A question for landlords

rawn

Myself, my partner, my friend and her partner plus my brother and his partner, are currently looking to rent somewhere in Dublin. Few questions

1. Would a landlord accept students as tenants who are in receipt of BTEA? Four of us are in college, 2 are working part time.
2. Would a landlord be likely to tell us that they would rather a family living in the home rather than a group?
3. If a landlord specifies on the website that he won't accept rent allowance, is that set in stone? Would be send us away if we asked? (Bearing in mind we might not ask, we can afford the rent without it but it would of course be a great help)
4. If a listing doesn't specify anything about pets, does that mean they will allow them? (My friend had a 5 month old puppy, that is extremely well trained, never barks, never messes with furniture) 5. If we arrange to view a house, should we tell all these details prior to the viewing? and should we all go at the same time or 2 at a time?
6. Are we better off going through an estate agent or responding to listings ourselves via daft/rent.ie?

I know a lot of landlords would be afraid that we'd be loud and messy, but we're not. We're all quiet, well spoken computer nerds, which I know will come across as soon as they meet us even if they have certain expectations once they hear us mention RA. Also bearing in mind that the properties we're looking at are in the region of €1150 - €1450, which a lot of families may not afford so maybe the landlord would be more open to a group?

Thanks in advance!

MouseTail

I think you will find it difficult to find a place (3 bed?), that the LL will be happy to let to 6 adults. Its just too much wear and tear.

rawn

MouseTail wrote: »

I think you will find it difficult to find a place (3 bed?), that the LL will be happy to let to 6 adults. Its just too much wear and tear.

Myself and my partner just moved out of a big 5 bed house that we shared with 5 others, was going to find another willing landlord like her

djimi

The issue of the pets might be tricky. Not many places will allow pets, even if the advert doesnt specify that they are forbidden. You might be able to sway the landlord by offering a larger deposit, but its going to limit your options a lot I would have thought.

On the subject of the number of tenants, I would have thought that for the sake of all of your sanity if nothing else you are going to be looking at renting something bigger than a 3 bedroom semi if you are looking to accommodate 6 people, so hopefully that wont be too much of an issue, provided you are looking at the right type of house.

D3PO

a house for 6 adults on RA and with a 5 week old puppy (which is a disgrace as puppies should not be seperated from their parents that young but thats a while diff conversation)

The words slim pickings spring to mind !

rawn

D3PO wrote: »

a house for 6 adults on RA and with a 5 week old puppy (which is a disgrace as puppies should not be seperated from their parents that young but thats a while diff conversation)

The words slim pickings spring to mind !

Apologies, she's 5 months not 5 weeks

rawn

djimi wrote: »

The issue of the pets might be tricky. Not many places will allow pets, even if the advert doesnt specify that they are forbidden. You might be able to sway the landlord by offering a larger deposit, but its going to limit your options a lot I would have thought.

On the subject of the number of tenants, I would have thought that for the sake of all of your sanity if nothing else you are going to be looking at renting something bigger than a 3 bedroom semi if you are looking to accommodate 6 people, so hopefully that wont be too much of an issue, provided you are looking at the right type of house.

We were looking at one house in particular that was 4 bed + converted attic, it's within our price range but beyond what most families could afford. Am I better of not broaching the subject of RA at all?

dazed+confused

D3PO wrote: »

a house for 6 adults on RA and with a 5 week old puppy (which is a disgrace as puppies should not be seperated from their parents that young but thats a while diff conversation)

The words slim pickings spring to mind !

The words "saw rent allowance and immediately mounted high horse" spring to mind.

whippet

i'd recommend being as open as possible with landlords .. do not hide anything from the outset as this will affect your relationship and potentially lead you to being in breech of the lease from outset.

Make the assumption that unless the advert says 'pets welcome' that they are not welcome (totally different topic but I am a dog owner and a landlord - I wouldn't rent my house out to someone with pets)

I would suggest that all six are present at any viewing / meeting; the landlord / EA will want to see and meet everyone who will be living in the house.

And finally ..... 6 adults in one house - 3 couples - seriously please consider this carefully; when I was young and renting I never had a good experience with living with another couple !!!!

Also, from a Landlords perspective the prospect of three couples managing to live together for the duration of a lease would be a concern; I would say the chances of the tenants breaking the lease early would be relatively high and some might not want to take on that risk !

D3PO

dazed+confused wrote: »

The words "saw rent allowance and immediately mounted high horse" spring to mind.

Care to elobarate ?

If you disagree with my post then explain why ? Im not on any high horse the reality of the situation is the reality.

Renting to 6 people, renting to somebody with a pet and renting to somebody with RA all have varying levels of acceptance with different landlords rightly or wrongly.

Add all 3 together and that makes the situation extremly difficult for the OP to find a property. Thats the reality of the situation.

Have to say your username does really reflect your though process though. Very apt.

dazed+confused

D3PO wrote: »

Care to elobarate ?

If you disagree with my post then explain why ? Im not on any high horse the reality of the situation is the reality.

