How can I get a place to rent without work or landlord references?

cant even username rn

Hi there

I am currently looking for a place of my own to rent. However, I am facing much more difficulty than I thought with this aim. I've contacted all the landlords and/or letting agents I can so far. Unfortunately, it seems to me that they are a lot less likely to consider me as a potential tenant as I am self-employed (I literally could find no other way of making money of any other kind since the crash, and it's now going too well to walk away from) and have been obliged to live with my parents for the past few years. Accordingly, I have no references from landlords or a workplace. Frankly, I find it ironic that, even though I can now afford it, I still can't get somewhere of my own.

So, my question is: is there any alternative to these references I can offer to convince landlords I am a worthwhile tenant? This situation is getting to me now, particularly as I am going crazy where I am now. TIA for answers

Salary Negotiator

Offer a bigger deposit and a few months rent up front.

cant even username rn

Salary Negotiator wrote: »

Offer a bigger deposit and a few months rent up front.

Maybe. Then again, that implies the risk of losing said bigger deposit

antix80

cant even username rn wrote: »

Maybe. Then again, that implies the risk of losing said bigger deposit

Exactly!

Salary Negotiator

cant even username rn wrote: »

Maybe. Then again, that implies the risk of losing said bigger deposit

That's the point, a bigger deposit reduces the landlord's risk.

You could ask that after 12 months the additional deposit over 1 month (or whatever the landlord originally asked for) is returned as by that time you should have shown yourself to be a decent tenant.

cant even username rn

cant even username rn wrote: »

Maybe. Then again, that implies the risk of losing said bigger deposit

You have to ask yourself, why would a LL rent to you over a tenant with previous rental and work references? In over to overcome that, you are going to have to show a LL that you are less of a risk than that implies, by offering a bigger deposit or pay a few months in advance. The LL has a lot more to lose than you if you are a bad tenant.

Samuel T. Cogley

Rent a room for a few months for a LL reference is one option. I did a reference for an Airbnb guest once that found a place.

Mrs OBumble

Get references from your accountant and a client

Mrs OBumble

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Get references from your accountant and a client

Your Daddy, priest and BFF as well. Seriously, what LL would favour an accountant and client as a referee over someone with previous renting history and proof of a stable job/income?

artanevilla

Get one from your mother using her maiden name.

GarIT

I know someone that offered 12 month's rent up front, and yearly installments after that. It offered more security to both him and the landlord and got him a place over a few more likely people.

DubCount

Prospective tenants are in competition with each other, to demonstrate capacity to pay and track record of paying rent on time. References from an employer show regular income which is likely to continue and references from previous landlord shows payment on time and not being difficult. Without references, you need an alternative to replace these assurances. Showing bank statements with savings and regular income would help, as would a letter from your accountant to say your business is profitable and likely to continue. Offering higher deposit (as already mentioned) might help. Any chance of getting a house share for a few months to get a landlord reference that way.

BrokenArrows

cant even username rn wrote: »

Hi there

I am currently looking for a place of my own to rent. However, I am facing much more difficulty than I thought with this aim. I've contacted all the landlords and/or letting agents I can so far. Unfortunately, it seems to me that they are a lot less likely to consider me as a potential tenant as I am self-employed (I literally could find no other way of making money of any other kind since the crash, and it's now going too well to walk away from) and have been obliged to live with my parents for the past few years. Accordingly, I have no references from landlords or a workplace. Frankly, I find it ironic that, even though I can now afford it, I still can't get somewhere of my own.

So, my question is: is there any alternative to these references I can offer to convince landlords I am a worthwhile tenant? This situation is getting to me now, particularly as I am going crazy where I am now. TIA for answers

Just give them your parents details as your landlord. Get them to write a reference.

Easy.

angeleyes

If your business is doing well, perhaps save for a deposit and buy your own home/apartment.

antix80

angeleyes wrote: »

If your business is doing well, perhaps save for a deposit and buy your own home/apartment.

