No DSS!!!???

smithson5

Hi

I'm moving to a new area and have been accepted for a flat advertised as 'No DSS', as I plan on getting a job as soon as possible when I move to the new area. However, finding something is proving more difficult than I imagined and I'm thinking I might have to sign on and claim housing & council tax benefit once I move in til I find something.

I haven't moved into the property yet (and have every intention of finding something, anything, for when I move in 3 weeks), but now I'm faced with a dilemma:

- do I tell the LL I may have to claim DSS? Or would this result in his offer being withdrawn? I've been told that I shouldn't bother mentioning anything to the LL as if I haven't found work by the time I move in and have to claim housing benefit, the DSS won't even inform the LL that I've made a claim and he'll never know, so why rock the boat.

- But then I've been told 'you should tell the LL and see if he might be OK with it (hmm even though he wrote 'No DSS' on the ad) because if he finds out you're claiming he could kick you out.'

I just don't know what to do! Any advice?

Also, why would a LL put 'no DSS' - is it just a preference thing or could being DSS invalidate the tenancy contract or something?

Cheers, Smyth

murrayfan_2

Won't the landlord want to check your work references etc before you move in?. I think some specify no DSS because they are under the impression that people without jobs won't/can't pay, or are lazy, untrustworthy, etc.

In the past I've had to pay 6 months' rent upfront because I wasn't working when we took on a new home - obviously this is very hard to do unless you have savings!.

It's up to you I suppose, I'd be crap at lying though, if asked about my job, etc.

darren_clarke

did you tell hi you was working when you applied, or that you wasnt

smithson5

I was honest and said I'm moving to a new area and don't have a job to go to, but I have every intention of finding one as soon as possible, and have been frantically applying for the past month.

HappyMJ

smithson5 wrote: »

Hi

I'm moving to a new area and have been accepted for a flat advertised as 'No DSS', as I plan on getting a job as soon as possible when I move to the new area. However, finding something is proving more difficult than I imagined and I'm thinking I might have to sign on and claim housing & council tax benefit once I move in til I find something.

I haven't moved into the property yet (and have every intention of finding something, anything, for when I move in 3 weeks), but now I'm faced with a dilemma:

- do I tell the LL I may have to claim DSS? Or would this result in his offer being withdrawn? I've been told that I shouldn't bother mentioning anything to the LL as if I haven't found work by the time I move in and have to claim housing benefit, the DSS won't even inform the LL that I've made a claim and he'll never know, so why rock the boat.

- But then I've been told 'you should tell the LL and see if he might be OK with it (hmm even though he wrote 'No DSS' on the ad) because if he finds out you're claiming he could kick you out.'

I just don't know what to do! Any advice?

Also, why would a LL put 'no DSS' - is it just a preference thing or could being DSS invalidate the tenancy contract or something?

Cheers, Smyth

No DSS doesn't really mean anything. There is no such thing as DSS anyway but they are implying that they want employed tenants.

The rental guarantee insurance would be invalid if you don't have (as in never had) a job and fail to pay the rent.

If you were to work and claim a small amount of housing benefit then I don't see the problem with applying if your basic income is high enough (annual income 30 times monthly rent--excluding any housing benefit that may be payable).

Once you are in it will not invalidate the tenancy agreement. You will have the assurance of the 6 months before being asked to leave.

Would I tell the landlord? No.

Kite86

Some consent to lease mortgages have conditions which state that the landlord cannot let to tenants claiming certain benefits (mine also prevents me from letting to students, and other more obscure groups that I can't remember off the top of my head). So it could put the landlord in breach of their mortgage conditions if this was the case.

Another reason for a landlord stating 'No DSS' could be that they have rental guarantee insurance (or a similar scheme through an estate agent) which will only be valid if their tenant/s earn more than a certain amount.

But if the landlord accepted you even though they knew you were currently unemployed then this probably isn't an issue for them.

moneyistooshorttomention

Personally - well I guess the landlord appreciates you have been truthful with him about the initial situation (ie not got a job yet - but will be genuinely trying to get one asap).

I would say that there is no need to inform him personally and just go ahead with your arrangements to rent this place. By the sound of it - you arent someone who would ever get to be on the dole as a lifestyle choice and would be concerned to keep on paying your rent as normal regardless.

Provided you have some savings to one side to cover any shortfall in the rent should you find that you do end up on the dole temporarily then there is no reason for the landlord to ever know and he might prefer that you don't tell him (in order that he can genuinely claim he didnt know about it if he ever had to mention it to an insurance company).

That's what I would have done in your situation - because I would honestly know that I was the sort of person who hadnt expected or deliberately planned to be in that position.

One thing to be aware of is that I read a recent statistic to the effect that quite a high proportion of tenants are finding that housing benefit isnt covering all their rent these days. If you are under 35 or, even more so, under 25 then you could find a problem with that even if you have the cheapest rent possible in the area. In the 35 plus agegroup in only a one bedroom flat that has been deliberately chosen to be no higher than average rent for that area there might still be a risk of not being paid enough to cover the full rent - so I suggest you look up the Council website and check out what the Local Housing Allowance is for that area and compare it with what age you currently are and see if you think there would be a shortfall if you suffer a spell of unemployment.

Good luck.

dacouch

HappyMJ wrote: »

No DSS doesn't really mean anything. There is no such thing as DSS anyway but they are implying that they want employed tenants.

The rental guarantee insurance would be invalid if you don't have (as in never had) a job and fail to pay the rent.

If you were to work and claim a small amount of housing benefit then I don't see the problem with applying if your basic income is high enough (annual income 30 times monthly rent--excluding any housing benefit that may be payable).

Once you are in it will not invalidate the tenancy agreement. You will have the assurance of the 6 months before being asked to leave.

Would I tell the landlord? No.

The majority of Landlord Building Policies tend to exclude cover if any of the tenants are DSS.

tim123456789

dacouch wrote: »

The majority of Landlord Building Policies tend to exclude cover if any of the tenants are DSS.

at the very least that has to be illegal under disability discrimination laws

Not all DSS claimants are the same

Edit - just downloaded a random LL property policy and it makes no such stipulation

OTOH the Rent Guarantee policy does say that tenants have to be satisfactorily referenced and implies that that means they should be working and earning enough to cover the rent!

Personally I think that that should be banned. It's one thing a LL wanting someone to reference an individual and deciding for himself if they are going to be a good payer or not

Quite another for a LL to say "I think that you might be a good tenant but my insurance company won't let me"

tim

vuvuzela

tim123456789 wrote: »

at the very least that has to be illegal under disability discrimination laws

Why would that be the case ? Housing benefit has *nothing* to do with disability.

theartfullodger

vuvuzela wrote: »

Why would that be the case ? Housing benefit has *nothing* to do with disability.

Not so: There can be a LHA/HB premium paid in some relevant cases...

http://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/f44.htm

5.3 Premiums

You can get extra amounts in the form of premiums if you satisfy certain conditions.

You can get any or all of the following premiums if you satisfy the rules for them:

carer premium
disabled child premium
enhanced disability premium
family premium
severe disability premium