Renting to 6 people, renting to somebody with a pet and renting to somebody with RA all have varying levels of acceptance with different landlords rightly or wrongly.

Add all 3 together and that makes the situation extremly difficult for the OP to find a property. Thats the reality of the situation.

Have to say your username does really reflect your though process though. Very apt.

No, it was a question about renting and you turned it into a lecture on dog ownwership.

rawn

whippet wrote: »

i'd recommend being as open as possible with landlords .. do not hide anything from the outset as this will affect your relationship and potentially lead you to being in breech of the lease from outset.

Make the assumption that unless the advert says 'pets welcome' that they are not welcome (totally different topic but I am a dog owner and a landlord - I wouldn't rent my house out to someone with pets)

I would suggest that all six are present at any viewing / meeting; the landlord / EA will want to see and meet everyone who will be living in the house.

And finally ..... 6 adults in one house - 3 couples - seriously please consider this carefully; when I was young and renting I never had a good experience with living with another couple !!!!

Also, from a Landlords perspective the prospect of three couples managing to live together for the duration of a lease would be a concern; I would say the chances of the tenants breaking the lease early would be relatively high and some might not want to take on that risk !

The last house I lived in was with another couple plus 3 other individuals, I can handle it we're all long term friend, been with our partners long term, plus one of the guys is my brother we're all computer nerds so tend to spend most of our days in our rooms either studying or gaming! Also, we have no desire to hide anything from the landlord, it's not our style. Thanks for advice, I was afraid that 6 people all at once would scare a landlord haha, was suggesting found down in twos

rawn

I would assume that landlords are opposed to pets because they tend to bark all night and chew on furniture? I'm sure they've heard all the reassurances in the world but this dog is particularly well behaved and never barks or chews on anything. However we would be willing to offer a cash guarentee along with the deposit, is that something a landlord would be open to?

D3PO

dazed+confused wrote: »

No, it was a question about renting and you turned it into a lecture on dog ownwership.

No I made a comment based on the original post which Im fully entitled to do and then stated it was a whole different conversation. The comment still stands though and anyway the OP calrified that they had made a typo.

If you want to discuss what you feel are your problems with me looking out for animal welfare further you can PM me

If you have a problem with my previous post click the report post button.

djimi

rawn wrote: »

I would assume that landlords are opposed to pets because they tend to bark all night and chew on furniture? I'm sure they've heard all the reassurances in the world but this dog is particularly well behaved and never barks or chews on anything. However we would be willing to offer a cash guarentee along with the deposit, is that something a landlord would be open to?

Yes, the issue is that dogs tend to dig, scratch, chew and shed hair everywhere, so at best there will be a higher level of cleaning required, and at worst the place could end up destroyed. Id say offering a (much) larger deposit would help, as would a reference from your current landlord regarding the dog.

bobshort

I am a landlord also and I have let a house to large groups in the past and not had a problem. The dog may only become a problem if theres nowhere to let him clean himself and is not exercised every day.
Can you state when you need the house for as I may know of a house that's becoming vacant due to one couple having got work overseas. Also please state what area you need the house .
Regards
Bobshort

rawn

bobshort wrote: »

I am a landlord also and I have let a house to large groups in the past and not had a problem. The dog may only become a problem if theres nowhere to let him clean himself and is not exercised every day.
Can you state when you need the house for as I may know of a house that's becoming vacant due to one couple having got work overseas. Also please state what area you need the house .
Regards
Bobshort

Pm'd, thanks Bobshort

All the places we have been considering have gardens, but she is walked every day anyways. She's a miniature Jack Russell, I'm not too sure how much that breed sheds

rawn

bobshort wrote: »

I am a landlord also and I have let a house to large groups in the past and not had a problem. The dog may only become a problem if theres nowhere to let him clean himself and is not exercised every day.
Can you state when you need the house for as I may know of a house that's becoming vacant due to one couple having got work overseas. Also please state what area you need the house .
Regards
Bobshort

Pm'd, thanks Bobshort

All the places we have been considering have gardens, but she is walked every day anyways. She's a miniature Jack Russell, I'm not too sure how much that breed sheds

the_syco

rawn wrote: »

Also bearing in mind that the properties we're looking at are in the region of €1150 - €1450, which a lot of families may not afford so maybe the landlord would be more open to a group?

Thanks in advance!

This in Dublin?

rawn

the_syco wrote: »

This in Dublin?

Yes, the D15 area in particular

bobshort

I doubt if you will have a problem finding a house for that amount (€1300) in D15 . My friends house is in D8 but I,m not sure when the tenants have to move.
Good luck with your search.

Bobshort

Borderfox

That many people in a three bed would ring alarm bells for me. I had rent allowance tenants in my house and the only trouble they had was getting their money. Adding a pet on top of the will leave you with a small amount of options.

When I was younger I lived with two couples in a three bed and it was a nightmare, especially when they broke up/made up with each other.

