Tips For Taking On DSS Tenants

In the past I’ve made it completely transparent that I don’t like taking on DSS tenants. Obviously i’m not the only one either, because the amount of “DSS NOT ACCEPTED” disclaimers seem to be increasing by the day. And with landlords being spoiled for choice with the huge demand for rental properties, DSS tenants will most certainly be left at the back of the pile.

Initially, I really didn’t have a problem with DSS tenants, but as I got more familiar with the system, I realised that the Government have drawn up a ridiculous system which makes life difficult for any landlord that takes on a DSS tenant. No, it’s not the DSS tenants (for the most part), it’s the system that isn’t functioning! You can read more about my irritations over at DSS tenants and the council. Having said that, I can understand why taking on DSS tenants seems extremely tempting, because payment of rent is almost guaranteed. Also, and most importantly, not all DSS tenants are the spawn of satan.

However, this article isn’t going to be about how much the Housing Benefit Office sucks royal donkey anal slosh, it’s going to be about the procedures I would take if I were to take on another DSS tenant (which is unlikely, anyways).

Find out what the payment arrangements are

I’ve noticed that a lot of the times DSS tenants don’t actually know how the system works, so more often than not, they just improvise on the truth just so they come across as clued up. I would ask the following questions:

• 1) Will your entire rent be covered, or will there be a shortfall you will need to cover?
• 2) How will the rent be paid to me?
• 3) I want the rent every month, on the 1st. Is that possible? On what date will I receive the rent?

The tenant probably won’t know the answer to all those questions because it’s down to the Housing Benefit, but it’s always interesting to know their answers. Just by their answers you’ll be able to detect if they’re honest, unsure, or a complete lying bastard. A lot of DSS tenants are so desperate for accommodation they’ll make up anything to make the situation seem peaches and cream.

Can your tenant cover the shortfall?

I’m not certain, but I’m pretty sure most of those receiving Housing Benefit cover a shortfall. For example, their rent maybe £500 per month, but they may receive £400 in benefits per month, so they’ll have £100 to pay out of their own pocket. I haven’t come accross a DSS tenant that hasn’t had to cover a shortfall.

Make sure you find out how much shortfall they have to cover, and whether they can afford it.

Find out the tenant’s rental history

Everyone has a history, and a lot of DSS tenants have rental history. Find out where they lived before, and why they’re moving from their previous accommodation.

It’s always good when DSS tenants have previous landlords because you can obtain good, solid references. In fact, I personally wouldn’t take on a DSS tenant without a previous tenancy reference. Specific questions to ask:

• Did you have any problems from them?
• Did they treat the property well?
• Did everything run smoothly with the payments? Were there any delays?
• Ask anything else you see as being relevant

Thoroughly understand the setup

I advise anyone who is taking on DSS tenants to be completely familiar with the setup. I made a vital mistake of taking on a DSS tenant without doing any research. As a naive landlord, when the concept of a DSS tenant was first served to me; all I kept thinking was, “this is guaranteed rent, easy”. I WAS WRONG. Very wrong. But I personally blame the letting agent, because that’s how they sold it to me.

My previous DSS tenant had a benefit of £600 per month, whilst the rent came to £700, consequently she had a shortfall of £100 to cover.

The Government don’t actually pay the landlords on a PCM (per calendar month) basis, they pay every 30 days! That’s extremely awkward because NO normal landlord charges on a per day basis, consequently keeping on top of payments can get tricky. You’ll find yourself collecting 2 payments every month on different dates. It doesn’t sound complicated, but trust me; it soon becomes an added problem which a landlord just doesn’t need.

Anyways, perhaps you could deal with that circumstance, but my point is, make sure you’re 100% sure of what the situation is.

Inform local council- council tax

If you take on a DSS tenant, make sure you inform the local council tax office. In fact, you should do that when you take on any new tenant.

SILLY ME, I assumed that the DSS communicate with the local council tax office because it’s both Government run, and both departments deal with housing- but apparently not.

When I had a DSS tenant move in, I got billed for the council tax, which was actually the responsbility of the tenant to pay. I called up the relevant tax department and said that my DSS tenant is liable to pay that bill, not me. The lady on the other end basically said that I should have declared the new tenant.

Anyways, lesson learned.

Don’t get DSS tenants from a Letting Agent

Letting Agents charge a ridiculous amount of money to find landlords tenants; a lot of the times they offer DSS tenants, which in my opinion is bad service. Letting agents piss me off in this respect. IT’S SO FRUSTRATING. Why? Because any landlord can call up the Housing Benefit Office and get a DSS tenant for FREE. So what’s the point of paying a letting agent 12%-16% of your yearly rental income for the pleasure of doing FUCK ALL?

A lot of the times letting agents genuinely take advantage of Landlords that don’t know any better. So if you’re using a letting agent, and they offer you a DSS tenant, refuse to pay them for doing you no favours at all! Just call up your local Council and get a DSS tenant for free- save yourself a wedge of cash, my friend.

Be warned, the Housing Benefit SUCKS

I know I said I wasn’t going to bitch about how much the Housing Benefit office sucks, but I need to get this final point in, because it’s important. It’s important for every landlord to know how difficult it is dealing with these people when things turn sour.

Whenever I had problems with a DSS tenant, I would call the housing benefit office up to no avail. They were less than useless. Even when I told them my tenant was committing benefit fraud, they didn’t seem to give a shit. The woman on the other end didn’t seem to give a shit. It was terrible, and it made me lose complete faith in the system.

