A comparison website has compiled a list of what it claims to be the most common lies on tenancy applications - and a league table of where the lies are most frequently found.
Comparethemarket says some 26 per cent have admitted to lying about something on a home rental application and 39 per cent would consider lying in the future
Younger applicants have been revealed as the most likely to bend the truth, with 43 per cent of 16-to-34 year olds admitting to lying on a home rental application. Least likely to lie are the over 55s, with just one in 10 having done so.
The new research shows that the amount of people who have been dishonest on a rental application differs from city to city.
For example, over a third (37 per cent) of Newcastle’s residents have lied when applying to rent a property, closely followed by 36 per cent of Norwich renters and 35 per cent of renters in Manchester. The most honest renters are found in Plymouth, where only five per cent of residents admit to forgoing to truth in order to secure a property.
The most common area to be dishonest about when filling in a rental form is smoking status.
Many landlords are reluctant to rent their property out to smokers, so it’s not surprising that almost one in 12 renters having withheld the truth about being a smoke on their rental application form
The second most common falsehood used on a rental application form is lying about having a pet, with 11 per cent admitting to considering lying about a pet on a future rental application.
It’s also not uncommon to lie about income when trying to secure a rental property. Six per cent of people have lied about their wages, and 10 per cent admit they would consider doing so in the future. Job status is also commonly lied about, with five per cent of people admitting to stretching the truth when it comes to putting down the nature of their employment on a rental application.
A spokeswoman for Comparethemarket says: “Surprisingly, almost one-third of renters are unaware of the implications that lying on a rental application form could have. While these do differ depending on the situation, the likelihood is that if you’re caught lying, your application will be rejected. If your application is discovered fraudulent after you have moved into the property, there may also be grounds for eviction.
“For landlords, there are a few ways in which you can try to avoid accepting dishonest tenants. Completing a thorough reference check is really important, especially one that looks at employment history, credit checks, and previous landlords as this helps build a better picture of your potential new tenants.
“Even the best tenants can be unpredictable at times, so you should also ensure you have insurance should anything go wrong. Landlord insurance can offer landlords more protection than standard home insurance, covering you for things such as accidental damage by tenants, void periods between tenants and rent arrears. There are different types of landlord insurance policies available, so ensure you opt for right level of cover to suit your needs.”
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I note it says that lying on an application to rent “may” be reason for eviction…. What landlord is going to bother … it’s ridiculous !!!
Depends on the lie.
It should be a mandatory cause of eviction although a landlord wouldn't evict for that alone but it would be a disincentive same as risking voiding an insurance policy by lying.
I vet my tenants like I would a babysitter for my children, they have to be Gold standard 🏅 with bells on … and a ribbon 🎀. I have done this since I started and never had an issue, no arrears, no damage, nothing. I will not accept anything less. One to one interviews what ever the application says, and I can sniff out BS 💩.
No one cares once they are in there that they lied.
I have heard it all I had a Russian woman looking to rent a Flat well able to talk and wore a long long dress, she told me she has a great job with a Civil Engineering Firm, next day I was at a Civic Centre in that Borough regarding a planning matter.
Every sat in the reception open area get a ticket for the relevant department’s and wait to be called.
I could believe it was her being called dressed in a suit and heavily pregnant for Social Security department.
I suppose the biggest lie was told by Shelter to get the Deposit Scheme introduced with they alleged landlords withheld up to 45% of Tenants Deposits. It later turned out less than 2% went to Dispute Resolution.
So many lies are still being told about landlords by the Anti-landlords Organisations.
Another recent one was the letter to Mr Gove about the mould and the child that passed away RIP, to empower him to grant Borough wide Selective Licensing.
What can we expect when the Prime Minister tell’s lies and he is handing out Honours to people, the can’t be worth very much.
Have a think on this Generation Rent, ACORN etc. You represent these people.
Always check their Facebook etc .. dogs as profile pics is a giveaway
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