How to obtain references from renters

[pogo]

Hi.I have been approached by a couple who want to rent my property,3year plus,unfurnished. I have an appartment already rented out,but that is through an agent.How do I go about getting references from the couple,and is there anything in particular that should sound alarm bells,and cause me to ask for a guarantor,or not rent to them? Thanks.Pogo

[Callie]

Pogo - I've sent you a pm.

[odile]

is your rental property in France or UK. Are they French or British?

[pogo]

Thanks for the link Callie,but it is not for a holiday rental,it is 3 year plus, unfurnished.The house is in france,and the couple are french that would like to rent it. Paul

[Cerise]

Visit any notaire - they will advise you on the contract and what references/guarantees to take.  It is also quite common to do an 'état des lieux' with a bailiff (huissier) itemising everything and taking photos so that you can ensure that all is in the same state at the end of the contract.

[Callie]

Are you going through a notaire ? You would certainly be advised to do so. Long term unfurnished lets can become a problem when tenants stop paying at the beginning of winter.

Otherwise I would suggest you look at this website, which is the equivalent of the Citizens Advice bureau. They specialise in rented accommodation such as you are proposing. They would certainly give you guidelines.

clcv.org

We have used them on another matter and they were extremely helpful.

[suein56]

[quote user="pogo"]Hi.I have been approached by a couple who want to rent my property,3year plus,unfurnished. [/quote]

Well, we wanted to rent a house but could not go through an agency as

a) we were newly arrived in France from the UK and therefore had no 'history' in France ie no dossier containing past rental history, no salary receipts,  nothing of any use in France or even anything in French

b) we had no direct French income at the time as all our money was still in the UK, having sold our UK home

c) we had no references of any kind, having been homeowners in the UK and not renters

d) the last time we had rented a property was in the early 70's when we had been students

So we resorted to perusing the 'petites annonces' in the local newspaper and then 'bingo' we looked round a house for rent that we actually liked, and so we put forward our case to the proprietor who, discounting all other usual methods, said that as long as we stayed at least one year then she was happy to authorise our rental.

Sue

We are still here; as, just as we thought we had enough to purchase a house, the exchange rate fell through the floor and all our plans were rent asunder. Such is life.