So be warned, when things turn sour; don’t expect much help from the Housing Benefit Office. They’ll try their hardest to home people, but once those people are homed, they pretty much wipe their hands with them.

Don’t believe me? Here’s more from people over at the thisismoney forums, bitching about the shitty nature of the Social Housing team.

Request for the rent get sent direct to you, not the tenant

Back in the day, when the law was a little more sensible, landlords were able to receive rent directly from the Housing Benefit. But new laws have crept in, and now tenants get the rent paid direct to them, and then it’s their responsbility to pay the Landlord. This was put into place so tenants can take on responsbility. In theory it sounds ok, but in reality, it’s just ridiculous, and causes rent arrears.

In some cases, if both tenant and landlord come to some kind of agreement, the Housing Benefit may let payments go direct to the Landlord. The tenant may have to make up an excuse e.g. declare that the tenant is completely irresponsible with money. It’s definitely worth a shot.

Permission for landlord to enquire

A DSS tenant will go through a form filling process. In one of the forms, they’ll be a box that needs ticking, which will give permission for the landlord to enquire about the tenant’s Housin Benefit status. This way the Landlord can chase up any problems without relying on the tenant.

I’ve already mentioned how useless the council are at passing on information, so it’s strongly advised for this permission to be granted!

Conclusion

DSS tenants are ultimately like any other tenants, they both come in all shapes and sizes, and there’s a few rotten apples amongst all. However, there are just a few extra aspects landlords should know when taking on a DSS tenant. Don’t get me wrong, taking on DSS tenants can be extremely fruitful; I know a lot of landlords have no problems with taking on DSS tenants.

I will say one thing though, if the Government tightens up their system by offering landlords a better service, they’d be a hell of a lot more people willing to accept DSS tenants.

So that pretty much covers my top tips for those that want to take on DSS tenants. If anyone has additional tips, let me know, and i’ll pile it onto the list.

If anyone has had bad/good experiences with DSS tenants, let me know. I’d love to hear your story.

Previous Article

DSS Tenants And The Shitty Council

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The Positives Of DSS Tenants

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97 Comments - join the conversation...

Showing 48 - 97 comments (out of 97)

sugarbabe2010-03-16 00:53:20 Yes Dee Dubb it is a fine old mixture with tenants but you have to do what you feel is right to do at the time,i wouldn't care but there also some bad landlords in the mix too. That's not to say you would be. One has to consider damage too.

That poor teenager demanding a safe roof over her head sounded pretty scared and depression can come out in anger too tell your friend. Desperation can make you do odd things.

I would advise anyone to go make appointment at nearest Citizens Advice Bureaux or Community Law Centre in homeless situation or if unable to pay rent for whatever reasons. Some LA's do give Rent direct to Landlord. Anyone can ask to have Housing Benefit paid direct to Landlord if in doubt about their ability to not be tempted to spend it or if on drugs.

Work is not guaranteed these days for anyone. 48

sugarbabe2010-03-16 01:01:51 Dee your friend's recommendation of staying put if threatened with eviction could backfire cos people could find that when they go out one day the landlord may see you go out and he's barricaded doors with all your belongings inside.It is illegal but it happens when landlord is desperate-or may send some bully boys around.

SHELTER is also another charity to help those threatened with eviction and have own Solicitor. 49

kaa2010-03-26 04:00:08 Hi it's great that there are both sides of the argument. However the law does not work and system is too one sided. Yes statements above are correct DSS and HB tenants are told by local Authority to stay put until court etc. Now I have rented to one great DSS tenant and NOW I have a very bad tenant. Yes normal story single mother has a child (which gives her priority to housing?) The new system in haringey borough pays the tenant direct. However this tenant and apparently alot of DSS tenants in haringey have been doing this Once the money is paid to them have not and do not pay the landlord. If fact my current tenant owes me around £3000 right now which she claims was not paid to her by Haringey council however after months of phoning haringey council being told they can't tell me anything due to data protection then finally going there in person with court order details they then suspended the claim. I was shown on the screen that they had being paying the tenant close to £700 pound a month which she was spending on herself, bought a flat screen tv and renting a brand new golf car. Even though if any ordinary working person did this they be in court for benfit fraud .... this does not happen to DSS tenant in haringey. I have taken the tenant to court for payment arrears but because she is DSS she can't pay anything. The case has been deffered twice in 6months and I am finding it hard to get possession of my property as the system protects people who commit fraud and because your on HB or DSS your special and fraud laws do not apply to you... if fact all the council does is pay the landlord direct but they will not make backpayment for the money the tenant has spent "as they are trying to make the tenant responsible" so basically landlord according the the system if own 1 or two rental property you are rich and you deserve to be taken advantage of by DSS/HB tenants and the Government. Not only is it costing me time to appear in court and money for solictors to get my property back the tenant is also getting free legal aid to defend her even though she has commited fraud on housing benefit. Now I am not saying that all DSS/HB are bad, HOWEVER the law as it stands is not helpful to normal(majority) landlords who have a mortgage on (1 or 2) properties (so not rich it's a mortgage being paid for! people). The law is too much on on the tenant side and does not take in consideration any hardship the landlord maybe facing from martgage companies or even lost of job.
BASICALLY I WILL NOT EVER BE RENTING TO DSS/HB again because one the law does not protect me, two the risk is too high with local authorities basically not covering what the DSS/HB tenant may do (i.e damage property, spend the rent money and so on)
3 unless you have money to waste DSS/HB is not right for private rental because when it goes wrong it really goes wrong!!!! 50

sugarbabe2010-03-27 20:41:12 KAA well sorry to hear your demise. Goodness me £700pm for housing benefit for one person sounds high..it seems it can vary in different areas...of uk-it's usually half that amount. Sounds most irresponsible-the first thing a person should do is keep a roof over their heads.Not all are like that-sounds uneducated.

