Landlord wants parents to pay section of rent

walkingpsycho

Background: I'm moving for work and my boyfriend is going to move with me. He is currently looking for work but gets some money from a small part time job each month. The original plan was I pay most of the rent because I have more of an income and he helps out with utilities. Our landlord doesn't think this is fair and wants his parents to pay his share of the rent, which they're not in a financial situation to do currently (they're OK with signing as garentores though). I'm 100% ok with paying the rent at the moment until he finds a full time job (we've both recently graduated). We were going to sent up a joint account for rent and utilities.

The landlord wants my share to come from either my account or the joint account but his share to come from his parents account. Are they allowed to decide which account does what?

listermint

No. This is weird. Your adults.

Is the landlord a family member or family friend.

SVI40

Nothing to do with the landlord, very strange he / she wants that. Some people are not really suited to being landlords.

mickdw

SVI40 wrote: »

Nothing to do with the landlord, very strange he / she wants that. Some people are not really suited to being landlords.

Landlord sees non working graduate taking on lease. He is wise to try to safeguard his payment in wharever way he can or else just insist on employed tenant.
Lots of landlords under pressure with people sitting rent free the last while.

listermint

mickdw wrote: »

Landlord sees non working graduate taking on lease. He is wise to try to safeguard his payment in wharever way he can or else just insist on employed tenant.
Lots of landlords under pressure with people sitting rent free the last while.

No, it's weird. Simple as that.

JustAThought

Its not wierd at all - two tenants, not married, no job for one, needs two incomes or one enormous income - which I guess the OP dosn’t have.

I’ve had to sign jointly and severally accountable rental leases in the past - and paid the price - I wish my past landlords had been as generous towards my best interests as this landlord is towards the OP.

We are in uncertain economic times - you are generous towards your BF but perhaps your ll also sees that there is a possibility your BF may not get a job, or that you may decide to leave him Nd he cannot make the rent, or that he may break up with you but decide not to leave the rental
leaving you stuck paying for him while he dates another person, or that you may lose tour job through the ecomonic climate and then neither of you will be able to pay the rent.

Whatever way you spin it the LL is not (probably) your parent, owes you nothing and is fully at his right to ask for two rental incomes to cover the rent or two signatures on the lease and a guarantee of income from both. The LL could also decline to rent to you both as s/he sees you are too great a payment risk. Many of the new student hubs require either 9 months payment up
front or a parent guarantor - its not unusual anymore at all.

I’d say your LL is looking after your best interests in ways you cannot see because you are generous, and idealistic and young and in love. I’d also say they are more realistic about the costs and overheads of running two people and a rental from one small salary and how this can quickly get out of control with debt and delays and stress and high pressure and fallouts. Particularly when they moving in together for the first time in a lockdown situation and dreadful economic downturn and looming global recession across most industries.

Foweva Awone

If at all possible, I'd be looking for a different place to rent. If they are this controlling over something that is none of their business, I can imagine they'll be very controlling about what you can/can't do in their property (I'm thinking excessive rules, overly frequent inspections, calling over unannounced etc.) Not worth the hassle.

JustAThought

JustAThought wrote: »

Its not wierd at all - two tenants, not married, no job for one, needs two incomes or one enormous income - which I guess the OP dosn’t have.

I’ve had to sign jointly and severally accountable rental leases in the past - and paid the price - I wish my past landlords had been as generous towards my best interests as this landlord is towards the OP.

We are in uncertain economic times - you are generous towards your BF but perhaps your ll also sees that there is a possibility your BF may not get a job, or that you may decide to leave him Nd he cannot make the rent, or that he may break up with you but decide not to leave the rental
leaving you stuck paying for him while he dates another person, or that you may lose tour job through the ecomonic climate and then neither of you will be able to pay the rent.

Whatever way you spin it the LL is not (probably) your parent, owes you nothing and is fully at his right to ask for two rental incomes to cover the rent or two signatures on the lease and a guarantee of income from both. The LL could also decline to rent to you both as s/he sees you are too great a payment risk. Many of the new student hubs require either 9 months payment up
front or a parent guarantor - its not unusual anymore at all.

