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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be pissed off at ''no dss, working people only'' when finding a house...

178 replies

juicychops · 17/03/2009 13:10

i do f-ing work for gods sake!! just cos im a single parent and cant possibly work full time due to my situation and so need housing benefit to help me out with PART of the rent, why am i being turned away for anything decent?
it really pisses me off

OP posts:
Alambil · 17/03/2009 13:22

It's stupid isn't it - you'd think HB would be more of a guaruntee anyway because it goes straight to the landlord!

dancingqueeen · 17/03/2009 13:24

I don't think you're being unreasonable. I htink as long as the rent gets paid I don't see why it matters how its paid. I feel for you. I remember looking through rental ads when we were hunting and I was shocked that anywhere half decent said "no DSS" (it seemed so unfair on people that need this)

nametaken · 17/03/2009 13:24

[shock} do they actually use those words when advertising their property! Is that even legal?

FAQinglovely · 17/03/2009 13:25

some mortgages and insurance policies specifically say in them no HB - so that can be one problem.

And Lewis - it's not a guarantee HB - I get mine paid to me - and then I top up and pay onto the landlord - you can now choose to have it paid to you or the landlord - so someone (ala my Vicars tenants - who she wrote to her mortgage provider to ask permission to take someone with HB - so did them a favour - can pocket the money and not pay the landlord - in my vicars case to the tune of £3000!!!!)

GypsyMoth · 17/03/2009 13:30

I know someone who has done that too FAQ.....it seems too easy!!

SoupDragon · 17/03/2009 13:32

It is probably a case of the twattish few spoiling it for the many honest people out there.

FAQinglovely · 17/03/2009 13:33

Tiffany - imagine my horror when I discovered that fact (her being owed so much money by her HB claiming tenants) when I asked her to be my guarantor for this place

brazenhussy · 17/03/2009 13:43

I had this too.

I owned my own home prior to my divorce, I work part time had a nightmare time tying to rent anywhere decent for me and 4 DC when I wanted to move out of the family home because I was in receipt of HB.

Because mine is a private rental, the HB cannot be paid directly to the landlord hence him grilling me at length as to how i was going to afford it. I felt really embarressed having to discuss my fiancial situation with him and explain where the 'top up' money was going to come from; then having the agent running checks on me

We have only been in the house for a month and we are the first DSS he has ever let to. Previously he had private tenents who totally trashed the house.I am so proud of the amount of work and money i have put into the house to get it looking it's best. I can't wait for my landlord to see it just to prove to him that you cannot tar us all with the same brush.

Nabster · 17/03/2009 13:45

Boo!

You okay?

Jux · 17/03/2009 14:04

I'm sorry you're having trouble finding somewhere decent to live. The fact is, most people are sensible and decent and will pay their rent, dss or not.

However, we have just managed to rid ourselves of a tenant who was on HB. I thought that was a guarantee that the rent would be paid. We had no end of trouble and were never - never - paid in full or on time. He still owes us £2k.

We would have another dss tenant, but dh had to deal with the Council all the time the last guy was here and they are horrible. They are rude, they tell you as little as possible, unhelpful, suspicious, and make life really really difficult. He will not deal with them again.

That is why we won't be having another dss tenant. I'm really sorry.

Sunshine78 · 17/03/2009 14:05

As a landlord I have got DSS at moment but as my council insist on paying them direct I have no guarantee I'll get it - the last tenant kept forgetting to pass it on and left me £2k out of pocket in lost rent/damage to my property. I have a mortgage on both my properties and the rent just covers this so I have to make sure before I take a tenant on that they can afford it - before I got this carful I had people taking the place on who's pay only just covered the rent and they got in an awful mess.

I know its not perhaps right that a few ruin it for all but you have to except that a property is probably a landlords biggest asset/source of income and they have to do all they can to protect this.

neenztwinz · 17/03/2009 14:10

Could you appeal directly to the landlord to take you on even though you are DSS? If you explain your situation they might be more favourable.

islandofsodor · 17/03/2009 14:18

I'm really sorry I understand your situation but YABU.