Housing Associations seem to be able to get re possession when rent arrears occur. There must be someone out there who can help. Try phoning around for advice see in your phone directory or online Solicitors who specialise in Housing Law or even go to a Community Law Centre and see if they have anything different to tell you. 51

chelz2010-03-30 18:23:05 Me and my husband are looking at private renting through DSS, and have been looking for the last 2 years!!! landlords have said they would then changed there minds... we have no reference as it would be our first house.. but my husband works full time and im looking after our 13 month old!!! its so stupid how nobody will take us.. we are reliable and we dont drink smoke or have pets.. we just want a place to set up home!!! 52

sugarbabe2010-03-30 20:23:13 Hi Chelz so sorry you do need housing you really should go onto the Tenant Service Authority website and see the Housing Associations in your area and see which one is the best rated cos you would get priority with baby. The Lettings are changing later this year to give a bit more choice. Try it may not be exactly what you wanted but it would be bit more secure. Councils and HA's are kind of getting together a bit more cos of the urgency for housing and new ones are being built so check it out and any references do you know anyone Professional like a Vicar or your Doctor or a Teacher even a Policeman!! 53

DeeDubb.2010-03-30 21:07:18 Hi Chelz It dosent matter how reliable you feel you are It's The system is letting you down Since starting to follow this thread I have found out that a friend of mine is a landlord who has four properties rented out, Two have long term tenants ( one DSS no prob's )and Two short term lets one of which turned into a DSS tenant through redundancy, obviously not his fault. But what was his fault was that after two months they stopped paying rent and stayed put for three more months because they had been advised to.
Not content with that the property was damaged to the tune of £7,000+ which my friend was not able to recover when she got the house back into her possession . Not all tenants are bad whether they be DSS or not. The ones that are, make it so much harder for a genuine case like yours. Try to get a guarantor and good character reference's, Maybe your husband's employer would be prepared to help.
Sorry you are having so much trouble but put yourself in the position of a landlord who has been screwed by the system. The council eventually took in the family and put them on housing benefit ( rent covered by direct payment to the LA landlord ). In short the LA could have arranged to pay the rent direct and left the family where they were. But the system turned a previously genuine guy into a victim who turned against the landlord he felt was taking his money. That money had been given to him to keep the roof over the families head. Yes it's the risk a landlord takes but if it ever becomes popular to pay money into a high yield pension scheme there will be fewer houses to be rented out, and maybe the authorities will build new social housing to replace those sold under the "Right to Buy scheme". The current system is failing the people it claims to be helping Good luck for the future.D. 54

sugarbabe2010-03-30 22:17:12 New homes are being built and some will be ready Spring this year some next year as Housing Associations are now building so many a year and all Councils will have handed over their homes to HA's soon throughout UK. The houses are not all for buying some are under a new scheme and some under part ownership some purely for rent and they are having to be built to a much higher standard than ever before and better insulated. As i said Chelz go onto the new Tenant Service Authority website and the Choice Based Lettings system will change by end of the year to allow 10% more choice of area. You take a read of the site and compare then get registered with more than one all is not lost. 55

sugarbabe2010-03-30 22:18:27 It's called Affordable homes although some might argue this point! 56

GertaRauss2010-03-31 21:34:24 YOU SIMPLY HAVE TO BE CRAZY TO TAKE DSS TENANTS. I did forcing myself to be a good person, and now I am more than 7,000 out of my pockets that I know I will never be able to recover. 57

sugarbabe2010-03-31 22:56:03 GertaRauss
How on earth did you allow it to get so bad for you?
Gosh i don't know where you live or what types of folks you take on but you know there are some ok people out there and i feel so sorry this happened to you. But even those working can be less than honest. I think it may well be a sign of the times and what the Governments have caused and immense poverty of those having to live on Benefits. Under and just there at £15,000pa is classed as poverty line. 58

chelz2010-04-01 08:15:02 Thankyou, i went on the website, finding it useful... although we have also been on the list for a house for 2 years also... having a baby really makes no difference as my husband works. you literally have to have nothing to be considered for anything and thats isnt an option when looking after a baby!! all i want is a willing landlord but no one considers it!!! i am currently living with my parents but soon they will retire and wont be able to live in the home anymore, dont no what will happen then!!! 59

sugarbabe2010-04-01 09:50:01 Having a baby should make a difference and if your parents write a statement that they need you out in one month see if that works. But do try to see if you can go to a Citizens Advice Bureaux about your plight and or Community Law Centre or Shelter...i know it is difficult i really do as these days it is so hard for young people starting out. Write to your local Newspaper do an article or write a letter to letter page say about how desperate your situation is-if there is one- and state that this is how New Labour and Conservatives before have done to Social Housing. See your local MP for what it is worth you have to try some activism. I know not easy with baby-but everyone has a right to a home. http://www.fmotl.com/forum/viewptopic.php?f=77&t=1084

