Question Renting (landlord perspective) and DSS...

[Scouse]

...a mate is having to move out of my house next week. Gutted tbh. He's the perfect renter - a massive hoarder but clean and pays on time every month. Not had a single problem with him in 18 months.

So, yesterday I put an advert up on Gumtree. Got a phone call today from a lady with kids. She said "you do take DSS don't you?" but, frankly, I've no idea.

What's the downside of taking DSS? I thought they'd be good payers tbh. As long as she's got the bond (6 weeks rent) then should I be batting her away? I've said yes, but I can always say I've got more interest than just from her...

Thoughts and advice please, landlords.

 

[Gwadien]

Nevermind, forgot you live at your GFs, thought you meant a housemate of some sort.

Should've let me know, I would've moved in later this year!

 

[soze]

A mate who rents out his place had issues with getting the money from them. Sometimes it was bang on times others it was a month plus late. Plus if they will not pay the full amount you need to worry about getting the rest from the lady.

He also had problems with a bad tenant who did a lot of damage. But that is more his fault for letting them in.

 

[DaGaffer]

My only experience was a tenant who was made unemployed while he was already in my flat. Took ages to get the housing benefit to start (2 months, maybe 3) and it didn't cover all the rent. Plus the guy was a cunt, but I've had "professional" people who were pricks as well. My instinct is the DSS (or whatever the hell they're called these days) are going to be slow payers who don't give a fuck about you getting your money.

 

[Chilly]

They give the money to the claimant who then has to pass it on to you, these days, so you cant even rely on the fact that you have a direct line to the council's bank account.

 

[Scouse]

They give the money to the claimant who then has to pass it on to you, these days, so you cant even rely on the fact that you have a direct line to the council's bank account.

Yeah, I thought that too. However, as Gaff says, private tenants can be dicks too.

There seems to be a lot of pitfalls, but then having a house for rental on the market for a few months means a few months of the rent definitely not getting paid. And I really can't afford that at the moment.

So, the main issue is - is the rent going to get paid?

I suppose I could demand two months rent as a deposit for DSS tenants. Then make sure I get details of their current landlord and ask them how they've been and the ability to check on their status from the council (I believe you can ask them to ask the council to give you the right to check on them).


What's funny is that I've had the ad up on gumtree for less than 24 hours and I've had two replies off DSS claimants...

 

[Hawkwind]

I'd ask for naked pics first, just in case she can't pay

 

[Gwadien]

What's funny is that I've had the ad up on gumtree for less than 24 hours and I've had two replies off DSS claimants...

That's because most landlords know what 'they're like' and refuse to deal with them.

 

[Scouse]

That's because most landlords know what 'they're like' and refuse to deal with them.

Maybe I'll get horribly bitten, but it could also be because a lot of landlords believe the hype in the papers about all benefit claimants being scum. You know, like @Raven does.

Like I said, I'm wary. Gonna have to do some digging.

 

[caLLous]

With my Daily Mail hat on: How many kids and what ages? Sounds like a nightmare waiting to happen tbh but ofc she could be lovely with nice kids and be a fantastic tenant who's just down on her luck.

 

[Gwadien]

Maybe I'll get horribly bitten, but it could also be because a lot of landlords believe the hype in the papers about all benefit claimants being scum. You know, like @Raven does.

Like I said, I'm wary. Gonna have to do some digging.

End of the day, you're the landlord, you don't have to say yes to every tom dick and harry, it's YOUR choice, especially on these occasions, it's sad, I know, but then the state should offer more council housing.

 

[Raven]

M believe the hype in the papers about all benefit claimants being scum. You know, like @Raven does.

What is it this week, put words into peoples mouths and generally make stuff up week? What the actual fuck are you talking about?

You massive racist bank thief.

 

[Tom]

a massive hoarder

Maybe you should impose a "stuff" cap on him.

 

[Jupitus]

They give the money to the claimant who then has to pass it on to you, these days, so you cant even rely on the fact that you have a direct line to the council's bank account.

Actually, I am not sure this is correct. A friend of mine was recently (last few months) having trouble finding a new place on the social, getting frustrated with the service as they always seemed slow to respond and get him viewings. There IS a scheme now whereby the landlord registers as a participant, and the tenants do the flat hunting... when they find a place with a landlord in the scheme they do the deal, but the DSS pay the landlord directly. This means that dear old Norm now has a 2 year rental agreement for a place he likes and has no hassle whatsoever about getting the money from the DSS and handing it over to the landlord.... though I must admit I don't know how quick the DSS are at sorting out the payments. I don't have more detail than that, I'm afraid, but I would suggest looking into it...

 

[leggy]

I generally don't listen to hype, and popular opinion tends to be laced with misunderstanding and untruths... but...

My folks' last 3 sets of tenants were DSSers and they never paid on time. In some cases they handed over the DSS contribution but never paid the full amount. My folks were a total push over about it and never asked for more or chased them up. It really fucked me off. I won't go into how the first couple were dealing from the house and completely fucking destroyed it as that will sounds like I'm stereotyping them all. My folks are partly to blame but they went through a lot of shit and sold the flat as a result.

I'm torn between giving those in hardship a chance and the personal experience of what happened to my parents. I would be tempted to give her a short trial and if there is ANY sign of slow or non payment ask her to leave nicely ...at first.

