www.iva.co.uk

I am moving into rented accommodation with my boyfriend and the estate agent uses an outside company to check our references. We completed online forms with all our details and they will also perform a credit check. This worries me as I have an IVA which I started in February 2008 and I'm concerned that we wont get this property because of it. My boyfriend has a good credit rating and excellant references from previous landlords. We can afford the monthly rent and bills so they don't need to worry.

Its only been two days since I filled in the form but it's all I can think about.

Anyone rented whilst in an IVA? Is it a problem?

Hi Joanna and welcome.

I do know that people on here have rented whilst in an iva.

I will bump this back up to the top in the hope that someone will see it and answer your question.

A difficult one this as different landlords have different approaches on the subject. Some get snooty (or snotty?) about it whilst others don't have a problem.

Given your boyfriend's excellent references would it not make sense for the lease to be in his name only (at least from the start) if this becomes an issue or is there a reason this is not possible?

I am not sure whether the tenancy agreement could be in one name if two people were living there as a couple..it has been a looooong time since I worked in a letting agents..but I know from my own tenancy agreement that both names are on and it states no one else can stay there for longer than 3 weeks without the consent of the letting agency.

Can your boyfriend afford the rent on his own? If so, I guess it wouldn't be an issue as much.

The other options that are standard are a guarantor or pay 6 months in advance.

Hi, I recently moved from one rented house to another. We had the credit check etc done and had no problem getting the new house. We were worried about the credit check too, but we were honest about the iva from the start. The letting agent did tell us as we had been in the iva for more than a year and we could provide references it wouldn't be a problem. He had recently dealt with someone else in the same situation too. Good luck!

I share the same thoughts as Ian - get the tenancy in one name, and having made a couple of payments ask permission for your partner to move in with you. I think that the agency will be very unlikely to perform a check at that stage, and of course your landlord ought to be happy if he is getting his rent paid.

My boyfriend would not want it to be in just his name, and the estate agent said both our names had to be listed and both of us checked. He said he didn't think it would be a problem but since I started the IVA, money is all I think/worry about.

My boss is listed as my reference and she hasn't heard anything from the referencing company. So now I'm worried that they did the credit check and were not happy, so wont bother contacting my boss. I have called the agent for an update so I'm waiting for him to come back to me. They've had all the details since Monday so I'm perplexed as to why they haven't made contact with my referee.

Everything we have is in my partner's name - mortgage, utilities etc - as he has a good credit rating and I've been BR. I still pay my share, but it makes sense to keep me out of things!

joanna.f wrote:

My boyfriend would not want it to be in just his name, and the estate agent said both our names had to be listed and both of us checked.

That is what I thought the case was. I was pretty sure you were not allowed to have someone else live in the property you are renting unless they are a minor or on the tenancy agreement.