Dodgey housing situation?

AlexMac

I agree with deanna, #11 above. As long as the flat isn't a fire-trap (buy your own smoke alarm for £20 if the LL hasn't fitted one) and assuming the rent is low, I'd keep my head down and just apply for benefit if you qualify; good idea to go for advice to Shelter.

No need to tell the landlord unless the agency changes back to paying HB (or whatever it's called now) to Landlords direct which I suspect won't happen soon.

As long as you have a tenancy agreement (even if the original one has finished and rolled on automatically and is now a "Stautory Periodic" one) they should be OK.

Benefits staff aren't all anti-client jobsworths! For example, I was acting as the Landlord for retail properties when I worked for a Housing Association. One tenant was living in, not trading from, his rented shop, which was technically against his lease; it wasn't a residential property. He didn't have a residential lease, so couldn't satisfy the (then) Housing Benefit people. He was in arrearrs, skint, and couldn't pay his rent. Rather than spend legal fees making a family homeless (his wife and kids were there) I liaised with the HB people locally (who were keen to help) and agreed a piece of paper; a licence rather than a tenancy ; to satisfy them. Result- they paid up and even covered the arrers since he'd first registered with them

I hope you have equal luck