The Joy Of Rent Control

[davidg]

There has been a lot of hysterical clap-trap in press the last few days about how the young have been sold down the river with Brexit but let's face it, the nearest 99.997% of today's youth will get to living in Europe is a week in Ibiza. If it is not just the general lack of skills or languages it is the sheer impossibility of going through the Euro administrative hoops.

Case in point. The missus and I, for professional reasons, need to rent a small flat in a major European city that has recently introduced rent controls. We've spotted a place in a block we used to rent in, administered by a professional property investment company. So we are already known as good tenants.

I'm a senior software developer. The missus is a law professor at a top university and retired judge.

We had to give

Employment contracts

Payslips for last 3 months

bank references

tax returns for last 3 years

various other documentation which would make your eyes pop

we are both nationals in the country so not likely to skip off to some other country on a whim

and, to cap it all, guarantee from the wife's parents; which is new since the rent controls came in to force. Apparently our joint salaries and the fact that the missus is unsackable are not enough.

Another place I looked at was fairly amusing. Female estate agent in her late 20s. We meet at a cafe and it is a fairly relaxed chat as we go through the paper work. It's hot, it's sunny, it's the end of the day and we're in no real mood to get down to the boring job of real estate. We finally head off to the appt. We take a look around. At some point I ask if I can film

"only if you don't put it on one of those websites" is the reply

"erm... er... gosh (I do my best Hugh Grant) er no the apartment, so the wife can see"

silence for a few seconds then

"oh yes yes, I see, of course, yes, good idea"

Odd.

[moesasji]

It might be me, but I don't see that much difference from the paperwork I need to supply here in the UK on top of the insane fees. Only one I have so far not had to supply is tax-returns...but that is probably because the work you do.

btw) In the UK you have to actually supply copies of passports as well; with all the rest of the information an ideal source for identity-theft.

[btl_hater]

Just for balance, I rent a great apartment in a major European city. Rolling 1 month contract, well built to good specifications- lots of lovely large windows allowing for plenty of natural light. What I rent is 5x better than the dross flats you can rent in the UK for the same money.

[untakenname]

I think it's a good idea to have the correct documentation, I've rented too many times where the neighbours are unemployed DSS keeping me up at night with their antisocial behaviour. I don't see why I should have to pay £1k+ per month and have a next door neighbour that pays next to nothing.

[PopGun]

And the point of this thread is...

You'd rather have both instead of one end of the $hitty stick? Seems odd.

[olde guto]

Is it anything to do with rent controls though?

When I first moved in to a rented place in the UK I handed over my deposit (cash) signed an AST, and bob is you father's brother. For the past I don't know how many years it's credit checks, references from employer and current LL, sign a standing order for rent payments and still the same old AST system.

[whitemice]

I'm not sure there is a good correlation between government regulation of the rental market and crappy paperwork you have to do when applying for an apartment, as the poster seems to suggest. Private entities in the UK are just as good at this game: think credit checks, and requiring two english language utility bills in your name (not trivial if you are a new arrival).

On the topic of the EU, it's a big place and if you're going to rent: do in Germany.

[justthisbloke]

This thread is v mistitled! The post starts of as a pro-Brexit piece. Then it talks about documentation checks. Then it finishes with, well, I don't know what (and neither does the OP!). Rent controls don't even feature.

Anyone wanting rent controls and more state intervention with renting should urgently talk to someone renting (or trying to rent) in the pre-AST days. It was ghastly. Landlording legally made no financial sense so the only landlords you could rent from were crooks. Not just crooks as in "thieving parasites" but proper scary bandits.

Re documentation checks. When I first rented post-AST I think all I supplied was one payslip, which the LA just glanced at, and a cheque for the deposit. There weren't even any fees. Just a contract to sign - which was all one one page of A4.

[19 year mortgage 8itch]

This thread is v mistitled! The post starts of as a pro-Brexit piece. Then it talks about documentation checks. Then it finishes with, well, I don't know what (and neither does the OP!). Rent controls don't even feature.

Anyone wanting rent controls and more state intervention with renting should urgently talk to someone renting (or trying to rent) in the pre-AST days. It was ghastly. Landlording legally made no financial sense so the only landlords you could rent from were crooks. Not just crooks as in "thieving parasites" but proper scary bandits.

Re documentation checks. When I first rented post-AST I think all I supplied was one payslip, which the LA just glanced at, and a cheque for the deposit. There weren't even any fees. Just a contract to sign - which was all one one page of A4.

ypur experiences count for nothing nowadays.

Those of your children will count. Why must it be the system now or the prehistoric system? Why not something better. AST is shit.

Edited July 6, 2016 by 24 year mortgage 8itch

[North London Rent Girl]

Reply to OP

Don't know which country you'll be in but I have friends who rent in Germany and, if the rules in your country are anything like there, I can see why they would want to check you out so thoroughly because they'll be entering into something like a financial marriage with you, one in which you are the only side who can initiate a divorce! And rent controlled? How completely magic. It's always tedious to have to put documents together but, on the bright side, you'll be able to have a pet - or a child - without your landlord's permission. Can imagine it's a pain because you could actually do with a more casual, UK arrangement for short-term/occasional use but thing is that's the only thing the tenancies here are good for. I'd be happy to provide 10 years' tax returns if it meant the LL would put the rent up in a predictable fashion and basically go away forever except when e.g. putting in triple-glazing.

I suppose I'm saying, in the nicest possible way, I'm quite green with envy, go and get yourself a real problem!

[spacedin]

Is it anything to do with rent controls though?

When I first moved in to a rented place in the UK I handed over my deposit (cash) signed an AST, and bob is you father's brother. For the past I don't know how many years it's credit checks, references from employer and current LL, sign a standing order for rent payments and still the same old AST system.

It does seem a bit odd to make a big deal about there being rent controls when we aren't told where the flat actually is in Europe. The latter would provide us with a much clearer picture than the former.

Edited July 11, 2016 by spacedin