LP on HB AIBU to want to be treated with a bit of respect?

[MoreThanAWoman]

Are we the scum of the earth? Starting to slowly but surely feel like this. Very disheartened and wondering if there is even any point in continuing to look.

Little bit of background - I am looking to relocate for personal reasons and hopefully start Uni. I have been looking and enquiring about properties for rent for a few weeks now. I keep getting resounding no's. It's like banging your head off a brick wall.

I have sent emails, texts or left answer phone messages for properties as soon as they have appeared on line. Generally the landlords have not even bothered replying to them or I've had a couple of one worded NO texts.

Spoke to an estate agent on Friday regarding a property all was going well she was very pleasant, giving details about the property asking when would be suitable for me to view etc. I said I was a housing benefit tenant immediate change in voice tone "oh, well your not suitable tenant, we will only deal with people in full time employment. There are other estate agents that will deal with you and consider you for the houses aren't as easy to get rented out" She told me there was no point in looking at any of their other properties and I was not the type of tenant their clients looked for.

I have found a few that say DSS welcome on the ads and the houses are awful, really awful.

So because I am a lone parent on housing benefit I have to live in a less than desirable area, in a house that is not fit for a dog to live in?

My current private rent is due to end and I have got to find somewhere to go, starting to panic.

I know some landlords due to their insurance cant' accept housing benefit tenants and that some have also had bad experiences in the past. I totally understand that.

I'm just asking please not judge everyone as being the same and that Miss Sooty Pants takes the stick out that's firmly stuck up her arse. Sorry bottom.

Re: additional wear and tear, just because someone is claiming HB doesn't mean they will be at home all day wearing the carpets out by pacing up and down. The OP, for example, will be at university.

What about the additional wear and tear caused by a SAHM and her DC's whilst her employed partner is out at work?

As you said, it's often landlord insurance, and often letting agents suggest all the landlords on their books use particular insurance companies (I know my parents just use the one their letting agent recommended/pushed, and that means they can't allow HB claimants, I don't know what happens if a sitting tenant losing their job and starts claiming, I'm assuming they should tell the landlord and the landlord tells the insurance company).

Also if the property has a mortgage on it, it often states not HB claimants, because there can be problems with payments and getting the property back at the end of the tenancy. If you are up against landlords like that, it doesn't matter if you have great references, they simply can't let to you.

If you are looking to go to Uni, can you contact the uni housing department? They might be able to provide you will a list of landlords who will rent to unemployed students, so are more likely to take you.

Sadly, the landlords who advertise taking DSS and HB are doing that because they have the sort of properties people with a lot of options wont take unless they are very cheap, its a way they can get above the market rent for that quality of property because they know most other landlords won't/can't rent to you and you have limited choice.

FightorFlight - sadly, some landlords also refuse to rent their properties to people with children, or pre-school aged children for similar reasons. I have friends who have struggled with that.

Plenty don't take such tenants for that very reason, Flight. Same as those who will not take pets. The OP is at present not at Uni but a lone parent not in employment. Sadly, it's not an ideal for LL's. Again, try Gumtree and also if you can guarantor it can help a great deal.

yanbu. here in Guernsey a lot of cheap to mid range flats and houses to let just outright say 'no c/p/s'- no children, pets or smokers. You get either shit holes (like where we're living) or super expensive places like my mate's got. We're waiting for social housing but until then we're stuck in this nasty little place. Depressing as fuck.

Wow so many replies thank you all very much. Yes I know they are not judging me personally but it is still upsetting. I said in my post i totally understand if its to do with landlords insurance costs or from previous bad personal experience with a HB tenant.

I have been told by estate agents even though i have the months rent in advance, the months deposit and a guarantor that there is no point in me even viewing the property as the landlord will give it to a working person over me. I think that is shocking, that's not even allowing the landlord to make the decision and biased letting agents are talking their clients out of renting to HB tenants.

Council housing isn't an option as we have a bedroom each we are not over crowded, if once my notice period is over (which i handed in due to the heating problems do not even get me started on that) i have still not found anywhere the council would give me a place in their homeless shelter. Oh joy.

I disagree totally with more wear and tear on the house if not in employment it does not mean you are at home all day, i am going to be (hopefully) a full time student and i am certainly not at home all day everyday just now.

Many landlords previously didn't want HB tenants as they would have had to have been registered landlords. That I think has changed now.

A man i know in the village rented his house out to an employed person who lost his job didn't pay the rent and wouldn't leave the house. It was an awful situation. So it is not always a safe bet to take employed people.

Generally the council pay the rent 4 weeks in arrears with it taking a month to sort it out, hence why you pay the first months rent in advance my last HB claim only took 2 weeks to sort out.

My anger SnowWhiteWhoAteTheApple is aimed at the way I have been spoken to and treated by estate agents or rude landlords, nothing to do with people wanting to protect their assets or previous tenants giving HB tenants a bad reputation.