It is about Free man law stuff it might come in handy i don't know. DEFEND COUNCIL HOUSING is another site for what it's worth.Please never give up always keep the fight up. You need to be on more than one Housing List cos all housing stock in UK will be owned by Housing Associations most are already-then it is a Choice Based Lettings so you have to then Bid online for a place regularly. You have to keep up the momentum it is no good just sitting back and thinking don't know what you will do- you have to really pester people! 60

chelz2010-04-01 10:42:38 Thankyou!! i am on two lists and i bid every week but there hasnt been any houses that are in the place we need for my husbands work. theres hardly any to look at and i never finish top!! theres so many homes around here lying empty. which there is no need for!!! i will take your advice and go to citizens advice!! When we had our daughter everything was fine but then i couldnt work as child care is too expensive even with my wage. everyone i no who is a single mum has a house but because im married and he works we always come last! its so awful the way things are!! we either want a counci house or a landlord in my area who accept DSS as not everyone should be branded the same just because we need that extra help!!!! 61

sugarbabe2010-04-01 12:12:46 Are there any new ones being built by Housing Associations because there should be although in small batches each year from now on and just maybe you could speak with the Social Services( yes i know horror of horrors)! or even your family doctor and ask for written support that soon you will be in effect homeless-you should also look at how the HA's Prioritise their choice making so you can get any idea wha tit is you are not doing-you have to exaggerate somewhat and paint real good picture-get a Dr's letter get letter from your elderly parents to state you have to move out and that only have a limited income so need priority housing. £15,000 has usually been the poverty line. Actually you would be more secure in HA property. keep knocking on doors love! I'm an OAP now young at heart though but was trained by CAB some years back and have life's experiences of what it was like to be homeless etc on more than one occasion through no fault of my own.

The government system and peoples poverty and lack of common sense and immaturity is what causes the issues. Those who run the country are out of touch with the realities and they do not care enough-and if you read on The UK Column and David Icke's forum and even on Moneysupermarket you can learn stuff.It will open your eyes! 62

paula darby2010-05-24 17:55:44 after reading about people needing to rent who are on houseing benifit/dss i am over whelmed at the comments on here how nasty people can be im 54 slightly disabled lady who through no fault of my own has ended up on benifits due to a rat of an ex- husband 10yrs ago riped me off i lost everything including my home i have to rent im noliar or scumbag, i respect my landlord and his home and look after it as if it was my own, SO DONT CALL PEOPLE UNTIL YOU KNOW THERE SERCONSTANCES ALL I CAN SAY YOU ALL MUST HAVE COSY LIVES, YOUR LUCK STOP JUDGING YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN IN THERE SITUATION I TELL YOU ITS SO HARD 63

tasha2010-06-02 13:29:53 as far as im concerned your all a bunch of snobs. i am looking to rent a flat and i would be on dss. i am a single mother who is at college and do the best for my little girl. and i just think its really sad that alot of landlord wont even consider it, i understand a bit more if they are just not working. but what about me, i bring my little girl up alone and go to full time college. i mean come on, thats just no fair is it.its not like i dont plan to work when i pass my course. and whats worng with being a stay at home mum anyway. its really does sicken me, to be honest i pitty u for not being able to care for others. i would hate to be that insensitive. 64

DeeDubb.2010-06-02 14:32:36 Hi Tasha, I don't think it would bother most of the landlords that a tenant wasn't working, especially one who is bringing up a child. It is the few who have taken the opportunity to stop paying their rent and trashed their home whilst waiting to be evicted. prior to getting a council tenancy isn't it always the few who spoil it for the rest. 65

Emma2010-07-01 23:49:40 I was a HB claimant through unfortunate circumstances, educated to a high level, and went out to work for many years. I lost my home through no fault of my own, and I am now in social housing. When I applied for HB, the option was quite clear to tick to have the rent paid direct to the landlord, a Housing Association. I can understand a private landlord's reluctance to accept DSS tenants, I absolutely detest where I live thanks to the anti-social behaviours of literally anyone nearby. My health is affected, along with my sons education. I have been looking to transfer, but I am classed as 'no priority' due to being in secure accomodation. Whilst I see their point, I feel it's unfair as I would be effectively giving up my property for another family on the waiting list, instead of clogging up the system etc. I have been searching for a private landlord for a while now, with no luck. I do wonder if landlords who have bad experiences with DSS do any background checks of their own? References? Guarantor? Asking the Housing Benefit Team how much a particular size household is entitled to, depending on earnings/full benefit claiming? As it's been mentioned above, we're not all bad apples, and just as some DSS people are awful, there are the same of landlords. I know a lovely family who cherished and looked after their rented property, and always paid on time, one day they had the bailiffs turn up and take everything as the landlord didn't bother to pay his mortgage. They were subsequently evicted, with barely anything left of their own, and the house auctioned off. I have recently found work, so I can now pay rent myself, but I am finding myself worrying about potential landlords. My current HA is fantastic at maintaining the property the way it should be kept, and so far I have not found a private property in half as good condition as my own. I'd love to stay where I am if it weren't for the idiots in social housing that ruin it for the rest of us, especially in my road!
Thanks for taking the time to read my waffling! 66

