trying to rent on DSS

spora

Hello,

I hope im not going to get abuse for this thread...

Im currently recieving benefits (as i am unemployed) and im trying to find somwhere to live. I have been looking for over a month now and nowhere (execpt the really grotty places) will accept me because i recieve housing benefit.

I have found several places that wont accpet DSS, but will accept students as long as they can provide a guarantor and (sometimes) references. I am currently studying part time with the Open Uni and i can provide both a guarantor and references.

Can i pretend that i am a full time student (you can study full time with the OU) rather than saying im on DSS? Or is there some way that the landlord/estate agent will find out? When i was at uni, living in a privately let flat, i know i had to provide several bits of paper work and so did my guarantor but i cant remember exactly what i was asked to provide. Would the landlord/estate agent ask to see my bank statements or proof that im a full time student?

I dont really want to lie about my situation but so far i have been unfront with landlords/estate agents about my situation and i just get turned down, everytime.

I understand why people dont want someone on DSS, but i know i will look after the property and pay rent/bills on time- i know the landlord wont know this as they dont know me, but my reference reflects this, yet still no one wants to rent their property to me.

Any advice is welcome.

UnderPressure

Hello

Sorry to hear about your nightmare situation, the bottom line is you need somewhere to live and quickly from the sounds of it, when you claim HB you can have the money paid directly to you so your new landlord would not need to know anything about it, you have a good refernece which really is what landlords should be paying attention to.

The only drawback is you will need to pay the deposit and also maybe be in a position whenre you can pay the rent yourself for upto 3 months whilst your claim is sortd out, the local council willl know how unreasonable some landlords can be when it come to HB that is why there are things in place that makes it possible for you to claim wothout them having any knowledge about it
am not saying this is ethically correct it isn't but at the end of the day you need somewhere to live, I would also avoid like the plague agencies much better to deal with the actual owner in my own experience.

Hope that helps and god luck

Jowo_2

Typically most landlords will perform some screening on the tenant, which often include verifying income, sometimes asking for copies of bank statements and payslips. If if it is thorough, it will detect that you have lied on your tenancy application form.

dmg24

The problem with telling lies is that it could invalidate the LL's insurance, and if found out, is also likely to get you kicked out very quickly. I see no point in telling lies, in the long run it is only you that it will come back on.

UnderPressure

dmg24 wrote: »

The problem with telling lies is that it could invalidate the LL's insurance, and if found out, is also likely to get you kicked out very quickly. I see no point in telling lies, in the long run it is only you that it will come back on.

I can see where you are coming from and although I do agree with you what else can the OP do? From their post this is the only course of action they have to rent somewhere, I dont agree with lying at all and hopefully they will find a decent ladlord they will not even ask then they dont have to lie, but i this situation rather than being homeless or shoved in some grotty LA B&B?????

So far as being kicked out "quickly" this would not be the case they would still be protected by the tenancy agreement regardles of wether they neglect to tell the landlord they will be claiming HB or not so inessence worst case scenario the ladlord finds out and issues them with notice to leave, but if this is a few months down the line and the property has been well cared for and rent paid ont time there is a good chance (unless the landlord is a nightmare in which case probably better not to have him as a landlord anyhow) the landlord may well not have a problem.

Of course as said none of this is the "right" way of doing things but the OP seems to be in a position where they have little choice it would be a shame to se someone on the street for the sake of a landlord that has some bee in his bonnet of Housing Benefit.

Hope that helps

Oldernotwiser

You cannot be a full time student with the OU,although the landlord may not know that.

I think that you may have to look at one of the "grotty" places or perhaps it might be easier to get a place in a houseshare.

Welshwoofs

UnderPressure wrote: »

Hello

Sorry to hear about your nightmare situation, the bottom line is you need somewhere to live and quickly from the sounds of it, when you claim HB you can have the money paid directly to you so your new landlord would not need to know anything about it, you have a good refernece which really is what landlords should be paying attention to.

Sorry but that is really bad advice. Landlords may well have no DSS as a condition of a buy-to-let mortgage or their insurance and by lying to them, a prospective DSS tenant is basically leaving that LL high and dry should the worst happen.

Although I sympathise about the lack of housing available to DSS, encouraging people to lie about their circumstances simply results in more Landlords (like me for instance) refusing to rent to those on benefits and carrying out ever more stringent checks to ensure that the person wanting to take on a tenancy isn't telling them porkies!

Oldernotwiser

UnderPressure wrote: »

I can see where you are coming from and although I do agree with you what else can the OP do?

The OP has said that he's found places that will accept him, although they're not up to his expectations. That's hardly a situation where there's nothing else he can do.

Prinzessilein

Unless there are very good reasons against it, Housing Benefit is payed directly to you rather than to the Landlord.

There is every chance that the Lanlord's insutrance will be invalidated if you lie about your student status.

Have you been to the Council? (The Housing office - in our area they are called HomeSelect but it may vary according to region?) They will be able to make sure you know exactly what your options are, and will help push you in the right direction if you are in danger of finding yourself homeless.

You might have to steel yourself and accept one of the 'grotty' places for a while.

And keep looking for work - if you're no longer unemployed your housing options will improve!

spora

Thanks for everyone's replies.

I didn't realise that it could invaildate the landlords insurance.

I have been looking at houseshares (im under 25 so i can only rent a room or a bedsit), but im still having no luck.

No, i havent been to the council. I live about quite far away from where im trying to move to so its not easy for me to get up there very often. I guess i will have to find a grotty place for the time being and hopefully it will be easier for me when im there to find somewhere nicer.

Thanks for all the advice.

UnderPressure

spora wrote: »

Thanks for everyone's replies.

I didn't realise that it could invaildate the landlords insurance.

I have been looking at houseshares (im under 25 so i can only rent a room or a bedsit), but im still having no luck.

No, i havent been to the council. I live about quite far away from where im trying to move to so its not easy for me to get up there very often. I guess i will have to find a grotty place for the time being and hopefully it will be easier for me when im there to find somewhere nicer.

Thanks for all the advice.

That is probably the best idea I had no idea about the insurance side of it either would be a very bad move to invalidate someone's insurance especially on a house :eek:

Anyway best of and I hope it all works out for you