The Basic Guide To DSS Tenants

With so many properties available to rent these days, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for landlords to rent out property, so landlords are having to become flexible to who they rent their property out to.

A lot of landlords, especially when looking for tenancy through an agent, get offered to house a DSS tenant. There’s a lot of controversy when it comes to DSS tenants; a lot of landlords just simply refuse to house them. In my opinion, a few bad apples have given all DSS tenants a bad reputation. However, renting to a DSS tenant does have its drawbacks.

What is a DSS tenant?

DSS stands for Department of Social Security. It’s basically people that are receiving housing benefits from the council for either being unemployed, single parents etc. Essentially, the local council will give DSS tenants a monthly allowance for accommodation. DSS tenants are NOT private tenants.

The DSS set-up process:

A DSS tenant will usually have a slightly different process to that of a private rental. The viewing process is as normal, if the DSS tenant likes the property and wants to take the property then a Pre Tenancy Determination form needs to be filled in with the agents details or landlord details (as applicable). The tenant completes their details into the form and then presents this to their housing officer. The council will then determine the house value and then access the situation of the person requiring the rent and make a rental offer. Once this has been received and accepted on both sides then the usual tenancy agreement is drawn up and the contract with the council who will then arrange the payment set-up.

Why landlords don’t want DSS tenants:

There are a lot of reasons why landlords refuse to house DSS tenants, but here are a few of the most common reasons why:

- Some local authorities have a claw-back clause, which the landlord must agree to if the landlord accepts housing-benefit tenants. This basically enables the local authority to claim back from landlord if any over-payments that may have been made to the tenant. i.e. if the authorities discover that the tenant has for example, been falsely/under declaring income or has taken black economy work etc. It will be the landlord’s responsibility to repay money the tenant may have falsely claimed.

- DSS tenants are entitled to a certain amount of allowance per month, which is dependent on individual circumstances. Some DSS tenants rent a property that actually costs more than their monthly allowance, so then there the tenant is required to pay the shortfall. So basically, the landlord could be looking to claim rent from two different sources per month, the council and the tenant. It can get a little confusing some times.

- DSS tenants generally have a bad reputation and that throws a lot of landlords off. A lot of landlords assume that because DSS tenants claim benefits, they must be doing something wrong. A lot of the problem is physiological based.

- The landlord is not getting the rent paid by the tenant, the housing benefit are paying (unless there is a shortfall- then both parties are paying). In a lot of situations, it’s not even the DSS tenant that is causing the problems; it is in fact the council. It’s not unheard of for the money transfer to the landlord to go without teething problems to start with. Dealing with the local authorities can be rather tedious to say the least.

- Payments from the council are made in 4-week cycles. A lot of landlords prefer payment on a pcm (per calendar month basis).

- Common problems that landlords experience from DSS tenants are late payments or complete lack payments (if they’re paying a shortfall), and mistreatment of property.

Advantages of housing DSS tenants:

- The council guarantees their tenants allowance payment. Private tenants don’t guarantee payment.

- Letting agents charge a lot of money to find landlords tenants. Going direct to the council for DSS tenants is completely free.

Things to remember:

- Landlord insurance for DSS tenants is available. This can cover any late or lack of payments, plus a lot more.

- It’s entirely up to the landlord who stays in his/her property. Often, a lot of letting agents will only offer DSS tenants; landlords shouldn’t feel pressured by the letting agent. A landlord has the right to stipulate that they only want private tenants.

- If a letting agent finds a DSS tenant, the landlord is entitled to meet the tenant before agreement to providing tenancy. It’s often a good idea to meet the tenant, so the landlord can make some decision based on instincts.

- it’s always better to get a DSS tenant with rental history, so you can check whether they’re good with payments.

- The landlord should always find out how much allowance the DSS is entitled to, so they’re fully aware if the tenant has to cover a shortfall.

- Landlords have the option of going full-management with a letting agent. Full-management involves the letting agent handling everything- there is no need for the landlord to make any contact with the tenant. This can be costly, but the letting agent will collect payments and chase up any problems. If the tenant has any problems, they will contact the agent directly, and then the agent will contact the landlord.

- It’s always better to have an occupied property than an empty property, so being extremely picky isn’t always the best option.

My personal experience and opinion:

I’ve personally given tenancy to DSS tenants in the past, and still am housing one. I’ve had one nightmare and one success story (my current DSS tenant).

I’m not promoting DSS tenants, and I’m definitely not saying that DSS tenants are perfect, but I’m saying DSS tenants are essentially no different than private tenants, besides from the payment set-up. There seems to be an awful myth that implies that private tenant can do no-wrong. At the end of the day, you can get bad private tenants and bad DSS tenants just as easily as you can get good.

