DSS tenants. Yes or No?

deary65

Deleted_User wrote:

Are you saying that an overpayment ofHB to a landlord is NOT recoverable?

What i'm saying is, if someone asks you for money then ask them to establish a legal right to do so.Many solicitors will not deal with HB issues because they are so complex and time consuming.

pagan705

anguk wrote:

We've privately rented for the last 3 years and we're not dirty, destructive vandalising scum!

Our housing benefit is paid directly to our landlord, we pay the shortfall in advance every four weeks and we paid our own deposit.

I think we've been very good tenants and so does our landlord, we started out on a 6 month contract but now it just rolls on. We've done the garden, re-decorated, kept inside and out neat & tidy and do all minor repairs ourselves saving the landlord money and time.

You will get bad DSS tenants but we're not all like that and it's unfair to assume we are.

I TOTALY agree with you. I work full time but I get housing benefit top-up to help with my £435 pm rent. I always pay on time, don't play loud music, have a bath everyday etc etc. and have a good relationship with my landlord !

I have just changed my HB payments to being paid directly to myself with the full agreement of my landlord because the payments keep changing all the time due to rent review, tax credit review and in october I changed jobs (now working with cancer patients)... so need next two pay slips so HB will continue changing for the next few months and I didn't want to give both myself and the landlord the hassle of having to work out what my payments should be each month. Its just easier to send him the full amount and then get the HB payment later in the month.

I feel all landlords should make their decision based on the individuals !!

deemy2004

Only going by my experiences.... ... was enough to put me off buy to let for ever !!!!!!!!

Okay, fine most DSS renters are OK....... probably.... :rudolf:

I mean how long would a christmas tree last ? :xmastree:

Rickycowslip

Not sure how people are defining DSS here, but please be careful not to define someone by their circumstances. I recently helped my retired mother find private rented accommodation in the village. She gets a state pension and a small RAF pension, and is also entitled to further housing benefit assistance. As we needed the landlord's authority to assess the house for the benefit I was required to tell the renting agency this. Immediately she recoiled, and declared "No DSS" ! I was shocked to say the least...

Everyone's circumstances are different, and many people are entitled to benefits of some sort. Please don't make your own judgements with this strange descriptor "they are DSS"

Dora_the_Explorer_5

I've recently moved into housing association rented property, and the previous two tenants were on benefits. I'm quite happy to replace/repair/refurbish with the consent of the HA as I've no wish to live in a place like a pigsty, which unfortunately is how it was left by the previous tenants. Conversely my best friend is on benefits and lives in rented accommodation and she keeps her place like a palace. Good and bad co-exist everywhere which is what makes it extremely difficult for landlords.

[Deleted User]

deary65 wrote:

What i'm saying is, if someone asks you for money then ask them to establish a legal right to do so.Many solicitors will not deal with HB issues because they are so complex and time consuming.

Is that a yes or a no?

deary65

Deleted_User wrote:

Is that a yes or a no?

Are you asking for legal advice!

nmiah786

deary65 wrote:

Are you asking for legal advice!

YES OR NO TO THE ORIGINAL QUESTION!!!

deary65

If it is important to you, seek legal advice,you will get your answer.here is a link which might help you.
http://www.rightsnet.org.uk/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2441&mesg_id=2441&page=2

BobProperty

deary65 wrote:

If it is important to you, seek legal advice,you will get your answer.here is a link which might help you.
http://www.rightsnet.org.uk/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2441&mesg_id=2441&page=2

The two replies on this link say

"where there has been an act of fraud to retain HB/CTB"
and
"An LA official error overpayment is only recoverable when the claimant, person acting on their behalf, or any other person to whom the benefit was paid, could, at the time of receipt of the payment, or any notice relating to that payment, reasonably have been expected to realise that it was an overpayment."

I suspect that the problem for landlords is that the decision is taken by a housing benefit officer, not a court. In the first quote any possibility of collusion between landlord and tenant or a bad track record by the landlord and the possibility of fraud exists in the mind of the benefit officer, therefore issue clawback procedings. In the second quote I can see the landlord being told "it's obvious it was wrong" therefore hand it back. Can readers understand the problem here? It's a double negative for a landlord. Take the first quote again. It is not interpreted as the landlord can keep the money unless and until he is convicted of fraud. It's interpreted as proceed to claw the money back until he proves there isn't any fraud.