Here is a happy outcome to the story we featured recently of a family on benefits who were struggling to find a landlord or agent who would accept them – despite having excellent references from their current landlord and despite never once having failed to pay the rent on time.
The family consists of a disabled mother and two sons with autism. The parents are both full-time carers.
Their plight came about when their landlord of six years had to sell the property for personal reasons.
Unable to find anywhere to take them and struggling to get past agents, the family were expecting to become homeless.
The happy ending is that they have secured a property through the agents selling their current home, with their current landlord generously paying the cash deposit.
The mother said: “I still cannot believe that he did this for us.
“I truly hope that my story will make landlords rethink their policy and maybe find out more about prospective tenants before deciding. The thought of other genuine families going through this just breaks my heart.”
http://www.propertytribes.com/advice-on-landlords-in-spelthorne-t-127624758-4.html
Plight of family where landlords refuse point blank to consider tenants on benefits
Pleased that they have a home now. As posted before by others its not necessarily the tenants that landlords dont want its the financial side and the council set up of HB payments and claw backs which is not attractive to private landlords.
Why would a landlord take a tenant on HB when they can take a tenant in FT work?
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Why would a landlord take a tenant on HB when they can take a tenant in FT work?
Most people are only one, or at best three, paychecks away from being on benefits at any time.
Back in the day (not that long ago) when I was involved in rentals I wished I had a quid for every time an enquiry started with “Do you take DSS?”
My response was always the same;
No… we take people.
Makes a difference. I would recommend it to anyone.
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You make a pertinent point re HB delays and bureaucracy. But you’ll note what it says about this tenant…
“despite having excellent references from their current landlord and despite never once having failed to pay the rent on time.”
That is what landlords should clarify and take into consideration. Many many tenants receiving HB are working and a whole heap of them (working or not) will be making sure they cover any shortfall between HB payments in and rent payments out themselves – because they simply never want to be in arrears.
The reality though is that the private rented sector is not for for purpose, while private landlords just look always for an easy profitable life.
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