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Landlord refuses to write letter for Housing Benefit to Lodger & now want me to leave
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PoloBoy
Posts: 8 Forumite
On 22 September I moved in a propety as a lodger and the landlord (who claims to be) gave me a receipt for my one month deposit paid and one month rent payment paid.
Two weeks later (instead of 4 months later) for a good management of my finance I paid my rent in advance and received from the landlord a second receipt. After this second payment, they landlord told me that it's going to equally have the electricity and gas on top : I responded that this was not planned in my finance (I use to use cold water even for the shower and used to eat outside) but he insisted asking this further money. I then told him that he can deduct weekly £10 from the deposit for the bills until I get further income.
As I start struggling with by my next rent payment this month I went to the council benefits office two weeks ago in order to claim for housing benefit and gave all the details stating I am a lodger.
The council asked me a letter from landlord or tenancy agreement saying that receipts of rent payment are not enough as a proof of renting liability : when I ask the landlord he refused to provide this letter or a tenancy agreement.
This morning, since I now have a rent in arrear, the landlord told me that he want me to leave in two weeks (instead of a month) because I told him that I am having rent arrears and/or willing to pay just a part of next month rent at the moment.
Additionnaly, few days ago the landlord provided a bank account for the rent payment with a surname totally different from the landlord surname on the receipts he provided.
Since I have no saving at the moment, could I write a letter to the landlord explaining that my delay in rent arrear is only due to the fact he resuse until present the letter requested by the council /DWP?
Is it prudent to pay on this bank account (with the name totally from the (alleged) landlord's name)?
Thanks
Two weeks later (instead of 4 months later) for a good management of my finance I paid my rent in advance and received from the landlord a second receipt. After this second payment, they landlord told me that it's going to equally have the electricity and gas on top : I responded that this was not planned in my finance (I use to use cold water even for the shower and used to eat outside) but he insisted asking this further money. I then told him that he can deduct weekly £10 from the deposit for the bills until I get further income.
As I start struggling with by my next rent payment this month I went to the council benefits office two weeks ago in order to claim for housing benefit and gave all the details stating I am a lodger.
The council asked me a letter from landlord or tenancy agreement saying that receipts of rent payment are not enough as a proof of renting liability : when I ask the landlord he refused to provide this letter or a tenancy agreement.
This morning, since I now have a rent in arrear, the landlord told me that he want me to leave in two weeks (instead of a month) because I told him that I am having rent arrears and/or willing to pay just a part of next month rent at the moment.
Additionnaly, few days ago the landlord provided a bank account for the rent payment with a surname totally different from the landlord surname on the receipts he provided.
Since I have no saving at the moment, could I write a letter to the landlord explaining that my delay in rent arrear is only due to the fact he resuse until present the letter requested by the council /DWP?
Is it prudent to pay on this bank account (with the name totally from the (alleged) landlord's name)?
Thanks
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Comments
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Did you ask the landlord if you could claim housing benefit before you moved in? Your post suggests you didn't.
Sorry nothing personal.0 -
There will be someone along soon to help you....sorry I can't help but my post should bump this up......good luck...0
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A landlord (for either tenant or lodger,.) does not have to write such a letter to council HB people: However, £5 to an agreed housing charity says he is trying to hide something (eg not declaring rental income, is fiddling something else...). HMRC fraud reporting here..
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/reportingfraud/
(We don't want tax fiddlers in our country any more than we want benefit cheats...)
Do you have any sort of written agreement??0 -
No, because I was working at that time and really thought everything will be fine.Did you ask the landlord if you could claim housing benefit before you moved in? Your post suggests you didn't. Sorry nothing personal.
However, in the first after my second month rent payment I wanted to leave (due to changes in the landlord attitude) and gave notice to the landlord claiming one month rent and one month deposit but he refused at that time.0 -
theartfullodger wrote: »A landlord (for either tenant or lodger,.) does not have to write such a letter to council HB people: However, £5 to an agreed housing charity says he is trying to hide something (eg not declaring rental income, is fiddling something else...). HMRC fraud reporting here..
(We don't want tax fiddlers in our country any more than we want benefit cheats...)
Do you have any sort of written agreement??
On the first rent invoice he added something strange like :
"Please give one month notice before you leave.
Please avoid any problem with your landlord and if anything you did that could make the landlord have problem, the landlord at the result could give you 2 weeks notice to leave".
Also, I will just forget my claim for housing benefit option so.0 -
Pretty certain the council should have a procedure for dealing with dishonest bent landlords: Can you prove you've been paying (bank statement, receipts??). You sound like you have rent invoices. Try talking to the HB people- can't be the 1st time this has happened.
http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/housing_benefit_and_local_housing_allowance/applying_for_housing_benefit/claim_housing_benefit
Or visit local CaB & see if they can help..
Good luck & sorry..0 -
Since I have no saving at the moment, could I write a letter to the landlord ....
Just one question. Although you state you are "lodging", could you confirm whether you actually live at the same address as the landlord? This affects your rights, and others will be able to advise accordingly based on this."Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance" - Confucius0 -
theartfullodger wrote: »Pretty certain the council should have a procedure for dealing with dishonest bent landlords: Can you prove you've been paying (bank statement, receipts??). You sound like you have rent invoices. Try talking to the HB people- can't be the 1st time this has happened.
Or visit local CaB & see if they can help..
Good luck & sorry..
I have received two receipt for rent payment from the landlord but his signature is different on these two receipts. Additionally he lastly provide me a bank detail for direct payment (after my request/insistence) but the name on the bank account he provided is totally different from the one on the receipts : also, I start to believe that the person that have signed me the receipts maybe just a tenant claiming to be a landlord.
I need at least a month in order to move but he doesn't want to give me this time (even I pay the electricity and gas as requested).0 -
Just one question. Although you state you are "lodging", could you confirm whether you actually live at the same address as the landlord? This affects your rights, and others will be able to advise accordingly based on this.
I am not sure anymore that the person who signed (and lives at the same address than me) my rent payment receipts is really the landlord since the name he signed on the receipts is different from the one on the bank account he gave me few days ago.0 -
I wonder if the person you are living with is really your landlord, or an agent for a landlord who lives elsewhere.
Give Shelter a call to see if they can help clarify whether you're a lodger or a tenant.0
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