No DSS orBenefits renting if on Pension Credit

pastmybest

I am dismayed to see the number of agents that say NO DSS or NO Benefits. Does this mean if a couple in their early 60's who are getting a small pension each and top up from Pension Credit are in this catagory of NO DSS or No Benefits?

healy

This is just my opinion but I would think it is probably aimed at less desirable younger people rather than those on Pension Credit.

dmg24

The only people that can answer that are the individual agents. Some will not accept those in receipt of any kind of benefit payment, whereas some will only decline those on e.g. IS.

If they have the capital, it may be possible to pay six months rent in advance, thereby guaranteeing that the landlord will get their money.

dmg24

healy wrote: »

This is just my opinion but I would think it is probably aimed at less desirable younger people rather than those on Pension Credit.

My previous neighbours who were over sixty were an absolute nightmare - so it isn't just younger types that cause problems! x

lil_me

No DSS/Benefit claimants usually refers to Housing Benefit/LHA rather than tax credits/pension credits etc.

In many cases this can be negotiated with more rent in advance, some don't even tell the landlord they are on benefits (paying the rent directly) so instead of getting honest tenants many get dishonest ones. Most HB/:LHA tenants are good tenants, they are less likely to not pay the rent as it's being paid for them, landlord can apply to have it paid direct to them if the tenant is in arrears.

seven-day-weekend

AFAIK the reason landlords often say 'no benefits' is because it takes forever for Housing Benefit to come through and they can't afford to take the loss.

If the person is already in receipt of Pension Credit and the rent is paid straightaway then it shouldn't be a problem.

jai_2

Years ago most agents/private landlords refused benefit claimants because of the delay in processing the housing benefit. Now unfortunately the new local housing allowance has probably put them right off. This is because the rent now has to be paid direct to the tenant as opposed to straight to the agent. This has put the icing on the cake where i live.....all adverts say no benefit claimants now

lil_me

It is a shame that many landlords have taken this stance because now even more people lie. They don't NEED to tell the landlord that they are receiving benefits if they don't check up on them, I know someone recently who's taken out a tenancy, getting pay slips and a reference from her friend who works in human resources somewhere, now this is completely dishonest but something that has been forced upon her. Others I have met are considering similar things, one family of 5 receive about £2000 in benefits and would have their full rent paid, yet landlords refuse, they are in more of a position to pay than many who are in work, madness. Those on benefits have always had the option of having the benefit paid to them unless they are in arrears, then the landlord can ask for it to be paid to them directly, so in this way not much has changed.

Many landlords loose out because of blanket policies, ones inc no pets we were stuck with when we moved. I have now found a house, my neighbours on one side didn't realise we had them as they haddn't heard them (I don't walk past their house when I take them out) and we clean up after them. I've had an agent contact me in the last few weeks if we're still looking to rent, someone we were declined by (because of the dogs) now willing to offer the house with £100 off the rent to us! She's lost about £5k so far we'd have paid her if she haddn't had the blanket no animals policy.

mitchaa

lil_me wrote: »

It is a shame that many landlords have taken this stance because now even more people lie. They don't NEED to tell the landlord that they are receiving benefits if they don't check up on them, I know someone recently who's taken out a tenancy, getting pay slips and a reference from her friend who works in human resources somewhere, now this is completely dishonest but something that has been forced upon her. Others I have met are considering similar things, one family of 5 receive about £2000 in benefits and would have their full rent paid, yet landlords refuse, they are in more of a position to pay than many who are in work, madness. Those on benefits have always had the option of having the benefit paid to them unless they are in arrears, then the landlord can ask for it to be paid to them directly, so in this way not much has changed.

Many landlords loose out because of blanket policies, ones inc no pets we were stuck with when we moved. I have now found a house, my neighbours on one side didn't realise we had them as they haddn't heard them (I don't walk past their house when I take them out) and we clean up after them. I've had an agent contact me in the last few weeks if we're still looking to rent, someone we were declined by (because of the dogs) now willing to offer the house with £100 off the rent to us! She's lost about £5k so far we'd have paid her if she haddn't had the blanket no animals policy.

When i rented from a letting agent, i had to provide employment details, salary information, payslips and character and work references.

I would assume this was a standard practice in vetting tenants all over the UK.

Therefore it would be pretty obvious if someone was on benefits or not.

TBH..If i were a landlord i would not let my house out to people on benefits either. Benefits are for low income families, so its pretty certain that unless they're fiddling the system, they are going to be living on the bread line. I wouldn't want that risk of uncertainty if i was going to receive my rent or not. I would want a young professional couple on average salaries that could clearly afford it.

And im pretty sure thats why there's ''no DSS'' signs plastered everywhere.

lil_me

I've just made a post regarding these types of issues on the buying/selling/renting thread see what other landlords think. There are many on benefits not on low incomes, like the one I mentioned (not fiddling just 2 children out of the 3 who are disabled and the parents are their carers) which is where some landlords loose out, they have £2000+ pm income PLUS rent/ctax being paid and have no childcare fees etc. I'd say most of those on the DFW board on here struggling with payments, including for their home, are in employment, much much less are on benefits, therefore isn't that further proof that those on benefits are much more likely to pay (if they don't the landlord can ask to be paid directly)

As for the references, like I said people are already obtaining false information for the landlords from friends, family with their own business etc. Unfortunately where restrictions exist many feel forced to be dishonest.

Scarlett1

mitchaa wrote: »

TBH..If i were a landlord i would not let my house out to people on benefits either. Benefits are for low income families, so its pretty certain that unless they're fiddling the system, they are going to be living on the bread line. I wouldn't want that risk of uncertainty if i was going to receive my rent or not. I would want a young professional couple on average salaries that could clearly afford it.

And im pretty sure thats why there's ''no DSS'' signs plastered everywhere.

As long as someone paid their rent what business would it be to you whether they were on the breadline or not , I think you will find that often once working couples paid out their overheads they aren't much over the breadline either, glad you aren't a landlord as you don't seem to have a clue