Letting Agent for dss

lifemagic · Joined: 14 May 2006 Posts: 12 Location: Hammersmith

Hi,

I'm looking for accomodation, single male 35, W6 or as close as poss. I'm hoping to find a letting agent with something on their books that take dss, i.e. housing benefit. Do you know any? If not W6 then anywhere reasonable within zone 5. Thanks. lifemagic@rediffmail.com.

tantricgent · Joined: 16 May 2006 Posts: 12

I think u will be unlucky as landlords do not like HB because

1 The data protection act prevents them from knowing if a claim has been refused or aproved, this can be 14 weeks.

2 If the HB is paid direct to the landlord and the tenant is on the fiddle its the landlord who has to pay it back to the council.

3 If the HB is spent down the pub the landlord may have wait 18 weeks before getting successful eviction.

4 if the damage to the proprty exceeds the deposit the landlord can not get money out of someone who his claims to have no funds,

5 If the tenant does a moonlight flit the council again hides behind the data protect act even if they are paying HB at a new address.

coppa · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 8190 Location: Right here

chat? no?

lifemagic · Joined: 14 May 2006 Posts: 12 Location: Hammersmith

Thanks for the post.

I know they don't like hb... but all the people who claim it without having 100 childred must be living *somewhere*. I just need to go and find that place and go and live there too so that I'm not paying private rent at a hostel that doesn't accept hb payments.

Bluey · Community Moderator Joined: 21 Mar 2006 Posts: 4510

Apart from suggesting that you call round all Letting Agents in your local area to check or contact the local council housing officer to see if they are aware of any DSS friendly Letting Agents/landlords, the following site seems to have icons on whether they are DSS friendly or not in W6

http://www.pastures-new.co.uk/agents/hamersmith
http://www.pastures-new.co.uk/agents/shepherds_bush

ginge · Joined: 31 Aug 2006 Posts: 1

I have been pulling my hair out trying to find one of these non existant letting agents who are willing to take HB payments and trust me they don't exist!

Then you think your lucks in when you finally find a private landlord out of those very few adverts in your local paper who state ' DSS WELCOME' then they let you down when the first private payer comes along before the council has pulled their finger out of which ever hole they have it in to sort it out!

I feel like im chasing my tail in circles and the ground is wearing thin but I will be sure to release the secret to the world, if I find it that is ! [/b]

Bluey · Community Moderator Joined: 21 Mar 2006 Posts: 4510

Ginge,

Does your local council offer a deposit loan scheme to help you or know of particular agents and Landlords in their local area?

Are you able to provide references from previous landlords and all the usual stuff?

Sorry to hear that it's frustrating. One of my pals looked into offering their house to a local housing association scheme to let out to social housing tenants but the HA guy basically said that the property was very likely to house DSS claimants and was likely to have very high wear and tear (polite word for trashing) so even organisations sympathetic to social housing residents are realistic about how undesirable some residents can be.

Also, the forums on the landlordzone.co.uk are stuffed to the gills with tales of woe by landlords who have had DSS claimants who have stopped payments or fiddled it in some way, such as illegally subletting it or damaging all the fixtures and fittings, etc. This makes it really hard for the majority of good tenants to get housing.

Why not post what you are looking for on that forum and perhaps a private Landlord in that area will consider you, or perhaps from a LL point of view, they will let you know what they look for in the DSS claimants when selecting them, give you hints and tips,etc.

Bluey

Gibreo · Joined: 07 Sep 2006 Posts: 12

Can be hard to find them, have a look here for possible agents who accept housing benefit / DSS:

http://www.estateagents123.com/services/DSS_/_Housing_Benefit/36

mb2086 · Joined: 10 Sep 2006 Posts: 1

Also try the link below for London, plus check with the local councils who often have lists of DSS friendly landlords:-
http://www.hbaccepted.co.uk/

Gibreo · Joined: 07 Sep 2006 Posts: 12

lee_in_hull22 · Joined: 05 Nov 2007 Posts: 1

its unreal that landlords charge the earth for flats or houses and most times they dont repair anything, mybe it should be us saying we dont want them....

