Job reference for landlords..

hank scorpio89

hey guys hope to get a bit of advice on my current situation ....to cut a very long story short i am currently renting a small flat built onto my landlords home... i am currently not working and have only been able to afford to rent because of a family inheritance..problem is my lease is up next month and id like to move into something a bit better an apartment hopefully ..i should have no problem getting a landlord reference from my current place as we get on fine but people are telling me without a job reference no place will accept me ..im not receiving rent allowance just paying with the money ive got (i do receive a jobseekers payment tho)im just wondering how strict are landlords especially since the economy is bad surely they would be delighted to be getting tenants in?i have no problem affording rent as i explained i inherited money though my family home being sold..will they be happy with a bank statement perhaps??or is this more of a stigma attatched to being unemployed?any advice would be great :P

dobman88

Once you pay a deposit and then pay your rent on time it is none of your landlords business whether you work or not.

Some LL's won't accept RA but seeing how your not on that, it won't matter. They have every right to ask you for previous LL's references but not employment references. They are entering a business arrangement with you, not hiring you.

The_Conductor

Some landlords may ask for a work reference- I'd be open and forthcoming if I were you- and I really can't see why you'd have any issues. Its far from unusual to ask for a job reference- and indeed, a landlord will also ask for your PPSN to complete the PRTB registration. These are normal things. Neither are normally a show stopper.

jlm29

You're not on rent allowance, but I wonder will potential landlords think that as soon as you're in the door you'll be applying for it. It might be something that would put them off, so bear it in mind, and maybe explain your circumstances to them.

D3PO

dobman88 wrote: »

They have every right to ask you for previous LL's references but not employment references. They are entering a business arrangement with you, not hiring you.

They have every right to ask you for whatever the hell they like to ensure you are the kind of tenant they want to enter a business arrangement with.

Just because somebody isn't looking for RA when they move in doesn't mean they wont down the line. Somebody whos working is less likely to suddenly tell a LL 6 months later that they need forms filled in re RA etc. Somebody who isn't working has a higher chance of being put in that scenario.

Theres nothing illegal about a LL asking for a reference from your place of work, and many will. So you either do as is requestefd or your look for somebody who doesn't want one, but don't think for one minute that a LL has no business asking for one. If I were a LL I absolutely would be doing so.

snubbleste

Ask the landlord for references from previous tenants
a tax certificate & bank statement to prove he is solvent
proof that he has paid the nppr & property tax
a letter from his employer that he is of good character
etc.

D3PO

snubbleste wrote: »

Ask the landlord for references from previous tenants
a tax certificate & bank statement to prove he is solvent
proof that he has paid the nppr & property tax
a letter from his employer that he is of good character
etc.

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: this doesn't even warrant a proper response its so stupid and in now way is a comparison, but go ahead and do this. Im sure you will like being homeless when everybody tells you to do one.

The_Conductor

snubbleste wrote: »

Ask the landlord for references from previous tenants
a tax certificate & bank statement to prove he is solvent
proof that he has paid the nppr & property tax
a letter from his employer that he is of good character
etc.

Thats akin to my asking the cashier in my local Centra for a C2 tax clearance cert, before I'll buy my 2 litres of milk from her. Does not compute.

gaius c

The_Conductor wrote: »

Thats akin to my asking the cashier in my local Centra for a C2 tax clearance cert, before I'll buy my 2 litres of milk from her. Does not compute.

But if you were to enter a contract to buy all your milk for a 12 month period from the local Centra while paying each month upfront and also a monthly deposit that would be lost if you were to source your milk from elsewhere, then surely you'd want some peace of mind that the local Centra are capable of keeping up their end of the bargain?

The idea isn't completely without merit.

srsly78

I'm self-employed. Landlord asked everyone for job reference. I offered my accounts for the last few years, he said "ah that's grand no need".

The_Conductor

gaius c wrote: »

But if you were to enter a contract to buy all your milk for a 12 month period from the local Centra while paying each month upfront and also a monthly deposit that would be lost if you were to source your milk from elsewhere, then surely you'd want some peace of mind that the local Centra are capable of keeping up their end of the bargain?