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Talk / 23 Comments

phillippa j leach wrote this on 2008-06-07 16:32:27 yery interesting reading and as im a dss tenant renting in bilston frm dbp management properties i can say that my rent has allways been paid on time and anyone comeing onto my home will find it spotless there is difficulty in finding work and most people are claiming benefit becus of this reason it dosent make them bad people i have o find a short fall of 125 pound a wk and thats just to much so i am currently looking for a cheaper property we all need to have a roof over our heads so to all the landlords out there there are some good tenants 1

NicolaTrim wrote this on 2008-08-25 11:11:01 I am a DSS tenant - what a label. I have been ill for half my life and so cannot work. I have no choice but to claim a local housing allowance as it now is. But I am now trying to find a new property. This is because one of the tenants at the house I now share is leaving as they can't afford it - and they are working. I cannot live safely alone and so wish to share with my close friend who works. Because of that, the council will not house us together. But trying to find a private rental in the area I need to live is impossible. " properties have come up but as soon as I mention housing benefit, the agents tone changes and I get excuses from "blanket policy no dss" or "landlords insurance is invalid for DSS tenants". I hate the fact that because I am ill I am denied a basic right to live where I would like to. They judge me on scroungers and criminals who choose to live off the state as many do. I am ill and have no choice - no employer would pay me a regular income because I am ill. I have endured this treatment all my adult life - being housed with those who are violent or addicts or worse. I was given no choice and am lucky to be alive as no one cared - I was a number. I won't except that anymore. I am taking legal steps to change agents policy. They will have to, by law, change that "blanket policy" in the case of somene disabled. I will also be taking it to the European court of human rights as I am intelligent enought o read that and understand it. I should not be discriminated against because of who I am. I just want a quiet house where I can pay my rent and live as best I can. Agents and landlords should not make snap judgements - wake up as there are people like me out there who need housing and you turn us away. 2

NicolaTrim wrote this on 2008-08-25 11:25:05 Where can you find decent landlords who will rent to someone on housing allowance and not think that they are losers and troublemakers? They are not willing to look at YOU as a person, just the words housing benefit. And that apparently means single mums, smokers, pit bulls, 50 screaming kids and more convictions than Fagin. Thats not me - I am ill and have no choice and hate the attitude. Can anyone tell me the name of a decent landlord? 3

marie wrote this on 2009-01-05 20:44:14 The CAB will have a list of all the landlords and agants that will except dss! 4

nicola wrote this on 2009-01-06 14:45:29 The CAB i wemnt to had no lists and said just phone round. I got the same pesponse - no DSS or you must have a guarantor rich enough to say they will pay the rent for you if theres any problem. No one I know would do that especially at the moment so theres no way I can rent from all the agents called. 5

breenz wrote this on 2009-01-31 12:21:31 What a good read, I myself am currently receiving housing benefit. I was renting privately and in full time work as a careers adviser,but after having my first child who is now one I decided it would be right to spend time with him and raising him. I am now working three days a week and have found I now fall into the DSS bracket. I find it discriminatory that we somehow have to validate our pure existence and need for housing. Surely this should be a social policy issue for the local authority anD goverment because alot of the time the decision to rent privately is a result of the council themselves not being able to provide enough housing in the first place. I am finding the search for properties accepting DSS to be very difficult and am disguted that in this day and age such practice can be legal and wide spread. What happened to equal opportunities?? 6

Caz wrote this on 2009-02-16 14:51:04 I am currently in receipt of housing benefit as a single mum ,but yes i do work and I am in full time education studying to be a teacher.The landlord I have does except this but of course he does the house was a dump I have decorated and layed wooden flooring throughout and the place is literally a shoe box and he charges £750 a month.He has hired cowboys to come and fit a new boiler. When I had it checked for a gas safety certificate turned out I had a gas leak with two children in the house.I really want to find a better property and landlord and council has been no help please message back I would be really grateful for any help and advice. 7

l wrote this on 2009-03-07 02:05:32 i am a single parent and i am also no criminal nicola just because i do not work and want to spend time with my baby doesnt mean im bad you yourself in one of your comments was being discriminating i would love to work when my baby is a bit older,, not all single mums have brought it on themselves and should not be talked about like that,, i think that is really an unfair comment to add as i am looking to go private, but people who put bad names against single mums put me down as if to say were not worth it,, we all shoud be given the oppertunity to go private, doesnt matter who you are. 8

lilo wrote this on 2009-03-25 13:20:53 i would like to know as a "criminal mum " gone straight
ie rent arrears

can i go private
im sick if the housing meat market 9

lizzy lamb wrote this on 2009-04-19 12:47:01 i am 20 got 2 kids pregnant with my 3 got 2 weeks to go would like to know how much dss i am entiled to i am a single mum 10

Jools wrote this on 2009-04-20 13:58:47 Caz,

sorry to hear about your circumstances. Where are you based? There are some councils in England and Wales that are running Landlord Accreditation Schemes to try to root out the 'Rigsby' sytle landlord. I am in the process of joining the Cardiff scheme as we speak. Problem is, with the change in policy for paying landlords who accept DSS many of us are not willing to take on the additional (and I use the word advisedly with no disrespect intended) hassle. Unfortunately, everyone - irrespective of their status/willingness to work/etc who is on benefits is stereotyped and the councils have not helped the matter with their stupid policies. I really feel for you and hope you get something soon. 11

Jools wrote this on 2009-04-20 14:22:46 I've been reading this link with great interest.

