Renting, do I have to tell a landlord I will be getting HB?

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I am just wondering as my friend told me you dont actually have o tell a landlord you are receiving housing benefit. Is this true?

I am currently looking at rented property but alot of them say no DSS

Many thanks

I was told by my local housing officer that you don't, but if you are not working at all, then it will be obvious because they need to do a credit check and/or see proof of your earnings a lot of the time.

It took me 3 months to find someone who would accept HB my only tip is to ring them up anyway and just start having a chat to them, even arrange to see the property, and then only after they have met you, say "I'm sorry I didn't mention this before, but I would be in reciept of housing benefit, would that be a problem at all?" - because sometimes they only put "No DSS" on because of preconceived ideas they have about benefit claimants.

the reason many landlords dont take HB is usually beacause of the terms of a buy-to-let mortgage, not their presonal preference, so it is always worth double checking with them. if you do claim housing benefit without telling them, chances are you will be chucked out if/when they find out. DSS is department of social security, which is income support/JSA etc. not HB which is done through the local council and not a government benefit. the two are separate so its worth phoning estate agents anayway and finding out excacly what they are after. hope this helps.