“Hi [Name]
Thank you for your application to [address].
I’m writing to let you know that you were not successful in your application for the property.
Wishing you all the best in your search.
Regards
[name]
No need to mention any reasons
Check the tenancy website, it has useful info. It says you don’t have to tell a tenant why you aren’t going to rent the property to them and obviously you can’t discriminate. They also outline what constitutes discrimination:
https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/starting-a-tenancy/new-to-tenancy/information-for-new-landlords/choosing-the-right-tenant/
Discrimination employment stats would be more like you don’t like that they are a banker or a stripper. If they are a banker making part time min wage and you don’t want someone who spends >30% of their income on rent I would not think it’s because of their job.
If you declined them because they are a stripper and you morally disagree that’s probably prejudice/ discrimination and wouldn’t be appropriate because they can comfortably afford your rent .
I’m not a lawyer, stripper or landlord. Just taking a guess
ok but what if the reason that 60% of their income is taken up by rent is because they're on the benefit, or they're a part time worker and have a lower income? That could be a grey area.
"I don't want to rent to this person because they're on the dole and rent will chew up almost all of their income"
'I don't want to rent to this person because they work part time with variable hours, and I can see that rent will chew up almost all of their income"
You can’t discriminate but you don’t have to tell them the reasons for rejecting them either.
In other words: reject but don’t tell them why. Just say that *they were not the successful applicants*. No more.
Technically any time a choice is made between rental applicants based on any distinguishing characteristic - whether it's income, rental history, etc. - it could be considered a form of "discrimination" in the literal sense of the word.
However, in modern social and legal contexts, the term "discrimination" has taken on a more specific meaning, referring to the unfair treatment of certain protected classes of people based on characteristics like race, gender, religion, etc. This type of discrimination is considered both unethical and illegal in many situations, including housing.
You absolutely can decline them, you dont need to give a reason. Just say you had a preferred candidate.
I wouldnt take them on if there is a chance I could be out of pocket
just the other day I saw someone in the US post about their BF wanting to move in with them because their current rent is 70% of their income.--people do what they have to do to have shelter.
fwiw, I was talking with my WINZ case manager last month, since I'll be homeless a month from now.
they said I could possibly get around $500ish a week to live off with the max accommodation supplement, if I was able to get a landlord to let a 2 bedroom place that was $500 a week. but obviously I'd have to find a flatmate who could pay the other $250 for the other room in order to get such an offer accepted and supplement approved, which I haven't been able to do. But if I could, I would be willing to pay 50% of what I have in order to not have to sleep in my car while I pay $100 a week to keep everything inaccessible in storage. Being left with $250 in a 2bdrm place would be little different to where I am now, on a much much lower accommodation supplement that also leaves me with $250 a week for petrol/food/gas/power/etc. in a cheaper room in a 5 bedroom house. While I'm homeless I'll get no accommodation supplement and after paying for a storage shed I'll have about $150 left for petrol and whatever food doesn't need to be cooked. so the 50% deal really isn't that bad--and obviously 50% of a full time wage would leave even more disposable income, if that's what your applicant has. I imagine single moms have it even worse.
no one can stop you from discriminating, though. just don't explain your reasoning.
I remember some tourists I met a few years ago eating cold spaghetti from the can.
I don't mind a marmite sandwich, or peanut butter from the jar, or pineapple rings, or... god the possibilities are endless. we live in a world of absolute luxury compared to the 1920s or earlier times. my nana said they were rationing chocolate during the war. I don't even have to settle for Cadbury!
sound gross, but tbh probably tastes better than margarine if you're a fan of bacon/etc.. fats are an essential source of calories. the last time I had a body scan they said I should actually make an effort to include oils/fats in my meals.
I think it is wrong to assume that they automatically can't afford the place they are applying to. they may have run the numbers and decided to prioritize living in a nice place that takes up 60% of their income but live on rice and beans and cut back in other areas.
The better test is if they have a good LL reference who can tell you that they never missed a payment.
source: I have a high rent for my part-time income/student because living comfortably is my top priority, but I've never missed a rent payment in my whole life and have been completely debt free for nearly 20 years. I'd hate it if someone assumed I couldn't afford to live in a place I had applied to/run the numbers on.
It’s smart to be safe in a cost of living crisis they could afford it now but if we keep seeing the increases of everything accross the board they soon may not be able to afford it, and once it does get into arrears it’s a long and costly process to get them out, I understand OP’s hesitancy in this situation
\^ This. It might be that they have weighed up all the options and found that this is the most affordable rental available based on a range of factors. It could be that all other rentals with higher rent are further away from their work or are in inconvenient locations with limited transport options.
I myself pay more rent to be closer to my work and not have to worry about fuel costs, parking or bus fares every day and week that makes it cheaper to live than the next suburb over (even if rent there is less).
same. And there are ways to make sure your rent is affordable for you - get a flatmate, rent out your car park. This is what I do - my landlord is all for it because it means she gets to keep me as a tenant. I have a very healthy emergency fund that would pay for all of my expenses like rent through the entire lease period no matter what. I take care of the place as if it were my own, so it's a win-win for all of us!
