Work reference for landlord? I'm not working! Any ideas?

ArcanumTom

Ok here's the skinny...

I've just paid a deposit off a rented house this morning. But the landlord is looking for loads of stuff:

Previous landlord reference
Bank reference
PPS Number
and a Work reference

Now, I'm not working at the mo, I'm in college and I get a fairly large grant to do so. So affording the rent won't be much of a problem.

Has anyone else encountered this? Seems like the landlord wants a lot of stuff from me, no?

Anyway, should i try to make something up about being employed? Should I just come out straight and say I'm not working? Any help would be really appreciated.

CARPE DIEM
Tom

fightingfit

Fairly straightforward, get a reference from college, same thing. Unless he specified no students!

BC

fightingfit wrote:

Fairly straightforward, get a reference from college, same thing. Unless he specified no students!

It isn't really the same thing. The usual reason for asking for a work reference is to prove that you have an income to pay the rent.

OP - Can you get proof that you have the funds?

Jocksy

I'm a grad student but I get paid a wage so I just get my supervisor to say I'm a research assistant. That keeps them happy.

ArcanumTom

Thanks for the feedback guys, I appreciate it a lot.

Well, the grant I get is from the social welfare, and no matter what way you look at it, it looks bad. So I don't want the landlord to know about this. Two plans haven't worked already and now I'm trying to think of more. I don't want to say I'm self-employed because there's no guarantee of income in that. So... what to do next?! AHHH!!!!

Calina

Out of interest, why does he want the PPS number? Is it just to prove that you're legit? No landlord has ever requested one from me.

EKRIUQ

Calina wrote:

Out of interest, why does he want the PPS number? Is it just to prove that you're legit? No landlord has ever requested one from me.

All tennents have to be registered with the tennancies board and the PPS number is needed to do this.

TCollins

why did you pay the deposit when you knew you may lose it if you dont come up with the requested documents? Thats just silly.

Try being honest with him. He might just go with it.

ArcanumTom

TCollins wrote:

why did you pay the deposit when you knew you may lose it if you dont come up with the requested documents? Thats just silly.

Try being honest with him. He might just go with it.

I should have clarified, sorry. We're dealing with a letting agency, and becuase the market for rented accomodation is fierce at the moment, we had to take a chance on it. Pay down, worry later.

Besides, we won't lose the deposit anyway, because if the landlord decides not to go with us and instead with someone else, he'll have to give us the deposit back. I'm not worried about that.

The_Conductor

ArcanumTom wrote:

I should have clarified, sorry. We're dealing with a letting agency, and becuase the market for rented accomodation is fierce at the moment, we had to take a chance on it. Pay down, worry later.

Besides, we won't lose the deposit anyway, because if the landlord decides not to go with us and instead with someone else, he'll have to give us the deposit back. I'm not worried about that.

In that case, be honest with him, lay your cards on the table. If he/she is happy enough- fine, if not, you get your deposit back (and unfortunately are back in the market for property to rent once again).

ArcanumTom

Well, after all that, I'll hopefully have this reference thing sorted by tomorrow morning . Thanks everyone for your help, I really really appreciate your time.

CARPE DIEM
Tom