No DSS?

Chardonnay

Hi all,

My daughter and I are going to be looking for somewhere to rent soon and I was wondering if someone could answer a question for me please?

I went self-employed 8 months ago, and am gradually building up my earnings, but still receive some housing benefit to subsidise my rent. My question is, when landlords specify "no DSS" is that for tenants that get full housing benefit, and aren't working, or would I fall into that category? I'm hoping the answer is going to be "no"

Thanks in advance for any help.

jockettuk

Chardonnay wrote: »

Hi all,

My daughter and I are going to be looking for somewhere to rent soon and I was wondering if someone could answer a question for me please?

I went self-employed 8 months ago, and am gradually building up my earnings, but still receive some housing benefit to subsidise my rent. My question is, when landlords specify "no DSS" is that for tenants that get full housing benefit, and aren't working, or would I fall into that category? I'm hoping the answer is going to be "no"

Thanks in advance for any help.

my friend in the same situation she works part time gets working family tax credits and help with her rent and down here no dss means anyone getting help from the benefit system isnt welcome.

lynzpower

Is thre housing benefit or LHA paid to you?

If so , what does the landlord need to know for- you receive income into the account, and then that income gets passed to the LL

BASFORDLAD

The landlord wouldnt need to know that you are claiming housing benefit!. So no need to mention it to him....

kaya

if i owned a house and rented it to somebody on benefits for a year, then the benefits people found out that the tennant i had was being naughty and working the benefits people would take me to court and demand all the rent i had recieved back as the tennant was actually working and had no entitlement to it, so i would end up about £10,000 out of pocket, happened to somebody i know

HappyMJ

That would only happen if the landlord was being paid direct if the tenant is paid the housing benefit then the landlord is not responsible for a fraudulent claim.

If you present yourself as a professional business person to the LA then they may consider your request even if they have "NO DSS" on the advert. Basically they don't want someone who looks like they are the hypothetical "typical benefit claimant".

ILW

Have you got the deposit and advance rental?

Chardonnay

Thanks for all of your replies

To answer a couple of questions: I am still in the old housing benefit system, where the money is paid to my landlord, but I was wondering if I would be transferred to the new system when I leave this house (I've been here over 3 years.)

I plan to have saved the deposit and a month's rent in advance by the time I rent somewhere new.

I am hoping to get off housing benefit eventually, but obviously, being self-employed, it takes a while to build up a business. I am getting there, though.

clutton_2

as a LL i take each applicant on their individual circumstances... starting off a tenancy based on lies is not a good way forward

if you go with documentation, bank statements, benefits paperwork to prove that you can pay the rent then any decent landlord will consider you....

looking at 6 months of bank statements tells me a lot about how a person lives and whether they can afford to pay the rent

show the new landlord evidence of your current rent payments or mortgage payments and s/he will at least see that you have the propensity to be a good tenant

Any new claim will be under Local Housing Allowance

Chardonnay

Thanks Clutton. That's what I was hoping to hear. I do have a good record, and have never missed any payments etc. so hopefully they will see me as a good prospective tenant.

Jowo_2

BASFORDLAD wrote: »

The landlord wouldnt need to know that you are claiming housing benefit!. So no need to mention it to him....

But most landlords will want to verify the tenants income, including taking up employer references and also some will want bank statements and payslips, too. It's fairly common for a tenant to fill in a tenancy application form that collects basic information like income.

This is where the tenant inadvertently reveals that they haven't sufficient income to pay the rent without HB/LHA and if they've previously told the landlord that they don't claim benefits, will show themselves up as a liar.