The idea isn't completely without merit.

Not exactly. I have 2 young kids
I go through 3 litres of milk a day
They are in the business of selling milk
They have ran out of milk, ever (I've lived in the area for the last 39 years- and even during extreme weather- they have both been open, and had supplies)
I tend to buy milk there (its convenient)
If I had an imperative to buy milk there- it wouldn't be an issue (e.g. if they offered me a discount to the OMSP of milk- I'd happily pay in advance- akin to the Avonmore vouchers they kindly send you in the post)
I wouldn't have an issue with buying my milk there exclusively.

Anyhow- what the hell has this got to do with renting an apartment or a house? We're comparing apples with pineapples. Both are fruit- but there the similarity ends.

The local shop has no sunk cost associated with supplying the milk to me- a landlord does.

This whole comparison is ridiculous.

AllWasWell

I had been looking for a place for over a month and I couldn't get anywhere because I didn't have a work reference. I have since got a job and secured a place pretty quickly. I had a job over the summer and had plenty of savings. When I showed proof that I could support myself, they still didn't want to know. I also told them that I had interviews lined up and would more than likely be employed within a couple of weeks (which was the case) but they still weren't interested. My advice would be to say that you are working full time. Chances are they won't bother asking for a reference then. If they do, ask a friend to vouch for you. It's just my advice. You'll find it impossible for people even to let you view a place when you are unemployed. It's definitely a stigma thing! Best of luck with the apartment hunt anyway, I hope it works out for you!

gaius c

The_Conductor wrote: »

Not exactly. I have 2 young kids
I go through 3 litres of milk a day
They are in the business of selling milk
They have ran out of milk, ever (I've lived in the area for the last 39 years- and even during extreme weather- they have both been open, and had supplies)
I tend to buy milk there (its convenient)
If I had an imperative to buy milk there- it wouldn't be an issue (e.g. if they offered me a discount to the OMSP of milk- I'd happily pay in advance- akin to the Avonmore vouchers they kindly send you in the post)
I wouldn't have an issue with buying my milk there exclusively.

Anyhow- what the hell has this got to do with renting an apartment or a house? We're comparing apples with pineapples. Both are fruit- but there the similarity ends.

The local shop has no sunk cost associated with supplying the milk to me- a landlord does.

This whole comparison is ridiculous.

In the same way that it's a legal requirement (oft ignored I know) to provide a BER rating, shouldn't it be a legal requirement for the landlord to furnish a (hypothetical) unique PRTB landlord number so you can check for yourself if there are disputes in the PRTB database and the nature of them?

In the same way that landlords are entitled to check if their prospective tenants are house-destroying locusts, shouldn't tenants be entitled to check if their prospective landlord is another Garda Galvin type. Likewise, a landlord wants assurances that a prospective tenant is capable of paying the rent. Why shouldn't a tenant have assurances that the landlord is compliant with management charges, etc before they move in?

We regularly look for protection & assurances whenever we do business with a new company we are not familiar with. Why shouldn't tenancy agreements be treated exactly the same...a business transaction because right now, tenants' protection under tenancy law is very vague when a property is repossessed due to an underwater landlord or when a management company change the locks on a building because the landlord hasn't paid his management fees?

hank scorpio89

cheers for all the replies guys..so basically im just going to have to try my luck with different places and hope someone isint as pushy for the job reference .im hoping my landlord reference might put them a little more at ease ...i hope to be back working soon anyhow its just i told my current landlord id probably take off after the lease was up now im kind of panicking about the situation..silly me ..also in appreciate the responses but the milk and supermarket debate is kind of irrelevant and not very helpful

Zulu

I always ask for a job ref.

OP, if you came to me and explained that you were working off an inheritance, and didn't "need" to work, I'd be doubous but probably be okay with a good landlord ref. Just be honest. The biggest mistake to make her is to lie.

D3PO

AllWasWell wrote: »

My advice would be to say that you are working full time. Chances are they won't bother asking for a reference then. If they do, ask a friend to vouch for you. It's just my advice.

