Are People Stupid?

Kintarō Hattori

Well obviously not everyone is but the last two weeks have seen me think about this perhaps a little more than I really need too. The GF and myself are trying to move out of the house we've rented and we've put up an advert on daft to try and find new tenants.

At the bottom of the advert, totally seperate from the main text I very clearly state (in black and white) that I can be contacted after 6:30pm and that rent allowance is not accepted.
About 80% of the calls I've taken in regards to the property have been pre-6:30 while I'm still in work and I've been asked more times via email and while on the phone if we accept rent allowance!

It's really quite irritating that people can't be bothered to follow a simple request. Have people made you question anything recently?

jdivision

Why don't you move it up the ad so it's seen earlier.

Kintarō Hattori

jdivision wrote: »

Why don't you move it up the ad so it's seen earlier.

The convention seems to be having at the end of the advert and I don't want to start the advert on what can be perceived as a negative.

weemcd

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Are People Stupid?

yes, sometimes inherently so.

Eglinton

Yea I had an ad up a while back cleary stating (with bullet points) no students, no couples, no smokers. More or less the same result as Kintaro. Heaps of enquiries from couples and students.

Also I once gave a room to someone who absolutely told me they didn't smoke. Yeah right. As well as stupid people, there are also plenty of liars.

One thing you could do is just take enquiries over emails. I couldn't stick the phone calls after after my first ad. Makes it easier to ignore the dumb ones.

One time I put an ad up saying 'Only intelligent people need apply'. Lots of people actually liked that and I got plenty of responses from sound people.

studiorat

Ringing before 6.30pm is probably just people trying to get in ahead of the rest and don't forget some people start work at that time too.

I don't see the problem, if you are busy don't answer the phone.

Kintarō Hattori

studiorat wrote: »

Ringing before 6.30pm is probably just people trying to get in ahead of the rest and don't forget some people start work at that time too.

I don't see the problem, if you are busy don't answer the phone.

Ringing before 6:30 is inconvenient for me which is why I specified calling after that time. If they can't call because their working they can email.

I will answer the phone as every enquiry about the place potentially gives us the means to move out.

John Mason

oh tell me about it:rolleyes:

mine said no, couples, no men, :rolleyes:and a good standard of english, and work references


all i got were foreign couples with no english whatsoever:rolleyes:

mind you, they probably couldnt understand the ad:)

T-Square

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Well obviously not everyone is but the last two weeks have seen me think about this perhaps a little more than I really need too. The GF and myself are trying to move out of the house we've rented and we've put up an advert on daft to try and find new tenants.

At the bottom of the advert, totally seperate from the main text I very clearly state (in black and white) that I can be contacted after 6:30pm and that rent allowance is not accepted.
About 80% of the calls I've taken in regards to the property have been pre-6:30 while I'm still in work and I've been asked more times via email and while on the phone if we accept rent allowance!

It's really quite irritating that people can't be bothered to follow a simple request. Have people made you question anything recently?

Switch your phone to Meeting.
People are simply trying to get ahead, and find a place.

With regard to foreign couples, so what if they don't speak English, you are renting a room, not a life.

John Mason

T-Square wrote: »

With regard to foreign couples, so what if they don't speak English, you are renting a room, not a life.

well if someone is going to be renting a room in my house, i would like to be able to have a conversation with them.

i lived with a spanish couple for year, who had very little english and it was painful

Kintarō Hattori

T-Square wrote: »

Switch your phone to Meeting.
People are simply trying to get ahead, and find a place.

So because they're trying to get ahead they can do what they like and not respect the wishes of the person they want to deal with. Is that what you're telling me?

Jo King

I remember specifying in an ad " No parking". At the viewing this girl turned up with loads of queries about parking. I asked her if she had read the ad. Yes she had. I asked why had she come to ask about parking? She though maybe I might have it!!! It happens all the time when advertising accommodation. You say "small single room"; You will get phone call after phone call asking if there is a double bed in the room. You tell them to turn left at the pub; You will get a phone call an hour after they should have come, saying they turned right at the pub, and want directions back from the next county.

UnderpantsGnome

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

So because they're trying to get ahead they can do what they like and not respect the wishes of the person they want to deal with. Is that what you're telling me?

You have every right to specify exactly who you want to rent a room/flat to but people with attitudes like yours will need to cop on to themselves and to reality during this recession. The property bubble has burst and snobbery like "no couples" "no rent allowance" "no foreigners" will die out one way or another.

Rowley Birkin QC

What is the story with the No rent allowance found in most ads? Just a presumption of scumbaggery??

UnderpantsGnome

bigkev49 wrote: »

What is the story with the No rent allowance found in most ads? Just a presumption of scumbaggery??

Probably not always but it's most likely fair to say it's 5% lanlords who are not registered with the PRTB, 15% misguided ignorance and 80% old-school, stuck-up attitudes to people on low incomes.

Kintarō Hattori

UnderpantsGnome wrote: »

You have every right to specify exactly who you want to rent a room/flat to but people with attitudes like yours will need to cop on to themselves and to reality during this recession. The property bubble has burst and snobbery like "no couples" "no rent allowance" "no foreigners" will die out one way or another.

I think you need to go and re-read this thread sir. I haven't said anything about not renting to couples or foreigners. I'll rent the place to anyone who wants it.

