would you now rent to a housing benefit applicant?

[WhyMeWhyNot]

So all you Mumsnetter landlords --- in all honesty will you still or would you in future rent your property to a housing benefit claimant? Either one who works and has their rent topped up or a family on 100% benefit?

hell - one of our main concerns is getting lumbered with someone who we can't get out who trashes the place - not so concerned about people leaving as you just get someone else. and also don't mind about fixing stuff - this is something you have to do if you are a landlord - as long as the tennant hasn't wrecked things of course.

aza - like the idea about the local authority if they are taking away the risk. as long as they wouldn't advice bad tennants to stay and take us through the whole court process before they could be evicted.

peasant - your landlord sounds terrible

azarello - that sounds similar to the rent assistance scheme (it's got different names with different councils).

"aza - like the idea about the local authority if they are taking away the risk. as long as they wouldn't advice bad tennants to stay and take us through the whole court process before they could be evicted."

Exactly, like it is now. [hsad] It's a stupid process to have to go through, but often a tenants only hope if they can't find a home when they have to leave.

We got references (mean nothing, who are they?!)

We have family meet them, seemed presentable.

Deposits have never even covered the rent owed.

Yes, we also once had some crapy students too but we successfully got money out of them. Sorry but chasing most people on hb through the courts for money is pointless really.

We are equally short of money too and also had little time to pick or choose tenants, unwilling landlords forced to rent out a family home in an area with no jobs and a mortgage over it's value.

But peasant is like a lot of us on full/partial HB, where we have to put up with either shoddy bodge-jobs on repairs, or urgent repairs waiting months to be completed. Because the LL's know that we can't afford to move / find somewhere else semi-affordable where the conditions are better, because the houses where the conditions are better don't accept even partial HB.

And we rely on HB even though DP works FT, so we aren't work-shy at all. Yes, I may be a SAHM - but all my dc are at school all day, and how much would I damamge the property by doing housework or MN'ing?

Loudlass if you don't mind me asking why don't you work? Surely the solution to your problem would be for you to get into employment so your household income would be higher and the HB cut effect would be negated and you may be able to move to a nicer house.

Dreamingofsun

but I'm caught can not afford anywhere else let along someone that will take Hb and la admitted due to ds 3 bees they have nowhere else to house us

the house isnice it's suffering from long term neglect nothing really been done on it for. Last 8 or 9 years been people in and out last tennants prior to me was house share amongst his drivers

Trouble is he let's me live in peace I can make it a home know not going to have to move in 6 or 12 months so xan give my dc Some security .

This is first time I have put my foot down and will make him collect rent from me rather than me just leaving the cheque orginally he was going collect monthly leaving in yard only came because never knew when was coming and was worried about being late

Intend to show him the bathroom full of crap and wee that i keep draining out though it's now getting less thankfully not filling so fast

Just wanted to put another side of story showing that not all of us are out to trash the places and infact most of us put up with far more than private tennants paying themselves would

people having their homes repossessed are also advised to stay right until the court process has finished too, and the final eviction notice has come through.

If they try and move out before then they're deemed to have made themselves intentionally homeless, just like tenants who have to be evicted.

Doesn't matter what the reasons are for defaulting on payment, whehter it's sudden job loss/financial difficulties out of your control, or whether you've just frittered the rent money away on fags and booze (sorry for stereotype ) the advice to tenants and home owners is the same.

Don't move out until the courts say you have to

I now have A 3 year lease and knowing I don't have to move dc can make it a home for them outweighs all the negatives and ds3 can get around means I will put up ineeturn for the security

reratio - some people can't afford to work because the childcare would cost more than they'd earn.

Ok maybe great for the long term job prospects, but does't help much if it reduces your current household income when it's already stretched to it's limit.

Opps that's ds3 needs not bees

Strawberry cake I had to have gurantor who is in full time employment if I default he is liable and he had to provide wage slips and work refernces

Reratiro

Just in case your wondering if I'm working I do I work at least 37 hours a week as ds3 carer .The goverment recognises that those hrs are above and beyond what a parent is normally doing .for 34p a hr but that's a whole another post

peasant are you honestly telling me that someone who is on housing benefit should be allowed to stay in a townhouse in an area that most can't afford to move into?

