How do I find a landlord who'll accept housing benefit??

[Francescal88]

Hi all,
My situation is this - myself and my fourteen month old son are living with my parents, and are currently squashed into the box room together. Having tried to apply for social housing, was told that we are not deemed overcrowded enough, but in my current situation am able to claim £832 a month housing benefit. However, I am finding it impossible to find someone who will rent to anyone who is on housing benefit! I'm getting quite desperate now as my son is getting older and I'd love him to have some space of his own.

Does anyone have any experience/advice for me? I'd hate to have to move too far from my family, especially as my sister will be providing childcare when I return to work.

You could contact the Citizen's Advice Bureau or Shelter to see if they have any suggestions. I have read of people not telling landlords they are on Housing Benefit. You could try telling the Council your parents will not let you stay on at their house beyond such a date which would be quite reasonable I think. So you would be virtually homeless and they would have to offer you accommodation. Hope you find something suitable.

If you google, there are websites of private rentals that specifically take HB claimants. Also worth asking local council if they have any schemes where they provide the tenants for private landlords and they also cover the 'bond' such landlords requires
If you can find properties being rented out by the owner directly, rather than through an agents, and approach them directly, this can often be more successful for HB claimants.
Other option is to have your parenrs evict you and make you homeless, would move you higher on list for social housing, but you may find yourself in temporary housing until you get a secure tenancy somewhere, and the temp housing doesn't tend to be the nicest, but sometimes worth it in the long run

Ps don't lie to the landlords, often it's not them refusing Hb claimants, many insurance companies won't give insurance for but to let unless you agree to no HB

It is time I was asleep - I read this as 'How do I find a LABRADOR who'll accept housing benefit'

Francescal88 you have my sympathies, it's really tough.

I agree your best best is probably through a private LL who doesn't mind HB. They're rare, but they do exist.

Keep trying gumtree, local ads, asking about. Be prepared for it to take ages.

Can your parents act as guarantors?
Do you have a deposit?
Can your parents lend you money to pay some of the rent up front?

All these will make you more appealing to a LL.

Also try looking to see if there are any housing associations in your area, might be worth approaching them directly.

Housing associations almost all only take applicants from those on housing lists through the bidding / home choice schemes so generally wont take any direct applicants, but housing co-ops work differently and mean you have some control and input to decisions made about your housing, so we'll worth googling co-ops and see if any near you

Thanks everyone for your replies - think my plan now is to find ads for private rents and if that doesn't get me anywhere citizens advice bureau and maybe having my patent evict us.

I had my HB paid as LHA to me. I didn't lie, but I didn't volunteer the fact I was on HB, either. I had a guarantor.

All you can do is approach private landlords or ask at estate agents if they know landlords who will accept housing benefit.
A single woman with a child is very different from a young single lad for example.

If you find a private landlord why would you need to disclose that you are on housing benefit? Just say your parents are helping until you get a job

When are you going back to work? It's much easier to find a LL when you are in employment.

'and maybe having my patent evict us.'

Be very careful before you do this because a lot of councils are so over-stretched they will send you very far out to some grungy B&B and then tell you there's no council housing left you need to find a private let.

I'd look at going to work and then moving out.

Unfortunately won't be able to return to work for another 12-18 months as my sister provides childcare and she is having an operation to correct scoliosis at some point in the next three months. By this point my DS will be almost 3 so sharing a box room with him that long makes me want to cry.

Loathe to lie to a landlord and say my parents will be helping with rent rather than tell him I'm on housing benefit as I know that local council can stop/start housing benefits when and as they please with no notice, so would be unable to explain why rent is late when parents are not in a position to help me at all.

I have personally never had a problem finding a landlord who will accept HB. I work though so HB is a top up, maybe that is the difference? In all cases, I have had to have a guarantor, would that be a possibility for you?