I’d say your LL is looking after your best interests in ways you cannot see because you are generous, and idealistic and young and in love. I’d also say they are more realistic about the costs and overheads of running two people and a rental from one small salary and how this can quickly get out of control with debt and delays and stress and high pressure and fallouts. Particularly when they moving in together for the first time in a lockdown situation and dreadful economic downturn and looming global recession across most industries.

The fact that you went into a situation with a non payer is your business and issue, nothing to do with the landlord EVER

Its odd, its intrusive and I completely fail to see how it safeguards the landlord at all. You cant evict half of a tenancy

JustAThought

Foweva Awone wrote: »

If at all possible, I'd be looking for a different place to rent. If they are this controlling over something that is none of their business, I can imagine they'll be very controlling about what you can/can't do in their property (I'm thinking excessive rules, overly frequent inspections, calling over unannounced etc.) Not worth the hassle.

Joke post ? the rent is entirely their business. This is exactly what it is - a business deal. They need to protect their asset - and income. They are not a charity or the renters parents. As it is, if someone with a wishy washy excuse like I’m
gonna get a job wanted full use of a quarter a million asset of mine I’d tell them to come back with a guarantor or look elsewhere. The OP is lucky the ll is looking out for her. As for his parents - what are they thinking letting a new gf take over the stress and full financial responsibility of working to pay for everything for their 22 yo or so unemployed son? No wonder the ll is concerned for her. And himself/herself.

walkingpsycho

walkingpsycho wrote: »

Background: I'm moving for work and my boyfriend is going to move with me. He is currently looking for work but gets some money from a small part time job each month. The original plan was I pay most of the rent because I have more of an income and he helps out with utilities. Our landlord doesn't think this is fair and wants his parents to pay his share of the rent, which they're not in a financial situation to do currently (they're OK with signing as garentores though). I'm 100% ok with paying the rent at the moment until he finds a full time job (we've both recently graduated). We were going to sent up a joint account for rent and utilities.

The landlord wants my share to come from either my account or the joint account but his share to come from his parents account. Are they allowed to decide which account does what?

This is very odd. Very odd indeed. I would be annoyed if I was you, your partner and his parents. Look somewhere else where the landlord wont be sticking his nose in like this.

FYI, greatest spelling of 'guarantor' ever

Graham

JustAThought wrote: »

I’ve had to sign jointly and severally accountable rental leases in the past - and paid the price - I wish my past landlords had been as generous towards my best interests as this landlord is towards the OP.

Where does the OP say their lease won't be joint and several?

JustAThought

JustAThought wrote: »

Joke post ? the rent is entirely their business. This is exactly what it is - a business deal. They need to protect their asset - and income. They are not a charity or the renters parents. As it is, if someone with a wishy washy excuse like I’m
gonna get a job wanted full use of a quarter a million asset of mine I’d tell them to come back with a guarantor or look elsewhere. The OP is lucky the ll is looking out for her. As for his parents - what are they thinking letting a new gf take over the stress and full financial responsibility of working to pay for everything for their 22 yo or so unemployed son? No wonder the ll is concerned for her. And himself/herself.

Your missing the fact that the unemployed person is only one part of the tenants. Theres a second party.

Again, you cant evict half a tenant couple so non payment will end the exact same way. The OP will still need to stump up the full amount to remain in the property. How its split makes zero difference.

As for the asset, thats getting really old now. Your a landlord, the asset if something you rent. If its that precious to you, dont rent it.

SVI40

JustAThought wrote: »

Joke post ? the rent is entirely their business. This is exactly what it is - a business deal. They need to protect their asset - and income. They are not a charity or the renters parents. As it is, if someone with a wishy washy excuse like I’m
gonna get a job wanted full use of a quarter a million asset of mine I’d tell them to come back with a guarantor or look elsewhere. The OP is lucky the ll is looking out for her. As for his parents - what are they thinking letting a new gf take over the stress and full financial responsibility of working to pay for everything for their 22 yo or so unemployed son? No wonder the ll is concerned for her. And himself/herself.

If the landlord is concerned about their ability to pay the rent, don't rent to them. Simple. I'm sure there are plenty of others looking for accomodation.

