Renting help! (DSS)

Poppie68

If you tried the homeless route with your local authority they most probably will not be interested until you are literally on the street, and then depending on the circumstances of you leaving your current home they may find you are intentionally homeless.

You also need to bear in mind that if your partner as a student is entitled too or already in receipt of grants or student loans(taken or not)you will in all likelihood the not be eligible to claim housing benefit..


Contact SHELTER who will be able to offer further advice.

BenF

Thanks for the replies. I'll contact Shelter and see what advice they can give.

dancingfairy

I don't think agencies will touch you and I suspect you will be wasting your time there.
You really need private landlords, from places such as Gumtree or spare room (would you be happy to share a double room)?
If you get to meet a prospective landlord they can see what you are like. You can then offer rent up front/guarantor/proof of bank statements to show rent going out regularly/whatever else you feel will help.
It is hard, you just gotta keep going.
df

[Deleted User]

I have been in the same situation but in a different area, not far outside London. Rental properties are at a premium, rents have oone up incredibly in last two years (£200 a month more for a 3 bed house). There are far more tenants than properties so LL's don't HAVE to take HB tenants. There are far more eager tenants than they need anyway.

If I had been evicted, I would have either had to move out of the area to a bad one where HB tenants are more acceptable or sourced a private LL who accepted HB tenants - almost impossible as far as I can see (and hoped they weren't dodgy - unfortunately this is not unknown).

If you are really desperate to move, I am afraid your only option may be to look at places outside your area if you can.

Or look for house shares etc. They could be less stringent.

Guardianship jobs where you look after a property by living in it in return for cheap rent might be an idea too. If the area is so expensive, I bet a guardianship company is covering the area. You'd need good references to do this though possibly.

BenF

Thanks again for the replies! Trying to check out all of our options at the moment.

Quick question, with HB, I presume the council would pay us directly each month? So do landlords have to know about HB/DSS? I'm presuming the answer is yes, but are there other ways without actually declaring the HB?

Cheers!

RAS

They want evidence of income and affordability.

[Deleted User]

As a part of applying for housing, most agencies/LL's will contact employers as a minimum and find out your income that way. Usually a credit check is run. This will raise questions fairly easily as to if you have £300 a month coming in, how will you pay £700 a month in rent (for example). And will also make you look dishonest.

You seem to be ignoring some advice. Do what a lot of people do when they first leave home.., rent a room for both of you in as cheap an area as possible. It might not be pretty, it might not be convenient but its a roof. Get second jobs blah blah. I've certainly done it pre children.

I left home at 17 because I had to.., I lived in whatever I could afford. Not always nice places.

BenF

deannatrois wrote: »

As a part of applying for housing, most agencies/LL's will contact employers as a minimum and find out your income that way. Usually a credit check is run. This will raise questions fairly easily as to if you have £300 a month coming in, how will you pay £700 a month in rent (for example). And will also make you look dishonest.

You seem to be ignoring some advice. Do what a lot of people do when they first leave home.., rent a room for both of you in as cheap an area as possible. It might not be pretty, it might not be convenient but its a roof. Get second jobs blah blah. I've certainly done it pre children.

I left home at 17 because I had to.., I lived in whatever I could afford. Not always nice places.

I'm not ignoring advice, I've taken everything onboard. As I said, we're exploring ALL options. Due to my girlfriends degree & career, extra space is absolutely essential at this current time, so at the moment we're doing everything possible to avoid renting just a room.

RAS

A room in a shared house would at least mean that you could hole up in any communal room whilst she worked.

The problem will be that "student houses" will not take mixed couples; as you then become liable for the whole of the Council Tax.

pmlindyloo

As letting agents in your area seem to be rather strict about criteria then, as already indicated, you need to look elsewhere.

So, to add to the suggestions:

Newsagents windows, local papers, university notice board( plus putting an ad for your requirements.) Also, make sure you tell everyone that you are looking for somewhere to stay. It may be that someone would know of someone who is thinking of renting out a place/willing to share a 2 bed place.

Not easy I know!

Other option is for you to take on a second job at the weekend/evenings.

The council will not inform landlords that you are receiving HB but, as already said, checks will be made and you have to be able to prove you can afford to pay the rent.

Good luck!