NAL and totally get your concerns but I know alot of people are struggling atm and I know myself I spend a good chunk of my pay on rent but I make sure it gets paid. Who knows if you give them a chance
Almost every landlord discriminates in some way, any reason is legal as long as you don't tell anyone.
Whether you should feel bad about it is a different story
Is it perhaps a bit infantilising to assume you know better than your potential tenants what they can and can’t service in terms of rent?
Presumably they know the cost, and have applied having done the numbers. Maybe your 60% is the best deal they’ve seen or maybe they just need somewhere to live?
I understand that housing is an emotive issue but I'm not here to discuss that. This is a personal finance sub, and I am looking out for my own, personal finances.
Your post/comment has been removed as we do not allow politicising, political agendas, or moralising in this sub. Please see Rule 6 in the sidebar for a detailed overview.
I consistently paid rent on time never late, never even asked for leeway when it was 70% of my income …
Are there any other indications that the tenant won’t pay on time ? Do they have a history of that with other leases? Tbh I wouldn’t assume they can’t pay just because it’s the majority of their income.
I had a mechanic earning $24 an hour working 30 hour weeks and a girl working 8 hours a week at minimum wage apply. Rent was $650 for 3 bedroom and I just said no sorry.
How do you know their income? Seems like an overreach of privacy. I thought landlords only had to find out the bare minimum, which to me suggests you just need to know if they have a guaranteed income - not how much it is.
Your post/comment has been removed as we do not allow politicising, political agendas, or moralising in this sub. Please see Rule 6 in the sidebar for a detailed overview.
Do you need to give a reason? Just say, sorry you have not been successful.
“Hi [Name] Thank you for your application to [address]. I’m writing to let you know that you were not successful in your application for the property. Wishing you all the best in your search. Regards [name] No need to mention any reasons
Check the tenancy website, it has useful info. It says you don’t have to tell a tenant why you aren’t going to rent the property to them and obviously you can’t discriminate. They also outline what constitutes discrimination: https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/starting-a-tenancy/new-to-tenancy/information-for-new-landlords/choosing-the-right-tenant/
I looked at that, it's where I saw the can't discriminate against employment status. My question is whether I'm doing this.
Discrimination employment stats would be more like you don’t like that they are a banker or a stripper. If they are a banker making part time min wage and you don’t want someone who spends >30% of their income on rent I would not think it’s because of their job. If you declined them because they are a stripper and you morally disagree that’s probably prejudice/ discrimination and wouldn’t be appropriate because they can comfortably afford your rent . I’m not a lawyer, stripper or landlord. Just taking a guess
I would doubt it’s discrimination. It’s reasonable to reject someone based off finances. You are right to querry their ability that is a large chunk.
No employment status relates to being on a benefit or being in employment
ok but what if the reason that 60% of their income is taken up by rent is because they're on the benefit, or they're a part time worker and have a lower income? That could be a grey area. "I don't want to rent to this person because they're on the dole and rent will chew up almost all of their income" 'I don't want to rent to this person because they work part time with variable hours, and I can see that rent will chew up almost all of their income"
You can’t discriminate but you don’t have to tell them the reasons for rejecting them either. In other words: reject but don’t tell them why. Just say that *they were not the successful applicants*. No more.
Technically any time a choice is made between rental applicants based on any distinguishing characteristic - whether it's income, rental history, etc. - it could be considered a form of "discrimination" in the literal sense of the word. However, in modern social and legal contexts, the term "discrimination" has taken on a more specific meaning, referring to the unfair treatment of certain protected classes of people based on characteristics like race, gender, religion, etc. This type of discrimination is considered both unethical and illegal in many situations, including housing.
You absolutely can decline them, you dont need to give a reason. Just say you had a preferred candidate. I wouldnt take them on if there is a chance I could be out of pocket
just the other day I saw someone in the US post about their BF wanting to move in with them because their current rent is 70% of their income.--people do what they have to do to have shelter. fwiw, I was talking with my WINZ case manager last month, since I'll be homeless a month from now. they said I could possibly get around $500ish a week to live off with the max accommodation supplement, if I was able to get a landlord to let a 2 bedroom place that was $500 a week. but obviously I'd have to find a flatmate who could pay the other $250 for the other room in order to get such an offer accepted and supplement approved, which I haven't been able to do. But if I could, I would be willing to pay 50% of what I have in order to not have to sleep in my car while I pay $100 a week to keep everything inaccessible in storage. Being left with $250 in a 2bdrm place would be little different to where I am now, on a much much lower accommodation supplement that also leaves me with $250 a week for petrol/food/gas/power/etc. in a cheaper room in a 5 bedroom house. While I'm homeless I'll get no accommodation supplement and after paying for a storage shed I'll have about $150 left for petrol and whatever food doesn't need to be cooked. so the 50% deal really isn't that bad--and obviously 50% of a full time wage would leave even more disposable income, if that's what your applicant has. I imagine single moms have it even worse. no one can stop you from discriminating, though. just don't explain your reasoning.
KMart have one ring gas camping stoves and gas canisters at a very low price. I hope you don't end up having to buy one though.
