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

I've just sent an email to Phoenix to ask whether they're able to help or advise.

That's terrible Oracle, surely what she's fine is fraud?

@Staplemaple - experience. Also has issues with payment. If the government paid the rent direct to me I would be happier but they don't and it's very hard to get someone out once they are in (and costly) so why take the risk

Why did the system change from sending all rent directly to landlords to now only sending directly to tenants?

It makes no sense to do that if so many landlords are having these problems with non payment of rent.

I completely agree OP

@safariboot

but this policy really isn’t our fault

You agreed to those mortgage and insurance terms in the pursuit of your own profits. So yes, you do have responsibility for this.

Exactly

It's about priorities for them and their priority isn't this

This is what happens when you allow individuals to provide housing for profit. Prices soar, competition increases, and standards are allowed to slip as tenants are just so desperate to get anything remotely affordable. Buy to let mortgages are abhorrent, unless you are buying your own home, housing should be a publicly owned amenity. Trying to profit from someone’s basic need for a roof over their head is awful, and the right to buy scheme is largely responsible for this as it took so much social housing away, meaning private landlords could move in to provide housing at inflated prices.
I’m sure there are accidental landlords who have no choice but to rent out their houses, but there needs to be a real shake up of the system.

Apologies for the awful grammar, have taken painkillers and am phone typing- not a good combo!

@Asha0med

Why did the system change from sending all rent directly to landlords to now only sending directly to tenants?

It makes no sense to do that if so many landlords are having these problems with non payment of rent.

When they decided to make it horrendously complicated, and leaving people 5+ weeks before any money.

This means that the panicked “what is happening” phone calls only come from the claimant/tenant.

It means they face all the flak when their payment is ballsed up

I don't understand why more has not been done on all of this housing issue. It's so important

It’s dreadful and really hard OP. I went through this with my Dad, as he receives pension credits and every single high street estate agent said no we don’t rent to anyone on benefits. Even though you can’t get rent more guaranteed! It’s humiliating and discrimination

It use to be that mortgage providers forbid renting to DSS, but NatWest sent me a letter last year saying that I now can, so my next tenant will be via my councils housing department. And there is nothing in my lease or insurance forbidding this.

I’m not sure if Natwest changed this because of a change in law or on their own

I read an article, much like the article linked but I read it months ago, that the law has changed for mortgage companies so that's why you'll have got your letter.
There were and are insurance companies out there who cover this but like with anything, not all will so people just won't have queried it with their company or looked somewhere else

I feel your frustration OP.

I am a single working mother and couldn't move.
I was desperate to get out of an area that was high rent and turning into somewhere I didn't feel my kids were safe.
But even though where I was looking the rents were £2-300 cheaper I still couldn't move.

Most estate agents have a policy of needing to earn 3x the rent, let alone the blanket no DSS.
I was working 30 hrs a week and getting in work benefits but I still had no chance.
I even had one estate agent say 'Oh you are almost working full-time, well done'
So patronising.

What I don't get is, people earning 3x rent are probably less likely to be renting anyway, they can probably afford to get a mortgage!

Anyway it took me many more years than I had hoped but I did manage to move last year but only through luck, and now rent through a private landlord who had complete faith in me.

I now work full time and recently enquired about a property and again was told I have to be earning 34k+ to be eligible, which is never gonna happen on my sole income. If I need or have to move again, I don't know what I would do
The fact I have been renting with no issues for 14 years and have always worked, make no difference unfortunately.

Oh and word of warning, I was looking on gumtree and had two people try and scam me! Awful for people who are desperate like I was.

@Nelumbo I completely agree with everything you say about letting agents. It absolutely pisses me off more than anything. I have to have a guarantor cos of course I don't earn enough for them, luckily I can get one (but what about when that person dies? Awful thought but true)
I've never missed a payment but still need one
Pisses me off so much

That's awful about the scamming what happened?

@purpleme12

I don't understand why more has not been done on all of this housing issue. It's so important

Because it doesn't affect rich people and, in particular, rich Tories.