JustAThought

Niner leprauchan wrote: »

This is very odd. Very odd indeed. I would be annoyed if I was you, your partner and his parents. Look somewhere else where the landlord wont be sticking his nose in like this.

FYI, greatest spelling of 'guarantor' ever

Hilarious - another person who thinks the payment and security of the rent is not the landlords business!!! How many of these lefty delusional snowflakes are out there!! OP shoiod be grateful someone is looking out for her -
most LL’s wouldn’t bother and would just wash their hands of her - and him, with his no proper income and insecure part time job and her just starting a new job with no probation period begun yet and no rights as an employee for another year. Not to mention all the other factors. Hilarious.

Triangle

JustAThought wrote: »

Joke post ? the rent is entirely their business. This is exactly what it is - a business deal. They need to protect their asset - and income. They are not a charity or the renters parents. As it is, if someone with a wishy washy excuse like I’m
gonna get a job wanted full use of a quarter a million asset of mine I’d tell them to come back with a guarantor or look elsewhere. The OP is lucky the ll is looking out for her. As for his parents - what are they thinking letting a new gf take over the stress and full financial responsibility of working to pay for everything for their 22 yo or so unemployed son? No wonder the ll is concerned for her. And himself/herself.

Absolute joke, if I go to a shop and buy something, the shop has no right to ask where the money comes from. Its a business transaction and the nature of my relationship or personal life does not come into it.
It's the same for a lease, the ll says the amount, date and business details, but doesn't have the right to interfere in their personal lives.
Ttbh, I'd be like the previous poster and staying away from such an unprofessional landlord.

JustAThought

JustAThought wrote: »

Hilarious - another person who thinks the payment and security of the rent is not the landlords business!!! How many of these lefty delusional snowflakes are out there!! OP shoiod be grateful someone is looking out for her -
most LL’s wouldn’t bother and would just wash their hands of her - and him, with his no proper income and insecure part time job.

yep, Im a lefty. As lefty as they get. Constantly called a delicate snowflake and nNever ever accused of being right wing.Never rented a house either.

Again for the slow in the class, you cant evict half a tenant. if he doesnt pay, she gets evicted as well. If she wants to avoid this, she will need to pay the full rent. Seperate accounts makes no difference if its a joint tenancy, which it will be.

Its not the landlords business to 'look out for' her in her personal and private life. Its actually downright wrong

JustAThought

Niner leprauchan wrote: »

yep, Im a lefty. As lefty as they get. Constantly called a delicate snowflake and nNever ever accused of being right wing.Never rented a house either.

Again for the slow in the class, you cant evict half a tenant. if he doesnt pay, she gets evicted as well. If she wants to avoid this, she will need to pay the full rent. Seperate accounts makes no difference if its a joint tenancy, which it will be.

Its not the landlords business to 'look out for' her in her personal and private life. Its actually downright wrong

Not much point bothering with you so.
However, It could well be two rooms to rent in a houseshare, a lease each which she wanta to bankroll for his share or a jointly and severally accountable lease. All
of which screws her over if something goes wrong with her job,him, his meagre oart
time income, their relationship or the industry she is about to start working in. And yes - when the landlord is tied to her ability to make payments for their long term business deal it is his/her business. Something most idealogical
lefties omit.

