How Do I Find A Home That Accepts Housing Benefit

Diamond78

Hi There Everyone,
Im hoping landlords that come across this can guide me a little bit. I have posted on this section about problems I was having with my landlord in regards to getting repairs done. Those that dont remember my post, I will try explain my situation. I was in temporary accomadation for nearly 4 years in a london borough due to domestic violence.Im a single mum of one child and unfortunatly became a victim of hate crime aswell as domestic violence. The council I was with didnt help me much even though the police told them I should be moved due to the things that happened. I also had a doctors letter as this affected my child. In the end I gave up my temporary accomadation and stayed with my brother in his one bedroom flat.It became to overcrowded and my brother needed his space due to working shift work. I have no other family as my mum lives abroad and my dad died 2 years ago but I never had contact with him or his family since I was a child. I applied to the council where my brother lived and they refused to help me even though I was homeless and I had all the evidence. I later got legal advice to be told the council was wrong in not helping me but Id already found a flat after looking for nearly 4 months that accepted housing benefit. I had no choice but to take it as my time was up and we needed a home.Its a basement flat that use to be a office.It has 2 bedrooms but one of the bedrooms has no window or ventilation. The landlord has a shop above the flat.He charges £800 a month. From day one of living here Ive had nothing but problems.I had drainage problems which caused the flat to smell of poo. I told him enough times about it in a polite way that it was an awful smell and he kept promising to do it.It finally got done 3 months after me reporting it to him.

I have a small garden which was full of rubbish,tree branches, a dead animals skull,broken glass everywhere,car batterys and loads more and only today he has cleared some of it. I have always paid the rent on time as it gets paid to me.Whene ever there is a problem with the property he shouts at me in front of my child which then scares my child.Also the flat has been infested with mice since I moved him, he refuses to do anything,i have tried myself to put traps and posion but still have them.My nest door neighbour states she has had them since before I moved in as the garden was dug up and it comes from there.I now have pest control coming on 1st april.I cant live like this.

Anyway basically I contacted environmental health and they came over. They stated that the room with no window and ventilation is not a bedroom and cannot be used as a bedroom which we dont anyway as my son sleeps in my room as its so noisey it scares him.They stated the front door which opens up inwards to the stairs is a category 1 hazard and the landlord needs to change the door. He stated the garden was a hazard with al the stuff in it well my son doesnt go out to play in it as its to dangerous. I told this to my landlord who got horrible with me and said if i wasnt happy to leave.Im not happy and I want to leave but I cannot find anything.

Im due to start a course next month to become a classroom assiatant.Im not lazy nor a benefit scrounger,Im just in a awful position where I cannot work at the moment.Im going to be doing a 2 day work placement as part of my course but I will not be getting paid for that. I have to start from some where as I want to be a teacher, so I have to start from the bottom.I can understan landlords are frightened and non trusting of tenants on benefits but not all of us are the same.We are quite,clean, tidy and very nice.I never chose to be a single parent but I had to leave the abuse and violence my ex put me through, If i didnt I wouldnt be alive today.

Im on the council list for the area I am in now but I have been told Im in band c, which is the bottom and I have very low chance of ever being housed.It will be years before I will be considered to be housed. I worked for years and years,if i had the family support I would of been working now but I havent had no support or help.

I have tried estate agents but they do not have landlords to allow dss tenats, Ive placed adds in shop windows, i always place adds on gumtree but get scams sent to me. Its so hard to find a home in London. My brother is all I have and he is epileptic so I cannot go to far as I have even considered going out of London but my brother has been having a lot of fits lately so I dont want to leave him.

Can anyone recommend where else I can try? Are tere any estate agents that anyone can recomend in SE London that deal with dss tenants? Are there any other sites anyone knows of I could try?Please some one give me advice. The council told me the landlord has to take me court to get me out and he has to give me 2 months notice. I have a 1 year tenacy agreement. Also he must of known this was classed as a one bedroom and his been getting rent for a 2 bedroom from housing benefit. So what do I do?

Diamond78

I also check the local papers and also loot.The council gave me a list of estate agents but they never have anything. Any landlords that rent out to tenants on benefits where do you advertise please?

tbs624

Sorry to hear that you're having such a rough time.

Have you tried contacting a local law centre for free advice on housing matters? Have a look here and see if there is one close to you: http://www.lawcentres.org.uk/directory/location/London

Try also the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
The CABs are involved with a scheme helping to guarantee deposit payments on accommodation for people on benefit/low incomes, so they may have helpful ideas on which private LLs will accept DSS tenant.

You may also get helpful support via here: http://www.womensaid.org.uk/

Have you registered with any of the local Housing Associations?

You could also go back to the local Council and ask for an advice interview with the private tenancies officer.

Diamond78

tbs624 wrote: »

Sorry to hear that you're having such a rough time.