How do I have an attitude exactly? I'm mildly miffed that people can't follow some basic instructions and not ring me when I'm in work. I don't own the property. I'm not the landlord. I'm the current tenant. If we can get someone else in we can move on. In relation to rent allowance, our PRTB registered landlord advertised the place with no rent allowance so I'm merely doing the same as he won't approve anyone who wants it.

UnderpantsGnome

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

I think you need to go and re-read this thread sir. I haven't said anything about not renting to couples or foreigners.

I was not specifically referring to you. I was referring to people who do discriminate on the aforementioned grounds. The fact that you feel the need to defend yourself says more than I ever could.

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

In relation to rent allowance, our PRTB registered landlord advertised the place with no rent allowance so I'm merely doing the same as he won't approve anyone who wants it.

Then you really shouldn't have taken offense. Seeing as it's your landlord at whom the comments were aimed.

Ergo, your landlord will need to cop on to the fact that some recently decent, hard-working people are now on low incomes or in receipt of Social Welfare assistance and/or Rent Supplement (it's not called Rent Allowance anymore). Otherwise his properties will remain empty. Which is no less than he and his attitude deserve.

Kintarō Hattori

UnderpantsGnome wrote: »

I was not specifically referring to you. I was referring to people who do discriminate on the aforementioned grounds. The fact that you feel the need to defend yourself says more than I ever could.

I wasn't defending myself.

You mentioned 'people with attitudes like yours'. That's a pretty direct statement. You then followed on with 'The property bubble has burst and snobbery like "no couples" "no rent allowance" "no foreigners" will die out one way or another'. This could easily lead people to believe that I had said something against renting to couples or foreigners.

You weren't terribly clear and from your posts so far in this thread you appear to have a chip on your shoulder in relation to landlords which you seemed to think I was.

UnderpantsGnome

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

You then followed on with ... This could easily lead people to believe that I had said something against renting to couples or foreigners.

So people may read what I've written and assume incorrectly? That would mean a misunderstanding. On the Internet?! I don't think that's possible really but if it does happen I shall contact Ripleys.

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

you appear to have a chip on your shoulder in relation to landlords

The chip isn't landlords. It's people renting out rooms or properties who still seem to think that they can pick and choose every aspect of the person to whom they rent their properties.

"The bubble has burst" means that they once could, but those days are over. Those who refuse to wake up and realise the fact are the ones who will have properties/rooms that remain empty. Which is no less than they deserve.

astrofool

that's quite a rant for what is an unrelated topic.

MelonieHead

That's quite a useless comment. The topic is Are people stupid? It would seem so.

MysticalSoul

I have a room to rent stating "no couples", and I got an enquiry about the room today from a family :eek:

AARRRGH

UnderpantsGnome wrote: »

Probably not always but it's most likely fair to say it's 5% lanlords who are not registered with the PRTB, 15% misguided ignorance and 80% old-school, stuck-up attitudes to people on low incomes.

I disagree. I have been renting out a room in my apartment for about 10 years. It has taught me that there are an incredibly large amount of weirdos/scumbags in this country, so I now have an extremely low risk policy when it comes to who I'll rent the room to.

One major recurring issue is I've lived with people who don't have a lot of money. Invariably this leads to people not wanting to pay their bills and rent.

One girl in particular (total fruitcake, should probably be hospitalised) used to say "I can't pay the rent". I'd reply "so when will you have the money?". And she'd reply, "I just can't pay it". It wasn't until I threatened kicking her out that she'd pay the rent. This went on every month until I finally kicked her out. She actually thought she would be able to live rent free. What a tool.

Xiney

There are two things in this world that are guaranteed to turn you into a cynical misanthrope:

co workers

room mates




If they don't, you're probably the one making everyone see the glass half empty.

KadMunky

I think people are just hedging their bets when they ring. They read the ad and they understand. Quite possibly they believe it is a buyers market and that they have grounds to negotiate a fair deal-even if that means adjusting the original criteria. God loves a trier as they say. And the Rent Allowance thing-it could be viewed as snobbery but there is also a belief that if somebody is paying for something then that person would be more respectful of that item. Ergo if somebody is paying rent for a nice apartment, it is likely that tenant will take good care of that property. If somebody is recieving rent allowance they might adopt an attitude where they don't have to respect the property as they are not paying for it.

Yes I know that the above statement about rent allow is not necessarily true but you do have to be open minded, dont just think it is stereotypical snobbery-we have moved on from that in general.

Victor

Humans are intelligent, people are stupid.

SoupyNorman

AARRRGH wrote: »

I disagree. I have been renting out a room in my apartment for about 10 years. It has taught me that there are an incredibly large amount of weirdos/scumbags in this country, so I now have an extremely low risk policy when it comes to who I'll rent the room to.

One major recurring issue is I've lived with people who don't have a lot of money. Invariably this leads to people not wanting to pay their bills and rent.

One girl in particular (total fruitcake, should probably be hospitalised) used to say "I can't pay the rent". I'd reply "so when will you have the money?". And she'd reply, "I just can't pay it". It wasn't until I threatened kicking her out that she'd pay the rent. This went on every month until I finally kicked her out. She actually thought she would be able to live rent free. What a tool.

I must commend your patience to be able to rent a room to strangers, and over such an extended period of time too, I couldn't last 6months with a family member.

I would imagine you could write a book with stories of weird, funny and scary behavior!

Zippie84

had the exact same problem when advertising my house.... so annoying!