OP - have you considered asking your bf how he going to lay his way in life other than living off you? A hundred or two a month will not go far towards his clothes or beer or takeaways or other personal costs let alone pay 12
hour a day heating bills to keep him warm, electricity bills while he sits in the house all day during lockdown, sky tv charges, broadband
costs, mobile phone bills ( each), as well as monthly food bills, netflix etc - all of which you will be 100% liable for As WELL as 100% of the rent. And thats even if he puts anything towards any of that, or stays the course. No wonder the LL is concerned. Not only does s/he have to worry about you entering a new job which may decide not to keep you or whose business may have tolet you go as a consequence of the negative ecomonic climate and global recession but they also have to worry about someone else in theor house/appartment who already has no proper full time income and no ability to pay but wants to live there with no guarantee anyway. I’m surprised they havn’t walked away from you both already. You must be very nice for them to be looking after you so well. Or maybe they just don’t want to see you taken advantage of -which IMO looks
like what is happening and certainly is what is
coming down the road for you, sadly, even if
you do not mind paying for him for the moment. Will he pay the thousands back
to you when he gets the job? Probably not.
If he cannot get his parents to underwrite his financial needs and living costs or to help him out how is he going to survive in life? Living off
other people? Charity? The dole? Vincent de Paul? . Of course he could just visit and have no residential or financial obligations and not be on the lease. But that may not be what you want. Or you may not be able to actually afford the flat without him. But if he signs nothing and has no aPpropriate income or guarantor then neither of you can afford the apartment and you should
look elsewhere. Perhaps a houseshare where they mihg accept an unemployed no income flatsharer sharing a bedroom. But I guess you might have difficulties with that too. Nobody likes to bankroll an long term risk. Unless its his parents. Most unrelated private individuals ,
landlords or businesses will not. The finamcial
risk for them is too real.


As regards your new job - congrats! I assume you will be on a contract rather than a straight up blue badge contract from when you go in? As everyone realises, you have no proper HR ‘rights’ to be kept in that job until you have been there a year and a day - by that I mean they can easily enough get rid of you if they need to for economic reasons until you have been working there uninterrupted for 366 days - landlords will be very aware of this too.

10pennymixup

walkingpsycho wrote: »

Background: I'm moving for work and my boyfriend is going to move with me. He is currently looking for work but gets some money from a small part time job each month. The original plan was I pay most of the rent because I have more of an income and he helps out with utilities. Our landlord doesn't think this is fair and wants his parents to pay his share of the rent, which they're not in a financial situation to do currently (they're OK with signing as garentores though). I'm 100% ok with paying the rent at the moment until he finds a full time job (we've both recently graduated). We were going to sent up a joint account for rent and utilities.

The landlord wants my share to come from either my account or the joint account but his share to come from his parents account. Are they allowed to decide which account does what?

To answer your question, no usually it's absolutely nothing to do with the LL which account the money comes from, when the two tenants have proven ability to pay rent etc.

But this sounds like a prospective LL trying to work out your affordability to pay rent and other living expenses, And that they believe the two of you can't afford it and the only way they will give the tenancy is if his parents agree to pay half the rent and not just be guarantors in the event of non payment and arrears racking up. The proof of which would be to see it coming from their account.

BTW if your BF's parents are not in a position to pay 50% of the rent for now, if you both fall into arrears, they may end up paying 100% of the arrears and not just their son's half.

If you're so sure of your ability to afford it all, why not just agree to the LL's request and you give the money to the parents to transfer to the LL's from their account.

Messy I know, but if you want the house..............

dennyk

walkingpsycho wrote: »

The landlord wants my share to come from either my account or the joint account but his share to come from his parents account. Are they allowed to decide which account does what?

That is absolutely overstepping. Asking for his parents to sign as a guarantor on his lease agreement would be reasonable, but that should be the end of it unless the rent isn't being paid, in which case the landlord could choose to pursue his parents alone instead of all three of you in court for the arrears if they really wanted to. Where the rent money comes from makes no difference as long as it's being paid to the landlord in full and on time, though, and the landlord has no say in the origin of the payments. What they think is "fair" doesn't matter; your personal financial arrangements are none of their business as long as they're satisfied that you collectively meet whatever financial requirements they have in mind for their tenants. If they aren't comfortable with your financial situation and don't want to rent to you as a result, then they just shouldn't rent to you.

Graham

JustAThought wrote: »

Hilarious - another person who thinks the payment and security of the rent is not the landlords business!!! How many of these lefty delusional snowflakes are out there!!

Mod Note

JustAThought, quit soapboxing.

Do not reply to this post.

C3PO

JustAThought wrote: »

Not much point bothering with you so.
However, It could well be two rooms to rent in a houseshare, a lease each which she wanta to bankroll for his share or a jointly and severally accountable lease. All
of which screws her over if something goes wrong with her job,him, his meagre oart
time income, their relationship or the industry she is about to start working in. And yes - when the landlord is tied to her ability to make payments for their long term business deal it is his/her business. Something most idealogical
lefties omit.

