To think that landlords shouldn't be discriminating against people on benefits?

[Asha0med]

I'm a lone parent with a disabled child who requires me to care for him full time, for this reason I'm unable to work.

It's not that I don't want to have a job, I've worked full time since leaving school but when my child came along my circumstances changed beyond my control.

I'm trying to move as our current home is no longer suitable and keep coming up against the blanket "no DSS" policy when reaching out to letting agents.

I feel ashamed and embarrassed when I'm repeatedly turned away on the basis I receive housing benefit, despite the fact I can provide a glowing reference from my landlord of the past five years. It's humiliating.

Without wanting to sound dramatic I feel discriminated against. It's as though people on benefits are automatically though of as lazy scroungers who just sit on their arse all day or withhold the rent / damage the property. Unwanted tenants. A liability.

I'm a good tenant and a good person. Is it right that I be refused housing on the basis I receive financial support form the government?

An article which echoes exactly what I'm going through.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-53391516

"Great for professionals" is just a discrete way of saving we don't want people on the dole. This much I have learnt from applying in spite of the description.

What about someone who is in benefits but also has a job or is it just sole benefit claimants that are the issue @19lottie82? I work as a nurse and top up benefits as I work part time, always paid rent and on time. Yet I couldn’t get a house once my landlord moved back from abroad and ‘sold’ my house which is fine it’s his house. So now myself and kids are in temp accommodation for almost 3 years waiting for a house or flat.

A single parent getting a council home is allowed to meet someone you know, it could be I do in years to come he may or may not move in but the house is in my name and it’s my security but clearly people would rather mums and kids dumped in temp accommodation, forgotten about and never get a home!! It means I never have worry about being in this position again, I’ve gone through hell in the last few years and I’ll forever feel guilty about having my kids go through this, and someone grudges me any happiness in the future. Really horrible attitude.

Op I really hope you get something I totally understand your frustration but there will be folk out there to lease to you,

@serenada

So many people must be getting UC now - those who have lost jobs, self employed, etc.

I think the insurance companies cannot enforce the rule about dss if the law says it is unlawful to exclude those tenants - the onus should be on landlords to find insurance companies who will provide policies at a reasonable not excessive fee to support them - but that will only happen if landlords pursue this.

My property is leasehold and they organise the insurance so it's out of my control.

You'd need to look at the exact wording when it comes into law, because it may well still be totally legal for finance companies and insurers to maintain that clause.

I'm not sure the law has changed. One ruling in favour of a tenant receiving benefits does not make a law.

The issue for me is that housing benefit used to be paid direct to the landlord now it's paid to the tenant.

The other thing about glowing references is : no landlord is going to give a bad reference if they are trying to get rid of a bad tenant.

I'm not saying you are or are not a bad tenant or a high risk, it's just unfortunately landlords have to balance risk. Your property is a pretty large asset to rent to someone so you're going to pick the safest bet.

However I do think that the law should be changed so that benefits are paid direct to the landlord. That would provide some reassurance.

Even with a guarantor if the tenant defaults, it's still lengthy getting the money back. One of my dc's old house mates is still being chased by the LL two years later, and they had a guarantor. Occasionally the ll gets in touch with the others to find out if anyone has heard from either of them.

@Asha0med

If it wasn't for my mtge lender & insurance id happily rent my property to you. I'd take the risk that your benefit could be stopped at anytime (and they can no matter what. I have had a friend in the same situation as you and her benefit was stopped (incorrectly) and she lost her & her disabled daughters home be sure they messed her around so much. It's a total disgrace.

I'm sorry you're in this position, it's disgraceful that it's so very difficult to find a home. Please don't feel embarrassed & ashamed, you're doing THE best job in the world!

Keep on at the council, there is help out there to locate a property, I think you just need to squeaky wheel them.

I have nothing more to add OP - other than wishing you luck, because often that's all we have - even if you are high paid or low-paid.

it's riculous really as, quite frankly, most low-paid, disabled, single parents and the many others that get benefits in order to pay their bills are far better at managing their budgets than those that rely on others to manage their incomes and/or BTL properties for them.

The law change will make little difference, IMO. LL's will just get round it with raising min income requirements, requiring guarantors, specifying 'no children', etc.

A single parent getting a council home is allowed to meet someone you know, it could be I do in years to come he may or may not move in but the house is in my name and it’s my security

This is the attitude that prevents someone like the Op getting a council/ha property.

How is it fair that you could have a partner move in earning £50k + and still be entitled to a council property?

