making is that if I were a LL I wouldn't be placing massive trust in the references I was given and I'd be making as many other checks as possible and not relying on a reference.


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    #13
    Hollister11
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,482 ✭✭✭Hollister11


    All long as you can provide the deposit, the first months rent and you are well presented and seem like a respectful person AND employed. Most LL will take you on.


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    #14
    MarkAnthony
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,934 ✭✭✭MarkAnthony


    Hollister11 wrote: »
    All long as you can provide the deposit, the first months rent and you are well presented and seem like a respectful person AND employed. Most LL will take you on.

    I have to agree here. Although it pays to do your homework the first impression if the biggest decider for me. Obviously I don't check everyone who views just the person who my gut tells me is going to be a good tenant.


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    #15
    handlemaster
    Registered Users Posts: 6,003 ✭✭✭handlemaster


    The OP has already broken one such contract I wouldnt bet against he would do it again. So saying give a false reference etc... it's no wonder LL s get it so hard and this goes on all the time.

    Two months deposit should be the norm


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    #16
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 24,714 ✭ [Deleted User]


    handlemaster wrote: »
    The OP has already broken one such contract I wouldnt bet against he would do it again. So saying give a false reference etc... it's no wonder LL s get it so hard and this goes on all the time.

    Two months deposit should be the norm

    It's a lot of money for some people though to have 2 months deposit and a months rent upfront. Most half decent places are 1200 plus nowadays do that's pushing up on 4K you have to hand over with no guarantees you will get the deposit part back no matter how good a tenant you are. Coupled with the fact when you are moving it's likely you will need a deposit for the next place before getting the other back that would be another 2 months rent up front aswell.

    I know you are renting an asset worth a lot of money but that doesn't make it fair or easy for a tenant to have so much money up front. 1 month deposit + a months rent is fair enough imo and if the LL does his homework he should have a good tenant. A clear and quick method for a LL to get money from a tenant if they do more damage than the deposit or if they leave inside a contract would be a better move.


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    #17
    MarkAnthony
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,934 ✭✭✭MarkAnthony


    2 months should be the norm plus security. The 'american' system (only so called because I've seen it on Judge Judy!) seems the right way to do it IMO. On day one you hand over; security, first and last month's rent. When you leave you give 30 days notice and don't pay the rent for that month. To my mind it's a great compromise giving the tenant a little bit of peace of mind that only the deposit is at stake, which given the horrible track record with many landlords should probably be in escrow!

    Also the tenant is at no disadvantage, other than the very first let, becuase if everyone did it the tenant would have extra funds from not paying the last month in the previous lease.


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    #18
    handlemaster
    Registered Users Posts: 6,003 ✭✭✭handlemaster


    Kelsey Flabby Steel wrote: »
    It's a lot of money for some people though to have 2 months deposit and a months rent upfront. Most half decent places are 1200 plus nowadays do that's pushing up on 4K you have to hand over with no guarantees you will get the deposit part back no matter how good a tenant you are. Coupled with the fact when you are moving it's likely you will need a deposit for the next place before getting the other back that would be another 2 months rent up front aswell.

    I know you are renting an asset worth a lot of money but that doesn't make it fair or easy for a tenant to have so much money up front. 1 month deposit + a months rent is fair enough imo and if the LL does his homework he should have a good tenant. A clear and quick method for a LL to get money from a tenant if they do more damage than the deposit or if they leave inside a contract would be a better move.


    The OP poster has already proven himself to be an unrealiable rentee who broke a previous contract . He will need to other to double the deposit in my opinion to get a place


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    #19
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 24,714 ✭ [Deleted User]


    handlemaster wrote: »
    The OP poster has already proven himself to be an unrealiable rentee who broke a previous contract . He will need to other to double the deposit in my opinion to get a place

    Only if the new LL actually finds out his history though which is not guaranteed as things stand.


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    #20
    handlemaster
    Registered Users Posts: 6,003 ✭✭✭handlemaster


    Kelsey Flabby Steel wrote: »
    Only if the new LL actually finds out his history though which is not guaranteed as things stand.

    Not guranteed true. But unlikely he will find a place if the landlord check s references properly. You see so many of these types of tenants . . Who then turn into tenants that want to break their contract and then its the landlord thats the evil one


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