OP - have you considered asking your bf how he going to lay his way in life other than living off you? A hundred or two a month will not go far towards his clothes or beer or takeaways or other personal costs let alone pay 12
hour a day heating bills to keep him warm, electricity bills while he sits in the house all day during lockdown, sky tv charges, broadband
costs, mobile phone bills ( each), as well as monthly food bills, netflix etc - all of which you will be 100% liable for As WELL as 100% of the rent. And thats even if he puts anything towards any of that, or stays the course. No wonder the LL is concerned. Not only does s/he have to worry about you entering a new job which may decide not to keep you or whose business may have tolet you go as a consequence of the negative ecomonic climate and global recession but they also have to worry about someone else in theor house/appartment who already has no proper full time income and no ability to pay but wants to live there with no guarantee anyway. I’m surprised they havn’t walked away from you both already. You must be very nice for them to be looking after you so well. Or maybe they just don’t want to see you taken advantage of -which IMO looks
like what is happening and certainly is what is
coming down the road for you, sadly, even if
you do not mind paying for him for the moment. Will he pay the thousands back
to you when he gets the job? Probably not.
If he cannot get his parents to underwrite his financial needs and living costs or to help him out how is he going to survive in life? Living off
other people? Charity? The dole? Vincent de Paul? . Of course he could just visit and have no residential or financial obligations and not be on the lease. But that may not be what you want. Or you may not be able to actually afford the flat without him. But if he signs nothing and has no aPpropriate income or guarantor then neither of you can afford the apartment and you should
look elsewhere. Perhaps a houseshare where they mihg accept an unemployed no income flatsharer sharing a bedroom. But I guess you might have difficulties with that too. Nobody likes to bankroll an long term risk. Unless its his parents. Most unrelated private individuals ,
landlords or businesses will not. The finamcial
risk for them is too real.


As regards your new job - congrats! I assume you will be on a contract rather than a straight up blue badge contract from when you go in? As everyone realises, you have no proper HR ‘rights’ to be kept in that job until you have been there a year and a day - by that I mean they can easily enough get rid of you if they need to for economic reasons until you have been working there uninterrupted for 366 days - landlords will be very aware of this too.

I imagine that, if the OP was looking for relationship advice, they would have posted in the appropriate forum?
To answer the OPs actual question, the Landlords request is extremely unusual and not one that I would accept. He is well within his rights to refuse to rent to the OP (and maybe even ask for a guarantor) but not to specify from where the rent is paid!

JustAThought

JustAThought wrote: »

Not much point bothering with you so.
However, It could well be two rooms to rent in a houseshare, a lease each which she wanta to bankroll for his share or a jointly and severally accountable lease. All of which screws her over if something goes wrong with her job,him, his meagre parttime income, their relationship or the industry she is about to start working in. And yes - when the landlord is tied to her ability to make payments for their long term business deal it is his/her business. Something most idealogical
lefties omit.

On the one hand you try to justify your argument by suggesting it's separate rooms in a share, the next you say that the op will be tied to his share of the rent. Pick a side will ya?

It's clearly not the first scenario so there's no need to move the goalposts.

The op is renting with her partner. Their combined ability to pay is all that should concern the landlord.

I pay the mortgage on my house, should the bank demand my wife get her parents to pay half because she doesn't work?

Morrisp

JustAThought wrote: »

Its not wierd at all - two tenants, not married, no job for one, needs two incomes or one enormous income - which I guess the OP dosn’t have.

I’ve had to sign jointly and severally accountable rental leases in the past - and paid the price - I wish my past landlords had been as generous towards my best interests as this landlord is towards the OP.

We are in uncertain economic times - you are generous towards your BF but perhaps your ll also sees that there is a possibility your BF may not get a job, or that you may decide to leave him Nd he cannot make the rent, or that he may break up with you but decide not to leave the rental
leaving you stuck paying for him while he dates another person, or that you may lose tour job through the ecomonic climate and then neither of you will be able to pay the rent.

