Fear of rejection in the housing rental market

Transitioning from grad school days shared house accommodation as an international student living alone to a 3-odd-room family duplex was a nightmarish experience for me. Just before I was expecting my family to join me, it was a herculean task finding a suitable accommodation. I witnessed many house owners' initial enthusiasms dimmed as soon as I mentioned my 4 kids. They suddenly become unfriendly, not willing to give out their house to supposedly unknown occupants. Some expressed their sentiments about our ability to afford rents even after showing proof of consistent financial responsibility.

By the time a certain couple agreed to rent their property to us, we had no say at their negotiation table. We had to accept excess terms just to have a roof over our heads. This included making do with small rooms with no provision for leg space not to talk of reading table for the children. The kids are not comfortable and we too make do with what is available for their self study and comfort. It is not an easy task dealing with mould and poor heating and ventilation system. In summary, it is not the best of living. For the fact that we remain grateful to the home owners for being the only ones who accommodated us, we kept our complaints to the barest minimum.

We are not looking forward to finding another rental house for our family. As a matter of fact, I am afraid to go through the rejections and discrimination suffered largely due to the family size.

We are working hard, and setting some aside for a chance of owning our own home. We dont expect to pay more for a suitable 3 room house. We will be grateful if supported to have our own space without fear of being stuck and with adequate space for our daily living. THANKS.