Any LL that asks you for a reference is likely going to want a written one, or is probably going to be conscientious enough to verify the reference is legitimate.

Your not going to be able to just provide your friends mobile number and think that's ok, and it doesn't take much for them to call your friend find out about your job (where you work , for how long have you been there etc) and then to ring back 5 mins later to reception and ask to be put through to you.

When no record of you exists your out of luck and If the LL is pissed off enough by your deceit, he may or may not get your friend in a world of trouble and possibly fired from their job by reporting their abuse of their company position to try and commit fraud.

hank scorpio89

oh i im not of the mind that i dont have to work(of course we all wish we didnt tho )im just explaining that for the foreseeable future i am comfortable for money but of course im planning to get back to work and am looking into returning to college etc ..

xper

hank scorpio89 wrote: »

... i am currently not working and have only been able to afford to rent because of a family inheritance..problem is my lease is up next month and id like to move into something a bit better an apartment hopefully ..

Hi OP,
I know that this is not what you asked about and I am not fully informed of your particular situation but, unless the place you are in now is really poor, I would think long and hard about increasing the monthly drain on this lump sum you have come into. Most of us would like to live in a place that's slightly better than what we have now but an inheritance can for many people be the foundation stone of your financial future, for such things as buying a long term home or providing for your old age and chipping away at it early on more than is necessary would seem short-sighted. I'll leave it at that as food for thought, I don't have all the facts.



Regarding what you did ask..
When landlords ask a prospective tenant for a job reference they are just looking or a short letter from your employer confirming that you work there. Its a very vanilla statement, it wouldn't mention your salary. Its just to reassure themselves that you have a steady income and so have the means to pay the rent. They are not looking for the type of reference that might accompany a job application.
You have a slightly unusual situation. In your case, an alternative might be a letter from your bank where you have this money that your financial affairs are in good order and you have the resources to pay an average monthly rent.

hank scorpio89

hi xper thanks for your reply yes you are quite right in what you said i have to be honest i am debating that myself..the place i am in is not exactly bad to be honest but it is very small and it does have several issues ..damp lack of privacy etc ..also i told my landlord that i would probably leave after the lease was up which was obviously a silly move not knowing what my plan was it was a spur of the moment thing ..i have to speak to her today so i may tell her i've changed mind until i can get a job and be a little more financially independent.

athtrasna

As a landlord the employer's reference is more important to me than the previous landlord because it's much harder to fake.

JustAThought

hank scorpio89 wrote: »

hi xper thanks for your reply yes you are quite right in what you said i have to be honest i am debating that myself..the place i am in is not exactly bad to be honest but it is very small and it does have several issues ..damp lack of privacy etc ..also i told my landlord that i would probably leave after the lease was up which was obviously a silly move not knowing what my plan was it was a spur of the moment thing ..i have to speak to her today so i may tell her i've changed mind until i can get a job and be a little more financially independent.

I agree with the poster who said about saving your funds & asking for the RA - if your landlord currently knows you and you have ha a good solid financial relationship s/he is much more likely to accept and sign the forms for Rent Allowance for you. A quick appointment wih citizens advise should help you clarify if or what amount you can have saved to still qualify for this - perhaps a post on State Benefits forum here could tell you either! Makes sense to recieve it if you can - 20k or so is quickly spent but much harder to save.

Re references - I always say references required to keep away the messers, but never ask for them once I commit :0 so far so good...When you trust a person & they pay cash & the story sounds reasonable it's usually ok... And anyone can get their friend in a shop to lie & give a reference . Some have asked me as a renter for payslips.. So mind that ...

odds_on

hank scorpio89 wrote: »

oh i im not of the mind that i dont have to work(of course we all wish we didnt tho )im just explaining that for the foreseeable future i am comfortable for money but of course im planning to get back to work and am looking into returning to college etc ..

A tenant who does not have a job and seeking one, may find a job in another part of the country and be looking to break the lease which could be more hassle for the landlord, especially if the tenant does not find a replacement for an assignment.

A tenant with a job, especially for several years in the same company, is more likely to remain in the job and therefore in the rented property.