With the economy as it is at the moment, you would think Private Landlords would be willing to take on just about anyone as a tenant, even those with a bad credit history. But how willing are such landlords to take on tenants who do have a bad credit history?
Obviously, there are a number of private landlords who are willing to overlook a bad credit history, so long as you are upfront with them about how poor your credit history really is. Most private landlords tend to ask about the previous 12 months to you applying for a tenancy.
Landlords, as well as Letting Agents, have the right to do whatever checks they deem necessary on potential tenants. This includes a credit check. Obviously, the landlord needs to ensure the right tenant rents their property; this includes ensuring that the tenant can afford the rent and will indeed pay the rent regularly.
There are means and ways to get around a bad credit history, depending on the landlord's discretion. Firstly, the landlord may require a substantial deposit, usually in the region of up to six month’s worth of rent in advance. The landlord may ask for a guarantor to vouch for your ability to pay the rent, including written references from your current employer or accountant (if self-employed), and possibly your current landlord.
It is mostly Letting Agents who have access to the appropriate agencies in order to conduct credit searches on prospective tenants for landlords. These are not necessarily complete reports, but more of an overview saying yes or no to any person having a good or bad credit history.
Where to look for Landlords who take on Tenants with Bad Credit
In this day and age of the cyber-world, it goes without saying that your first port of call should be the internet. I would suggest logging into Google and using the search parameters “private landlords, bad credit”. Having done this myself, I found the most beneficial website I was directed to was Gumtree.com.
Simply searching what sized property in the area you desire will bring up a list of any available listed properties, if there are any of course. Sometimes changing your search parameters can give you more options.
With websites such as Gumtree, the vast majority of properties available are from landlords who do not require their tenants to have a credit check against their name, which is an advantage to people wanting to rent a property, but have a bad credit history. These landlords are not necessarily interested in your past, instead concerning themselves with the fact that you can indeed afford to pay their rent.
Kirsty Patterson - I am mum to three children and two kittens, so I work from home writing Freelance. My writing and my children, as well as my Husband ...
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