Private renting

[fionasuewright]

How on earth do people rent privately now days. My partner and I have been trying to get out of council accommodation and rent privately. My partner works 40+ hours a week and I stay at home to look after our children, yet every time I enquire about a property they say because we have housing benefit top up our rent they won't accept us. We are a hard working family who just can NOT afford to rent unless it is council owned. But that means we are stuck in a council maisonette two bedrooms. No garden and 3 children in a terrible area where the neighbours do drugs. How are we supposed to get out of such a place if no one will let us rent??

you need to get past the agents to the landlords. Many landlords can't accept anyone with HB support for insurance reasons, and also have been burnt when the council cocks up and the payments are delayed.

HB tenants do have a higher statistical risk of default but that doesn't mean it is an absolute no. Do you by any chance have a guarantor?

all ads say 'no HB' by definition, but it IS worth asking.

Fiona I feel for you and your plight. You can thank the government for low interest rates allowing buy to letters speculators driving up house prices and rents

The way property is going things may well move in your favor soon, lots of repos and decreasing rents

Can you not put in for a transfer or exchange on your current property?

I know it's not as easy as that but I certainly wouldn't leave a council property to go to a private landlord that can decide not to renew your tenancy at the end.

Unfortunately we can not get a guarantor as my family disagree with me trying to come away from the council and so will not support my decision. I have tried offering to put up a large deposit or pay 6 months rent in advance as I can get a loan and the repayments are small enough for us to manage (we've done extensive research).
I'm up for exchange but no one wants to go from a 3 bed to a 2 bed maisonette that doesn't even have a garden, and most people downsizing are the slightly older generation whose children have left and apparently no older people can manage stairs.. it's just really hard im trying to better mine and my children's situations, but no one seems to want to give us a helping hand. its not like we're not offering to pay more up front to prove ourselves..

I left a council property for a private let and it was the biggest mistake I ever made.

I went from £290 a month in rent to £750 a month and it was hell. Even with hb top ups as DP was self employed and I was part time.

It took me months to find a landlord that would accept hb and this was the first one who said yes even though it was out of our price range. We really needed to move towns and it was nearly impossible to get a council swap for different councils.

I eventually found another house that was much cheaper but still twice the council rent.

It's horrible being made to feel inferior because you claim hb and be prepared to speak to snooty letting agents who will delight in telling you they don't deal with benefit claimants.

I found my private properties through Gumtree where it's usually the landlord letting directly so they are more likely to accept if you get the chance to meet them.

6 months rent in advance should be fine.

the reason it is difficult to find rentals in some areas is because parts of the country are overcrowded. Supply and demand.

I have explained why HB is an issue. It is not because you are considered 'inferior'.

Specialsubject yes you explain why YOU think it's not accepted and sometimes that really is the case but believe me I have personally been treated like shit as soon as I mentioned benefits so I was expressing my opinion on reasons hb tenants are not accepted.

My BTL mortgage conditions state no HB so even though I'm not totally against HB tenants, I can't risk breaching my mortgage conditions. So the reasons are not always in the landlords control.

there's no excuse for being rude to anyone.

manners do seem to go out the window in property rental transactions. Won't go into detail, but apparently sane tenants became unbelievably abusive on checkout when a small deduction for admitted damage was suggested.

if an agent is being unprofessional don't hesitate to tell the landlord, who pays for the service.