No landlords accepting HB locally

missapril75

lighting_up_the_chalice wrote: »

Then being a landlord may not be the right business option for them to follow.

Hang on. You said they should have a contingency fund for other eventualities. I said they might already be into that contingency fund because of that very eventuality and now they shouldn't be a landlord?

Just how much contingency fund should they have?

Personally, I think it's quite good that not all landlords are stinking rich folk that don't live in the real world.

lighting_up_the_chalice wrote: »

He can conduct it for any reason he sees fit. But being a landlord IS a business.

Except for those for whom it isn't.

lighting_up_the_chalice

missapril75 wrote: »

I've mostly had very good tenants. Unfortunately the arrears from the tenant who just ran out on me, together with the cost of repairs has just set me back the equivalent of about ten months rent.:(

With HB claimants, you can get the payments sent direct to the landlord as soon as 8 weeks rent is owed. In practice, that could be as soon as the second months rent becomes due, so they will only be 1 month and 1 day in arrears. If you have taken a deposit of 1 month, your pretty much covered. Not an option with a working tenant.

lighting_up_the_chalice

missapril75 wrote: »

Hang on. You said they should have a contingency fund for other eventualities. I said they might already be into that contingency fund because of that very eventuality and now they shouldn't be a landlord?

Just how much contingency fund should they have?

I would suggest enough to cover a minor refurb and a 6 month void period. However, many repair issues are statutory obligations, so the landlord has little choice but to spend the money. Your imaginary landlord, having just replaced the heating, won't have that cost again for a while.

missapril75 wrote: »

Personally, I think it's quite good that not all landlords are stinking rich folk that don't live in the real world.


Except for those for whom it isn't.

Or their tenants?

missapril75

lighting_up_the_chalice wrote: »

Not an option with a working tenant.

Or with where HB doesn't exist. :rotfl:

missapril75

lighting_up_the_chalice wrote: »

Your imaginary landlord, having just replaced the heating, won't have that cost again for a while.

My imaginary landlord is me. The replacement heating system wasn't imaginary and nor was the subsequent loss of rent/damage fixing.

It's not a business for me. It was a spare sum used to provide a supplement to pension income and despite this tenant problem it has provided a much better return than a high interest savings account.

planetred

Thanks for all the responses guys.

When I said I had been late with payments one or two times, I meant literally one or two times. One of those occasions was owing to a bank holiday and the other simply a mistake by the council, who rectified it within the working week.

Some people get aid on different days of the calendar month and I have friends and family who have often had to pay after the agreed rent due date because of this. I would compare well to one of these people.

In any case, my LL has not had any problems with my tenancy in terms of rent arrears, late payments or social complaints etc. His property is in almost as good condition as when I first moved in.

But perhaps I'm in the minority? I'm no sure why a HB tenant would disrupt a relationship with a very decent LL as if nothing else, a good reference is worth its weight in gold when looking for another property. Or at least I though!

I just wish I could approach a LL directly and have him review my situation on merit, rather than it being a binary yes/no.

poppasmurf_bewdley

It may seem a daft question, but how does a landlord know that a tenant is in receipt of housing benefit? Council's don't write to landlords - they only ask to see a copy of the lease.

It would appear that if you don't tell them you are in receipt of HB, then the landlord won't know. Unless of course, you sit on the front door step wearing a vest and drinking beer all day every day. Then they might just make an educated guess!

dseventy

I am a LL and will not have LHA tenants!

If however the rent was paid directly to me then I would consider it, (along with a credit check, large deposit and a guarantor) which proves difficult for most LHA tenants.

I guess the issue with me is, you are handing over the use of a valuable asset and the person claiming LHA has no means on it paying it themselves and relies on others, changs to circumstances (hes not my boyfriend) or government legislation just rocks it all out of kilter.

Too much risk for insurance companies means too much risk for me!

Sorry.

D70

lighting_up_the_chalice

dseventy wrote: »

I am a LL and will not have LHA tenants!

If however the rent was paid directly to me then I would consider it, (along with a credit check, large deposit and a guarantor) which proves difficult for most LHA tenants.

I guess the issue with me is, you are handing over the use of a valuable asset and the person claiming LHA has no means on it paying it themselves and relies on others, changs to circumstances (hes not my boyfriend) or government legislation just rocks it all out of kilter.

Too much risk for insurance companies means too much risk for me!

Sorry.

D70

Most have no means of paying their rent without 3rd party support, be that an employer or the state. A change of circumstances could be a job loss/change.

princessdon

lighting_up_the_chalice wrote: »

Most have no means of paying their rent without 3rd party support, be that an employer or the state. A change of circumstances could be a job loss/change.

A change of circs is different as you know them by then. My tenant will soon be retiring and entitled to HB under Pension Credit. I have no issues at all with this but I wouldn't take HB tenants initially without references and a guarantor.