Unable to find lodgers, is this a dead period?

ReadySteadyPop

RAS said:

pieroabcd said:

Several people (some even totally unemployed) asked me if I accept DSS/UC applicants.
I really don't know how those state benefits work, so I've always replied that if there's a guarantor that can countersign we can talk about it.
I'm very unsure though. How is it possible that the DWP pays a whole monthly rent? For how long? And to whom, to them or to me (if I decided to take one of them in)?

Check how much the local housing allowance now is for you area, for those renting a room and in shared accommodation. Check that your property price is within guidelines.

UC is paid monthly but the first payment is 5 weeks after application. So unless a new claimant had savings, they can't pay rent in advance.

You may be advised to go over to the benefits forum here to learn how it works in detail. Particularly around what happens when a claimant moves properties.

The sort of person you want has savings and a job, overseas student with family money behind them would be ideal.

HillStreetBlues

ReadySteadyPop said:

HillStreetBlues said:

RAS said:

Check how much the local housing allowance now is for you area, for those renting a room and in shared accommodation. Check that your property price is within guidelines.

UC house element  is different from Housing Benefit. A single person aged 35 or over will get the 1 bedroom rate of LHA even if in share accommodation (up to the value of the rent). HB would just get the shared rate.
A person under 35 will get the shared rate but could get the 1 bed rate if they meet certain criteria.

 Seems likely these rates could be cut in future though as the government try to cut spending?

I doubt it as they are very low to start with. My local LHA is £325pm for 1 bedroom , the cheapest property within 40 Miles of me is £400pm.

ReadySteadyPop

HillStreetBlues said:

ReadySteadyPop said:

HillStreetBlues said:

RAS said:

Check how much the local housing allowance now is for you area, for those renting a room and in shared accommodation. Check that your property price is within guidelines.

UC house element  is different from Housing Benefit. A single person aged 35 or over will get the 1 bedroom rate of LHA even if in share accommodation (up to the value of the rent). HB would just get the shared rate.
A person under 35 will get the shared rate but could get the 1 bed rate if they meet certain criteria.

 Seems likely these rates could be cut in future though as the government try to cut spending?

I doubt it as they are very low to start with. My local LHA is £325pm for 1 bedroom , the cheapest property within 40 Miles of me is £400pm.

The main problem is the numbers claiming and the reasons they are claiming, not so much the low rents, it all adds up?

Herzlos

Not really, a housing allowance has to reasonably allow someone to be housed. I think this is wildly off topic though?

born_again

pieroabcd said:

Well, having someone fixed at home all day is not really appealing to me, so thanks for the good advice.

Even someone who works from home?

ReadySteadyPop

born_again said:

pieroabcd said:

Well, having someone fixed at home all day is not really appealing to me, so thanks for the good advice.

Even someone who works from home?

The problem with "lodgers" is (and I`m not saying this applies to the OP) that most people want them for the extra cash because they have too much mortgage debt or whatever, they don`t really want to be around that person all day, psychologically and regarding quality of life it doesn`t really work unless the lodger is very much in the background, I think it is to be avoided unless really desperate for income, it would be better to get a second job or overtime rather than bring in lodgers in my opinion.

ReadySteadyPop

Herzlos said:

Not really, a housing allowance has to reasonably allow someone to be housed. I think this is wildly off topic though?

Many landlords with a void period will just take what they are given if it means being able to pay the debt on their BTL.

pieroabcd

I have nothing against people working or studying from home.
I'm not desperate to find a lodger. I'm just greedy for more money and mindful that I may need it in the future. If I have space why not using it? After all I've bought my house as an investment, too.

The only potential problems that I see, for which I could accept no compromises, are
- smelly food. I'm hyper sensitive to smells, even to laundry detergents!
- people needing babysitting (at large). They need to be independent 
- having guests staying overnight. Absolutely no no no

Slinky

I rented a room in a flat where the landlords were a couple. It all seemed quite pleasant at first, but as I was new to the area and looking for a job (which I got within 3 weeks), I was at home in the day a bit. Plus I didn't know anyone in the area, so I wasn't going out in the evenings. They didn't want me sitting in their lounge, so I spent time in my room alone. After about 6 weeks, they decided to move me on. The woman said they preferred the situation with their previous lodger as she had a boyfriend and spent a lot of time out of the flat at his place. Basically, they wanted the money, but not the inconvenience of someone living a quiet life in their space. I never made the mistake of flat sharing in that setup again.

It sounds like the OP wants the same.

pieroabcd

Actually I never wrote anything like that.
My contract reads  very clearly "you are welcome to use the communal parts of the house when you want in any way that doesn't interfere with the peaceful enjoyment of the home".
I've heard of lodgers that were literally confined in their bedrooms, but it's certainly not the case in my home.

Having been a lodger myself for many years I certainly know both how it feels and how to behave and as I wrote initially I'm offering much more space and comforts than I've ever had in my times.