Renting For The First Time - Landlord References

M Roche

Hey Everyone, my Partner and I are looking to rent an apartment in Dublin. I'm currently looking to get all the documents together to start going to viewings but I've hit a bit of a snag.

Most places recommend prior landlord references, since this is the first time we've lived away from family, neither of us have prior landlords. I was wondering, will this hinder us when looking to rent?

Otherwise I think we're good candidates, we are both employed full time in good jobs and can get work references. I know the market is competitive so I wanted to get a perspective.

Thanks for any advice!

spaceHopper

There is noting you can do about it, everybody has to start somewhere, dress smart with out going over the top. Have the other references, maybe get one from your last employer too if you can.

LL's references aren't much good as if have bad/annoying tenant I'd still give them a reference to get rid of them, it wouldn't be a great one but it would be enough.

Browney7

spaceHopper wrote: »

There is noting you can do about it, everybody has to start somewhere, dress smart with out going over the top. Have the other references, maybe get one from your last employer too if you can.

LL's references aren't much good as if have bad/annoying tenant I'd still give them a reference to get rid of them, it wouldn't be a great one but it would be enough.

A previous employer reference is realistically worth nothing - most employer references just confirm that you are in employment and nothing more. They won't say you're a great candidate or give an opinion on your character.

If going for a property through an agent OP you are probably going to struggle because they'll just box tick. If you can't provide a LL reference it's likely they'll pass over you (my opinion)

If I was you I'd be focussing on properties directly managed by the landlord. That way you can talk directly and he/she can suss you out. Most LL's evaluate the person/s in front of them but some will prefer tenants who've a bit of history in the rental market. Main thing is to put a good written blurb together setting out your stall before even looking for a viewing.

cornet

Let a house recently and was flooded with calls. Requested references upfront and only two couples provided anything. Ability to pay is another major factor so be prepared to provide financial statements if needed. As a previous poster said dress smart and make a good first impression.

GGTrek

M Roche wrote: »

Hey Everyone, my Partner and I are looking to rent an apartment in Dublin. I'm currently looking to get all the documents together to start going to viewings but I've hit a bit of a snag.

Most places recommend prior landlord references, since this is the first time we've lived away from family, neither of us have prior landlords. I was wondering, will this hinder us when looking to rent?

Otherwise I think we're good candidates, we are both employed full time in good jobs and can get work references. I know the market is competitive so I wanted to get a perspective.

Thanks for any advice!

The suggestion above to contact only the non-agent ads is good. Agents love to tick boxes so that they have their paperwork and their ... covered, however on average they do little in-depth analysis of the candidate tenant. I concur with cornet above, plenty of people applying for viewing lately (at least in Dublin) but very little quality (typical one sentence request to the ad: "Can I come to the viewing?"). My suggestions:
- provide a link to your linkedin page (if you both have good jobs, you really should have a linkedin page) upfront when requesting the viewing and explain that you will have no issue in affording the rent (this is what a landlord wants to hear)
- provide proof of earnings or funds (this is the most important thing, since it shows that the tenant can afford the rent) soon after the viewing if you are interested (even better go to the viewing with it and if you are interested you show it immediately: quite a few times I have seen good candidate tenants loose the place because someone viewing on the same day was smarter and provided docs promptly)
In my opinion the current landlord reference most of the time is not worth the paper it is written on (either plain fake or a friend wrote it or they have been "massaged":D), now previous landlord reference is a different matter (if genuine)
In my opinion you and your partner have a very good chance at the moment, since most of the applicants are either HAP tenants or people who have no communication skills at all: a working tenant that can present him/herself will stand out from the crowd.

M Roche

Thanks for your feedback & advice everyone! You've answered many of the lingering questions this will be very helpful with the search

I'm feeling much better about the Landlord reference, I was a little worried that we would be passed over out of hand for those more experienced in the rental market.

