Petition To Make Rent Payments Proof You Can Afford A Mortgage Has Over 80,000 Signatures

At the time of writing, over 80,000 people have signed a petition to make rent payments proof that a tenant can afford a mortgage.

It's apparent that monthly mortgage repayments work out cheaper than shelling out money on a rented property, but the problem is getting a mortgage in the first place.

Lenders currently make their decisions based on a person's annual earnings and tax returns, Metro reports, and dismiss monthly rent payments as valid proof for you being reliable.

Rent payer Jamie Pogson set up the petition after he became frustrated for this very reason, saying: "Since living on my own I have paid £70,000+ in rent on time yet still struggle to get a mortgage."

Credit: UK Government and Parliament

He continues: "Unless you're getting handouts, are wealthy or are in receipt of inheritance it's almost impossible.

"I want paying rent on time to be recognised as evidence that mortgage repayments can be met."

The point of the petition is that if a lender can see someone pays rent on time, and is evidently reliable with their cash, that they're equally eligible to pay for mortgage repayments.

As always, if it garners 100,000 signatures, it'll be a debate in parliament.

Mark Homer, from Progressive Property in Peterborough, told Metro that he agrees with the petition, and that currently the rules are too inflexible.

"Lenders should take more sources into account and be more intelligent about it," he said. "They are simplistic in their approach.

"I'll be signing the petition."

You too can sign the petition here.

Topics: rent

Mark McGowan

Mark is a journalist at LADbible, who joined in 2015 after a year as a freelance writer. In the past he blogged for independent football fan channel Redmen TV, after graduating from Staffordshire University with degrees in journalism and English literature. He has worked on campaigns such as UOKM8? and IIOC.