Private renting

[highlandsflyer]

Re:

Hark the PC police!

Someone said my wife is beautiful the other day. Should my sister take offence?

You can go round and round with this until you disappear further up your own backside, but the facts remain.

If I say Canadians are polite, is that casual racism?

How about Italian women are great cooks? Racist AND sexist?

What if we want to hire a Swiss Au Pair, because they tend to be great at languages?

Really, this is where we are at?

There is a world of difference between suggesting immigrant health professionals make great tenants, and specifying the particular nationality I have most first hand experience with, and any kind of racism.

You don't see that; because you are blinded by your overriding need to troll, and to support any view, however hideous, that happens to counter those of individuals you assign to the 'world against you' majority. You know, the one you periodically winge about as if this was mumsnet.

The great thing about renting to health professionals is that you tap into a constant source of reliable, fastidious individuals who keep their heads down and respect your home and your neighbours. Immigrants tend to want to make it a real home from home and not treat it like a party pad while they are studying or doing a locum.

 

[technodup]

Re: Re:

Chinese are usually super reliable and really look after the place.

Chinese are usually super lazy and really leave the place in a mess.

I really can't see the difference here. Either way we're making assumptions about a billion people based on anecdotal evidence, whether it's positive or negative it's pretty much the definition of prejudice, surely?

 

[mattr]

Really, this is where we are at?

Yup, lazy stereotyping.

 

[Rod_Saetan]

I rented out my flat in Leeds when I moved to London, I had a string of 6 month lets that were all OK and then the final one was a chap who paid the deposit, paid the first month and then proceeded to right royally f*ck me and the flat over. Missed rent, late rent, no rent at all, no contact, I was renting it out privately and working 80 hours a week here so didn't have the chance to go up and do anything about it, by the time I got up there he had repainted (badly and without asking), broken a kitchen door, trashed the sofa and the curtains, broken a pane of glass in the window and left 100 pieces of mail in a pile, 50% of which were from various utilities providers and debt collectors. Suffice to say I was very naive and paid the price, it cost me a lot of money and was very hard work sorting it all out, I'd do as suggested above and go through an agency who take most of the flack, and remove all of your stuff.

Had I not been in the position where the rental income was still only 75% of my mortgage payment and overly optimistic I could have saved myself a lot of hassle.

 

[videojetman]

i dont think this is the place to use it as a platform to spout off about immigration and if a certain ethnic group is more suitable than any other.
if the OP doesnt want to rent to a chinese doctor or professional then don't take offence at his freedom of choice.
im sure there are plenty of reliable english people who respect property as much as our chinese friends.
good luck in finding a good tenant.

 

[legrandefromage]

Never rent to me. I've seen what I've done in my toilet.

 

[highlandsflyer]

i dont think this is the place to use it as a platform to spout off about immigration and if a certain ethnic group is more suitable than any other.
if the OP doesnt want to rent to a chinese doctor or professional then don't take offence at his freedom of choice.
im sure there are plenty of reliable english people who respect property as much as our chinese friends.
good luck in finding a good tenant.

I don't see why you feel it necessary to tell people what they ought to take offence to.

You also know damn well it was not a simple case of someone suggesting they don't want to rent to immigrants.

I also did not compare one 'group' to another. Merely outlined my personal experience.

I truly pointed out immigrants who are here doing professional work tend to view there 'rentals' as homes, rather than just a place to lay their heads. This tends to vest them with an interest in caring for the property. I have been in this situation myself abroad.

This spoke to the concern the OP had about renting out, in terms of worrying that tenants would not look after his place.

I could not make the same 'generalisation' about English tenants. However, were we talking about a home in Saint Lucia, for example, I would heartily recommend renting to an ex pat Brit, as we have a tenant who has been faultless over the last ten years. Again, personal experience.

No one seems to be taking up the issue of terribly pejorative remarks about missing animals.

That says more than I ever could about the people posting on this thread.

 

[videojetman]

i dont think this is the place to use it as a platform to spout off about immigration and if a certain ethnic group is more suitable than any other.
if the OP doesnt want to rent to a chinese doctor or professional then don't take offence at his freedom of choice.
im sure there are plenty of reliable english people who respect property as much as our chinese friends.
good luck in finding a good tenant.

I don't see why you feel it necessary to tell people what they ought to take offence to.

You also know damn well it was not a simple case of someone suggesting they don't want to rent to immigrants.

I also did not compare one 'group' to another. Merely outlined my personal experience.

I truly pointed out immigrants who are here doing professional work tend to view there 'rentals' as homes, rather than just a place to lay their heads. This tends to vest them with an interest in caring for the property. I have been in this situation myself abroad.

This spoke to the concern the OP had about renting out, in terms of worrying that tenants would not look after his place.

I could not make the same 'generalisation' about English tenants. However, were we talking about a home in Saint Lucia, for example, I would heartily recommend renting to an ex pat Brit, as we have a tenant who has been faultless over the last ten years. Again, personal experience.

No one seems to be taking up the issue of terribly pejorative remarks about missing animals.

That says more than I ever could about the people posting on this thread.

There is a good saying "when you stop banging your head against a brick wall, your head stops hurting"
I think I will just leave it there. Have a nice day retrobikers.

 

[hamster]

I rented out my house when I had an expat job. Generally it was fine with 3 tenants over 2.5 years.
Learning points:
1 Try to visit it if you can if returning to the UK - alternatively see if you can get someone you trust to do so. Ideally this is jointly with the agent.
2 Agents are lazy. Anything they have to do lessens their profit margin. Check they are doing their background checks, ask for copies of everything.
3 Document the condition of EVERYTHING in the house. With photos.
4 A mothballed building decays: I've done that with an unsold house in the early 90's - I livedd 250 miles away. People notice, stuff gets nicked and vandalised. The house gets damp from not having air circulation etc etc.
5 Rent unfurnished. It's simpler.
6 Budget to repaint and replace the carpets every three years.
7 Keep it in great condition and then you can choose the tenants. Cruddy houses attract poor tenants.

 

[catf]

out of interest, to the ppl here who have been or are landlords, a couple of ppl mentioned getting the rent paid as a particular concern. i was wondering if someone offered to pay 6 months rent upfront, so the minimum on a short term tenancy agreement but on a long term lease, would that make you happier or more suspicious?

like say if they said "here is an envelope full of cash and my ID, but dont bother credit checking me and i dont want to see you again for 6 months, when you can come back for the next 6 months cash." how would you feel about that?

im asking because that is what i want to offer a potential landlord and i dont really know how it would seem objectively. would you just assume the worst? crack den in the making? my credit history is trashed but i can raise the cash, and ive had bad experiences renting from busybody landlords in teh past, 'implied notice of access' is a popular refrain, so i just wanna avoid all the crap and get things sorted up front.