Housing benefit V private

magicgenie

Hi everyone

I've just received this email from my Agent (I am a Landlord):

<The tenant from the above property has been in touch as they are going through the process of applying to the housing benefit as she is having problems meeting the monthly demand. The council unit has requested your address as they will need it for their records to allow them to process the claim. Is it ok if pass this on to them?>

Any advice appreciated... My first thought was, i'm sure i remember reading somewhere that my mortgage doesn't allow HB payers to be tenants.

Second thought was, could this be a good thing... Full rent, every month forever, no worries.

Third thought was to give them notice.

Any advice much appreciated, first time I've found myself in this situation.

Thanks for reading, hope to hear from you, kind regards
Alex

ginger_nuts

I wouldnt give then notice because they have to claim HB .
Housing benefit is paid every 4 weeks in arrears ,but they may not get the full rent via housing benefit .If this is the case the tenant can top up the benefit .I dont no about the mortgage but insurance is usually higher if they claim DSS . They may be getting HB and working but getting a low income .
I no someone who works in Sainsburys and gets HB .She has to pay £20 herself towards the rent .
If they are not problem tenants then dont get rid

lynzpower

Couldnt agree more with Ginger nuts

jamminjamaica

i also agree with ginger nuts. it is difficult to get good tenants.

Alleycat

If you've had no problems with them so far, I wouldn't have thought it would make sense to evict them. Who knows who you might get instead. Also, you could find that you are out of pocket anyway if you end up with a void period.

When we move to London we will most probably be able to claim Housing Benefit and that is two professionals, one working full time and the other part time, but our income would still be a little low with a young child to afford the rent. We have never been problem tenants, pay our rent on time and wouldn't dream of leaving the property is a bad way.

black-saturn

magicgenie wrote:

The council unit has requested your address as they will need it for their records to allow them to process the claim. Is it ok if pass this on to them

She shouldnt need to ask this. If she is applying for HB she has to give your details by law but she can choose whether or not they inform you that she has applied. If you are on HB is it totally the tenants business and nothing to do with the landlord. If they have it paid direct to the tenant the landlord need never know.

silvercar

black-saturn wrote:

She shouldnt need to ask this. If she is applying for HB she has to give your details by law but she can choose whether or not they inform you that she has applied. If you are on HB is it totally the tenants business and nothing to do with the landlord. If they have it paid direct to the tenant the landlord need never know.

The council may have the right to check that the tenant is not related to the landlord and to confim the rent being charged.

Being a HB claimamt may affect the landlord's insurance, so they would need to know.

If the tenant wants the landlord paid direct by the council they would obviously need to know.

black-saturn

silvercar wrote:

The council may have the right to check that the tenant is not related to the landlord and to confim the rent being charged.

Yes the council will check this but theres still no need to tell the landlord. And you can still collect HB if you are related to the tenant.

silvercar wrote:

If the tenant wants the landlord paid direct by the council they would obviously need to know.

Thats also the tenants decision. They do not by law have to tell the landlord they are in receipt of benefit at all.

silvercar

Being a HB claimamt may affect the landlord's insurance, so they would need to know.

Can you answer this one?