to think that not considering renting to people on housing benefit is really unfair?

[whattimestea]

If i am being unreasonable then fair enough-if people can explain why then that might help me see things with more perspective and stop me feeling so down and disheartened by everything at the minute.

Basically due to changes to my families circumstances and also to the benefits system as it stands we have no choice but to look for cheaper rental accommodation. That's ok, not disputing that. The problem is that although we're on our housing association list, local council list - of landlords that have registered with them - there is literally nothing that we are eligible for. With local housing agency's tho and estate agents there are about twenty properties in the area that are within the price and spec that we need. BUT we can't get within a sniff of these as they all say 'no housing benefit/DSS. Why is this that without so much as meeting a person you can be completely excluded from even enquiring about a property?

We have rented from our current landlord for 11 years-have never missed a weeks rent (have only claimed HB for previous 9 months). We can provide a guarantor if needed, a deposit, and as many references as required. But it makes no difference they just don't want to know.

I understand from others that certain mortgages and insurance that landlords have on rentals state that they cannot let to benefits claimants? How is this fair to state that the way a person receives their income can make them illegible for housing? You wouldn't be able to state on an advert for a house rental 'will not rent to members of the armed forces/plumbers/shopworkers etc would you? Or would you?!

If after reading replies i see how i am being unreasonable then so be it! Just feeling very demoralised at the moment - like Im banging my head against a brick wall with it all! For the record - my family would be lovely, reliable, trouble free tenants!

[FreudiansSlipper]

i can not get insurance cover for unpaid rent if I have tenants that receive hb and I need that as I can not afford to pay my mortgage and my rent

[flummoxedlummox]

Sorry OP for going off topic, YANBU in my opinion BTW, but have I got this right? The council will tell a tenant they need to be evicted to get a service, tenant then withholds rent to get evicted, landlord takes up to a year to evict due to non-payment, council then helps evicted tenant. What happens to the HB paid to the tenant during that year but not passed to the LL? Where I live that could add up to over £10k? Does the council write off this, pursue the landlord or then turn round and say to evicted tenant and say "you are not entitled to a service as you made yourself intentionally homeless due to non-payment of rent when you had the means to do so". This sounds bonkers.

[SneezingwakestheJesus]

Yeah, I'm side eyeing that name now too .

[itsallyourownfault]

My name wasn't chosen for this thread-see my previous posts- but it does seem rather apt in this case! Then again, I chose it because it mostly represents my views when people are moaning about the situation they find themselves in.

[JakeBullet]

The situation with tenants who need rehousing due to a private LL needing the property back is horrendous. As it stands the tenant will be told to stay put. This is hugely unfair on the LL who then has to go down the eviction route all so the council don't have to provide accommodation until the last possible moment.
Having been a LL in the past I know how crap this is for both the LL and the tenant .

[ssd]

itsallyourownfault, I'd put my life savings on the fact you're a tory

[JakeBullet]

Bugger off there's a dear...nobody is really interested. I don't believe you are real anyway.

[flummoxedlummox]

Also, if the insurance says no
"DHSS" or no "DSS" is that legally binding since both those Government departments are defunct and now come under DWP?

[itsallyourownfault]

Ssd, I absolutely am, astute observation!

[itsallyourownfault]

Don't be so jealous Jake.

[TheBigJessie]

I had a friend who used to say, "well, if the ad says no DHSS, I've been saved. If they're that out of date, they probably don't adher to safety legislation enacted in the last twenty years either".

[ssd]

not really astute, you have tory written through your self important posts like a stick of rock

[JakeBullet]

My best friend is a card carrying Tory (we have some right wine fuelled debates) but he is one of the biggest hearted people going. No way would he judge people for being disabled/having a disabled child (just ONE reason why some of us claim HB).

Anyone who blames others for difficult times is pretty heartless.

[TiredyCustards]

Yanbu, it should be illegal.

We claimed hb when dp lost his job, ll was none the wiser.

[JakeBullet]

Nope...you are goading people so I am inclined to disbelieve your remarks.

[whattimestea]

Aye-up here they are at last! I would say that itsallyourownfault is being deliberately provoking. I guessed someone like that would skulk out of the woodwork at some point during this thread. Surprised it took this long tbh! Probably looked at this thread in disappointment that a benefits based thread was being discussed quite civilised without goading or hurling insults at one another and wasn't happy!

And based on your comments you are not the sort of person i would wish to deal with on any level, in any aspect of life.

[Wallison]

^ they say that to anyone asking for help with accommodation I think whether in receipt of benefits or not. ^

That is entirely correct. Lots of people are on the housing register, not just people who are in receipt of benefits. And in order to be considered as high priority (and therefore have more than a snowball's chance in hell of getting a council property) they would have to follow this advice ie be evicted from their home and hope to get some kind of "temporary" accommodation in a flea-pit populated by junkies and prostitutes where they have to secure their pot noodles (no kitchen) in a bag with a padlock while they wait for a tenancy to become available for anything up to two years.

Still, poor old landlords, eh?

[maddening]

It was on the news that the claiments being given the money to pay to the landlord rather than the LL directly has resulted in 50% in arrears after a year - that is a high non payment rate - plus the fact that the people in question are unlikely to be able to afford to clear those arrears being that they are generally on the lowest possible income.

If they could differentiate between those receiving hb as part of in work/dla benefits and those not in work/not dla then you might see that are in work and dla benefits claiments would be seen as a more stable tenant.

The council should act as guarentor for their claiments - then I think you would see a massive increase in LL offering to dss.

Op - have you anyone who would go guarantor for you? My friend's dad did this for her.

[HappyMummyOfOne]

Statistically, HB tennants are more likely to cause damage, refuse to leave or not pay the rent than non HB tennants. Therefore insurance companies and bank use these stats like any others to rate or exclude risks no different to any other type of insurance policy.

Landlords need to protect their assest. People on heree often advise "just dont tell the landlord" so no wonder they are very strict with checks and have exclusions as to who they will rent too. Who would want a tennant that has lied or not disclosed facts that invalidate their insurance and risk their asset.

[Wallison]

Which is exactly why the private rental system is not the answer.

[MooMooSkit]

Heya not really getting involved with the debate but just wanted to say it's worth investigating a bit more when it says no DSS. Both the places I rented said that and I just approached the landlord direct to tell them my situation and got accepted both times. I've always worked or been a student with a burary and needed a top up to help out and both the landlords were fab once I've spoke to them and I've had no problems. The current landlord I have said no DSS and I moved in April 2011 and still here and had nothing but good things from him, his great! Think a lot of the time the estate agents just put it there to but I do agree, YANBU as some of us do work and it's that top up that just helps out really!

[ssd]

it is if you're a landlord