# Am I being discriminated against for being British ?



## Suenneil (Feb 17, 2009)

Hi

I considered posting this yesterday, but then had second thoughts. I didnt want to sound too controversial ... and Im a wimp really and hate confrontation! 

But I reconsidered and here I am.....because I consider myself to be a very fair person, against discrimination, unfairness and injustice .... as much as I can be anyway.

So am I being discriminated against now for being British ? or am I just being too sensitive ? are is it just an excuse for someone to rip me off ?

As some of you know I live in Estepona and travel to Malaga every day - nightmare! So we are seriously looking at moving somewhere with access to the rail network - Fuengirola is not my preferred location as it conjures up expatshire on a grand scale - but its convenient and we have found two areas that are genuinely lovely! and I can see myself living there ..... but the prices are slightly higher than a standard apartment elsewhere in the Town - but I figure we have to pay for the luxury of privacy and somewhere the suits our lifestyle (which is quiet and boring!!)

Now we have rented here for 5 years in various areas ... and have always been treated with respect, courtesy and people have been helpful (Im talking agents and landlords here) ..... no problems renting, always had good relationships with the owners and have references from them all! so we must be ok people and doing things the proper way.

BUT EVERY appointment we have had in the last 2 weeks to view the stuff we like in Fuengirola has been a very different story!

Ive actually been offended at some of the stuff thats been said to us!

We have been told "all British are the same so the landlords take more deposit" "no one trusts the Brits thats why its more expensive" "they want to keep it exclusive so dont really want the British in here" .... I kid you not!!!!

This is just an example (albeit the worst ones!) of what has been said to us recently .... we have remained polite and calm whilst trying to point out that not ALL Brits are the same ... as indeed not all spaniards / Germans / Italians etc are the same ... and whilst we can understand some people have had bad experiences its wrong to penalise or label the rest of us as a result!

Im losing the will to live in terms of finding somewhere "nice" to rent where I dont have to pay 3 months rent in advance, or get a bank guarantee, or pay 6 months upfront! Its making want to stay away from Fuengirola altogether just in case our experience of living there turns out to be like this all the time!

And its pointless us moving anywhere where I have to take a bus or drive to the station because it negates the reasons for moving in the first place!

I welcome your comments and kind words!

Sue


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

I found the opposite in Alhaurin, alot of the Spanish landlords seem to prefer the Brits cos apparently we look after their properties better than any other nationality - Spanish are the worst apparently!!

I dont like discrimination either, but sadly it is alive and well. I guess if these landlords etc have been stung a few times by Brits who do a runner, then they´re gonna tar us all with the same brush. The same if they see the way the Brits are when the live in a british community?? and of course, some of the Brit holiday makers in Fuengirola are pretty horrendous and dont do the rest of us any favours. Its not right and its a shame, but I guess they cant disinguish betweeen good ones and not so good ones, especially if theres an agent involved and the land lord doesnt even meet you

What you need is a British landlord, someone who´s living in the UK, cos you may get a deal with the exchange rate as it is?????

Jo xx


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## Suenneil (Feb 17, 2009)

jojo said:


> I found the opposite in Alhaurin, alot of the Spanish landlords seem to prefer the Brits cos apparently we look after their properties better than any other nationality - Spanish are the worst apparently!!
> 
> I dont like discrimination either, but sadly it is alive and well. I guess if these landlords etc have been stung a few times by Brits who do a runner, then they´re gonna tar us all with the same brush. The same if they see the way the Brits are when the live in a british community?? and of course, some of the Brit holiday makers in Fuengirola are pretty horrendous and dont do the rest of us any favours. Its not right and its a shame, but I guess they cant disinguish betweeen good ones and not so good ones, especially if theres an agent involved and the land lord doesnt even meet you
> 
> ...


Hi Jo
We are talking to one at the moment but its difficult because his property is actually for sale and the agent here is holding the keys and being a royal pain in the butt! the owner actually wants us to look at it! we have cultivated a decent relationship with him over the telephone and email which has helped .... but the agents are such a pain! ..... but Im trying to stay "nice"


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

I want to multiquote!!!

but I can't see where so I won't quote anyone


Sue - yes, you are being discriminated against

where we last rented - I got the monthly rent over the phone in my best spanish

quinientos cincuenta (550)

when we got there & the spanish landlord saw that we were english, suddenly it was 

seiscientos cincuenta (650)

he tried to say I'd misheard him!


