Need help to find landlords that will accept housing benefit

MikeHeaney

Any help will be appreciated. I am able to provide references for the last 5 years proving that I have always paid my rent on time, along with bank statements showing I have £4350 in savings and an untouched £3000 overdraft on my current account. I have no debt bar a student loan (they never ask for repayments and in effect it doesn't accrue interest, so this is irrelevant), and a perfect credit history. Yet I have been trying all month long, in an utterly futile search, to find anywhere in London where the landlord will accept me. Yet if I were employed full time flipping burgers in McDonald's on minimum wage, (so I could call myself a current "professional"), with 73 children, whilst being up to my neck in debt, for some reason I'd be a more suitable tenant. In 8 days I will be homeless.

I know this sounds p***ed off, and that's because I am after another 15 hour day of zero results. I have advertised with letting agents & on all the websites you come across when you get into something like this. My ads are always cheerful (not usually anything like this cross) as well as descriptive of my requirements (which are pretty liberal) and I also actively seek out landlords by calling them directly. All I get is no, despite the fact I can blatantly pay the rent, no matter how much the council screw up with delays. And of course the occasional reply from someone who obviously hasn't read a word of what I've put. I'm at my wit's end.

I have tried not mentioning it, but they tend to ask what work I'm doing, & although I could pretend I'm working by describing the work from my last job, if I'm asked for an employer reference I'm screwed, same really for bank statements as payments from "DWP" and "Local Borough of Ealing" are pretty hard not to understand. I've actually got a college course on hold while I sort out my accommodation (very nice of them to give me time), but I have a bad mental health history. I don't want to mention this because it will be automatically equated to something bad like drug taker, violent, unreliable etc (all not true).

Am I going to be forced into looking for a short term let & having to pay it all at once, then another short term let and so on? I hope not because I will be forever moving tonnes of stuff all over the place, chasing the council over delays, & knackering myself out. Then as soon as stuff is sorted it'll be time to move again. How can someone so demonstrably a good, reliable tenant be facing the streets like this?

tbs624

Mike - sorry you're having a rough time of it. Have you tried local Housing Associations or talked to the Housing Officer at your Council?

Is there anyone who would maybe act as a guarantor for your rent? The reasons why many LLs/LAs won't accept to anyone claiming HB have been posted elsewhere on this board, but there are still some who will. You mention a college course - if that's going to be over 21hrs per week you could maybe sign up with a LL who advertises student lets and avoid mentioning the HB, or say that you are willing to offer a couple of month's rent up front? Have you tried looking on Gumtree?

MikeHeaney

The guarantor is a good idea. Sometimes venting like crazy helps & I have a history of getting myself into a mess & getting away with it by a millionth of a second. Shortly after I posted I thought of that too. The only drawback is I don't know if my father, who earns a 6 figure salary as an IT freelancer, would have to/be able to prove his income. He (perfectly legally) gets paid through a family owned company but the way he does it is hard to follow (I don't understand it other than his tax is less than the straightforward 0 - 20 - 40% rules). God I'm so sick of this; tomorrow I think I will phone people & if, sorry when, they start refusing to let me view it then I will turn round and say screw your £500/pcm rent, let me come round and I'll show you my finances real time via online banking, & I'll pay £550 and several months at once ie I am serious and I need a f**king room on a long term let, NOW.
Arrrggghhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!1

PROFESSIONAL_LANDLORD

I'll pay £550 and several months at once ie I am serious

Mike, that might be the only way.

Good Luck.

PasturesNew

Why not just say you're a student, or say you're self-employed at something? They'd never know either way. They might ask for 6 months' up front though.

And don't forget, the Local Housing Allowance comes into play on 1 April, so it's worthwhile getting the cheapest place you can as you can pocket the extra £15 per week if your rent is less than the LHA.

One of the reasons landlords don't like HB tenants is they have to take out a different insurance policy, which costs them more and there is more risk because rent is paid monthly in advance, but HB is paid 4 weeks in arrears, leaving a shortfall. And some tenants think it is OK to say "I haven't had my HB through" when that isn't the landlord's problem/they don't want to hear it. So it's cheaper/easier for them to rent to people with a job.

Voyager2002

When faced with this situation I have said things like"I have a private income" or "I am a student". Letting agents are a pain, but private landlords are generally willing to accept someone who is polite, obviously has the money for the rent, and provides a plausible story.

chickmug

PasturesNew wrote: »

And don't forget, the Local Housing Allowance comes into play on 1 April, so it's worthwhile getting the cheapest place you can as you can pocket the extra £15 per week if your rent is less than the LHA.

Is there any detailed information on this yet anywhere?

PasturesNew

The only information is that it is coming in. 8th April it seems.

They won't announce the rates until the day before though.

I tracked down a couple of the pilot areas to see what their rates are, a poor area and a posh area:

Conwy: http://www.conwy.gov.uk/doc.asp?cat=806&doc=988&Language=1
(webpage)
Guildford: http://www.guildford.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/6BEEBCC3-46C4-43F3-830B-09DC15DBB5EB/0/23June06ConfirmedGuildfordLALHAsheet.xls (Excel spreadsheet)

For a single person, over 25, you are assessed on a 2-room place, so that's a 1-bed/1 living room flatlet. I then looked on Rightmove to check and it was possible to get a studio/bedsit at those rates. Guildford was £150/week.

The Rent Service will publish/change the rates each month.

broclo

I am in Guildford and my rent for a 2 bed is £850, which is CHEAP here. After 6 months of searching, it was only landlord that would take me so had no choice. LHA was under this by nearly £120 a month. Wrote a letter and asked for hardship payment to top it up. No problem...been reassed and they agree completely and infact the new amount they have awarded when you work out 2 weekly payment against pcm rent leaves me nearly £10 too much, which they say I can keep. Took a few months to sort where I had to pay £120 extra, but found the council...spoke to a few people...were incredibly helpful.

With LHS it goes automatically to yourself, so no need to tell landlords etc

Much prefer this scheme

Benefits_Blagger

PasturesNew wrote: »

Why not just say you're a student, or say you're self-employed at something? They'd never know either way. They might ask for 6 months' up front though.

And don't forget, the Local Housing Allowance comes into play on 1 April, so it's worthwhile getting the cheapest place you can as you can pocket the extra £15 per week if your rent is less than the LHA.

One of the reasons landlords don't like HB tenants is they have to take out a different insurance policy, which costs them more and there is more risk because rent is paid monthly in advance, but HB is paid 4 weeks in arrears, leaving a shortfall. And some tenants think it is OK to say "I haven't had my HB through" when that isn't the landlord's problem/they don't want to hear it. So it's cheaper/easier for them to rent to people with a job.

this is what i do, tell them your a POSTGRAD student and pay the rent 6 months upfront. the mjaority of LL's will take you.

Benefits_Blagger

dont forget, your trying to find somewhere to live, dont worry about being honest, it's the least of your concerns!