@Asha0med. I'm not sure that advert is aimed at 'no DSS', so much as 'No kids/dogs/students 🤷🏻‍♀️

No it is not ok, it is appalling that human beings are pleading lease and insurance in this instance. Where is the humanity? Praying for a resolution for you and your ds OP, if I had a house I would let it to you.Hang in there...

The issue is those in benefits before you took the money when the system changed to it being paid to them rather than the LL. before that there wasn’t so much of an issue as rent was paid direct

That might have changed now but HB doesn’t always cover the full rent so LL are still left chasing for the remainder. It’s like everything the minority spoil it for the majority

The houses I've inquired about are all within my HSB allowance so there would have been no short fall and no need for me to make any top ups.

@Bearnecessity

No it is not ok, it is appalling that human beings are pleading lease and insurance in this instance. Where is the humanity? Praying for a resolution for you and your ds OP, if I had a house I would let it to you.Hang in there...

Humanity doesn't pay the bills. They are not 'pleading, it's been explained that the insurance rules are often made by the lender or whoever holds the free or leasehold. It's not difficult to be free and easy with other peoples' property and say, well, if I were me and I had a property to let, but you don't. Renting out property is a business, not a charity. That's just the way it is.

How to LL's get round their insurance/mortgage limitations if the tenant ends up on benefits?

@MoistMolly

A single parent getting a council home is allowed to meet someone you know, it could be I do in years to come he may or may not move in but the house is in my name and it’s my security

This is the attitude that prevents someone like the Op getting a council/ha property.

How is it fair that you could have a partner move in earning £50k + and still be entitled to a council property?

You’re not entitled to a council home in that situation.

Beam it was/is because of people like you that enabled me to get through. So many LL posters here quoting the 'smokescreen' insurance/mortgage companies for allowing this discrimination to carry on.

Yet, so many pps here also state that there is more 'risk' involved with letting to HB/UC Claimants, underlining this with how much better it is if HBUC Rent is paid directly to the LL.

This infers that people who receive 'benefits' are less capable of managing their finances than, for eg, an 'artist' that sold some paintings but incapable of filing their own Tax Return, yet invested a few £k in Property?

Apols for posting again when I above pp'd that I had nothing more to add - I should never say that....

It's interesting that so many landlords here have the BTL clause prohibiting renting to tenants in receipt of benefits.

My LL has a BTL mortgage and doesn't have this problem.

Surely it's interchangeable as like a PP asked above, what happens if a working tenant loses their job? Are they then just issued an eviction notice?

I wasn't aware about there being a clause in BTL mortgages, with that in mind I understand where some are coming from, but this definitely isn't the case for all.

Its not just about mortgages. Competent landlords take out landlord insurance to protect their property and their business from damage and losses. Its a specialist insurance and if the policy won't allow DSS tenants the LL has no choice.

Disobedient... it may be a business to you but there is ethical business and non-ethical business. You cannot conveniently remove humans or their experience from the exchange between LLs or tenants.

Sorry but I think YABU. Yes there are plenty of people on benefits who will look after a property and pay their rent, but there is certainly a higher proportion who don't than with working professionals. If librarians were statistically 10x more likely to withhold rent, I wouldn't rent to a librarian. It's that simple.

From someone currently homeless who has gone through hell and is currently entitled to a home for myself and my kids
I have no attitude whatsoever and no thoughts of bringing anyone into my home with my kids after all we have been through, perhaps once they are grown up but currently entitled to a home due to my circumstances and my thoughts are not about ‘moving someone in’ but not to say I can’t meet someone and perhaps I’d move out depending on the circumstances but I do not want to find myself in this position again - not sure what’s wrong with that after living in hell for the past 3 years perhaps you all could try it for size before you judge. It’s not stopping the op getting a house, she’s not homeless and I’m not taking anything away from anyone else, but the opinion that people on benefits can’t have lives is pretty shit I don’t know what will happen in my future my priority is for myself and my children.

The law in refusing to rent to people in benefits has now been introduced making it illegal, so those landlords who say their insurance / mortgage provider won’t allow it will have to change as a result, I’ll look for the link and post if here.

You’re not entitled to a council home in that situation.

I wasn't aware that councils routinely evict families once their income reaches a certain threshold

blog.shelter.org.uk/2020/07/no-dss-landmark-court-ruling%E2%80%AFdeclares%E2%80%AFhousing-benefit%E2%80%AFdiscrimination%E2%80%AFis%E2%80%AFunlawful%E2%80%AF/