Dee Dubb2010-07-02 10:04:40 Hi Emma your not waffling, what you wrote is a constructive view of the issues. Private Landlords have difficulty in getting referance checks from local authorities because of data protection, but I am sure if a tenant requested the information be sent to them they may respond favourably. But Landlords will be suspicious even then. You can imagine what happens if the L.A had a nuisance tanant who made such a request suggesting they were moving to private tenancy. Mmmmm too easy... and Not all nuisance tenants refuse to pay rent.most times it's the families of respectable parent's that are the issue.Car parking, Drug,s Gang's..
Your L.A will be reluctant to move you from your current home because they may have difficulty in re-letting your in your area to someone who has a choice.. Who WOULD choose to live in an undesirable area if they had a choice.
I hope you manage to convince someone you need a break, it's no fun feeling trapped. Good Luck. 67

Sugarbabe2010-07-02 12:47:16 www.yestodss.co.uk

the above was in my local newspaper last week for private rented. Good luck! Don't forget the Tenant Service Authority with their new stuff on laws etc for ALL landlords ad Tenants. 68

Sugarbabe2010-07-02 13:03:26 You can also check out all housing areas/how good they are etc for Social housing on Tenant Service Authority. Some larger HA's can be monster landlords with 'Common Purpose' involved within their hierachy and Banksters on their Boards, this can cause them to behave corruptly and fail in their duties, and some make up their own propaganda of doing this and that and it never happens-they say they are exempt from parting with informations so they can bury what they do not want seen. 69

mel2010-07-10 00:17:00 hi, i have just read all of the above, i want to make it clear that i am on dss benifits, not through choice, i want to just say we are not all bad and we are clean, tidy and always pay the rent. i really do wish that people wouldnt tar us all with the same brush, i dont have a 5 bed house with 10 children running around with 5 fathers collecting them on a weekend, i dont take drugs, i dont drink, im not a party animal and i havent just come out of prison, im finding it really hard to move now as people dont accept dss, its not my fault that others behave like this and give the good people a bad name. we all deserve a place to live, but also i want others to think about this what about the bad landlords...... the place i live now is on the market (reason for moving) we have had nothing but problems from landlord, he just turns up when he feels, he goes through my post even thought he doesnt even live with me, he checks my walls behind the sofa to even see if i have cleaned. he calls me late at night to ask me if i have paid the bills (personal bills), i have even found him on the doorstep at 8am asking me if i would be happy for one of his friends to sleep on my sofa as he didnt have anywhere else to go, this is all so worng and i would never expect it to happen again, due to me moaning to the council about it as this wasnt the best way to treat a tenant, he then paid someone to put a brick through his own window to scare me and let my tires down on my car. so maybe its not all dss tenants that are bad, maybe people need to look at the landlords aswell. (oh and btw if anyone will have me i am looking for a 1 bed property in borough of merton asap!!!) we arnt all bad, just sometimes unlucky in life !!! (sorry to go on) 70

Jools2010-07-10 08:38:41 Hey Mel,

So sorry to hear about your t*** of a LL. It's tossers like him that give us good ones such a bad name. What he has done is illegal and I would suggest you contact your local housing office.

He is not allowed to turn up when he wants, interfering with your post is a criminal offence, he has trespassed and breached the quiet enjoyment clause of the Housing Act and to ask if a friend could sleep on your sofa is just nuts.

Go speak to someone at the council and demand they do something - mind you they are such a lazy bunch of Bastards they will probably do F all!

Good luck to you in finding a new home.

Jools 71

bigdlandlord2010-07-26 07:25:34 i am a landlord and have 6 properties
i do not take on housing benefit tenants and i appologise for that openly if someone asks.
the reason is because out of all of the tenants i have taken on, the only ones i have had problems with are tenants who are unemployed and have not worked for a while, and im not just talking about rent arrears, its damage to the property and abuse to neighbours and me. i genuinely feel sorry for people who need to claim housing benefit and are good tenants because this certain genre of people are making it bad for all hb claimants, i have now started to accept hb tenants BUT i insist on a 6 month deposit and will only sign a six month tenancy, (no takers so far)im afraid its the only way i can cover for all of the problems i get from tenants who are on the dole and suddenly get a cheque for £600 come through the door - its just too tempting for them, and have you ever tried to get any sense out of the housing benfit dept when it starts going wrong ?? 72

Sugarbabe2010-07-26 09:29:27 Well now there is to be a clamp down isn't there with the Coalition and a set sum of rent for landlords/HB. How on earth do you expect any person on this type of benefit to give you six months rent up front?

Anyone on Beneftis is living below the Poverty line no matter what people may read about all the thousands which is based on large families who each are able to claim for individual children.

There are also many thousands we are told by Citizens Advice Bureaux that go unclaimed each year.

There are good areas and bad areas with rental properties and there are equally bad landlords who don't give a monkey's about keeping their properties up to a decent enough standard-housing associations included-despite the new rules out with the Tenant Service Authority.

I for one would not entertain a bad area,you sound as if you might 'attract' rough end of HB claimants.

Like you say there are some decent nice people too.

I don't know if it is legal to take six months money up front when someone is claiming housing benefits in any case-if they had that kind of money anyway.

It is a basic Human Right to have a peaceful place to live and to be looked after if needed by Social-yet the media paints them as if they are criminals sometimes.

Lets face it there is not enough proper jobs with high enough income and often people can become very depressed especially if their education is limited too they see no hope out there,and moreso if it is what they were brought up like on sink estates or high rise flats,ugh perish the thought,isolated from mainstream society.