The Ging and I

GGTrek wrote: »

The suggestion above to contact only the non-agent ads is good. Agents love to tick boxes so that they have their paperwork and their ... covered, however on average they do little in-depth analysis of the candidate tenant. I concur with cornet above, plenty of people applying for viewing lately (at least in Dublin) but very little quality (typical one sentence request to the ad: "Can I come to the viewing?"). My suggestions:
- provide a link to your linkedin page (if you both have good jobs, you really should have a linkedin page) upfront when requesting the viewing and explain that you will have no issue in affording the rent (this is what a landlord wants to hear)
- provide proof of earnings or funds (this is the most important thing, since it shows that the tenant can afford the rent) soon after the viewing if you are interested (even better go to the viewing with it and if you are interested you show it immediately: quite a few times I have seen good candidate tenants loose the place because someone viewing on the same day was smarter and provided docs promptly)
In my opinion the current landlord reference most of the time is not worth the paper it is written on (either plain fake or a friend wrote it or they have been "massaged":D), now previous landlord reference is a different matter (if genuine)
In my opinion you and your partner have a very good chance at the moment, since most of the applicants are either HAP tenants or people who have no communication skills at all: a working tenant that can present him/herself will stand out from the crowd.

Whats the connection with having a job and a "linkedin " page ?

exaisle

The Ging and I wrote: »

Whats the connection with having a job and a "linkedin " page ?

Apparently it's compulsory to have a linkedin page, a facebook page and a beard...

I've noticed a proliferation of bearded tits this year. Around here we call them hipsters...

CruelCoin

The Ging and I wrote: »

Whats the connection with having a job and a "linkedin " page ?

It's a social network aimed at professionals and is work-focused.

If you're a professional, then you should have a linkedin page to back that up. Proof is important to the landlord.

Caranica

Unfortunately landlord references are the most easily forged, both written and oral. I don't know why landlords and tenants put so much value in them.

As for professionals needing to have LinkedIn pages, I disagree strongly. Not everyone wants to tout their cv so openly.

cornet

Caranica wrote: »

As for professionals needing to have LinkedIn pages, I disagree strongly. Not everyone wants to tout their cv so openly.

Landlords need to do background checking as much as possible to verify the identity of prospective tenants. Anything that a tenant can do to stand out from the crowd can only help them.

rosmoke

With all do respect but this is totally crossing the line!
I don't agree with sharing private information about my or my partner.
Where I work/worked should not be anyone's business!
I totally understand sharing the profile with a prospectus employer but allowing strangers to go over and analyse your profile and earnings, let them know your life is a bit too much.

Maybe some have no problem with that apparently but personally I'd avoid a place that is interested in my private life.
Maybe I'm coming from a different culture and I respect that, but is there any need to show the landlord my bank account with let's say 500k, just to prove that I can afford it ? Or is there any need to disturb my previous employers with a requirement for a property reference ? This has nothing to do with them in my opinion.

I agree with garda clearance, a landlord reference and deposit, ok .. maybe even proving that they are capable of paying the rent, so a contract of employment should do.
I have to say, the rental rules are crazy and it makes it very difficult for landlords to manage their property, I'm saying this as a tenant.

cornet

rosmoke wrote: »

I agree with garda clearance, a landlord reference and deposit, ok .. maybe even proving that they are capable of paying the rent, so a contract should do.

There is no such thing as Garda clearance for renting. If contracts were so robust and easily enforced then there would be no problems. Every tenant signs a contract saying they will pay, many chose not too.

rosmoke

cornet wrote: »

There is no such thing as Garda clearance for renting. If contracts were so robust and easily enforced then there would be no problems. Every tenant signs a contract saying they will pay, many chose not too.

From a bit of googling I've seen there is a garda vetting process for council homes or rent supplement, which is not a bad idea at all in my view.
I meant contract of employment, to prove they have a stable enough job to be able to pay the rent.

Fol20

rosmoke wrote: »

With all do respect but this is totally crossing the line!
I don't agree with sharing private information about my or my partner.
Where I work/worked should not be anyone's business!
I totally understand sharing the profile with a prospectus employer but allowing strangers to go over and analyse your profile and earnings, let them know your life is a bit too much.