There's the rental crisis sorted! Everyone should just buy their own house instead of renting. Sure you just solved the homeless crisis too. You deserve a nobel prize.

angeleyes

antix80 wrote: »

There's the rental crisis sorted! Everyone should just buy their own house instead of renting. Sure you just solved the homeless crisis too. You deserve a nobel prize.

I did - didn't I? No need for a Nobel prize.

Not everyone should but maybe someone could ...It's just one option.

Best of luck O.P and continued success with your business.

Mrs OBumble

Dav010 wrote: »

Your Daddy, priest and BFF as well. Seriously, what LL would favour an accountant and client as a referee over someone with previous renting history and proof of a stable job/income?

Oh ffs, how do you think self-employed people provide the equivalent of employment references in general?

Mrs OBumble

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Oh ffs, how do you think self-employed people provide the equivalent of employment references in general?

In relation to renting, and where they live at home, they can’t so offer larger deposits, simples.

It is not just a case of what the LL wants in relation to references, it is competition with other applicants for the property. They have references, the op doesn’t, so to make the op more appealing, and less of a risk in the LLs eyes, you offer a bigger deposit, not a meaningless letter from an accountant/client. Dear God, how does a client know what type of a tenant you are or your ability to pay rent, ffs.

cruizer101

Obviously a reference from a previous LL is more valuable than from a client/accountant but in the absence of that some references are better than none, along with potentially an increased deposit/upfront rent.

Dav010

Dav010 wrote: »

In relation to renting, and where they live at home, they can’t so offer larger deposits, simples.

It is not just a case of what the LL wants in relation to references, it is competition with other applicants for the property. They have references, the op doesn’t, so to make the op more appealing, and less of a risk in the LLs eyes, you offer a bigger deposit, not a meaningless letter from an accountant/client. Dear God, how does a client know what type of a tenant you are or your ability to pay rent, ffs.

I don't see why a self employed person should be considered any more risky than an employee, they are potentially less risky in many ways.

There are a lot of self employed people out there I would not have seen it as any issue whatsoever in getting a rental.

dartboardio

Easy. Fake your references. Or get a family member or friend to do them.

References are made up bs anyway so why not.

dartboardio

dartboardio wrote: »

Easy. Fake your references. Or get a family member or friend to do them.

References are made up bs anyway so why not.

Any LL with half a brain and who puts in any effort to check out reference will easily se though fake references. Its not enough to just write up something references will be contacted.

Celine Skinny Grit

Celine Skinny Grit wrote: »

Any LL with half a brain and who puts in any effort to check out reference will easily se though fake references. Its not enough to just write up something references will be contacted.

With all the issues with finding rental accommodation, the risks LLs have to take, the competition for places between tenants, and the importance of references, it amazes me that people still think that a LL won’t check references.

To answer your earlier post about self employed, an employed person has a steady weekly wage, self employed often don’t. I doubt many landlords would have a problem with a self employed person with good references from previous landlords, but the op is finding that when you have no references and are self employed, you are behind other applicants.

Moomintroll99

My other half & I are both self employed.

We got a reference from our accountant confirming our annual income; I got a reference from my biggest client confirming I was contracted at x rate per month for x period of time; and we got a reference from an Airbnb host we'd had a place for a month from.

It was fine. This was in 2017 in an RPZ and landlord was happy enough, no need for bigger deposit etc.

Generally you need 2 years worth of income details from accountant. People who aren't self employed probably just don't know that this is how self employed people do things like get mortgages, credit cards, car finance, etc etc. It's pretty standard.

Username you choose

dartboardio wrote: »

Easy. Fake your references. Or get a family member or friend to do them.

References are made up bs anyway so why not.

Why would you encourage dishonest behaviour?

Username you choose

Username you choose wrote: »

Why would you encourage dishonest behaviour?

Nature?

BrokenArrows

Celine Skinny Grit wrote: »

Any LL with half a brain and who puts in any effort to check out reference will easily se though fake references. Its not enough to just write up something references will be contacted.

The new land lord has no way of verifying whether the person on the phone was actually a landlord or not.

