Private landlords, do you accept housing benefits?

Sarah1Mitty2

elsien said:

Being a landlord is a business decision. If missed rent is putting your own home at risk, then you probably need to review whether you’re in the right business or not.

That is exactly right, no one in that position should be a landlord.

CurlySue2017

If a tenant owes you money you use the law and the courts to take steps to recover said money 

From the many cases I've seen on tv and the example I gave where the T sub-lets, pockets the money, does not pay the LL a penny, then the LL spends thousands on trying to evict them and the real T leaves a place in a mess costing LL's thousands and in some cases easily over 10k, you really think this type of T is going to show a penny to their name.

We use a LA and have been advised by our LA as well as all of T's past and present that we are "a credit to LL's.."

Thanks

You do understand that there is a lot more to being a landlord than what you see on Judge Judy / Call the Bailiffs / Homes Under the Hammer etc?  And also that there is a whole other world outside of where you live?

I've noticed in a lot of your posts you mention "your area" and "what you have seen on TV"

Olinda99

do banks give  mortgages to people on benefits ? can you get car finance if you are on benefits? Would be interested in the answer as I have no idea.

subjecttocontract

We require applicants to qualify for Rent Guarantee Insurance. Most on housing benefits do not meet the criteria.

_Penny_Dreadful

Olinda99 said:

do banks give  mortgages to people on benefits ? can you get car finance if you are on benefits? Would be interested in the answer as I have no idea.

Yes to both.  There are plenty of the threads on the Mortgages & Endowments board started by people in receipt of benefits looking to get a mortgage and the mortgage brokers who post on the board say it's possible.  I have no reason to doubt them.  As for car finance that's who schemes like Motability are set up for as you need to be in receipt of certain benefits in order to qualify.

CurlySue2017

Olinda99 said:

do banks give  mortgages to people on benefits ? can you get car finance if you are on benefits? Would be interested in the answer as I have no idea.

They do yes

elsien

Olinda99 said:

do banks give  mortgages to people on benefits ? can you get car finance if you are on benefits? Would be interested in the answer as I have no idea.

Many people equate being on benefits with being unemployed. There are a lot of people on universal credit who are working and although on a low wage could still qualify for finance. 

And of course child benefit, but most people receiving that don’t see themselves as being on benefits if they don’t claim anything else.

diystarter7

CurlySue2017 said:

Olinda99 said:

do banks give  mortgages to people on benefits ? can you get car finance if you are on benefits? Would be interested in the answer as I have no idea.

They do yes

Seconded! Banks will lend to almost anyone as long as they think the money is covered, rightly so.

unforeseen

Alderbank said:

Can you tell me which bit of the Act covers refusing people who claim housing benefit?

It is a breach of the Equality Act 2010 to discriminate against a potential tenant on the basis they are in receipt of benefits

English law is more than just acts of Parliament. The role of judges is to interpret those statutes, which might be drafted very generally, to fit individual cases. This is called setting precedent and essentially becomes new law.

The relevant ruling for this issue was York County Court in July 2020. The judge ruled that “rejecting tenancy applications because the applicant is in receipt of housing benefit was unlawfully indirectly discriminatory on the grounds of sex and disability, contrary to the Equality Act 2010.”

This was an important ruling and plenty of more detailed reports are online if you are interested.

However a county court judgement is not a  binding decision and can only be considered as the judges assessment in that particular case. At most it could be considered a persuasive  decision. 

BungalowBel

I suppose if a prospective tenant could prove that they could pay the rent, then the LL would never know whether they were on benefits.