Maybe some have no problem with that apparently but personally I'd avoid a place that is interested in my private life.
Maybe I'm coming from a different culture and I respect that, but is there any need to show the landlord my bank account with let's say 500k, just to prove that I can afford it ? Or is there any need to disturb my previous employers with a requirement for a property reference ? This has nothing to do with them in my opinion.

I agree with garda clearance, a landlord reference and deposit, ok .. maybe even proving that they are capable of paying the rent, so a contract should do.
I have to say, the rental rules are crazy and it makes it very difficult for landlords to manage their property, I'm saying this as a tenant.

Trying to find a place is like a job interview. Your putting your best foot forward to get the place you want. Your signing a contract agreeing to pay a sum of money every month. This isn’t small money and could be upwards of 20k a year. ll want to make sure they “employ” the best suited person. Likewise the ll is giving you exclusive access to something that may cost in exces of a few hundred thousand with very little recourse for getting you out if you don’t pay. I think you might feel a little differently now

Esse85

rosmoke wrote: »

With all do respect but this is totally crossing the line!
I don't agree with sharing private information about my or my partner.
Where I work/worked should not be anyone's business!
I totally understand sharing the profile with a prospectus employer but allowing strangers to go over and analyse your profile and earnings, let them know your life is a bit too much.

Maybe some have no problem with that apparently but personally I'd avoid a place that is interested in my private life.
Maybe I'm coming from a different culture and I respect that, but is there any need to show the landlord my bank account with let's say 500k, just to prove that I can afford it ? Or is there any need to disturb my previous employers with a requirement for a property reference ? This has nothing to do with them in my opinion.

I agree with garda clearance, a landlord reference and deposit, ok .. maybe even proving that they are capable of paying the rent, so a contract of employment should do.
I have to say, the rental rules are crazy and it makes it very difficult for landlords to manage their property, I'm saying this as a tenant.

Depends how badly you want to get the property, in your case it sounds like there's no urgency whereas other people may have a deadline to get somewhere and will do whatever they can to improve their chances of doing so.

rosmoke

This could go both ways, I have friends that paid a deposit to supposed "owners" and they were left with no money and no property, with a court case open but no recourse as the guards can't find the owner's residence address, sounds stupid .. I know.
I am sure there are many cases like this and I do emphasize with the struggle that landlords have to go through in the process, I would just appreciate a bit more professionalism and respect of privacy.

In the case that landlords don't feel that their deposit is enough or they don't trust the judicial system they can always get insurance.

CruelCoin

rosmoke wrote: »

This could go both ways, I have friends that paid a deposit to supposed "owners" and they were left with no money and no property, with a court case open but no recourse as the guards can't find the owner's residence address, sounds stupid .. I know.
I am sure there are many cases like this and I do emphasize with the struggle that landlords have to go through in the process, I would just appreciate a bit more professionalism and respect of privacy.

In the case that landlords don't feel that their deposit is enough or they don't trust the judicial system they can always get insurance.

A one or two month deposit is just not enough to cover the potentially years it can take to evict a non-paying tenant.

You can be a burger flipper in d4 with sufficient money for deposit, but no actual hope of being able to pay for the property long term.

There is nothing wrong in a landlord looking for assurances when they're handing over the keys to something worth hundreds of thousands.

As for insurance, while there are plenty of products aimed at building/contents, there are only a few covering rent, and that only goes up to 6/12 months! Again, not enough to cover the 2-4 years it can take to evict.

Browney7

CruelCoin wrote: »

A one or two month deposit is just not enough to cover the potentially years it can take to evict a non-paying tenant.

You can be a burger flipper in d4 with sufficient money for deposit, but no actual hope of being able to pay for the property long term.

There is nothing wrong in a landlord looking for assurances when they're handing over the keys to something worth hundreds of thousands.

As for insurance, while there are plenty of products aimed at building/contents, there are only a few covering rent, and that only goes up to 6/12 months! Again, not enough to cover the 2-4 years it can take to evict.

What % of tenancies end up in the situation where it takes 2-4 years to evict? Genuinely interested.

CruelCoin

Browney7 wrote: »

What % of tenancies end up in the situation where it takes 2-4 years to evict? Genuinely interested.

Don't know.

Too many to take the risk and not check ability to pay anyway.