Requesting Rent References When Sharing A Rental Property

• 

  bobbified on 28/06/2023 - 19:06

  +1

  Good luck getting anything from the real estate agents without a signed authority and, even if you have that, they'll probably charge you an "admin fee" for someone in the office to collate the information.

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 28/06/2023 - 21:23

    Thanks.

    Maybe I could ask the person to provide something themselves. I wonder if their old REA would confirm over the phone they actually provided those documents.

• 

  holdenmg on 28/06/2023 - 19:22

  Well will your Rent increase if someone moves in?

  Ask the Tenants for Written Rent References if that is what you want.
  How they obtain them isn't your problem.

  • 

    AustriaBargain on 28/06/2023 - 19:32

    if you rented a home to someone and found out they were subletting a share of it, would you raise their rent?

    • 

      lachhelix on 28/06/2023 - 19:42

      Personally, Absolutely not

    • 

      ihbh on 28/06/2023 - 20:14

      What if it's my BF/GF moved in?

      • 

        holdenmg on 28/06/2023 - 20:54

        +1

        Then you have a threesome…

      • 

        [Deactivated] on 28/06/2023 - 21:36

        They'd be added to your existing lease, not two new leases.

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 28/06/2023 - 21:35

      It's not subletting though. The REA said they won't allow subletting so I'd have to add any extra tenants onto my lease, same as someone would if they got married. That's why I said the rent references are for me and asked how would I get that info from other REAs. The REA said both they and the owner would still have to approve any new person. e.g. If new person has a known bad reputation they'd say no. I don't like adding someone to my lease because if new person decides not to pay their share of the rent, I'd be liable for the entire rent again (or else get evicted).

      • 

        AustriaBargain on 28/06/2023 - 21:50

        +2

        They’ll have as much power as you, you’s be living in their home as much as they are living in yours.

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 28/06/2023 - 21:25

    I asked the REA if someone else moved in, would they create a new lease and would it "reset" the rent to a higher amount. They said no, that the new person would just be added to my lease.

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 28/06/2023 - 21:40

    Well will your Rent increase if someone moves in?

    The REA said new person would be added to my existing lease (they don't allow subletting). So I only have the one rent increase every six months to look forward to.

    Ask the Tenants for Written Rent References if that is what you want. How they obtain them isn't your problem.

    Thanks. Sounds good. I wonder if their old REA would confirm over the phone the documents are genuine? (I'm sure there must be losers who would fake the documents and give me the phone number of a friend pretending to be a REA.)

• 

  hasher22 on 28/06/2023 - 19:34

  +1

  REAs will give the ledger and/or a written reference to the renter and the person will give you the lendger and/or reference for you to look at, you don't call the agent directly.

  Unless it's a private managed property, the landlord could give a reference letter to the person or you could call them if they have permission for you to call the previous landlord.

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 28/06/2023 - 21:42

    Thanks. If the document came from a REA, I wonder if I could phone them to confirm the document/s are real (not faked)?

    • 

      hasher22 on 28/06/2023 - 21:47

      I mean, you could, up to the REA to advise if it's legit or not. I am sure they will have privacy policies giving only basic information, for example: "yes the letter is authentic from us to mr/mrs smith". Then its up to you if the document is doctored/photoshopped by the possible tenant.

      • 

        [Deactivated] on 28/06/2023 - 22:11

        Thanks.

• 

  o53djz7qTPY4der on 29/06/2023 - 09:13

  How would you provide a similar reference to the person that will sign the contract with you? How do they know that you're a decent person and will pay your rent on time?

  My thought is, if I were in this position and you asked me for references for the reason of knowing if I will pay rent on time, I would want to know the same about you. Ultimately, we would both be responsible for the rent should the other fail to pay.

  In addition to this, if someone joins your lease, they have as much power as you. That is to say, if they want to leave and terminate the lease, they can (assuming they are able to contractually). There's not really much you can do it about it. You have to hope the owners are happy to re-lease it just to you or to you and a new person.

  From an owners point of view, this cycle of changing tenants would be a pain and a bigger risk than they had initially expected when they accepted your application to rent the property.

• 

  [Deactivated] on 30/06/2023 - 00:37

  How would you provide a similar reference to the person that will sign the contract with you? How do they know that you're a decent person and will pay your rent on time?

  They're either willing to satisfy my conditions or they can live in their car. I'm doing them the bigger favour, taking the larger risk of ruining my future references by vouching for them by adding them onto my lease, altering my life and privacy (no more walking to/from the shower naked), allowing use of my furniture and appliances, etc. Anyway before they move in I owe them nothing. So someone who expects I do that won't even get points on the board. The fact I've been here several years is "my reference."

  My thought is, if I were in this position and you asked me for references for the reason of knowing if I will pay rent on time, I would want to know the same about you.

  Then I'd make the "eh-eh" Family Feud wrong survey answer sound, gesture you out the door, and smile welcoming the next person. (And going by the local Facebook rentals group there's plenty looking.)

  In addition to this, if someone joins your lease, they have as much power as you. That is to say, if they want to leave and terminate the lease, they can (assuming they are able to contractually). There's not really much you can do it about it. You have to hope the owners are happy to re-lease it just to you or to you and a new person.

  No new lease is required for a new person to move in, so no new lease would be required for them to move out either. The REA made it clear several times it's my lease with an additional tenant added on. Regardless, even if two people put their signatures on a lease on day one, person one can't just cancel the other out onto the street by leaving themselves. Otherwise every feral with a nose ring, tatts, and kids to 3+ different "fathers" who gets "buyer regret" for the 23rd time would be able to get her current boyfriend kicked onto the street by leaving. (The person who is still there still has their own signature on the lease so just has to pay the entire rent - just as I would have to. Plus probably fill out some form stating person one has gone if they didn't tell the REA themselves.)

  From an owners point of view, this cycle of changing tenants would be a pain and a bigger risk than they had initially expected when they accepted your application to rent the property.

  The owner couldn't care less and wants as little to do with the property as possible. He lives in another country, I've been here years, met him only once, at which time he told me at least 15 times anything to do with the property go through the REA because he doesn't want to have to deal with it.