To not mind about tenants being DSS

[starkadder]

We have a flat we rent out in London. Tenant just moved out and we are looking for a new one. A couple of prospectives haves asked about it saying "do you accept DSS?". As far as I'm concerned, it isn't an issue - after all, if someone is on housing benefit surely they are more likely to pay their rent, not less? But I know lots of landlords do have an issue. Am I missing something? Or are landlords who have an issue with DSS being unreasonable and unfairly discriminatory?

My neighbours have had nothing but trouble with the DSS/Housing benefit not paying on time.

In fact if their arses ever met their elbows, they'd be complete strangers to one another...but maybe that's just my area?

You get really great DSS and private tenants and rubbish ones in equal measure no way predict who is going to be feckless.

It's down to the landlord insurance why some LL don't take on dss.

until next month (back to work so will be paying myself not HB) i have been a tenant on HB for the last 8 years and havent trashed any houses ive lived in and always paid my rent, some tenants are like me but next door but two to me has had two HB tenants in the last 3 months, tenant 1 moved into a 3 bed house with 5 kids so she would get housed by the local council (deliberate overcrowding) and the tenant who has just moved out within two months of taking the tenancy has left owing rent money so balance out wether htey look decent tenants and ask for references regards rent paid for thier previous tenancy and follow it up with the referees thats not unreasonable as we had to provide the details of previous letting agency and current one did get in touch with them

Most people on dss pay on time and value their home, sadly a handful of idiots give the rest a bad name . In some areas landlord can be paid direct.

I was on hb last year for a short time while ill. My rent was up to date and I kept my home nice.

I think our mortgage specifies that we can't let to dss.

If i were to rent out to dss i would only rent to people with children they have mire to loose by not paying their rent

Just make sure you get references and check up on them properly. Ring up rather than write. (You are likely to get the truth over the phone).

Some DSS tenants will be a nightmare, plenty will be decent people who just need a roof over their heads and will be model tenants.

Yes, banana pie says, some mortgage companies stipulate no DSS tenants. So not landlords choice

you need to check with your freeholder if you are a leaseholder, and your insurance and your mortgage provider. Any one of those have prohibit it! its not actually up to the LL a lot of the time.

I could not accept DSS if I rented my flat out, my freeholder doesn't allow it, and if you own the leashold to your flat and become a LL you are subletting and need to follow your freeholder's subletting rules

it is definitely true re our freeholder, and I don't need to say it as an excuse as I am not currently a LL

That's what I hate people who judge others on DSS. Not everyone's like that!!!

At the moment I need DSS to pay my rent (split with partner)
It took me 5 months to find a place that accepted DSS!
I pay my rent/council tax on time every month, keep my flat immaculate, garden looking great but still I'm judged because I need to get help to pay my rent.

Then you have people like my auntie and uncle. Early 40s both good jobs earning 60-70 grand a year brtween them,with a large mortgage. Except they are constantly having to ask family for money to pay to get the bailiffs off there backs as they havnt been paying the mortgage!! 7 thousand pounds was needed just last month!!! And now my aunts wages have been arrested because of not paying council tax for the last 5 years!!
Makes my blood boil it really does.

Sorry for the rant

I think your better of judging on references rather than DSS. I get help with my rent and never fail to pay on time, but my ex is a different kettle of fish and once tried to get me to spend our housing benefit on a dog! Ex's for a reason % all that!!

I think the problem is those that need hb because of a genuine fall on to hard times through illness/lost job/redundancy end up in same group as the drug addicts and underclass.

The lad who had no intention of ever working next door wrecked the house and stole the washer and oven when he left..

There's no such thing as DSS....

I'm on housing benefit, and have never paid my rent late. Never. not in 5 years. We are A * tenants :)

Don't judge people on their income, judge them on their references, and character.

(I also couldn't have flat sharers, its a 2 bed flat but would have to be a "single family unit", I also have no say over the pet issue, that's also the freeholder's rule)

I would rather be able to choose from all tennants out there, DSS, sharers, small pet owners, whatever, and get the RIGHT people, but I cant unfortunately

Its down to the indiviual renter I think. Most will be responsible, decent tenants who respect their homes and will pay their rent on time without a problem BUT there are a few who (like my sister) spent her rent on going out and getting pissed with her pals and the landlord left it for 6 months before contacting the letting agent leaving the arrears to build up. My mother who was her guarantor had to pay back the arrears as she was liable for the debt and ended up £2,400 out of pocket

We have dss tenants, they keep the place well but they have taken us to hell and back with the rent. For over a year and a half we had to chase them every month, every month we had a story 'the bank lost the money' 'one of the children n hospital' etc, the council said that until they were in eight week arrears it could not be paid directly to us. Anyway naturally about six months ago they stop paying the rent, we put ourselves into horrendous debt to cover the mortgage and now the council pay us directly and they are paying the outstanding amount back £20 a week and yep, we have to chase for that too.

I know we've been unlucky, but I wouldn't wish the stress on anyone, we feel totally trapped by them, and yes we still feel responsible for them as they are a really large family and we know that they'll have trouble finding new accommodation. However, they can only push us so far.

So sorry, I would nt go down that road again and I feel terrible that I feel like that and I know many dss tenants would not act like that.

Rent arrears is a problem that you can face with all tenants though, it just so happened that your bad tenants also received housing benefit.

Sorry not dss, HB.

True, but a bit of a piss take when you know they've been given the rent and are not handing it over.

I am currently evicting my HB tenants. Complete piss taker. Second HB tenant to be evicted in the past five years. Also evicted private tenant in the past too.
Landlords cannot claim insurance if they have HB tenants.