Author Topic: Landlords: would you hesitate to rent to a homeowner?  (Read 2960 times)

Rural

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Landlords: would you hesitate to rent to a homeowner?
« on: March 10, 2017, 12:26:37 PM »
A question for you landlords: my husband and I own our home of ten years outright. He's going off to graduate school and I'm staying in our home because of job; one or the other of us will travel to visit on most weekends, most likely him most of the time because he'll feel a need to get out of the city.


We have good credit, a decent salary (mine), a documented graduate stipend at a living wage (his), but no recent rental history or mortgage payment history. Do you think we're likely to encounter problems renting an apartment for him from individuals? From a larger company?

okobrien

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Re: Landlords: would you hesitate to rent to a homeowner?
« Reply #1 on: March 10, 2017, 12:35:52 PM »
If you can show proof of everything you mentioned in your post, you would be an ideal candidate to me.

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YttriumNitrate

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Re: Landlords: would you hesitate to rent to a homeowner?
« Reply #2 on: March 10, 2017, 01:10:32 PM »
As an individual landlord, I would love to rent to someone who has 10+ years experience of handling the minute of maintaining a house. Heck, if your husband is going to grad school at Purdue, shoot me a message.

Rural

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Re: Landlords: would you hesitate to rent to a homeowner?
« Reply #3 on: March 10, 2017, 01:13:19 PM »
As an individual landlord, I would love to rent to someone who has 10+ years experience of handling the minute of maintaining a house. Heck, if your husband is going to grad school at Purdue, shoot me a message.


Not Purdue. :) But that does make me wonder if we should bring up that he built the house himself if we talk to individual landlords.

BlueHouse

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Re: Landlords: would you hesitate to rent to a homeowner?
« Reply #4 on: March 10, 2017, 01:42:57 PM »
Someone like you would be ideal!  You understand the challenges of homeownership and respect the property and won't be there all.the.time.

I've considered taking in a room mate for one of my empty bedrooms and would only consider a situation like yours.  Luckily, there are plenty of contractors working for the fed gvt who commute Monday-Friday and rent rooms.  I am only interested in the people who will leave every weekend (there are a lot), but I haven't found a way yet to also say "no cooking".  I despise the smell of grease and can't stand it when people fry foods and don't realize that there is grease all over the stove.  If I could find someone who ate out every meal and left on weekends, I'd love it! 


cchrissyy

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Re: Landlords: would you hesitate to rent to a homeowner?
« Reply #5 on: March 10, 2017, 03:01:50 PM »
I am a renter and also a landlord.
 I have been treated as a super desirable tenant both by individual owners and property managers.

Rural

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Re: Landlords: would you hesitate to rent to a homeowner?
« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2017, 06:52:23 AM »
Good to hear, everyone, thanks. I am particularly concerned about companies; it looks like there are far fewer individual landlords in the area than there were when I lived in the area.

lizzzi

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Re: Landlords: would you hesitate to rent to a homeowner?
« Reply #7 on: March 11, 2017, 11:26:42 AM »
I own a home free and clear in the Midwest and signed a lease Nov.1 for an apartment in upstate NY, in a professionally-managed large complex. I was worried about not having rented in many years and in not having a mortgage payment for almost twenty years, and also not having a recent work history, although my income is secure and easily verified. No debts, no payments on anything. Have a dog. They rented to me very quickly--I think they just verified my credit score and shot off an acceptance letter with some info about changing utilities and such, and when to come up and sign the lease. Much easier than I expected.

clarkfan1979

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Re: Landlords: would you hesitate to rent to a homeowner?
« Reply #8 on: March 17, 2017, 02:06:42 AM »
If he is going to be coming back to you on the weekends he should try to rent a room from someone who owns a house. If you will be mostly visiting him, they it might make more sense for him to have his own apartment.

thedayisbrave

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Re: Landlords: would you hesitate to rent to a homeowner?
« Reply #9 on: March 17, 2017, 06:08:04 AM »
If he is going to be coming back to you on the weekends he should try to rent a room from someone who owns a house. If you will be mostly visiting him, they it might make more sense for him to have his own apartment.

This^.  Also if you aren't having luck with apartment complexes (I get it, I know most wouldn't rent to me which is hilarious) then another thing I'd try is searching AirBnB for individual owners, and working out a reduced rate for a longer stay.  My friends and I have done this with success.

Rural

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Re: Landlords: would you hesitate to rent to a homeowner?
« Reply #10 on: March 17, 2017, 04:33:12 PM »
Yes, we're debating on the room vs. apartment thing. The question is whether he'll be able to come home as much as he would like to. We have some friends who will likely have a room available, though it's just out of walking distance. Bikes are stolen all the time on campus, so an ugly old bike would be in order. But then I'd feel like I was imposing on friends if I went to him, and being able to do so would hinge on me finding a roommate/dog sitter here.


So, still contemplating. We have until August to figure it all out.

cchrissyy

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Re: Landlords: would you hesitate to rent to a homeowner?
« Reply #11 on: March 17, 2017, 07:47:25 PM »
many vacation rentals are avaialble, if you ask, for longer term stays at decent prices.

you could get a housesitter and then go BE a housesitter somewhere else

also, you could do a straight up housing swap, I've heard homeexchange.com is good but not yet used it

AMandM

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Re: Landlords: would you hesitate to rent to a homeowner?
« Reply #12 on: March 19, 2017, 07:13:53 PM »
I am only interested in the people who will leave every weekend (there are a lot), but I haven't found a way yet to also say "no cooking".  I despise the smell of grease and can't stand it when people fry foods and don't realize that there is grease all over the stove.

What if you put a microwave in the room you rent out but say "no kitchen privileges"?

redbird

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Re: Landlords: would you hesitate to rent to a homeowner?
« Reply #13 on: March 19, 2017, 07:21:05 PM »
Good to hear, everyone, thanks. I am particularly concerned about companies; it looks like there are far fewer individual landlords in the area than there were when I lived in the area.

Companies prefer history, but won't prevent you from moving in if you have good credit history and income.

I encountered the history thing twice. I'd owned a house for 5 years then moved to another state and rented. The company wanted more recent rental history, but still rented to me. I encountered it again when I moved back to the US from overseas back in 2015. I rented overseas, but the property management company overseas didn't speak English so the company in the US didn't want to contact them. My rental prior to that was in the US but the property was sold to another company sometime after I moved out. The new company didn't keep the records from the previous company if you weren't still a tenant there. But again - since I had good credit and income proof, they still rented to me.

ysette9

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Re: Landlords: would you hesitate to rent to a homeowner?
« Reply #14 on: March 20, 2017, 09:59:28 AM »
Agreed. This certainly happens here in the Bay Area as well.