It has all been created this way by the elite to make a divided Society. Self sufficiency has been taken away from people.

Lets hope that manufacturing rears back up again.

Society is class ridden-by Govt's. People rely on money and have lost all natural animal like skills to set up home on land that should be Free to all-it is nature after all,although some man made now,that said we are charged for Water too which is of nature,such is mans greed.

People have been shackled by the elites into believing 'this is it' as good as it gets-instead of freeing their minds of the material world as do Buddhists.

It's why we have violence and drugs are allowed as are guns and knives out there in society so that they can kill one another,it's been created this way for new world order,depopulate. They made up rules and regulations to twist things out of all proportion,to fabricate, and to cause disorder. Sorry for the rant! 73

Sugarbabe2010-07-26 09:30:53 Not all areas of the country i.e Councils give money to Tenants-some do still do the transfer to landlord. 74

chelz2010-07-26 12:44:37 I posted a few months ago after now being on the waiting list for 2 and a half years!!! still havent got anywhere!! we have now been given a chance at private renting! the council refused to help with the deposit etc due to funding cuts... which is awful feels like i have to be lazy to get anywhere... i voted for change and have currently got nowhere!!! and it seems to have got worse.. i thought the people who work hard will be rewarded? just so happens my parents came though and offered us the money we need to get started... of course we will strill claim HB as my husband who works so hard full time doesnt get a fantastic wage!!! which cannot be helped due to the lack of jobs... hes lucky to have one.. we have waited so long for a landlord to take a chance and will hopefully change there mind on DSS tennants as we are just a family in need of a home!!! i think asking for six months rent is awful!! why not ask the people who want to rent about themselves, find out more.. after all we are NOT all that bad! 75

Dee Dubb2010-07-27 07:44:48 Firstly congrats to Chelz and her family. I hope you are able to enjoy your new start, and that you get on with your new neighbours. Which can also be a big issue, If they feel that a tenanted propery next door is devaluing their own property they can strike up funny and make it hard. Please look after your new landlords good will. You sound like you can...
Going back to Sugarbabes comment aout being charged for water , the charge is obviously for the installation and maintenance of pipelines and the purification process etc, but greed does come into it at a government level. The same is true of some landlords, and has you say Housing Ass, which have increased in numbers because the L,As are trying to rid themselves of their responsibily for the homeless. Lets face it Goverment has introduced lot's of restrictions and so called tenant's rights and decent home standards that are too costly for some L,A's to afford without raising Council Taxes etc. In areas that are already depressed any way, allied with the policy to allow Right-to-buy( lots of which are now being rented out privately) and the L.As not being allowed by central government to use the money raised to build new council housing to replace the houses sold, these have been the death nell for social housing owned by your L.A.
Hence the push to get tenants to transfer to private or assocition schemes. Decent Homes and Tenants right's are important to maintain, and in fact levels raised and yes I did say " So Called" because when the alternative is a Box on the street their has to be some reasoning applied.
I remember seeing a news report on t.v where a builder who had expierianced homelessness was annoyed with his L.A who had emptied houses in an area of Toksteth in order that they could be knocked down for redevelopment which the L.A were to get a grant for ( having already had one grant for the re-siting of tenants etc). Government change of plan - No second grant - no development. The builder offered to refurbish the houses at a limited cost ( if I remember correctly less than £3000. ) His offer was refused. Probably because the L.A had spent the grant on other thing's OBVIOUSLY MORE IMPORTANT THAN HOUSING, and they would probably have had to return the Grant if they had allowed him to carry out the work.. The system is all wrong and the government should be representing our interest' Tenant and Landlord..But we can't seem to get the message across. My garbled rant over. sorry .. 76

Dee Dubb2010-07-27 08:44:48 Looking back at my Rant I haven't expained why Ive said "So Called Tenant's Right's"
What I mean is that when a central Government introduce these rules they monitor them and L.A's have to tick boxes to show they are introducing the Policise. So some tenants rights affect other tenant's rights who are at the time not being monitored by Cent Gov.
The relevant issue here is that Cent Gov have listened to the Civil Liberties argument that tenants should have the right to control their finances, and because there are less than responsible tenants not paying their rent now others are suffering.
The only reason Cent Gov agreed isn't because they want people to take control of their actions and finance, it's because L.A's can save money and reduce job's by doing it that way.. and has the call for "CHANGE" made it any easier for homeless, NO! 77

Sugarbabe2010-07-27 13:32:44 Hi Chelz & Dee Dubb. Lets face it life is never on the side of poor folks who do have a Human Right to have a roof over their heads-so Chelz Google Human Rights and go present it to your MP along with your story and in fact also send to David Cameron at No 10. Sometimes in this life we need to be more pro active,in fact put your story in your local newspaper too, to highlight.

HA's can be rogues mostly and seem to be exempt from Freedom of Information Act unlike Councils-this allows them to get away with not doing what they should and hiding stuff-just like Social Services will 'close' a case down and lock it away so that any sudden Independent Inspection doesn't catch them off guard for their dirty deeds of negligence.

HA's have been leaving older properties empty for too long and not doing the works needed for re lets. Then they haven't been building like they should and if my memory serves me well it is a Corporate affair worth around £10 billion in Profits-or was-there have been cut backs and staffings have been thinned out again in order to remain in business,cos that is where it is wrong it's a Corporate Business...they DO NOT CARE about people. I've been reliably informed that HA's will get much less monies from Govt's in future-but they do borrow Privately and do have Bankers sitting on their Boards-so you can see potential for corruption. It does not bode well for future of poor people. So they may build but it is called Affordable but truth is it is not affordable to poor end of Society. What will happen then death camps for people made homeless or slow death from malnutrition grovelling on our streets-then come the 2012 Olympics will they be trodden down on.