Have you tried contacting a local law centre for free advice on housing matters? Have a look here and see if there is one close to you: http://www.lawcentres.org.uk/directory/location/London

Try also the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
The CABs are involved with a scheme helping to guarantee deposit payments on accommodation for people on benefit/low incomes, so they may have helpful ideas on which private LLs will accept DSS tenant.

You may also get helpful support via here: http://www.womensaid.org.uk/

Have you registered with any of the local Housing Associations?

You could also go back to the local Council and ask for an advice interview with the private tenancies officer.

Thank you for replying and your advice. I have seen a solicitor from Shelter homeless charity who has told me she will send me advice some time this week. I have also spoken to the councils private sector tenancy officer who basically told me they cannot help as I am not homeless. Basically environmental health are going to write to my landlord in regards to the repairs, he will have so many weeks to do the repairs and if not then will be sent a letter warning him, then again if not done a letter threatening legal action. Its a long process so in the mean time Ive got to suffer. My gp has written to the council stating how its affceting my depression and my sons wellbeing due to it being unsuitable but the council will do anything in order not to house ppl.

If anyone is going to help me legally its the solicitor from shelter. The landlord is very rude and arrogant towards me and when he gets the letter from the council no doubt him and his wife are going to shout at me.I can stand up for myself but its still not nice being spoken to like a piece of S@@@.

I have been searching for ages now for a property.Its obvious the council are not going to do anything as Im on the housing list but at the very bottom, so I have no hope as theres thousands waiting to be housed.Thanks about the info and making time to reply.x

msmicawber

I can empathise as I've been turned down by landlords for being in receipt of HB in the past and know it's very difficult and that you essentially have to take what you can get. Is there anyone who could act as guarantor for you as that can make the difference with some landlords?

tbs624

Diamond78 wrote: »

The landlord is very rude and arrogant towards me and when he gets the letter from the council no doubt him and his wife are going to shout at me.I can stand up for myself but its still not nice being spoken to like a piece of S@@@.

You don't have to put up with that sort of behaviour from a LL and/or LLs relatives - tenant harrassment is a criminal offence. A Shelter solicitor should also be able to help you with that one, if there is a problem.

lil_me

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=789141

Couple of things on that thread, basically, new landlord doesn't need to know if you get the rent paid straight to you then pay the new LL directly.....just might take a few weeks to come through.

Alternative possibilities, contact the landlords of properties directly where possible if the agents refuse to help, putting notes through doors etc asking them to contact you. Couple of months rent up front might help.

Diamond78

msmicawber wrote: »

I can empathise as I've been turned down by landlords for being in receipt of HB in the past and know it's very difficult and that you essentially have to take what you can get. Is there anyone who could act as guarantor for you as that can make the difference with some landlords?

Im sorry to hear you have been turned down in the past. I do have a family friend who can act as a guarentor but as soon as I mention housing benefit to a landlord they do not want to know. In a way I can understand the landlords but Im not the type of person the wrect the property or not pay rent as I would not owant to be evicted with my son. I

The solicitor from shelter is aware and so is the council aware of my landlord whos shouted at me, aswel as the wife shouting at me due to me asking for them to do the repairs. I have been told by environmental health officer that if his absuive again when he gets the letter to contact them so I will do that.

I just think its unfair he is getting £800 a month rent when the flat is classed as a one bedroom and he put 2 bedroom on the tenancy agreement. I took it as a 2 bedroom but after moving in realised neither me or my son could sleep in the room with no window and ventilation.

lil_me

If you inform HB it is 1 bedroom and not 2 they may reduce the rent they pay for you and you will be liable for the shortfall.

Guessing you live in an expensive area as HB for a 2 bedroom here is IRO £75 a week max.

Diamond78

Also were a landlord does accept housing benefit of ones I have found, my local hosuing allowance doesnt cover the asking price some have asked for. For example my local rent allowance is £225 a week. Thanks for everyones replies.

Diamond78

lil_me wrote: »

If you inform HB it is 1 bedroom and not 2 they may reduce the rent they pay for you and you will be liable for the shortfall.

Guessing you live in an expensive area as HB for a 2 bedroom here is IRO £75 a week max.

This is the problem!!! I took it as a 2 bedroom and the tenancy agreement states it s a 2 bedroom. I didnt think I would not be able to use it as a bedroom. As I was becoming homeless I had no choice but to take this as I could no longer stay at my brothers. As the rent gets paid direct to me, it would make me liable although the landlord gets the full rent of £800 a month. I live in SE London,its not actually up market,far from it, but renst are pretty high in Londoon anyway. The average asking priceis usually £800 and above. I dont know how the rent prices are worked out as its a bit rough round here but there are locations near by that make it expensive.I come under lewisham borough.