Rental referance question

andyh85

Hi all, we have just recently purchased a house and we are going through the process of renting it out. We have appointed an estate agent to vet perspective Tennant's. After a few viewings ,the agent has received some interest from a few perspective tennants, my question is, is it normal to only get one reference if it is a couple applying. The couple he is recommending, the woman has sufficient rental reference and work reference but we have not received any references for her partner. Id prefer to have references from both before deciding which applicant to accept. Any information would be appreciated

Retrovertigo

It wouldn't be unreasonable to ask for references from both tenants if it would put your mind at ease. If they are serious they should easily provide them.

andyh85

What's the norm in Ireland when a couple/family applies for a rental house, we are unsure as we have been living in oz for the past 5 years and have never rented a house in Ireland.

Retrovertigo

It honestly comes down to the amount of risk you are willing to place in the new tenants.

Personally I would deal directly and avoid the EA if you are worried.

You cannot discriminate against applicants but you can always make sure to check references from both members of a couple should it make you more comfortable. It would be considered good business practice.

The_Conductor

You could always ask is there a reason there are only references from one of the two- but you are going down a slippery slope. E.g. its not unusual for couples to live together- however, perhaps only one of them was on the lease- aka one of the two was informally living there- and because of this they don't have a last reference.

The other thing- and what most landlords are doing- is if you specify a few month's rent as a deposit- obviously you have financial insurance against it going pear shaped (to a certain extent- keeping in mind the entire regulatory regime is set up to protect tenants- not landlords).

Personally- I wouldn't see it as a massive issue- if you had good references from one of the two- I would however confirm them with the landlord and/or employer (the reason being- I've seen more fake tenancy references than I've seen fake driving licences- and I've seen more than a few of those too........)

And of course- perhaps 3-4 months rent as a deposit. This- one month's rent as a deposit and the tenant uses it for their last month lark- really has to be dismantled- it means there is no fallback whatsoever for a landlord if there is damage of any nature (over and above normal wear and tear obviously).

I'd also go onto Irish Landlords- and get a good model lease from them- its faster and a lot safer than doing up your own lease- and even then- I'd go through it line by line- several times- to ensure I was 100% happy with it. Also- initial the bottom of each page.

Hani Kosti

Simple explanation is one partner lived abroad /with parents (it was our case). We however provided references from both employers and my previous landlord (rent paid on time etc).

andyh85

Thanks for your input . Maybe we are just over thinking it but as you can understand we need to protect our investment and choose the best tenant. Thanks for your advice, much appreciated