To wonder what you do if you claim HB

[elderflowerlemonade]

If you claim HB and are looking for a place to rent, but landlords won't accept you, what do you do?

Oh you can do more than that We all can. But it takes more of a concerted effort and can take years.

I don't think some of what I posted was in response to your previous posts. I am really not defensive about landlords, just irritated with the posters who always seem to want to blame landlords for all ills.

I am an old fashioned socialist - which seems to be as popular as being and old fashioned feminist round here - and I suppose I sometimes have quaint and old fashioned ideas!

Why would it be ridiculous to control rents charged by private landlords?

I dont think it would, but the overall housing problem is complex and there are many interacting factors.

given that in many cases people cant afford rent without housing benefit it seems punitive to have a set up where many landlords cannot accept tenants in receipt of benefit because of clauses in the BTL mortgage

The reason tenants can't afford rent without HB is because of lack of rent control. Housing benefit is basically a landlord subsidy, they are the only ones who benefit from it.

I'm not sure if you have anyone that could help you but my father is guarantor for my house so the checks are don on him not me. I pay the rent but they don't need to know my finances!

but surely many BTL LL's have no choice but to charge a high-ish rent in order to service the mortgage?

As I understand it many of them dont even make any actual profit from the rental income.

so the landlord is effectively just a conduit used for channeling money from the wages of (hard working) tenant (or the hardworking taxpayer if housing benefit is being claimed) straight into the bank

My former landlord didn't want HB because she was subletting and claiming it herself for the property while pocketing the rent .It's not always about insurance.

In some cases HB is a better bet because if someone is disabled or a carer it's more secure than an employed person who may be made redundant.