NO WAY!!!


the spanish have always thought that the Brits are loaded

they are now beginning to realise that we're not & are asking silly deposits

dh is looking for office space at the moment - one place wanted 3 months & a bank guarantee for a year!! - 

the reason given is that so many foreigners - -not just brits - are just packing up & leaving...............


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Suenneil said:


> Hi Jo
> We are talking to one at the moment but its difficult because his property is actually for sale and the agent here is holding the keys and being a royal pain in the butt! the owner actually wants us to look at it! we have cultivated a decent relationship with him over the telephone and email which has helped .... but the agents are such a pain! ..... but Im trying to stay "nice"



Can you not bypass the agent and do the deal direct??? 

jo


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## Suenneil (Feb 17, 2009)

xabiachica said:


> I want to multiquote!!!
> 
> but I can't see where so I won't quote anyone
> 
> ...



Hi X .... We have been given reasons for why they are doing it at the moment - but it doesnt make sense does it ? ...... they want the rental income - but scare people away with silly prices and deposits ... and even if we had loads of money and paid these silly prices and deposits it still doesnt guarantee we wont trash the place!!! (of course we wont and wouldnt!!!! My God Im so much better than that!) .........Sue


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Suenneil said:


> Hi X .... We have been given reasons for why they are doing it at the moment - but it doesnt make sense does it ? ...... they want the rental income - but scare people away with silly prices and deposits ... and even if we had loads of money and paid these silly prices and deposits it still doesnt guarantee we wont trash the place!!! (of course we wont and wouldnt!!!! My God Im so much better than that!) .........Sue


nothing guarantees that a renter wont walk away - but apparently a bank guarantee is a real guarantee - the bank takes the money from your account & holds it

if you break the contract in any way the landlord gets all the money! 

to me - if you were going to put that sort of money where you can't get at it, why not just pay a year up front?

if I have been mis-informed I apologise - seems a bit much to me!!

oddly, (or maybe not) with our new place I not only negotiated the rent down, but also the deposit - so some landlords are seeing the light!


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## Caz.I (Mar 21, 2009)

Suenneil said:


> Hi
> 
> I considered posting this yesterday, but then had second thoughts. I didnt want to sound too controversial ... and Im a wimp really and hate confrontation!
> 
> ...


Hi Sue,
Sorry you have been having such a hard time in Fuengirola. I sympathise. Unfortunately, there are people like that here who discriminate. I am just surprised they have done it so openly. Especially in a time of crisis when they need the business. To charge such high rents these days when there is so much competition doesnt make sense to me. No doubt they will lose business.

Then again, there are a lot of people who have rented to Brits (including British landlords) who have bad experiences - have heard lots of stories about people just doing a runner because they come here without a job, dont get one, run out of money so cant pay the rent, so disappear back to UK, or other scenario is they have had a job and lost it. (This seems to be happening more and more, according to friends of mine.) And there are sometimes Brit neighbours from hell which just make it worse for all of us - I had some last year living in the same block waving guns about!!, and the couple before them , one of whom was British, also trashed the place, apparently. This is clearly no reason to tar everyone with the same brush but it happens. And there are those who think all Brits are much better off so hike up the prices. (think I was saying something similar in another thread recently).

I think some of the expat areas on the CDS often attract certain types of Brits who have problems (drugs, crime, alcohol - addictions) wherever they go, so they just bring them here. Then others think they are representative of all Brits, when we know that isnt so.

The three months rent in advance is common here too - think it's usually one for deposit, one for rent and one for agents' commission. Brit agents also charge this. People tried to rip me off when I was looking to buy but discovered in time and pulled out of the deal. It helped that I have a relative who works in this field and could figure out what was going on. Mind you, a lot of people will try to rip you off in the property business whatever the nationality.

