Help please renting

tomjones333

In a bit of a dilemma here put my house up with a letting agent told them no dss or pets, now about three weeks ago they phone me up saying that they have a lovely couple for the house and that he is working but because he gets a low wage the girlfriend gets help with the rent, tells me its like a family credit, OK I say as long as he's working. Goes into there office today to check what is happening as these tenants are supposed to move in this Friday yet Ive seen no money or any references, They then say we are still waiting for the references to come and they will chase them up today, I say Ok but who is the Guarantor for this couple she replies the man who's going to live there with the girl, I say he cant be Guarantor as he is a tennant, she then goes on to say Ah what it is the girl will be paying the rent as she gets it all from the dole.?? (I already said NO DHSS) so I came away fuming, did a few checks myself and so far have found out that the address that he has supposedly been living with here in for the last 2 years he is not on the poll tax register, nor is he on the register for the address he gave as the one before this, but he is on the register for his mothers house, Im I being overcautious with all this or does this smell of a rat Thanks

PoorDave

It's your house so you can refuse anyone you don't trust!

Smells like a fisherman's jockstrap to me

regularsaver1

if you said no DHSS you mean no DHSS

you pay the agent for a reason - to do their job

Prudent

I would not take on these tennants. If he is living with her and she is claiming rent as a single parent then its fraud.

black-saturn

Agree that you should get what you want but I'm also curious as to why you want no DSS? The money will be paid to you straight from the government so it will be in your bank account with no bother on time every month.

regularsaver1

isn't it illegal to not be on the electoral roll? - so i was told?

tomjones333

reason i saud no dhss is thatthere a nightmare, If she is claiming lone parent and they find him living there they will stop the rent, I was told then that I would be liable for paying back all the rent paid to me by the dhss as it was obtained as fraud ect

hjb123

Have they moved in yet or are they waiting for your decision. In the end you specified no DSS and thats exactly what the agent should respect! If you struggle go without an agent and rent privately

tomjones333

No they aint moved in yet there supposed to move in this Friday, Really !!!!!! off about this as I had it on with three other agents wand took it off from them because this muppet said they had the perfect tennant as she had a (Feeling) about them, Anyways this may be cheating but the house these people are currently renting is up for sale so just booked a visit there tommorow, Lets see what they look after there properties like and I might re concider, will report back tommorow..

lynzpower

Im interested what you mean here about the benefits shes receieving. If its like family credit, do you mean working families tax credit? Only plenty of people get that, to support low wages? Another thing might be she pays the rent, he pays the bills, how they carve up thier finances shouldnt concern you, but in saying that your letting agent seems to be taking the pi55 somewhat.

seven-day-weekend

With DSS (if I remember rightly) not only is the landlord liable to repay any rent claimed fraudulently (even if s/he received it in good faith), or if the tenants default, but it can sometimes take weeks to sort out and then there is no rent at all.