To think it's disgusting the amount of landlords who won't accept DSS?

[7hup]

My friend is 36 and just been kicked out by her boyfriend because she had a mental breakdown and multiple suicide attempts .

She's just been released from hospital and has been given a B&B room as temporary accommodation.

She has to claim universal credit as she is in no fit state to work.

Council said if she can find private housing they will cover her first month's rent/deposit/fees.

No where takes housing benefit.

It's unfair.

There's no council accommodation and no private landlords will accept it.

She's 36. No children. No pets. Doesn't drink. Doesn't smoke. Is quiet and polite. Keeps to herself. Clean and tidy. She just needs a home :(

Its working people too. My Dsis has a kid and can't move out of my mums because she works only 16 hours because of her son so would receive housing benefit. So she can't move either.

Even on Spareroom. Co. UK in our area there are 674 rooms.

ONE takes DSS. And is dou le the price of similar rooms

It's so unfair :(

Finally managed to sell my last buy to let. I agree with pp who said if you’re reliant on the rent to cover costs, it’s not for you. Makes you far too vulnerable.

Right to buy was originally a Labour initiative.

Really? I thought Thatcher sold off the housing stock?

Irrespective of who had the fucking stupid idea/ implemented the idea, it's a disgrace that it was allowed to happen at all. I thought the whole point was the understanding that more houses were to be built to replace the stock that was sold.

Clearly, that never happened as successive governments didn't prioritise it at all. Hence the mess now.

I believe there is an additional problem in that if a landlord gives a tenant notice the council will not re-house the tenant if they leave at that point. The councils view is that they are making themselves homeless, they are told to stay there until they are evicted and this takes ages. This is obviously a nightmare for the landlord and another reason not to accept tenants on HB.

We are landlords and welcome anyone who passes the screening, about half are on housing benefit and they are no more of a risk to us than others who are not, There are good tenants and bad tenants on both sides

"The councils view is that they are making themselves homeless, they are told to stay there until they are evicted and this takes ages. This is obviously a nightmare for the landlord and another reason not to accept tenants on HB."
this applies to tenants of both sorts, not just those on benefits, no differnce

@AbsentmindedWoman she did but it was first tabled by Labour. A great initiative to try and get people to better themselves.

which plays into the narrative that tenants are somehow less better or worthy than homeowners

The whole "if you don't stay until you are dragged out, you've made yourself intentionally homeless," does help anyone. I imagine most people facing an eviction would rather get a new place sorted as soon as possible anyway.

Obviously meant doesnt

Labour first suggested people should be able to buy their homes in the 1950's, but didn't win the election.

Tories tried to sell off housing stock in London in the 70's but were stopped by the Labour government of the time.

Thatcher, encouraged by Horace Cutler, made it a policy in 79 and brought it into the housing act in 1980.

Actually, was the payment not changed to tenants directly to avoid LL knowing they were DSS?? All part of Universal Credit?

No, it was so the tenant managed his/her own money. I mean, a LL is going to know a person is on HB when they go for the income check.

I would sell my property and it definitely wouldn't be available for rental. Not sure how that would help those on benefits
it would be a good thing
your property will still be available for occupation

many in your position would have no option but to sell at a reduced price
would be first time buyers will be able to start investing in their own future rather than in someone else pension
the same amount of homes will be available

it's a disgrace that it was allowed to happen at all
I heard that thatcher privately admitted that she did it because owner occupiers are more likely to vote tory?

all you landlords rubbing your hands have engineered your own downfall

you participated in the feeding frenzy which pushed property prices out of the reach of most people

you turned us all into labour voters who will gleefully crash the housing market to punish you

Interesting. I imagine the London of the 1950's was a very different place compared to Thatcher and her deregging of the financial markets.

*I think blaming the mortgage or insurance businesses is just as bad as blaming the landlords or letting agents.

They come up with these policies for a reason.

What causes people on benefits to be such a high risk?*

Completely agree. This situation is a result of political choices. This is why we need more social housing (and fewer BTL landlords IMO but that's maybe a separate issue)

word it's a pity then that the Labour Party have made themselves unelectable to run the country by hanging on to Corbyn

This anger at private LL is totally misguided.

Of course LL will choose the tenant most likely to not default, it is true almost all BTL mortgages don't allow benefit tenants. Insurance is always higher, and more difficult to get.
It is a fact that there is a higher rate of default amongst benefit claimants, possibly as they have less financial cushion.

People need to stop seeing LL as charities when they are people with billls to pay of their own.
To those infering housing is a right, l would say, surely then food is a right so should supermarkets let you take food without paying if you cannot afford to this month?
Clothing is that a right too? should those on low incomes be able to take a pair of jeans when they needed them without paying?
Landlords pay taxes on their businesses and contribute just like anyone else who works.

The government should be held fully responsible for housing disadvantaged people in decent accomodation at a fair price.

Council houses should never have been sold off, and many more should have been built to accomodate a rising population over many years.

I also disagree with housing being passed down to children, if someone got a council property by being disabled, or in need, and has Dcs, the Dcs should not get the right to stay once the original claimant has passed on, if they are fit and well and over 21.
This would free up housing for more needy applicants.

Each council should have to list all empty and derelict housing in their borough, try for a year to contact the owners, if not , the property should be repossessed and turned into social housing.

So much needs to be done to fix the housing shortage.

The bare basics should be provided as a safety net in times of need (not choice) but anything over that is down for the adult to get for themselves.

Is having a home not a bare basic? Or do you think that people on benefits should only be allowed what's literally needed to keep you alive?

@AnyFucker i would really like one of the women to lead Labour but i dont think it will happen sadly.

Actually the whole mortgage rule that dictates against dss recipients is inefficient though as there are currently many private renters who get housing benefit. As long as they didn't receive it at the point of the first checks it doesn't seem to be monitored in anyway.

No, it was so the tenant managed his/her own money. I mean, a LL is going to know a person is on HB when they go for the income check.

Or because it puts the pressure of the waiting time into the person rather than giving the LL the scope to hassle the HB dept

I think MORE accessible housing for disabled people needs to be built.

After the death of a disabled/ill relative though there should be some sort of support in place to help the carer/relative /spouse move on to somewhere else. Instead of just evicting them. Because sooner or later carers will start saying no more and then social care would have to step in.

YABVU. Landlords are running a business not a charity, they aren't obligated to dmtake DSS tennants - I certainly wouldn't.

Many years ago when I was a teenager on benefits, of wasn't hard at all to find private rent landlords at all. I believe the problem came in when they stopped issuing rent directly to those letting it out. Now that is only allowed with housing association/council tenants. This has a knock on effect with insurance. Does anyone know why they changed it? OP could you be her guarantor?