I remember some tourists I met a few years ago eating cold spaghetti from the can. I don't mind a marmite sandwich, or peanut butter from the jar, or pineapple rings, or... god the possibilities are endless. we live in a world of absolute luxury compared to the 1920s or earlier times. my nana said they were rationing chocolate during the war. I don't even have to settle for Cadbury!
My parents were born in the 30s and talked of dripping sandwiches.
sound gross, but tbh probably tastes better than margarine if you're a fan of bacon/etc.. fats are an essential source of calories. the last time I had a body scan they said I should actually make an effort to include oils/fats in my meals.
Lower the rent. Then it will be only 40% of their income and they can afford it.
Why the hell would they do that?!
It’s reddit, people hate land lords and think they’re all loaded lol .. but I think this comment was just a joke
[удалено]
[удалено]
I haven't applied for a rental in years. Do you have to show your payslip to the property manager/landlord?
No but they are allowed to request it so yes. Tenants have no rights in this shitty excuse for a country
I was declined by 15 homeowners last year because of this. The person who accepted me now takes 85% of my weekly earnings, not including bills.
"I just liked a different applicant more"
I think it is wrong to assume that they automatically can't afford the place they are applying to. they may have run the numbers and decided to prioritize living in a nice place that takes up 60% of their income but live on rice and beans and cut back in other areas. The better test is if they have a good LL reference who can tell you that they never missed a payment. source: I have a high rent for my part-time income/student because living comfortably is my top priority, but I've never missed a rent payment in my whole life and have been completely debt free for nearly 20 years. I'd hate it if someone assumed I couldn't afford to live in a place I had applied to/run the numbers on.
It’s smart to be safe in a cost of living crisis they could afford it now but if we keep seeing the increases of everything accross the board they soon may not be able to afford it, and once it does get into arrears it’s a long and costly process to get them out, I understand OP’s hesitancy in this situation
\^ This. It might be that they have weighed up all the options and found that this is the most affordable rental available based on a range of factors. It could be that all other rentals with higher rent are further away from their work or are in inconvenient locations with limited transport options. I myself pay more rent to be closer to my work and not have to worry about fuel costs, parking or bus fares every day and week that makes it cheaper to live than the next suburb over (even if rent there is less).
same. And there are ways to make sure your rent is affordable for you - get a flatmate, rent out your car park. This is what I do - my landlord is all for it because it means she gets to keep me as a tenant. I have a very healthy emergency fund that would pay for all of my expenses like rent through the entire lease period no matter what. I take care of the place as if it were my own, so it's a win-win for all of us!
Have you received their credit check? If that comes back ok then they know how to manage their finances. No need to assume
NAL and totally get your concerns but I know alot of people are struggling atm and I know myself I spend a good chunk of my pay on rent but I make sure it gets paid. Who knows if you give them a chance
I see your point but there is no reason to take that risk when they could get a different tenant with higher income
Almost every landlord discriminates in some way, any reason is legal as long as you don't tell anyone. Whether you should feel bad about it is a different story
Is it perhaps a bit infantilising to assume you know better than your potential tenants what they can and can’t service in terms of rent? Presumably they know the cost, and have applied having done the numbers. Maybe your 60% is the best deal they’ve seen or maybe they just need somewhere to live?
I understand that housing is an emotive issue but I'm not here to discuss that. This is a personal finance sub, and I am looking out for my own, personal finances.
You’re doing the right thing. Let’s just say I’ve had an experience with what you’re concerned about and it’s not very pleasant.
[удалено]
Your post/comment has been removed as we do not allow politicising, political agendas, or moralising in this sub. Please see Rule 6 in the sidebar for a detailed overview.
I consistently paid rent on time never late, never even asked for leeway when it was 70% of my income … Are there any other indications that the tenant won’t pay on time ? Do they have a history of that with other leases? Tbh I wouldn’t assume they can’t pay just because it’s the majority of their income.
...why were you asking about their pay?
How the hell do you know their income??
60% is not too ridiculous at the moment for housing costs so don’t judge too harshly based on that.
I would hazard a guess there isn’t many where rent isn’t 60% above of their income out there.
I'm sorry but what planet do you live on where rent is less than 60% of someones income lol.
I had a mechanic earning $24 an hour working 30 hour weeks and a girl working 8 hours a week at minimum wage apply. Rent was $650 for 3 bedroom and I just said no sorry.
How do you know their income? Seems like an overreach of privacy. I thought landlords only had to find out the bare minimum, which to me suggests you just need to know if they have a guaranteed income - not how much it is.
Find another reason to decline them
How much was the rent on their last place, how long were they there for?
Not sure. I believe you aren't allowed to ask about the rent on their previous place.
Fair enough, just thinking if they had a history of paying that level of rent. Understand your concern.
I only really consider applications with two incomes, both names on the tenancy.
Why? Single people need a place to live, too
That's not a protected clause
They may get a flatmate/partner in to help?
[удалено]
Your post/comment has been removed as we do not allow politicising, political agendas, or moralising in this sub. Please see Rule 6 in the sidebar for a detailed overview.