A few years ago my place was sublet and I found 8 people living in the house, shower/washing machine/dryer all had to be replaced with the amount of usage

Mrs OBumble

When you first contact the LL, mention your ages and say it's you, your brother and a friend, and then turn up at the interview with your partners, and references from p/t work and from previous LLs.

Establish your maturity and geekness levels in their mind before you mention the diifficult topics viz the dog (not optional) and RA (optional).

So - don't hide anything, but also don't dump the full truth on them up-front.

NB with you and your brother living together, you are a kind of family. Don't sweat the dad/mum/kids bit - as you say, many can't afford it.

the_syco

rawn wrote: »

Yes, the D15 area in particular

http://www.daft.ie/21418455 at €1,300 would probably suit you. It's gone up €50 in the last couple of days, so I'm assuming there's interest in it.

athtrasna

Beware...dogs are not permitted in most of the recent (post 2000) builds in D15 as most of these developments have management companies and the rules apply to houses as well as apartments.

As an ex-landlord I would never have rented a three bed to six adults and to be honest, most three beds don't have three bedrooms big enough to accommodate two adults. It's almost always a master, another ok sized room and a box room. I would suspect you need to look at four beds (which may also bring an extra bathroom) but unlikely to find at your budget. There is high demand for rented property in D15, houses are rarely empty for long.

DoozerT6

athtrasna wrote: »

As an ex-landlord I would never have rented a three bed to six adults and to be honest, most three beds don't have three bedrooms big enough to accommodate two adults.

This is going to be your biggest issue I would imagine, you would need to look at 4/5 bed properties to get bedrooms big enough for three couples - even then, Couple 1 will probably have a lovely big en-suite room, while Couple 3 will probably (if they're lucky) have a room barely big enough for a double bed, and no en-suite. Also, the more bedrooms, the more rent you'll pay.

If three couples want to live together, a standard three (or even four)-bed semi won't be big enough. Think of living space, kitchen space, (you're going to need a big fridge! ), storage space, not to mention privacy!!!

Unless you can manage to afford a very large house, realistically you will probably end up all on top of each other, and get on each other's nerves. I would think carefully.

djimi

the_syco wrote: »

http://www.daft.ie/21418455 at €1,300 would probably suit you. It's gone up €50 in the last couple of days, so I'm assuming there's interest in it.

Bit of a stretch calling that boxroom a double in fairness!

djimi

DoozerT6 wrote: »

Unless you can manage to afford a very large house, realistically you will probably end up all on top of each other, and get on each other's nerves. I would think carefully.

Yeah this is what I was getting at above. A 3 bed house like the one linked above is nowhere near big enough for 6 people. Realistically you are going to want a house with 3 proper sized bedrooms (at least 2 en suite) and a couple of common area rooms (not just a small sitting room and tiny kitchen). I dont think youre going to find what you want in a semi d.

the_syco

djimi wrote: »

Bit of a stretch calling that boxroom a double in fairness!

Eeeps! Just re-checked. I think the bed in the box room may be a large single instead of a small double!

rawn wrote: »

1. Would a landlord accept students as tenants who are in receipt of BTEA? Four of us are in college, 2 are working part time.

Any thoughts on BTEA compared to the usual RA? Is it better or worse from a landlords POV?

Also, OP, do you have the first months rent and deposit available up front?

rawn

the_syco wrote: »

Eeeps! Just re-checked. I think the bed in the box room may be a large single instead of a small double!


Any thoughts on BTEA compared to the usual RA? Is it better or worse from a landlords POV?

Also, OP, do you have the first months rent and deposit available up front?

Yes we have all our monies together.

I was hoping the BTEA would be more preferable than standard dole, pretty much because it shows we're not wasters!

http://www.daft.ie/searchrental.daft?id=1417633 is a house we were looking at that seemed more than perfect in terms of space

And thanks Mrs O Bumble that's great advice

djimi

rawn wrote: »

http://www.daft.ie/searchrental.daft?id=1417633 is a house we were looking at that seemed more than perfect in terms of space

Maybe its just me, but even a house like that I cant see 6 adults living in it without eventually seriously getting under each others skin. Living areas are just not that big (that small living room is the most pointless thing I have ever seen; should have been left as a garage).

rawn

djimi wrote: »

Maybe its just me, but even a house like that I cant see 6 adults living in it without eventually seriously getting under each others skin. Living areas are just not that big (that small living room is the most pointless thing I have ever seen; should have been left as a garage).

As I said, I lived in a house previously with my partner and 5 other adults. The living room area is not a problem because we don't use it, we stayed in our rooms most of the time (cos that's where our computers are). Our last house had a similar sized living room and a smaller kitchen, and no storage area, it didn't bother us.

I think that's the plus side to renting to students, we just make do with what we have as long as we can afford it! And ya won't hear us whingeing to the landlord that the walls should be painted and carpets and mattresses replaced before we move in and all that crap. We just make do :P

Victor

D3PO wrote: »

Have to say your username does really reflect your though process though. Very apt.

You know better than to make personal comments.

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