It's saddening to hear that others are experiencing the same crap, but thank you for letting me know I'm not alone. It's hard not to take it personally.

Nelumbo that is awful! What happened? I've been looking on gumtree alot so I'd love to know what to look out for (to avoid)

I got an auto response from open rent to book a viewing for the DSS enquiries welcome property and it said I'm enquirer number 43 and the property has only been advertised for 2 or 3 days.

I'm going to forget about that one now as there's no way the landlord would wait around for me to go through the council with their help to rent scheme when he has so much interest with people who can move straight in.

If you are not able to work may make sense for you to move outside London. Demand for property in London is extremely high so it is likely you will always have this problem if you stay there.

Unfortunately it's not feasible to relocate. The only respite I get is by accepting help from my family. I need to maintain that support network for the sake of my mental health which is already quite fragile.

Then there is DS' dad and his half siblings.

If they don't allow DSS tenants, then what happens when the professional loses their job and ends up on benefits

A landlord may not know if they are later in receipt of HB and of everything is being paid then why would the Landlord be asking any questions they are not to know circumstances have changed

In your case then, focus instead on trying to make the space you have work for you. I'd recommend Pinterest or Insta for IKEA hacks on how you can change the space in a way that is not permanent.

**If you are not able to work may make sense for you to move outside London. Demand for property in London is extremely high so it is likely you will always have this problem if you stay there.
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Exactly saw a program about this and how many people are literally forced out of London because if this. I know of people who have been through this and the inevitable outcome for people struggling with private renting who should really be in ha/council properties, was to move out of London regardless of local family or support networks.

I know of old council accommodation that was demolished and rebuilt as stylish new housing for the “rich”.

It's shit.

After 15 years renting my property my LLs have decided to sell and are evicting me. Even though I told them I can't afford to move as on part time wages at the mo. And i've only just been advised I could claim UC to help pay my rent so now i'm a benefits claimant for the first time in my life.

So no letting agent will rent to me, the council won't house me and will tell me to make LLs take me to court. Then half of MN willl think i'm all kinds of bastard for causing hassle for the LL who may well lose their buyer. It'll also be enormously stressful for me.

What else am I supposed to do?

I'm a keyworker who's worked full time for over 20 yrs till ill health and still work, just part time for now but that will change in a few months. Always been a good tenant and i'm pretty fucked.

There is something very wrong if an adult professional 'public servant' is not only not able to get on the housing ladder but is now effectively excluded/priced out from the rental market.

The system is crap, but if the landlord has been a good one for 15 years, it is unfair to make it harder for them to sell.

@Staplemaple Where do you suggest I go exactly? That's the thing about homelessness, it means having literally nowhere to go.

Surely it isn't beyond the wit of most LLs to independently carry out their own risk assessment of a potential Tenant rather than rely on EAs who often outsource their Credit Assessments anyway
But why would I do that if I also get 5 prospective tenants who are in very secure jobs?

We are all in it for our own interest. People on benefits because they need a roof over their heads, LLs because they don't want the stress and financial pressure if it can be avoided.

There are different type of LLs but the vast majority are people with only one property rented. For the majority of these people, no rent for a number of months mean they can find themselves in dire straights.

The government have opted to up taxation on rental income. Fine, they look anywhere to get some in. The problem is that for a number of those smaller LLs, it means that after tax, they are no better off monthly.

This is the case for me, it actually cost me monthly with the money I put aside each month for repairs, house improvements etc...I do it as an investment as the income will become my pension.

It comes down to this: Why would I care to lose money every month if there wasn't a benefit at some point?

And why would I chose to take more risk when that risk could lead me in even more costs out if my pocket just to be kind to a complete stranger?

Why are LLs expected to be prepared to put themselves in financial difficulties to help people they have no attachment to when this would never be expected from anyone else?

LLs are selfish in a business savvy way but no more selfish than anyone else who also look at their own interests, which really is just about everyone.