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Can A Landlord's Mortage Refuse To Rent To A Disabled Person On Benefits But Accept Retired People?
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It matters because the majority of landlords go down this route, which severely limits the options of disabled people - who will already have certain things they need to find in a suitable property. It makes finding housing nearly impossible. .
I'm afraid you simply haven't got your head around what you look like as a risk to a landlord.
No landlord is going to spend time and money researching the ins and outs of your alleged near indefinite claim to benefits. Why not?
Well, first they can get the same rent off someone else. It's far easier to let to the guy with an employment history and a reference.
Second, you could be lying to the DSS about your disability in which case if you are rumbled the landlord could find himself on the hook for repayment of any you weren't entitled to, as well as stuck with a tenant who won't pay.
Third, you may think you're entitled to those benefits indefinitely but on the other hand a lot of women thought they were going to be retiring at 60 and now they're not. When we live in an insolvent country I wouldn't assume anything at all if I were you.
Fourth, landlords more than anyone know about regulatory risk and the likelihood of state attack via taxes and a deliberate erosion of their position by government. We're already hearing about moves to make it impossible to recover our property - how do I know the state won't next decide that, oh, tenants on benefits can never be evicted even if they default on the rent?
You simply represent far too much work and risk versus most other tenants even though the return is the same either way. Why would I risk £50 to win £10 when I need only risk £10?0 -
I think it's just far easier to say no benefits for landlords? Rather than no benefits except.. 'insert cause here'
Your fight is probably with the insurance and mortgage companies to class the disabled benefit demographic as low risk tenants. If they are of course.
I've turned down families for being too large for the property. The risk of damage is too high.
There are exceptions to every rule but it's just easier to say no benefits.0 -
I'm asking why they choose to discriminate against the disabled, who are less of a risk than people in employment - and it seems the only answer I'm getting is 'because we can'.
No, it's because they don't want to rent to people on benefits whether they're disabled or not.
That's the answer.Non me fac calcitrare tuum culi0 -
And I'm sorry, I simply can't let this go. How is me asking to pay the same rent as anyone else 'asking for a free ride'?
taking things out of context where the LL is not a charity but a business, hence the LL owes no tenants no favors or preference or priority
Private LL only wants one thing, reliable paying tenants, no more no less as a minimum. Tenants who take care of the property and long term is a bonus.
post #75"It is prudent when shopping for something important, not to limit yourself to Pound land/Estate Agents"
G_M/ Bowlhead99 RIP0 -
Many disabled people need few, if any adaptions - certainly no more than an elderly retired couple who are also losing mobility.
Discriminating against the disabled as a personal choice is a little bit different to preferring clothes of a certain colour or style.
The point is though that private landlord don't want to be in the position where they have to pay for an adaption that they won't get any extra rent for. Why should they pay for this.
I have been saying for years and years that there is not enough supported social housing for people who are disabled. Basically there is not enough social housing for disabled single adults. Disabled single adults without children are the poorest people in the country because they are poor in choices. Many of them have to live at home long after the time when someone who is not disabled would have left home. However this is due to social housing providers not making disabled people a priority for social housing. Social housing is important for someone who is disabled because it is very secure. Private renting is not secure. It is not intended to be secure. You have to think of private renting as more like a long term stay in a hotel. Most tenancies are ended by the tenant not the landlord. This is because most tenants rent from private landlords by choice for that time in their lives not intending to live there forever.
If you want a property to live in for ever you either buy somewhere or you try to get social housing if you are not in a position to buy.
You are getting angry at the wrong people. The fact that you cannot find somewhere to live is not down to descrimination by private landlords it is down to your local social housing provider not meeting their obligations to house you as you are disabled and unable to work and unable to house yourself.
So if you want to solve this problem for yourself and any other disabled person in the same position you need to get onto your local council and your local MP to get it sorted.0 -
You are getting angry at the wrong people. The fact that you cannot find somewhere to live is not down to descrimination by private landlords it is down to your local social housing provider not meeting their obligations to house you as you are disabled and unable to work and unable to house yourself.
So if you want to solve this problem for yourself and any other disabled person in the same position you need to get onto your local council and your local MP to get it sorted.
Boils down to why there is lack of social housing to which the K80 has so far failed to acknowledge this and instead blame the money grabbing 'discriminating' private LL
RTB is where your energies need to be focussed. Money grabbing social tenants getting cheap housing and selling at a profit and reducing the social housing at the same time"It is prudent when shopping for something important, not to limit yourself to Pound land/Estate Agents"
G_M/ Bowlhead99 RIP0 -
Boils down to why there is lack of social housing to which the K80 has so far failed to acknowledge this and instead blame the money grabbing 'discriminating' private LL
RTB is where your energies need to be focussed. Money grabbing social tenants getting cheap housing and selling at a profit and reducing the social housing at the same time
RTB is bad, discrimination is also bad.
There isn’t just one factor to blame for the difficulties disabled people often have finding a place to live.0 -
onwards&upwards wrote: »RTB is bad, discrimination is also bad.
There isn’t just one factor to blame for the difficulties disabled people often have finding a place to live.
RTB the government can control, Private LL choosing to who they rent to is not something in their control, especially if they do not put any negative discrimination in the adverts.
Social housing is key here but why is there is so few? Government and lack of investment and foresight
you will find it hard to prove discrimination and even harder to sue them. Fight the battles you can win"It is prudent when shopping for something important, not to limit yourself to Pound land/Estate Agents"
G_M/ Bowlhead99 RIP0 -
I love this forum. What if I get caught lying about my disability?! While at the same time demanding many adaptions to a house I don't actually need. It shows what people really think - anyone on benefits is a lying cheat and a drain on society. We want a free ride and are fickle and work shy.
I have been polite when talking about landlords, even though they are by far and wide the worst people I have come across. The landlord I mentioned in my first post who happily took rent off me for 6 months while I was in intensive care - and used that time and money to completely clear out his house of my possessions and readvertise it - served me a section 21 the day I came out of hospital. Absolute scum.
You keep talking about personal choice - my personal choice is NOT to live in a building that's purely social housing. There is far too much anti social behaviour. Social housing isn't right for everyone.0 -
I love this forum. What if I get caught lying about my disability?! While at the same time demanding many adaptions to a house I don't actually need. It shows what people really think - anyone on benefits is a lying cheat and a drain on society. We want a free ride and are fickle and work shy.
I have been polite when talking about landlords, even though they are by far and wide the worst people I have come across. The landlord I mentioned in my first post who happily took rent off me for 6 months while I was in intensive care - and used that time and money to completely clear out his house of my possessions and readvertise it - served me a section 21 the day I came out of hospital. Absolute scum.
You keep talking about personal choice - my personal choice is NOT to live in a building that's purely social housing. There is far too much anti social behaviour. Social housing isn't right for everyone.
Umm I think possibly one needs a reality check ..My personal choice would be to live in a mansion for very little money ..aint going to happen..get over it0
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