to be a little bit hesitant about renting to DSS?

[traininglady]

Don't get me worng, I'm not flaming everyone who claims housing benefit, but I've had some terrible experiences recently and am wondering if I'm being over cautious?

We rent out a flat that we used to live in before we had dd and moved somewhere else. The first tenant we had was on housing benefit and always paid late, asked if she could decorate, I agreed in neutral colours only to find she painted BRIGHT RED!! She then proceeded to hand in her notice and move a month later.

Next tenant, again on HB, didn't even pay her rent when HB was being paid to her, we couldn't do anything until she was 8 weeks in arrears then the council paid it to us directly, they said we'd need to claim money back from her through court.

She proceeded to move in 2 dogs without even asking us, made a hughe mess of the place then handed her notice in promising to get up to date with rent and sort out flat.

When she came to move out and I mentioned that

1. The carpets were filthy
2. The house stank of dog wee
3. There were holes in cupboard doors and bannisters broken.
4. Still in arrears.

she basically said what did I expect her to do as she was on benefit and it was my problem.

AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHH!!

It has taken my husband and I 2 weeks of scrubbing and redecorating (still not finished) so far to get the property in a decent state to let again, it just pisses me off so much that someone could have so little respect for something belonging to someone else that they work incredibly hard for.

I would be more picky about who you rent to in future. We are currently on housing benefit because DP got laid off and I'm still on maternity leave. We would never not pay our rent on time, it's the worst of all renting etiquette.

I know they say 'don't tar with the same brush' but advertise as no DSS and see how that goes.

Well....... from my perspective YABU. I've rented 3 properties now with the help of HB (either entirely or half and half because my wages were low) and have never, ever left any of them in a mess, nor have I ever been arrears on my rent. EVER. Or breached any other part of tenency agreements. I have always made damn sure I left the place gleaming too when my contract was up.

However, I do know several people who have claimed HB and treated the place they rented with no respect whatsoever. Most people I know do look after their rented home well though, whether they are HB or not.

Interestingly, one place I rented a little while back used to be rented out to a doctor and his wife and their 2 small children. They weren't on HB. They did however ruin the carpets, break the furniture and their children scribbled over every available surface they could reach.

Sounds like you've had some really bad luck but don't blame it on the person being on HB. Blame it on them being a total twat with no self respect or respect for others.

HTH

insist on references?

You could have the same experience with anyone, unless you take the time to 'vet' tenants by checking references, and organise a deposit and/or guarantors. You could also register as an accredited landlord with your Local Authority.

Were you not able do this before?

I have just got rid of my dss tennent. Didn't pay rent, contact council get it paid same thing over and over again. Gave notice to quit in may 2010, she got herself a legal aid solicitor, was eventually evicted a couple of weeks ago. Once you start trying to evict you can't claim the money back from the dss as this is an un official tennancy or something. So I'm owed £6000 in rent arreas. My legal bill is around £3000. The house is ruined, she pulled the radiators off the the walls, ran water etc. The house needs stripping down to the joists. Kitchen, bathroom, windows, fencing you name it, she trashed it. AND it is not covered by my landlord insurance as any damage caused by a tennant with legal right to access the property is not covered. So we are still crying into our hankies over what it will cost to put back together.

So. Can you guess my advice?

I've rented in the past and wouldn't dream of treating someone with such disrespect. I think you're right GoForth, but I kind of didn't want to tar everyone with the same brush iyswim, there will be loads of lovely genuine people out there who would make lovely tenants, we've not had the good fortune of meeting them yet!

Is this a true problem? I know from family experience that Housing Benefit is paid directly to landlords, not to the tenants.

My HB has always been paid to me, the onus is on me to pay LL. My responsibility. Have always paid in full on time. If you claim full HB and live in a HA I think they can pay the HA directly though.

oreocrumbs, forgive me but that DSS tenant story seems ... anachronistic.

Thanks for your replies. I think we were a bit stingy in not wanting to pay the fees of letting agencies before - also, we found that prospective tenants couldn't afford the bond and paying the fees of the letting agency, but I do think we should try that route this time.
Oreo, I totally know, I could kick myself, I've always been too soft.
I hadn't heard of being an accredited landlord with the LA LineRunner, I will make some enquiries...
Desperately, I toally agree, I think I was just more annoyed that she was getting paid to live there by not paying us her HB, i know loads of people on HB who wouldn't dream of being so bloody cheeky.

I've had this and worse from both dss and private. It's the person, not their circs that makes the difference.

Linerunner I wish I could say it was even the tiniest bit hammed up but evey painful second is true. Every landlord I know has a horror story I just hope this is mine. I checked references carefully - they were faked I found out when GenToo (our local housing authority) contacted me eventually after tracking me down - the tennant had been puting her mobile no. down as being me and pretending to be me. Turns out she has done this before both in private and council houses. But she has a child who needs to be housed so she continues to get accomodation. The law is an ass sometimes in this country.

HB used to be paid direct to landlord, it was changed a few years back now. Grr

Angel, a new ish government rule id that unless in arrears, HB is paid to tenant so they can manage their own finances, so the council expalined to me...I believe she had actually been in arrears prior to living in our property, plus she was in arrears within the first two months of living there, her mum bailed her out then so they started paying her again - she then just kept it until we were able to get it paid straight to us, cheeky skank

References, deposit, and no DSS.

You're right TrainingLady it is a fucking piss take. She lives somewhere rent free, gets cash in hand that she isn't passing on to you her LL and then fucks it up others on HB as so many other LL then will not rent out to ANY HB tenants.

I also have a tricky situation in that 95% of people in the area where we are renting our flat are DSS, so it's difficult to find tenants who aren't.

I'd love to sell, but we're in negative equity :(

My HB gets paid direct to my LL. But they are a HA so maybe they have different rules.

I was looking about for private rents and was disappointed that so many were no DSS but can appreciate where they're coming from.

And don't take a reference without a landline and make sure they are on the electoral register - and write to them.

Oreo, when you gave notice to quit that should have been 3 months.

Sorry if that wasn't how it worked out with you, but that's the law.

I also took a deposit, which you have to put in a government backed deposit service (DPS). Its only £400, 1mth rent and trying to get the bloody money back off them is like pulling teeth!

I know Desperately, the awful thing is I know she's doing this to her new land lord - their property was so messed up by previous tenants that they didn't get deposit or refs off her if she cleared it up, according to HB dept, she still hasn't told them she's even moved so the same will be happening all over again to them.

Andrew, good idea about writing to them.

Oreo, I didn't realise until recently about the deposit service, we're a bit new to this, there's so much legislation - is that something you have to do?

No HB department would discuss another person's details, would they?

YANBU at all, I am sure that there are great tenants who are DSS but you have had some bad experiences and I don't blame you tbh.

They didn't, I just called to say she'd moved out and they asked if I had an address as she hadn't contacted them yet.

The rest I just heard from locals who know her..