Existing tenant is applying for Housing Benefit...

PasturesNew

Raveboy wrote: »

also with one person in a shared house DOES cause problems because the benefits team will want to know the status/income level of other tenants and then adjust accordingly (level of rent to be paid by benefits). So if the other tenanats are all earning £20k plus per year for argumemts sake then there income will be taken into considration. And probaly the hb claimant will get sweet F.A!!!!

Not if it is a shared house and everybody in it are strangers to each other, as is the case here

It would be nonsense if complete strangers were made responsible for the housing costs of a housemate just because they shared an address.

halia

aardvarkuk wrote: »

I used to rent to a chap who was on HB and to be honest I wish I had him back as a tenant he was the most responsible person in the housing market I had ever met, he was clean, tidy and decorated and also repaired the odd thing when I offered to do it and he actually did a very good job, I really do miss this chap, but now I have another bloke who is renting my flat and he is behind with his rent and has broken items on numerous occassions and in the middle of being evicted and he works as a dental surgeon on good money ( I expect ) but is just a complete waster.

Tarring people by advertising and saying no DSS or claimants is discrimination that has to stop and is unfair to certain sectors of society, you can get good and bad whether working or not.

I agree, I have had a tenant for over 5 years who has ALWAYS paid on time, is happy to sort out odds and ends on their own, is clean, friendly and nice. but hey - she is DSS so most people turned her down.
I laugh because she viewed the house next door and they turned her down because she is a single mum on benefits, now they have had over 10 tenants in 6 years, most of whom were 'working' but who didn't give a rats !!!! about the property.

halia

Old_No.7 wrote: »

Haha, Running Horse, you're right, I feel like their mother sometimes! I am trying to stay out of it, but it's not as easy as you might think when they phone up crying.

wow I can't imagine doing that for a tenant! I'm the landlord not a mum, if they can't cope with sharing a house without ringing up the landlord in tears blaming each toher then I'm not sure I would want them renting from me.

Get caller ID, dont' pick up, wait for it to go to answerphone. If its a REAl emergancy (plumbing broken etc) then pick up or ring back in 10 minutes with details of person coming out to fix it. If they are crying /moaning DON'T respond over the phone, its nto your problem to deal with their relationships!

chappers

I had a tennant last year who had to go onto housing benefit last year due to illness, I insisted that the rent was paid straight to me, and never had a problem in fact the whole thing was a lot smoother than my subsequent tennants.
My advice would be to say yes but treat them in exactly the same way as you would if they were a tennant paying the rent themselves, If she is under contract you can't just eveict her because she is now going to claim housing benefit (you may be able to give her notice depending on where she is in that contract).If she fails to keep up her part of the rental agreement then you still have the same legal recourse to follow.
With regards to the disharmony in the house I would personally keep out of it.

Nearly_Legal

Tiglet wrote: »

I stand corrected.
Your manners are appalling. If you are unable to offer advice in a better spirit than this then please don't bother.

I'm sorry if you took offence. You appeared to be offering advice as an experienced landlord. As it happens the advice wasn't correct. I was merely pointing that out and the possible consequences for yourself as a landlord if you acted on your understanding.

If I sounded a bit snarky, it would be because I see the consequences of private landlords not knowing their legal position every day and I am still astonished that so many not only don't know their legal position but actively believe things are otherwise.

I run cases for and against both landlords and tenants. Believe me when I say it is a hell of a lot cheaper for the landlord to get decent legal advice on their position before they start letting than it is to try to put things right later on.

Plus, if my attitude is so bad, why was I potentially doing myself out of some juicy court costs by responding to you in the first place?

Running_Horse

Did you make your tenant homeless?