I'm seething....

carolt

OP, your landlady sounds an utter nightmare.

Sounds much easier, as others have said, to get LHA paid to you and set up direct debit for the rent monthly.

The extra £50/month for insurance sounds v cheeky though. Can't believe you had to do your own tenancy agreement, too. Bought it from WHSmiths, lol!

I would sort the deposit quickly though - sounds like the kind of landlady who views it as her divine right to keep your deposit when you leave. Explaining that she's liable for 3X if she doesn't will hopefully jog her in action.

Good luck.

millym

This thread has got me wondering about LL insurance and benefit claimants. When I applied for my current tenancy, the LA made a big point of stating that I was accepted as I was classed as a disabled tenant on low income, and not a benefit claimant - even though I get some LHA and CTB, along with IB and DLA.

I thought this was related to the DDA, but now wonder if it was for insurance purposes?

What exactly is the criteria for deciding if someone is a benefit claimant for insurance purposes? I am guessing that it can't be just claiming LHA, as a lot of people who work get a small top-up of LHA.

Back on topic, I presume that the OP paid a month's rent up front when they first got the property? If not, surely it would be unfair for a LL to change from payments in arrears to payments in advance at a later date? Also seems like the LL doesn't have a clue. I had a nightmare LL many years ago, who was clueless, and made my life a misery in many ways. Better to find a decent LL, IMHO.

clutton_2

""Back on topic, I presume that the OP paid a month's rent up front when they first got the property? If not, surely it would be unfair for a LL to change from payments in arrears to payments in advance at a later date?"

the vast majority of benefit tenants do not have the funds to provide the first months rent in advance (this is what AST's require) - AND a deposit of the same value.

So LLs who do accept benefit tenants with no cash for rent upfront find that on day two of the tenancy the tenant is already one month in arrears.... and will continue to be so until LHA is paid - usually 4-6-8 weeks later....

Benefit tenants (who cannot budget) are always in arrears by at least a month.....