Anyone saying when HB tenants are asked to leave properties most of them don't is a very judgemental statement.

If someone doesn't want to rent out their house to me for what ever reason that is absolutely fine but their is no need to be bloody rude.

Have pmd you YesIDidMeanToBeSoRudeActually lol

OP, where do you want to go to university? Have you applied yet? A lot of universities own accommodation for their students who are parents.

Yes forgot about that, no children that's on the ads lots as well. All I can do is keep looking.

I've applied to Stirling University so anywhere that is within travelling distance to there really. I don't want to move into another property locally and then move again if I do get a place at Uni. Got through to second stage with application today eeeeek!

There are more jobs up that way for me if i don't get into Uni. We have nothing to keep us here and we are in desperate need of a fresh start somewhere new due to personal reasons.

YANBU.

Its absolutely disgusting discrimination that should be outlawed.

I hope you find somewhere decent.

Oh, and LL's who state 'no children'? They should all fuck off and die.

Is this any help?

'I think that is shocking, that's not even allowing the landlord to make the decision and biased letting agents are talking their clients out of renting to HB tenants.'

The LL usually instructs the LA, though, and often enough 'No HB' is because their mortgage lender or their insurer will not allow it.

Not saying it's right, but a lot of times, the letting agent is just passing on the LL's instructions.

Keep trying through Gumtree and places like Penny Lane or FairLets because having a guarantor does help.

OP, have you contacted the council in the area you will be moving to? Our council has a list of landlords that will accept people on HB and also does a scheme where they provide a 'deposit guarantee' ie they don't give the money upfront but will recompense the landlord in the event that there is a dispute about damage etc at the end of the tenancy.

YANBU at all to feel demoralised and angry about the situation you are in - it is awful having to explain yourself and feel like you're begging just to have shelter for you and your children and it really shouldn't be happening. Have to say, if I were a landlord, I'd just be fucking grateful that someone, anyone, was paying my mortgage off for me and not really give a flying fuck about where the money was coming from - they're living off other people really, either their tenants or the state or a mix of both, so are hardly in a position to lord it over anyone.

I hope you find a lovely new home very soon, and for goodness' sake don't let yourself be made to feel bad by bottom-feeders.

Btw (and this is not relevant to the OP but I've seen gripes on this thread and others before and thought I should address them), the reason that councils tell tenants to sit tight until a legal eviction has taken place before they house them is because a notice to quit is just a notice of intention to reclaim the property - the tenant doesn't actually have to move out until a court orders them to, so they won't be considered homeless before then, so the council doesn't have a duty to house them before then.

Agree that having a guarantor will help. Also, is there any way you could borrow six months' (ie the term of the AST) rent and pay it upfront? I know it's a big ask and not everyone can do it, but money talks, as they say. A friend of mine did that by borrowing off her ex and paying him back as the HB came in each month.

I had thought of the student accommodation but I have to leave this house asap I can't cope with the cold anymore it's no way for my wee one to live. I feel like we live in a bedsit halogen heater in living room that wee huddle round.

If I wasn't giving this house up, I would've happily have waited to see if I got in and applied through the University for their student accommodation that accepts families. Though since I have just read the second stage written task I've to do and send back to be marked I am doubting my chances of even getting an interview!
Thanks for all your help and advice its so appreciated and I don't feel as bad as I did this morning.

If you type DSS and your area in gumtree you should get a fair amount of ads. Have you spoke to your local council? Mine printed out a sheet of all local estate agents for a friend who accept dss

We live in a rural area with loads of 3-4 bed family, detached houses and many of those for rent are 'no children, no pets'. Makes no sense and they sit empty often but well, it's the LL's call.

Oops xpost!

But your OP says your current private rent is due to end and that you have to find somewhere to go, which means you have been served Notice to Quit, or are you leaving because of conditions? If you have Notice to Quit you can visit your council's homeless office as threatened homeless.

expatinscotland the house i was enquiring about had DSS considered on the advert and then the letting agent tells you not to even bother!

cruikshank that's a good idea i will contact the council see what they say. I do feel like I am begging and stating my case screaming I am a good person! It is getting me down. It's hard to stay positive. Money does talk and having 6 months rent in advance in your hand generally gets you noticed (a friend did that and got the house over everyone else).

Sadly god this post is starting to sound pathetic! It's just me and my boy we don't have any support network to help out and the friends I do have just don't have it to lend me.

Can't even sell my body to make some quick cash it's seen better days! Oh but the punters would maybe pay for me to put my clothes back on again.

Must laugh.

expat i handed in my two months notice due to the heating problems. Landlord doesn't want me to leave.

You can still visit the council and they may have a list of LL's who will take DSS otherwise, keep trying and trying and stressing you have a guarantor.

It might be worth staying where you are until you get accepted to university or get a FT job in the new area because it can be very, very hard to find a place that is willing to take on a tenant who has no employment .