Older women who are trying to rent their first apartment face discrimination. Not only do they have to compete with college students and young professionals but have the added challenge of being perceived as older. The real problem with this is that landlords are not taking them seriously. It’s a lose/lose situation for older women who are trying to rent apartments on their own.
No, It Is Not True That Older Alone Senior Women Are Not Taken Seriously.
Over 50% of seniors are living alone and many of them are women. These women are more likely to be living on a fixed income and have no family to fall back on. This makes them vulnerable to landlord scams. A landlord scam is when someone takes advantage of an older person’s need for housing by offering them an apartment or home that doesn’t exist or by pressuring them into signing lease agreements that are unfavorable to the tenant.
If you are concerned about your ability to pay rent each month, then you may want to look into government subsidized housing programs found at HUD.gov and local agencies such as Volunteers of America (VOA), which provides emergency shelter and transitional housing for those facing eviction or foreclosure as well as a variety of services such as food pantries, rental assistance, transportation and employment assistance programs for low income families in need across the United States and Puerto Rico.
Yes, Most Landlords Want Long-Term Tenants and Older Senior Women Are Good Tenants.
Yes, most landlords want long-term tenants and older senior women are good tenants. However, there are some landlords who have a hard time seeing past the grey hair and wrinkles.
While you may be tempted to write off any landlord who doesn’t immediately leap at the chance to rent to you, there are times when it’s worth taking a risk on someone with less than stellar reviews and a longer waiting list.
Here are five reasons why:
- You can negotiate a better price. If your landlord has multiple properties for rent and is looking for long-term tenants, he may be willing to lower his price just to get someone in the door quickly so he can fill up his vacancies. Try negotiating with him on price before sending in your application (and don’t forget about things like security deposits and pet fees).
- You can move in faster. Some landlords will sell their properties before they even have a tenant lined up because they need to sell quickly (think foreclosure or bankruptcy). Because these landlords know they have a buyer ready to sign on the dotted line as soon as they find someone willing to live in the property, they might be able to speed up your application process so that you can move into their home.
Yes, Many Landlords Want Older Alone Senior Women to Be Their Tenants Because They Take Care Of The Property Well.
Yes, many landlords want older alone senior women to be their tenants because they take care of the property well.
The problem is that there are some landlords out there who don’t want older alone senior women as their tenants. This may be because they think that the women are not financially able to pay rent or because they are concerned about their safety or property maintenance.
Thankfully, there are other landlords out there who do understand how important it is to have older alone senior women as their tenants. If you are an older alone senior woman looking for a place to live, here is what you need to know about finding a landlord who will accept you as a tenant:
- Make sure that you have a clean credit report and criminal record before applying for housing. This will help convince any landlord that you are not going to cause any problems for them or other tenants in the building
- Be prepared to show proof of income from Social Security or pension payments if needed
- Be prepared to pay more than 30% of your income on rent (if possible) – this will help convince landlords that you can afford the rent payments on time every month
Yes, It Is True That Older Alone Seniors Worry More About Their Homes and Take Good Care Of The Properties And Appliances.
Yes, it is true that older alone seniors worry more about their homes and take good care of the properties and appliances. However, there are times when landlords do not take older women seriously when they call to complain about issues in their apartments.
The reason for this is that many landlords feel that older women are not capable of having a good eye for detail and that they may not be as observant as younger people. Therefore, if an older woman complains about something, it is often dismissed as being trivial or not important enough to fix.
This is a very unfortunate situation because it results in many problems going unaddressed until they become more serious and costly to repair.
This can lead to some serious health issues for the seniors living in these homes who may not have the stamina or strength required to deal with the situation themselves. This can also lead to broken appliances or worn-out flooring which may cause someone to fall or suffer injury because of poor maintenance on the part of their landlord or property management company.
Yes, Some Older Alone Senior Women Have Money Saved Up for Their Old Ages and Do Not Need To Rely On Rental Subsidies.
Yes, some older alone senior women have money saved up for their old ages and do not need to rely on rental subsidies. But many do not have enough savings, or their savings are tied up in the home they own or are in debt payments. They may also be living on a fixed income that does not allow them to pay rent and utilities.
Some older women live with friends or family members who will take care of them but these arrangements are often temporary because older people move around for various reasons and it is difficult for families to keep track of who needs help and where they are located.
So, what can you do if you are an older woman living alone and need housing assistance?
You can contact your local social service agency that serves low-income people. They will look into the resources available in your area, such as Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, and try to find something that works for you. You may also want to check out our page on Low Income Housing Subsidies and see if there is anything listed there that might work for you.
Conclusion
With advances in technology and the rise of entrepreneurial housing solutions, there may be hope for these ladies yet. But for now, potential homeowners must not only be financially stable enough to buy a home, but also prove that they are emotionally and physically capable enough to upkeep their new homes—something which these ageist landlords do not take seriously enough.
