Where/how do you look/reference for DSS Tenants

cem

When renting out:

1 - Where do you look/advertise for your DSS tenants?

2 - How do you check/reference them ? (persumably its a different process if its a professional tenant?)

3 - Do you find it straight forward to get the LHA rate (https://lha-direct.therentservice.gov.uk/Secure/LHARateSearch.aspx?SearchType=PostCode)

Thanks

Captain_Mainwaring_2

I don't and wouldn't thanks.

I'm sure many people have positive experiences with DSS, but they are not the sort of risk I am prepared to entertain.

Why are you specifically looking for DSS? is your property something unusual?

cem

Captain_Mainwaring wrote: »

Why
are you specifically looking for DSS? is your property something unusual?

In my area, LHA allowance is much over the Market rent (~£150pcm). Clearly worth looking into if the right DSS tenants came along..

Any other takers on this?

Thanks

robpw2

yes but they get paid the money not ll and they only can claim the amount of rent plus 15 if total rent is less than lha or pay the diff if more than lha

cem

robpw2 wrote: »

yes but they get paid the money not ll

yes agreed - You can try protect yourself by "forcing" tenants to have two bank accounts, one where council pays in housing benefit, one for others. So they know thats rent money.

Going slightly off topic here..so Any other takers on my questions above. :rolleyes:

Captain_Mainwaring_2

You aren't painting a very positive image of DSS tenants here.

robpw2

are you suggesting that you want dss so you can charge more than if you had professional tennants.
you cannot force tennants to have two bank accounts . i dont tell you how to run your finances

i personnally would have to question your morales and your ability to be a good landlord based on your questions

tbs624

robpw2 wrote: »

....you cannot force tennants to have two bank accounts . i dont tell you how to run your finances

I think this comment may be because IIRC another LL posting on here has said that s/he does this: if they won't agree then s/he won't let to them, but I agree with you on this issue.

LLs cannot have it both ways - if they are making their money by letting to "DSS tenants" then they have to accept the risks that are involved. I would actually like to see LLs who try to dictate to their tenants in this way prevented from receiving rent funded by the public purse. One of they key tenets of LHA was that it returned a measure of financial control to the tenant: let's remember that not every DSS tenant is out buying crack with their rent funding - some may be in that situation because of marital breakdown, illness or redundancy etc and be perfectly capable of running their own finances.

princess_pixie

its DWP and i think you need to judge everyone on their own merits.....

silvercar

cem wrote: »

When renting out:

1 - Where do you look/advertise for your DSS tenants?

2 - How do you check/reference them ? (persumably its a different process if its a professional tenant?)

3 - Do you find it straight forward to get the LHA rate (https://lha-direct.therentservice.gov.uk/Secure/LHARateSearch.aspx?SearchType=PostCode)

Thanks

1. You don't, you advertise the property as you normally would, if tenants on benefits come forward you consider them as you would any other tenant.

2. Credit check them as usual. The answer your looking for is that they have no CCJs etc but you expect them to show insufficient income. You then ask for a guarantor. Then you credit check the guarantor, you are again looking for clean credit, this time with a property, income or pension.

3. Forget the LHA rate, you are looking for the market rent. Provided you are not going over the market rent, the tenants will know what LHA they can get and what top-up they will need to fund.

All presuming you are running a business not a charity.

cem

Thanks for all your responses on this but I think my questions still stand (Thanks princess pixie for actually trying to answer my question however)

Yes there are risks involved but as a LL you have to accept to whether from a dss or professional tenant..anyone can mess you about regardless of however many checks you do beforehand.

Finally when you run a business, the idea is that you make money..right? robpw2? Moreover it is the council paying the full rent on T's behalf not the Tenant (in most cases)..you would hardly be putting T out of pocket. rant over