But last night i found out i was broken in to, and the landlord would not even come out and fix the window.

people who clam hb like myself, need help and if we need a flat or house fast you need to see a landlord, i applied for a councel house and i got told it would be atleast 3 month before i even got a chance of getting somewhere, what use is that?

plus landlords want stupid sized bonds to even get the house, and you know yourself that some landlords are good, but sadly they are all mostly ripping off people... £70 for a 1 bed flat! thats stupid... i could get a 3 bed house for £5 more a week...

so i think we should fight back and tell them where sick of being ripped off...

laurakate · Joined: 01 Feb 2008 Posts: 1

its just not fair....im a single mum with 2 kids, and I only need hb because I cant work with such young children, yet I am basically persecuted for preferring to take care of my own rather than put them in childcare paid for by the government. its ridiculous! I think its discrimination to say all those in need of dss are bad eggs or more likely to cause damage. Granted there may be a percentage who have no respect for a property but that includes those in full time employment and surely it wouldn't hurt landlords to be a bit flexible and use their judgment. How likely is a mum of 2 (one is three, the other three months) to party the place to pieces? One day, when my boys are grown, maybe I'll get into the property letting business and only accept people with hb, cos we have all got to live somewhere!
Another point is hb is guaranteed, you know its going to get paid, provided it goes straight to the landlord.
I lived in a 2 bedroom house and was on hb (the agents were PWR property consultants if anyone is interested) and all was ok til I stupidly tried self-employment, which is when I fell behind with the rent, and eventually had to move out. Just because somebody is working definately DOESNT guarantee rent. I think the whole thing is nuts, and asking the council for help is like banging your head against a really annoying and repetitive brick wall!
anyway, pardon my rant but I'm not a happy bunny, being slap bang in the middle of the whole hb n findin a house farce!

helen26686 · Joined: 11 Apr 2008 Posts: 1

i know im so sick of trying to find somewhere when its really hard the landlord im with now is so horrible and he selling the house so im trying to look for place ive phoned up the estate agents as soon as you mention dss they dont want to know an when you send them emails they never reply the council doesnt do n e thing they say go in a hostel for a few months then we will offer you some where i carnt go in there cause my son has health problems an my partner has a disability but they dunt care

itsmeme · Joined: 18 Mar 2008 Posts: 15

Helen...........I agree it's really hard to find anyone that accepts housing benefit.I'm recieving housing benefit but i've just found a house.OK it took me a couple of months but if you look hard enough you will find someone that will accept you.Stay possitive you will find somewhere.Try advertising on a website.Here or another like daily info for example just look out for scammers!!! .Agenices are not ones to look for tho because generally most of them will turn you down.Goodluck!

naomij · Joined: 09 May 2008 Posts: 2

I am sick and tired of being treated like a leper because i am in receipt of housing benefit.

Damn the council who take so long dealing with applications and getting the landlords their money ontime and damn the people who are in reciept of hb and don't have no respect for the premises they are lucky enough to reside in.

I am a single mum to two young children, i take pride in looking after what has kindly been rented to me and i always pay my hb straight to the landlord, so its very dissapointing for me to be treated as a person of no worth who does not deserve to live in a flat anywhere or that is habitable because of my financial circumstances.

I am only in this situation because i want to finish my studies (1 year of college and 3+ at uni, to study law), once done i can pay my own rent. I do not wish to have a million kids and live like this forever.

Why don't landlords and estate agens alike actually listen to people in receipt of housing benefit and consider teneats like us at their own discretion. I hate it when estate agents say 'we as a company don't accept housing benefit'. WHY? Do you think it makes you seem more upmarket and professional. We are all people just the same, does it matter where the rent comes from as long as it paid? Do you reckon all the non hb rent payers are doing an honest living? Think again! So basically you would rather get your rent from a drug dealer or fraudulant person, over someone who get's hb? Yeah thats real professional isn't it.

The government and the council needs to do more to help people who get hb. They need to work harder at making sure applications are completed in good time and the landlords rent is never late, they also need to put positive awareness out for landlords and estate agents. Otherwise they need to shape up and sort out the housing system once and for all.

I am so sorry for the rant but i am so frustrated, as it seems that it is unacceptable for me to have reasonably good or any housing at all, because of my housing benefit, which is totally unfair and morally wrong. How are people to progress if we constantly get people turning their noses up at us, and the door slammed in our face.

Landlords and estate agents need to use their own discretion with regards to the tenants they keep and stop tarring us all with the same brush and/or "trying to keep up with apperances", so to speak.