The problem is in order to facilitate change the councils have to listen and act but as we all know, councils work on a completely different plant to the normal person and normally have systems that dont talk to each other.

Somehow, soneone has to change the perception of the benefit claiming tenant. When I see DSS I immediately see CHAV. Completely wrong I know but there seems to be more of them than the honest hard working claimant. This recession will see more and more families breaking up and losing their homes and we have to find a way of ensuring that the landlord who looks after his properties and tenants is not left at the end of the month with no rent and a mortgage to pay. I know that there are terrible landlords out there who deserve to be shafted but in the same way all benefits claimants should not be stereo typed, the landlord needs the same respect.

How do you find a decent landlord? Word of mouth or recommendation is the best way I suppose.

Will I accept DSS - not until the councils pay me directly and I am indemnified from any overpayment clawback because the claimant's circumstances have changed. If you want to be different and impress me - write out a CV or give me reasons why I, as a private landlord, should accept you. I won't discriminate on the grounds of race, age, gender etc - I just want to know how, at the end of the month, I am going to feed my own family. If I have paid £100k for a property - I am not going to put just anyone in there. I need to know that my investment is safe and is not going to be turned into a grow house or appear on youtube!

Maybe we can't change the attitude of the government or the councils but at least we may be able to understand where both sides are coming from!The old saying that you never get a second chance at making a first impression is as valid now as is was when the saying was first coined!

Jools

Jools 12

jessica h wrote this on 2009-07-17 15:10:07 I'am a single mum of one child and am workin part time and and also studyin,im a currentley in a council property which is in a poor state of repair i have not been offered any other house by the council and am only on priority,i am wantin to private rent but cant afford the months rent up front and also a bond do's anyone no any landlords what would be willin to accept housin benefit and be willin to come to a arrangement with the bond.. 13

Michelle wrote this on 2009-10-20 08:25:44 Hi everyone,

Myself and my partner have two children, we are currently in a council property in a really bad area. Been here for 4 years this month and it is unbareable. I have had no help what so ever from the council with reguards to a move, they are not interested and i am at my wits end. I have never rented a property privately before and don't really know hoe to go about it? I am currently in reciept of housing benefit as myself and my partner are finding it really hard to get decent job to support our kids. I have been searching online for 3 bedroom properties in my area (renfrewshire) but it's no use, most adverts for private lets are "NO DSS". I feel trapped with nowhere to turn. I'm desperate to get out of here. I am not a "chav/ned", "junkie/druggie", "alcoholic", etc. I am a mother who just wants a quiet life away from the riff raff, i do not belong here with the "undesireables". Please, if anyone knows of or is a landlord with a 3 bedroom house/flat in the Renfrewshire/Glasgow area and is letting at £500 pcm please let me know. Thank you. x 14

shaza wrote this on 2009-11-25 10:28:38 i am single parent with 3 children and want to know if i move into a privet let how much the dss will pay for a 3 bedroom flat or house for me.. 15

kris-hargreaves wrote this on 2009-12-04 11:09:19 could anybody tell me what i would be entitled to from dss as a single person? 16

aaron.L wrote this on 2010-01-07 04:00:58 Dose anyone know how much dss I would be intitled to as a single 21 year old ??? Please help 17

Twattybollcoks wrote this on 2010-01-07 08:52:49 For fucks sake - don't be so damn lazy. Call your local councils housing benefit office and ask them!

If you have a serious question please ask it otherwise get off your fat lazy arses and find out yourself - no wonder DSS get such bad press!

Twatty 18

Khalid wrote this on 2010-01-08 10:43:21 Hi,
I am a DSS tenants from 3 years ago and I am living in Edinburgh, now I want to move to London, somebody can tell me if my DSS can be transfer to London as a change of circumstance? or have I to do a new claim?

Thanks a lot. 19

Twattybollocks wrote this on 2010-01-08 11:35:12 Khalid,

Once again, pick up the phone and contact the London borough you wish to move too. They will be able to let you know. Given that Scotland has it's own parliament I doubt it though.

If you found this site then its not too much of stretch to actually find the telephone numbers you want.

TB 20

9999 wrote this on 2010-02-16 19:43:47 hi im 21 and woundering ho much dss i would get with non dependants?? 21

Twattybollocks wrote this on 2010-02-17 08:13:35 @9999.

Read the above, pick up the phone and call your local housing benefits office at the council you lazy fuck!

TB 22

Mdog wrote this on 2010-02-24 20:14:02 Hi,

Ive recently seperated from my partner. I have moved out but there is no mortgage on the property as it is owned by a family member who purchased the property short term, whilst we were arranging a mortgage.

My question is, will the DSS pay the rent to the family member ?? Or will my partner have to sell ?? 23