I'm not saying hb claimants should live in squalor because there's absolutely no need but there comes a point where you have to draw a line.

I have not paid hundreds of thousands on fittings etc for someone who does not earn any money to reap the benefits of them. I think that's fair.

deathjeff - we're not just talking about "townhouses" - we're talking about pretty average (and many below average) homes as well.

peasant - i think i understand. but you shouldn't be living with no hot water or have poo in your shower.

if you are HB surely the council should insist on some basic levels of habitation and enforce them with the landlords?

Oh sorry in that case, but fair point all the same.

To be perfectly honest, due to personal experience, I would still have reservations.
We rented out our old house which was in good condition and very modern to hb claimants and the first tenants asked if they could make 'personal' touches ie: putting things on the walls etc.

When I came back from overseas there were huge holes in the walls, the turf in the garden had been ripped up (?!) and all of my furniture was piled in the garage and a lot of it damaged.

Once they'd left, although they were good about paying on time, I still had to cover huge repair bills because their version of 'personal touch' clearly differed from mine.

dreamingofsun - you'd have thought so with the council. But unfortunately that only seems to apply if you're on some form of Rent Assitance Scheme with the council.

"Normal" HB applicants just end up having to put up with it and the council does feck all.

I haven't read the whole thread, but it seems anyone can be a landlord - and a bad one at that! Tenants have to pay enormous (and I mean ENORMOUS) deposits to live in ill-equipped houses, basically putting their trust in someone they have no references on! I think it is about time there is a 'landlord' register which flags up anyone being dishonest (tax dodging for example) and anyone who is not fulfilling the duties required of a landlord (eg. annual corgi safety checks). There are many landlords, who sit back raking in the rent money who do not lift a finger to improve a property, and then when the tenants move out they charge for 'wear and tear'. They also often have the cheek to up the rent despite having spent nothing on a property. So, whilst there may be bad tenants, there are also VERY bad landlords!

Agreed Jenski, I do think that rules and regs for LLs should be properly drawn up and enforced, just as tenancy agreements are supposed to work.

Both parties have to be protected from poor practise.

Our tenant is on housing benefit. She is a single parent, and apparently found it difficult to find a place becasue of being on benefits. She had good references from her previous landlord.
We actually had a lot of trouble arranging insurance, but we'd already made a verbal agreement to let to her at that point, and didn't want to go back on it.
OK, our insurance company thinks it's a risk.
We were happy to go on the good references, and let to her anyway.
Of course there are going to be good and bad ttenants. But not everyone on HB is going to be some feckless waster who wants to destroy your house, and imo it's a bit offensive of people to suggest they might be.

jenski - it sounds as if you think being a landlord is a highly lucrative business. its ok a the moment becuase the interest rates are low, but when they were higher 4 years or so ago we were just about covering the mortgage - with no spare money for repairs; to cover bad tenants; or any periods between tennants.

round here the norm for a deposit seems to be one months rent. this does not cover much damage or missed rent so if you have a really bad tennant you would be out of pocket

Azarello - that scheme sounds good on the face if it but a friend thought so too - used it and was burnt by tenants who did not pay the rent, trashed the place, and do you think the LA really promptly sorted it? Of course not! Like many people, they assume lannslords are all the idle rich and my friend ended up having to take the LA to court - stressful, expensive, so do not touch these schemes with a bargepole!!!!She now lets only to coporate tenants, 'cos the corporates actually DO take responsibility for the lets, and teh tenants are professionals, whereaas LAs and HAs are just glad to get tenants off tehir books and don't give a stuff about the probels that arise...

Dreamingofsun

here my deposit was 6 weeks rent plus month in advance .

Deathjeff sorry you had bad experiances .I wanted to fence in side yard at my own costs and made sure I asked landlord first this despite him telling me do whatever makes my life easier

and no not saying hb tennants deserve to live in mega expensive areas2k a week job but we do have the right nit to live in propertys thatare full of damp and mould and in areas that you would not want to bring up a dog in let alone dc note I'm not talking the majority of council estates or housing estates here just some

but LL are aware that we will put up with s lot more than most tennants

We did unwittingly and i'm afraid it is the only the time we've ever lost rent and the deposit didn't cover the damage and the cost of hiring a skip to clear out all the rubbish they left behind.
Never again.