Whatever way you spin it the LL is not (probably) your parent, owes you nothing and is fully at his right to ask for two rental incomes to cover the rent or two signatures on the lease and a guarantee of income from both. The LL could also decline to rent to you both as s/he sees you are too great a payment risk. Many of the new student hubs require either 9 months payment up
front or a parent guarantor - its not unusual anymore at all.

I’d say your LL is looking after your best interests in ways you cannot see because you are generous, and idealistic and young and in love. I’d also say they are more realistic about the costs and overheads of running two people and a rental from one small salary and how this can quickly get out of control with debt and delays and stress and high pressure and fallouts. Particularly when they moving in together for the first time in a lockdown situation and dreadful economic downturn and looming global recession across most industries.

Bull**** weird non his business end of

Graces7

Niner leprauchan wrote: »

This is very odd. Very odd indeed. I would be annoyed if I was you, your partner and his parents. Look somewhere else where the landlord wont be sticking his nose in like this.

FYI, greatest spelling of 'guarantor' ever

They call it phonetic spelling! Rather lovely!

Graces7

what immediately came to mind was MYOB

Both re the landlord and some here.

Then I wondered how the couple had laid themselves open to this? Had they (unwisely) started to " assure" the landlord how they were going to pay? And he took full advantage of that?

It should have been a simple business arrangement. As we all make when we rent.

How did it get to this?

10pennymixup

Graces7 wrote: »

what immediately came to mind was MYOB

Both re the landlord and some here.

Then I wondered how the couple had laid themselves open to this? Had they (unwisely) started to " assure" the landlord how they were going to pay? And he took full advantage of that?

It should have been a simple business arrangement. As we all make when we rent.

How did it get to this?

Swings and roundabouts, supply and demand.

10 years ago in the height of the last recession, LL's were often too glad to take nearly anyone as long as their property was bringing in some rent. It was a buyers market. Checks on affordability were mainly only done for the most prestigious rentals.

Now it's a sellers market. It's not taking advantage, it's business.

Don't like it get out of market and buy. Alternatively live with Mammy until the next big market change to the tenants favour, when as you put it, the tenant can "take advantage" of the seller/ LL.

Not condoning this, not praising it, just stating the reality.

mickdw

What happens in these times of covid when an eviction ban can be in place at any time - if i was a landlord, id certainly be doing whatever possible to ensure my rent would keep coming in. Allowing an unemployed graduate into a property is nuts imo as payments could stop immediately.
A guaranteed payment from a parent would be a far better bet.
I certainly wouldnt let these 2 into a property in current times...... its a receipe for having a non earning property.

PhoenixParker

jenneyk19 wrote: »

landlord can sign lease with you only
also your boyfriend can get help with rent payments from goverment

This.

When myself and my husband moved in together, he was working, I was job hunting. Husband's name was on the lease and he was solely liable. I was his licensee. Landlord was fine with that.

If we'd broken up, I would have moved out and he could have continued alone or gotten another roommate.

It's a lot simpler for a landlord in many ways.

poker--addict

Has the LL actually asked about “parents” or has OP filled in the personal blanks when LL has asked for “ guarantor” ?

It sounds super weird as described by OP. However, I think JustaThought did make a good point underneath his or her essay! The LL could see risk here, risk which means he could simple get someone else, who won’t be a problem in 3 months if a break up or further job loss happens. So it is plausible LL might be trying to mitigate the risk by suggesting a guarantor, in order to feel comfortable giving them an opportunity.

Hard to say without the detail or knowledge of LLs agenda.

micah537

Is LL trying to prevent the bf from using HAP?

10pennymixup

micah537 wrote: »

Is LL trying to prevent the bf from using HAP?

I thought that too and I'm guessing yes, if all are on the lease/ agreement the OP and BF would have a problem claiming HAP.

And as a bonus they might have a home owner/ waged/ not a man of straw/ someone worthwhile to come after if things went belly up. They more people jointly or severally liable on the lease agreement the better.

A guarantee agreement is worthless if the guarantor later claims they didn't receive independent advice from a professional prior to signing as a guarantor. And even harder for a LL to prove that the guarantor's did receive advice.

Or if they play dumb and claim they didn't fully understand. Only the threat of recouping losses from a guarantor has any weight or leverage in this country. Or so I've been previously advised.