Preparedness for when

VJsmum

Deep breath....

I am a landlord, and I won't take anyone on benefits.

it is our life savings tied up in that house (we took out our pension money and invested in property as I don't trust banks or pension funds), that money is there to secure the future of me and my children and I will not risk it. I know not everyone on benefits is a lying scumbag - but some are and how do you tell the difference? we charge a fair rent for a decent home - we aren't looking to make a fortune and we are not greedy, just looking to secure our future should the S ever hit our own personal fan.

I have been on benefits and, like GQ, am a safe pair of hands in any property but so many are not.

fuddle

I have just rented a lovely little dwelling in a super little historic market town. The tenant before me was a business woman. I cannot explain the dirt and grime she left for me to deal with, the smells, the holes in the wall, the cats urine, the wrecked garden, the mould, the cat litter splashed walls and windows.

It's ok business woman, the bankrupt will sort it out. See? I know life is all about risk assessing but.... assessing based on prejudgment? I just laugh at irony.

[Deleted User]

I'm going to play Devils Advocate here, I have no knowledge of being homeless so I can't speak from that position and I've never had a property to let, so I can't speak from that position either, neither do I know how to determine who is genuine and who isn't!!! What I do feel though is that if mistakes have been made in the past and people are trying so desperately to recover from something as devastating as bankruptcy and loss of homes and rehome thier families I hope I would be compassionate and at least consider helping them. I would hate myself if I didn't at least give some christian consideration to a young family homeless and hopeless of finding help. How else would they be able to start the long climb up to normality and self respect? I know that life is very seldom clearcut but surely everyone deserves a chance even if that proves the wrong choice sometimes?

mardatha

At least all of us in here can see all sides of a story, this is rare in the general public lol.
RAS funny you should mention Cathy Come Home...we were saying last night that things have come full circle since that was first on tv. I mind watching it and being so sad. We got married at 16 & 18 but we always worked and didn't have kids until we got a council house so we were lucky really.

VJsmum

I agree - it is very difficult. and obviously as Fuddle said, being bankrupt isn't the same as being on benefits. I don't get involved in the letting process, the agent does it, I don't actually know what checks are put in place. if someone can pay the deposit and has proof of earnings then that would be good enough for me - do the agencies go further?

If a good tenant lost their job and was forced onto benefits, then I wouldn't be in a hurry to kick them out obviously - I shouldn't think I am able to.

By the same token, they tell you not to let to family either as it is really hard to make them pay up and even harder to get them out!

fiftyeighter_2

I worked closely with the council through my job at a drug agency. And yes I have seen both sides. But I have thought it unfair sometimes when just and deserving families cannot get a privately rented home just because they are receiving social security. I have seen people who worked and appeared ( upstanding characters ) ruin a rented house and those on social security take so much pride in their home, even with their "problems" but for the person renting this out, how on earth can you tell who is who.
I have to admit though around here the rent is automatically paid to the landlord.

Hollyberry

I'm finding the discussion on house letting really interesting, as I'm just about to become a landlord for the first time. It reminds me yet again how much good sense is talked here, and particularly how much I appreciate reading interesting discussion from a group of reasonable people able to see things from many different perspectives. I'm absolutely with you on that one, Mar.

As part of getting myself ready to take on this new responsibility, I have been doing lots of training, and have heard from both landlords who let exclusively to LHA tenants and those who will not. Many happily do both, although not in the same house, as differing lifestyles can cause issues between tenants in multiple occupancy houses. I will probably end up doing both, although my first house will be with young workers, as that's what my business partner already does, and I want to learn as much as I can from his experience. I have looked at a number of his houses and would be very happy to live in any one of them.

It seems very strange to be moving into this role, having spent so much of my career working for either charities or government departments and local authorities dealing with social welfare clients. But rather like my future tenants, and as GQ so wisely points out, I am more than my label states, and there in the future go any of us.

craigywv

hello all i see on the news its record -95 record breaking weather in Antarctic....................hope it stays there and does not come here!

[Deleted User]

In the meadow we will build a snowman???

paidinchickens

I rented my house out to someone I had known for years (through work).

They got divorced and did not pay the mortgage so she lost the house. I took pity on her so I let her have a month free to sort herself out and she then did not pay any rent for a further three months. To make matters worse she was away every weekend on the beer as I could clearly see because she was on my FB account.

When confronted she eventually started to pay but has bad mouthed me to every mutual acquaintance we had.

Never again.

PiC x