Rental prejudice.

chicorytip

Are Irish landlords more predisposed to rent property to young people in full time well paid employment rather than the unwaged? I don't necessarily mean social welfare recipients. Take, for example, a retired, single person with considerable means at their disposal who may not have much experience of renting during their lifetime.

VonBeanie

chicorytip wrote: »

Are Irish landlords more predisposed to rent property to young people in full time well paid employment rather than the unwaged? I don't necessarily mean social welfare recipients. Take, for example, a retired, single person with considerable means at their disposal who may not have much experience of renting during their lifetime.

This is something I was concerned about when the RPZ legislation came in. When a LL cannot select a tenant based on who is prepared to pay the highest price, then a LL must select a tenant by some other criteria. While a LL cannot discriminate by the criteria in the Equality Act or discriminate against HAP recipients, I suspect discrimination in the market is a reality.

If you put yourself in the shoes of a LL, how do you choose the lucky tenant after you receive 50+ expressions of interest? Will you (even subconsciously) discriminate against old people, or lower waged people, or people with foreign sounding names or ..... Maybe you'll pick someone who is the same GAA club or rugby club as you are.

Anyone who is slightly outside "ideal" just cant compete. If you have a pet, or have an irregular wage, or have any other downside, its just about impossible.

Mrs Shuttleworth

chicorytip wrote: »

Are Irish landlords more predisposed to rent property to young people in full time well paid employment rather than the unwaged? I don't necessarily mean social welfare recipients. Take, for example, a retired, single person with considerable means at their disposal who may not have much experience of renting during their lifetime.

As a landlord I would rent to you if the reply was drafted satisfactorily. If you had a guaranteed pension each month (not the State pension) that well covered your rent and all your living expenses, and if you had other assets. You're unlikely to be having large parties in the premises or cause significant damage. If you're not getting replies it may well be because the landlord might view you as a potential HAP tenant and landlords don't want those arising from a recent legal judgment.

Edit: I've reread your post and realise you may be speaking hypothetically and may not actually be looking as such.

Lumen

Urban housing markets normally operate on there being less supply than demand. People compete solely on price, another way of putting that is "the market discriminates against poor people". They can usually still live somewhere, just not where they would ideally like to.

In the case that a portion of the stock is rent controlled, new renters of those properties have to compete on some other terms. There are still no more or less people in the properties, the system is just "changing the names of the disappointed" (as Seamus Mulconry said of the mooted changes to school selection policies recently).

This is an obvious side effect of rent controls. How negative is it? Depends on which cohort you're in!

Anyway, those people "discriminated against" just have to compete for the remaining uncontrolled stock, which is now more expensive. Because new stock can be rented for more, there is greater incentive to build it.

A very cynical person might almost think that this policy, introduced by a FG government, was intended to benefit residential REITs and corporate investors who might build large apartment blocks and mass housing schemes to rent out, and that they are just using the housing crisis as cover. :pac:

Over 1,200 apartments in South Dublin to be offered to rental market only
http://www.independent.ie/business/commercial-property/over-1200-apartments-in-south-dublin-to-be-offered-to-rental-market-only-36172438.html

Sleeper12

Landlords look at a lot of things when deciding whether to take a particular Tennant or not. A tenant that isn't working, be they wealthy or not tends to be in the property more hours per day and are more likely to have guests over during the day. A landlord may feel that there will be more wear and tear on the property than if all tenants in full time employment

chicorytip

Sleeper12 wrote:

Landlords look at a lot of things when deciding whether to take a particular Tennant or not. A tenant that isn't working, be they wealthy or not tends to be in the property more hours per day and are more likely to have guests over during the day. A landlord may feel that there will be more wear and tear on the property than if all tenants in full time employment

If a tenant is of a conscientious mindset and respectful of the fact that they are living in a property they don't own that in itself ought to allay concerns of the type you mention.

chicorytip

Mrs Shuttleworth wrote:

Edit: I've reread your post and realise you may be speaking hypothetically and may not actually be looking as such.

Mrs Shuttleworth wrote:

As a landlord I would rent to you if the reply was drafted satisfactorily. If you had a guaranteed pension each month (not the State pension) that well covered your rent and all your living expenses, and if you had other assets. You're unlikely to be having large parties in the premises or cause significant damage. If you're not getting replies it may well be because the landlord might view you as a potential HAP tenant and landlords don't want those arising from a recent legal judgment.

Yes, that's correct. I am speaking hypothetically. As a landlord, I presume such prospective tenants would need to provide you with detailed documentary evidence (financial statements etc.) to enable you to assess their suitability. Do you have any reservations regarding that? Some may feel reluctant to divulge such information.

Sleeper12

chicorytip wrote:

If a tenant is of a conscientious mindset and respectful of the fact that they are living in a property they don't own that in itself ought to allay concerns of the type you mention.

I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm just saying that landlords take into account that someone not working will be home more.
I repair showers for a living so I see all kinds of apartments & Tennant. Sometimes the one working doesn't look after the place and sometimes the one not working has the place spotless.

Sadly I see some places that I wouldn't let my dog live in. I don't know if this is the landlord or tenants fault