When I rented a room out in my house (I was fresh out of uni in a low paid before minimum wage job) my housemate took weeks and weeks before her claim was sorted and I never saw the money. It was paid directly to her when it came through and left me hugely out of pocket.

If I was ever in that situation again of renting a room/house I would not care whether the person was DSS as long as they were able to pay me in advance the rent due regardless of whether their claim had come thorough which I guess is not possible inmost instances.

sb6699 · 17/03/2009 14:25

It sometimes affects the Landlord's insurance if a tenant is DSS which is why some wont' take it (others just think DSS automatically means scumbag).

When I rented out my flat I took DSS. One tenant was a lovely girl, single parent who had left her abusive partner. I got her life story when she came to view I think because she was worried I wouldn't accept HB. The flat was immaculate when she left.

On the other hand had one tenant who wrecked the place who was paying for himself.

Juicy -do you have anyone who can give you a reference/act as guarantor? This usually helps.

Thinking I might be entitled to HB myself at the moment - bloody recession is crippling my dh's business - wonder how my landlord will react. Think mine are pretty good though.

laweaselmys · 17/03/2009 14:27

I think the most important thing should be whether they are a reliable person or not. I hope very much that when we need HB help in six months time our landlord won't kick us out on the basis that we have always paid our rent on time for nearly the last year. As it is though, I am afraid to tell him until the last minute just in case he does.

wotulookinat · 17/03/2009 14:42

YANBU. It is extremely frustrating.

harleyd · 17/03/2009 14:47

ive paid a holding deposit on a place atm that im meant to be moving in to on 1st april
ive left the housing benefit forms in with the estate agent to pass on to the landlord
please, please tell me im not going to have a problem with this?

BennyAndJoon · 17/03/2009 14:47

I am going to be renting out my house soon, so this is very interesting. I never realised it could be part of the mortgage/insurance conditions

Will check the fine print, but otherwise I would be happy to rent out to someone getting HB, I think.

wotulookinat · 17/03/2009 14:48

Harleyd, the estate agent probably wouldn't have taken the forms to pass on if their would be a problem, so don't panic.

harleyd · 17/03/2009 14:50

oh hell lol, im panicking about everything atm
i dont have a clue what im doing, or how anything works

lockets · 17/03/2009 14:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

MrsGuyOfGisbourne · 17/03/2009 15:05

We have been in the position of having to refuse DSS tenants, not because we assume they are scumbags but for the reasons below, and also because if the tenant is incorrectly given HB, even if a mistake is made by the tenant in their claim or the council in the processing, they can claw it back from the landlord. And in the even in the event of non-payment the Council (and CAB) will advise the tenant to remain until evicted by a court as they will not be re-housed unless that is the case. So the landlord can rathcet up vast amounts of costs and arrears (and be in a very stressful situation) which they have no hope of getting back, because at least with an employed tenant you can do an attachment of earnings, but with an unemployed, or even low paid - no chance. So unsurprising that landlords will not rent to HB claimants. It may seem unfair, but only in that HB are tarred with the same brush as the 'rogue few' in the same way that landlords are often tarred with the same brush as the 'rogue few' who do not repay deposits etc.

Original poster
juicychops · 17/03/2009 15:06

ive been renting the house im in privately for years and been on housing benefit for the last 3 1/2 and working for the last 2 years. my landlady has been brilliant. she gets the rent directly from the council and i pay the rest by cheque each month i have always paid her and there has never been a problem

it does really piss me off. im not in a huge rush to move out so i have the time to find somewhere good but its just so damn frustrating.

my sis gets £725 paid to her by the council and she forwards only £695 to her landlord. she makes me furious as she doesn't work or do anything and she gets all this money.

OP posts:
FairyLightsForever · 17/03/2009 15:14

What frustrates me is that if you receive HB you are seen as lower than a student. I am a 34yr old single mum and insurance/mortgage providers and some landlords think that three 18yr old boys are going to look after a home better than I would? I'm struggling to find somewhere new and I have a guarantor too.

laweaselmys · 17/03/2009 15:17

I don't understand how mortgage lenders are allowed to sell mortgages which exclude HB tenants. Surely that's obvious discrimination?? How the hell do they get away with it?