Best to have Business Studies under your belt and go to Uni and then into OIL. 78

Twattybollocks2010-07-27 13:46:42 Human Right to have a roof over their heads? What bollocks. A human right to get off their arses and do something productive or useful for society and then be housed more like.

Where is your "reliably informed" opinion coming from? You prepared to name names Sugarbabe? Thought not!

Anyway, currently sitting in Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse drinking Sir Richards champagne after buying tickets paid for by my tenants. To you landlords out there I raise my glass and salute you!!

TB

PS - Am I Bad?

PPS - Sugarbabe - go get laid or something cos girl, you are uptight! 79

Sugarbabe2010-07-27 14:14:33 Emma sorry you live in bad area. I live in HA's property that was sold on from LA but in an exceptionally good quiet area,most are bought too.I am a decent law abiding OAP who through no fault of my own have chronic sickness and high values, but it would not be my choice to be stuck in this rotten system,the houses were sold off for around £2-£3,000 each-which makes it a rotten to the core system that then makes ordinary hardworking people pay a hefty mortgage for many thousands more,like £145,000-£150,000. To me that is Criminal.
Trouble is the HA is a lousy corrupt one. TSA Tenant Service Authority have on their website all the various areas and how the HA's measure up so then you can now get a picture of who is good and who is bad. 80

Sugarbabe2010-07-27 14:23:04 What a rude person you are twattybollocks as name suggests.As for your dirty money it really doesn't bother me one bit- you enjoy your life! Go Google Human Rights.

http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html 81

chelz2010-07-27 15:13:20 HOW RUDE!!! we do work really hard actually!! my husband works all the hours god sends and doesnt get paid what he deserves... me i look after my daughter because i have no trust in the people who they expect me to leve her with.. the media took care of that!! we dont want anything for free we pay our way and up until i had my daughter i did too! also i dont claim a single benefit for myself...only 1tax credits and cb which i would get if i was working anyway!!! you sit and drink ur champagne and we will all live in the real world! dont mark us all with the same brush as every person is differnt! and thankyou everyone else.. i think i will take it further!! 82

Dee Dubb2010-07-27 16:24:05 Hi Twatty bollocks and what sort of tenant would you be if you were on DSS..I wonder.??? Think the landlord would have his hands full there. Probably Champagne and heat gone to your head. If some folk let the DSS side down you are letting the landlord's side down. Probably a flash getwith a BMW who think's he's rich.. 83

Sugarbabe2010-07-27 20:50:11 Good for you Chelz that's the spirit. All children need someone at home with them and don't you feel guilty over it-hey a lovely Headmistress who never married but is not alive anymore but lived her life fully for other peoples children and travelled said to me every child needs one parent at home for them. Don't let anyone on a silly 'trip' blow you away!!motherhood is underated but it is the most important job that there is cos all kiddies need love and guidance for many years and need nursing when poorly and to feel secure and warm and fed and clothed, and if someone is rich in the material life they are not necessarily rich in the spiritual sense and without that then there is no point to life if you are selfish arrogant person without feeling for anyone but self.

Precisely Dee Dubb! 84

Suze2010-11-20 11:09:34 I would like to point out that not all people receiving Housing Benefit are unemployed, I am in full time employment & I work very hard. My Housing Benefit is the shortfall I get to pay what I am unable to being a single mum (through no fault of my own), I have my HB paid directly to me & I then pay my LL every month on time & have never defaulted on my rent. I live my life to the best I can with the little I have, & I am a considerate neighbour. My LL (who is fantastic) doesn't even know I am on benefits. If he did he probably would never have taken me on, which is a shame. I think all tenants should be taken on by private LL's based on references from previous LL's, not weather they are DSS claimants or not. 85

Sugarbabe2010-11-20 11:58:31 Just think though Suze you are meeting the shortfall and if you told him now he would surely be proud of the fact you are not irresponsible and that you have kept to your agreement. What normal thinking person would put their child at risk of eviction.Good luck to you, you can hold your head up high. 86

Boydy2011-03-22 12:34:29 i rent out a 3 bed semi it was my house before i had to move for business reasons.
We had put it on the market but were approached by friends of our next door neighbours who asked us if they could rent from us instead.
We had no experiance in this field whatsoever and unfortunatley took them at their word.
They receive housing benefit but are not paying the rent they won't answer our phone calls and just keep sending text messages with excuses but no rent !
I have a tenancy agreement with them and have sent them an eviction notice, yet apparently i havent a leg to stand on.
So annoying i work hard and am now paying Two morgages while they sit back with no intention of working and receive benefits they should be passing on to me and keep them for themselves.
Anyone got any helpful suggestions? 87

dave c2011-08-13 13:08:08 the attitude of this article is disgusting, learn some manners. 88

OAA2011-10-20 23:41:24 Hello I am a dss tenent, I live in a hostal because nobody wants me, I am a very quiete girl, sometiimes I recieve visits from my country... this happened to me, the landlady drive crazy... she threaten me and kick me out of the house violently, I have a video, the sistem sucks, but people like this is all over London, I had to go to benefits because I was facing redundancy, but there is no respect to people anymore... watch the video please. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myq1v_E5ZM0 89

David Booth2011-11-24 21:11:20 If you want to take a DSS tennant on and worried about not being paid try our service read below

I would like to take my time to introduce you to our new company Tasker Payment Services. The company is designed as a one of it's kind payment service for DSS claimants and their landlords. Customers who do not have a bank account, or have large overdrafts eating into their Local Housing Allowance can use our service to have the peace of mind that their rent is paid straight to their landlord's bank account on time, every time.
With much experience in dealing with such payments, landlords can rely on Tasker Payment Services to provide them and their tenants with a reliable and secure way of receiving their rent.
We are fully registered with the FSA (registration number 564939) and can be found on the FSA's register of payment service providers.