I cant compare Fuengirola with other areas as I have only lived here but I do think the Brits who have caused trouble here in the past have created a reputation in others' eyes, which is hard to shake. There is discrimination in some quarters against Brits in a lot of areas in life here and that is hard to take sometimes, but not everyone is like that. 

As other people, like Steve, and others have said about it being expatshire, it depends how you live your life here that decides whether you are in expatshire or not. If you speak Spanish, dont socialise in expat bars and hang-outs, dont live in expat urbanizations, and try to socialise with Spanish people, you wont be.

Anyway, good luck with your search, if you are not totally off the idea of coming here, and you want help, I will ask my relative if they can help or know someone who can. Just PM me with details.

Caz.
xx


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

grahunt said:


> Unfortunately as far as i understand it at the moment at least around here in Valencia no banks are giving guarantees, as they have no cash and don't trust people to be able to pay. Therefore landlords are asking for much higher deposits or payment for a few months/6 months in advance. It is the only way to guarantee apart from the guaranteed rent scheme from the government. Look into agents who offer this as you may well find a better deal in that sector.
> 
> Regards
> Graham



Yes, that kind of ties in with what I´ve heard and that is banks will only guarantee if the account holder has the funds (either savings or current) within the bank and has a good track record!??

Jo xxx


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## Suenneil (Feb 17, 2009)

Hi all ..... sorry I havent responded until now - I was on my sick bed yesterday, felt awful for some reason but strangely feel ok today!  anyway ...

I have heard of bank guarantees previously and would not even consider it ... ridiculous to hold all that money just in case I trash the place or do a runner! when I know I wont - and when I dont have the sort of money anyway that they want to hang on to ...... as X said earlier if you had that sort of money you would pay your rent upfront anyway,

I think it was Caz mentioned had it put me off coming here ? Well Ive been here for 5 years and love Spain .... so I m staying ! lol ..... but no, it hasnt stopped me wanting to move to an area with easier access to work ..... and it wont stop us finding the right place .... but without all the nonsense of deposits / guarantees. Note that when we have been asked for 3 or 4 month deposit this has been in ADDITION to the 1 months rent up front and any potential agents comms/fees!!!

We are speaking to a guy at the moment who has been great so far! and he seems keen to let us rent his place without all the stupid deposits ... but we will see - hubby is still negotiating certain things and checking out parking etc ...

Finally .... Im determined to keep being "me" - which means not lowering myself and falling into the trap of actually behaving as a mad/bad Brit just to confirm their views! ....... I dont think I am in a minority here ... there are plenty of like minded, sensible, reliable, honest, hardworking and morally stable Brits living here too !

Sue xx


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## Chica (Mar 23, 2009)

Hey Sue, do you not have a spanish friend that can first contact the agents/ owners under the pretension of *them *being the intersested party...or at least until they get all the info????? Once that info has been given and it comes to light that you have a coonection with your spanish friend I'm sure it would be really diificult for them to refuse the same deal when you have references in your hand. Maybe worth a try?!


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## Suenneil (Feb 17, 2009)

Chica said:


> Hey Sue, do you not have a spanish friend that can first contact the agents/ owners under the pretension of *them *being the intersested party...or at least until they get all the info????? Once that info has been given and it comes to light that you have a coonection with your spanish friend I'm sure it would be really diificult for them to refuse the same deal when you have references in your hand. Maybe worth a try?!


Its crossed my mind Chica! The strange thing is we viewed another property on Tuesday evening (Spanish owner) and the agent told us in advance the same sorry tale about Brits etc etc ...... I did my friendly approach with the Spanish guy and at the end of the viewing he was kissy kissy - wanting to offer free parking and alterations to the house if we wanted it! which proved to me that if you can over the doorstep and meet them face to face (the owners) they may be able to "see" who you really are and accept you arent a liability! .... sadly he wouldnt move on the deposit side so it was a no no anyway!

But Im still working on it!

Sue xxx


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## grahunt (Jan 22, 2009)

Chica's advice is excellent. If they change the deal because you are a foreigner you can report them to the Police, OMIC etc as discrimination against EU nationals is illegal.


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