Please Help Landlords or estate agents that accept housing benefit

layla1979

Hi my current lease is ending and I need to find a new place.
I get housing benefit but am finding it impossible to find anyone that accepts housing benefit.
Does anyone know of any estate agents that accept housing benefit in The west london/middlesex area

Hammyman

You don't have to tell them if you've enough money to pay the rent until the LHA/HB arrives. They need never know. My tenant is on HB and I have never been contacted by the council. Its only because I know her personally that I know she is.

SLAYFIELD1

Hammyman wrote: »

You don't have to tell them if you've enough money to pay the rent until the LHA/HB arrives. They need never know. My tenant is on HB and I have never been contacted by the council. Its only because I know her personally that I know she is.

. . . . How does that work then? When you apply for Housing Benefit there is a section on the form which the landlord has to fill in and sign, So how can you claim without the landlord knowing?

nannytone_2

SLAYFIELD1 wrote: »

. . . . How does that work then? When you apply for Housing Benefit there is a section on the form which the landlord has to fill in and sign, So how can you claim without the landlord knowing?

possibly housing benefit forms vary from area to area but every hb for i've seen just asks if you give permission for them to contact your landlord. saying no does not affect your entitlement.

but most letting agents do ask if youre working and you could lie, but if you give false information and the landlord finds out, i imagine it would be quite easy to evict you!

also a landlord letting to someone on benefits can have insurance implications, and should something happen, the OP could find themselves in a worse position.

Prinzessilein

You should always tell the landlord/landlady if yopu are claiming HB.

Their insurance may be invalidated if they let the property to someone on benefits.

pmlindyloo

Some councils have lists of letting agents/landlords who rent to people on HB. You may want to pop in and ask.

poppasmurf_bewdley

Prinzessilein wrote: »

You should always tell the landlord/landlady if yopu are claiming HB.

Their insurance may be invalidated if they let the property to someone on benefits.

I would ask 'Why?' to both of those statements.

Prinzessilein

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

I would ask 'Why?' to both of those statements.

Why would the insurance be invalidated?
Because the insurance firms put a clause into the insurance contract.

Why should you inform the landlord/lady?
Because it's the right thing to do! If they need to make a claim in the future and you haven't informed them you are on benefits then they may well find that the insurance company refuse to pay up.

poppasmurf_bewdley

Prinzessilein wrote: »

Because the insurance firms put a clause into the insurance contract.

Why should you inform the landlord/lady?
Because it's the right thing to do! If they need to make a claim in the future and you haven't informed them you are on benefits then they may well find that the insurance company refuse to pay up.

Again, I ask the question 'Why?'

Why would an insurance company put a clause into the insurance contract?

And why would the insurance company refuse to pay up?

Maybe if I elaborate a little. Why would an insurance company discriminate against a tenant on housing benefit as against a tenant who wasn't?

What would they do if a tenant paid half the rent himself and HB the other half? Or if he paid three quarters himself and HB one quarter?

Prinzessilein

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

Again, I ask the question 'Why?'

Why would an insurance company put a clause into the insurance contract?

And why would the insurance company refuse to pay up?

Maybe if I elaborate a little. Why would an insurance company discriminate against a tenant on housing benefit as against a tenant who wasn't?

What would they do if a tenant paid half the rent himself and HB the other half? Or if he paid three quarters himself and HB one quarter?

The simple fact of the matter is that insurance companies do put the clause in.

Maybe it is discrimination. Maybe the companies genuinely feel there are justifiable grounds for insisting on the clause.

But the companies do have the clause.

And as far as the insurance companies are concerned, it doesn't matter if the tenant pays part of the rent or has it all paid. The contract the insurance company has is with the landlord and if they see it as a breach of contract they will not pay out.

Different insurance companies may have different rules on exactly which benefits are prohibited. The landlord/lady should know the terms of theor insurance - which is why you should let them know if you are on benefits.

poppasmurf_bewdley

Prinzessilein wrote: »

The simple fact of the matter is that insurance companies do put the clause in.

Maybe it is discrimination. Maybe the companies genuinely feel there are justifiable grounds for insisting on the clause.

All companies or some companies, or just one company?

Can you give us the names of these insurance companies which discriminate against tenants on benefits as opposed to those who do not?

I assume you are talking about buildings insurance as opposed to contents insurance, which the tenants themselves are normally responsible for.