The idea behind our company is simple the tennant agrees to pay our company (Tasker Payment Services) the money they get from the LHA and the landlord gets paid from us fortnightly. All we take £4.00 transaction fee for transferring the money to the landlords bank account.
This also helps out the council because they dont have to deal with arrears and it could help the council because more landlords would want to register because they know they are going to get paid.
If you would like to visit our website http://taskerpaymentservices.co.uk/ and read a little more about us if you have any questions please feel free to ask. 90

DeeDubb2011-11-24 21:45:10 And What do you do when a tenant changes their mind and stops the direct payment being made to you..Has is there choice.. Anyone can arrange payments to be made directly but can't guarantee the such arrangement won't be changed after tenancy has been signed up. Not all DSS tenants do this but some do. ???
DeeDubb. 91

DeeDubb2011-11-24 21:55:45 OAA, Your video is an example of what the benefits system is generating. People can't convince decent Landlords that the are a good prospect which means rogue Landlords can use ruthless methods to evict a tenant when and for what they like. The old system whilst not perfect, was more reassuring and DSS tenants were more welcome.
DeeDubb 92

David Booth2011-11-24 22:35:30 Dee Dubb,

The tennant cant change their mind because the money doesnt see the tennant it is paid directly from the council straight to tasker payment services and TPS process the payment therefore guranteeing the landlord gets their payment ontime everytime! theres lots of credit unuions doing this on a daily basis the only problem with credit unions is they are tied to council areas TPS isn't! 93

David Booth2011-11-24 22:42:49 Dee Dubb,

Read the forms on TPS website you will see what has to be signed...The next question you are probably going to ask well what if the tennant doesn't agree well as the landlord you can say well if you dont agree to use TPS then you cant have the house you as the landlord have rights!
Another question you may have what if a tenant is already in there basically you say to the tennant we are changing the way we operate our payments etc etc and now using these people and we would like you to complete the following forms there are ways andmeans about everything! 94

Benji2011-11-25 10:56:49 Next question; What happens when you go bust?
E.g You build up 3 or 4 months of all your punter's rent money and then disappear to Spain with it overnight.
Payment services are not covered by the FSA financial services compensation scheme. 95

Hope2011-12-19 18:47:58 I am on benefits because i have mental health issues that prevent me from working. I was made homeless after my father passed away and his house was repossessed. I was in a homeless hostel for 9 months, before it closed down and i was forced to rent in the private sector, because i have no children, and therefore am considered low priority for council housing.

It took a very long time to find a landlord willing to take me on, because i'm on benefits. I insisted that my rent is paid directly to the landlord, because i do not like the responsibility of handling large amounts of money. The council make this difficult to do. I had to get my GP and psychologist to write letters stating that i cannot be trusted with large amounts of money (even though that's not necessarily true) just to get the rent paid direct to landlord.

I am a good tenant. My mental health issues mean that i clean obsessively, and i have never broken anything or caused any problems for neighbours, although the downstairs neighbours did open my post several times and have given me a lot of abuse, because they found out i was on benefits. There is such a stigma attached to being on benefits.

Now, the law is changing and i will no longer be able to afford the flat i am renting. I have to find somewhere new to live, and it looks like an impossibility on the new proposed rate of housing benefit, without even contemplating the hell that is finding landlords who will take me on as a tenant.

All DSS tenants are tarred with the same brush. I am going to be made homeless, and will have nowhere to turn. My mental health issues are as a result of a life full of physical, mental and sexual abuse. I feel like i've been brought into this world just to suffer.

I would urge any landlords reading this to reconsider taking DSS tenants. If a tenant has positive character references from reliable sources and references from previous landlords, is it not worth considering helping some of societies most vulnerable people at a time when they are desperate for someone to prove that human kindness still exists?

Anyone?

Kind Regards,

Hope. 96

Jeremy2011-12-20 01:13:54 Hello Hope,

I'm sorry to read your story but glad to see you're trying to plan your way out of bother. I have nothing to offer you (I'm fully rented out) so my thoughts are:
1 - If you want a landlord on the board to help you, tell us which town you live in;
2 - Get a written character reference from your existing landlord;
3 - If you are very clean and keep your nose out of trouble then think about doing a deal with your existing landlord. Bearing in mind the bad reputation DSS tenants have with many landlords (that's a fact - I don't want to spark a debate over whether it's actually fair or not) you're probably one of his best, hassle free tenants. He may be prepared to accept a lower rent from you because he knows he'll make as much profit on a lower rent as a normal rent from a replacement tenant who's an unknown quantity. If your mental problems make it difficult to haggle, how's about getting your physcologist to help?

I hope these thoughts help. 97

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