Just get a friend or family member to pretend.

BrokenArrows

BrokenArrows wrote: »

The new land lord has no way of verifying whether the person on the phone was actually a landlord or not.

Just get a friend or family member to pretend.

Do people actually believe this nonsense? Have you ever pretended to be someone/something you are not and then talked to someone who actually knows about what you are claiming to be? It’s pretty simple to spot a fake referee, both in work and rental situations, they just don’t know things they should when asked.

beejee

I've heard all the reasons and excuses. But the bigger picture of it all is unseemly.

"please, oh please let me give you vast sums of money for the privacy and dignity of my own shelter!"

"no, not good enough, sorry".

What goes around comes around, and the same, equal treatment shall be shown in kind. Tick tock.

The whole scene leaves a very bad taste in your mouth. No way for a society to be.

beejee

beejee wrote: »

I've heard all the reasons and excuses. But the bigger picture of it all is unseemly.

"please, oh please let me give you vast sums of money for the privacy and dignity of my own shelter!"

"no, not good enough, sorry".

What goes around comes around, and the same, equal treatment shall be shown in kind. Tick tock.

The whole scene leaves a very bad taste in your mouth. No way for a society to be.

Have you considered that the shelter is a an enormously expensive asset which is likely financed, and that a landlord takes a risk when entering a rental agreement with a tenant? Should the tenant stop paying, or become unable to pay rent, it is a lengthy, stressful and again, expensive process to remove them. The equal treatment you speak of is not shown to errant tenants, in most cases there are no repercussions for them.

If you owned such an asset, would you not try and limit risk by looking for references and taking deposits? Or would you be happy to let all comers take shelter, and absorb the crippling debt if they stop paying? for the benefit of society of course.

Bringing this back to the op, the property owner does not know the op, does not know how good a tenant he/she would be, but the LL might have 10 other people with references, so as the others have a track record, they are more appealing. How does the op get over not having bone fide references? money to limit the risk.

beejee

Dav010 wrote: »

Have you considered that the shelter is a an enormously expensive asset which is likely financed, and that a landlord takes a risk when entering a rental agreement with a tenant? Should the tenant stop paying, or become unable to pay rent, it is a lengthy, stressful and again, expensive process to remove them. The equal treatment you speak of is not shown to errant tenants, in most cases there are no repercussions for them.

If you owned such an asset, would you not try and limit risk by looking for references and taking deposits? Or would you be happy to let all comers take shelter, and absorb the crippling debt if they stop paying? for the benefit of society of course.

Bringing this back to the op, the property owner does not know the op, does not know how good a tenant he/she would be, but the LL might have 10 other people with references, so as the others have a track record, they are more appealing. How does the op get over not having bone fide references? money to limit the risk.

Yeah I've heard it all, and the bigger picture is still a load of crap.

Crippling debt of landlords? So pass on crippling costs to others who'll end up even worse off. At least a crippled landlord is buying equity, what's the other cripple getting for it?

Crippling cripples all marching to the banks with long faces and fat envelopes ha! Ye'll get as much sympathy from each other when it's all falling about your ears. The schadenfreude will be off the scale

beejee

beejee wrote: »

, what's the other cripple getting for it?

Eh, as you eloquently put it, shelter with privacy and dignity, at market rate.

the_syco

Celine Skinny Grit wrote: »

I don't see why a self employed person should be considered any more risky than an employee, they are potentially less risky in many ways.

I see it not as being a self-employed person being more risky, but rather that to a landlord, the tenant with references vs the tenant who has no references, that the former wins.

beejee wrote: »

But the bigger picture of it all is unseemly.

The bigger picture is that when the "small time" landlords are pushed out, the requirements will increase.

cant even username rn

Yay, replies. cheers suppose I may consider one or two of those tactics soon

angeleyes wrote: »

If your business is doing well, perhaps save for a deposit and buy your own home/apartment.

Not completely *that* well yet ;p besides, I'd rather not buy into this market - bring on the next crash already ;D if it actually took who it should down with it this time, that is