 

[Ch3tan]

No, don't do it.

 

[old.user4556]

Scouse, get a ticket for the Nope train to Fuckthatistan.

 

[Scouse]

What is it this week, put words into peoples mouths and generally make stuff up week? What the actual fuck are you talking about?

Just the discussion about structural weath changes and the first thing you brought up being benefit claimants. Don't tell fibs Raven, you think it's all their fault

You massive racist bank thief.

This, however, is all true.

 

[Scouse]

Agency rang me up about the ad (one of 5 agencies that "got in touch" - but 4 of them only by text). They reckon they can get someone in in a month for more money than I'm asking. No DSS.

I've had eight DSS claimers ring me today so far. Gonna pull the ad and tell 'em I might get back in touch in a month or so.

Little bit shitty, but hey - if I can get an agency to do it for me and make a little more money in the process then jobs a good un. But we'll see...

 

[Shagrat]

As these are desperate DSS claimants, you need to take the opportunity to hold 'casting couch' style interviews to sample the goods.....

and we need pics.

 

[Lakih]

I take it DDS is some kind of welfare?
Can you get in trouble for denying them to rent the place for being on DDS? I think it sounds like discrimination. You have to be able to get in touch with their old landlord and ask them how they where with payments. Denying them rent ONLY .cause of DDS sounds just as bad as denying them rent because of skin colour or sex.

Then again, finding an excuse to deny them rent is probably as easy as finding an idiot at a nightclub.

 

[Tom]

It's his house, so long as he doesn't discriminate on sex or race then he can rent it to whomever he likes.

 

[Ch3tan]

To expand, there are lots of great dss tenants, but when you get a problem with the minority it's harder to evict them.

 

[Ch3tan]

Aldo scouse,beware of agents and what level if background checks they perform. Most want a commission from getting you a remnant and then go missing when there us an issue. If you are going the agent route make sure it's full managed and that their commission payment is monthly and dependent on rent being paid in full and on time.

 

[DaGaffer]

It's his house, so long as he doesn't discriminate on sex or race then he can rent it to whomever he likes.

Actually, he can discriminate on any grounds he likes, as long as he doesn't tell them he's doing it.

 

[MYstIC G]

Maybe I'll get horribly bitten, but it could also be because a lot of landlords believe the hype in the papers about all benefit claimants being scum. You know, like @Raven does.

Like I said, I'm wary. Gonna have to do some digging.

Get a guarantor, regular folk on hard times can normally do this, fuck abouts usually cannot as nobody will vouch for them.

 

[Access Denied]

The landlord can insist the Housing Benefit is paid directly to them. The tenant will then be responsible for paying any top up. Regardless of who you rent to, don't give them more than a 6 month tenancy to begin with. ( Believe that's the minimum but I could be wrong.) If they prove to be a good tenant you can then set a 12 month tenancy agreement after the first 6 months. Or you could just leave it and it will become a monthly rolling tenancy with the same conditions as the original agreement.

Also take pictures of absolutely EVERYTHING before they move in. And I do mean everything. That way if they cause any damage you have the fall back of those pictures if they try to claim it was like that already.

Someone has already mentioned what here is called the "Landlord Link Scheme" This is a list of landlords the council will have who are willing to rent to council tenants. Though places on the scheme are usually reserved for those with children who are under immediate threat of being made homeless. I'd be careful with that though. I'm not sure if you can but if you go for that then try to find out why any prospective tenant is being made homeless in the first place.

 

[Hawkwind]

In all seriousness I would not do it. It could be a total scam. I take it your not using any kind of agency who would run background checks and provide guarantees against major issues. They could get a key move in slowly, wait until your out and empty your house.

 

[Scouse]

The landlord can insist the Housing Benefit is paid directly to them.

Used to be the case, but not any more. The government made changes to the way housing benefit is administered - in an effort to give DSS tenants more control over their finances and in a patronising sort of way help teach them "control of their money".

Which is funny, because they probably aren't very good at controlling their money or they wouldn't be on DSS in the first place.

So that makes them less appealing as a landlord because you don't even have the security of most of the rent going directly into your bank account.

They could get a key move in slowly, wait until your out and empty your house.

Unless they're into carpet stealing or really into light bulbs that's unlikely. I live at my g/f's - I'm renting my house out unfurnished

 

[Raven]

You could end up with a great tenant and employment status is not a measure of the quality of tenant. That said you could end up with the Jeremy Kyle brigade and find your gas and electric tampered with and no rent paid. EDIT - Employment status is also no measure of someone's ability to look after their money, some people are on minimum wage as it is you know!

I think the whole way rent is paid by DSS tenants is a joke anyway. We had a lad in our warehouse who rented and was on the DSS before he worked here. Turns out he ended up in arrears. One excuse was that he had £500 to pay his landlord some of the arrears but bought a PS4 instead, as if that's a perfectly reasonable thing to do. He ended up asking to be let go so he could go back on the social, rather than quitting because he was "tired all the time" from playing on his console all night. It should go directly from the government to the landlord like it used to do.

On the other hand my Gran/mum had DSS tenants for years and they were great, always paid on time and kept the house and garden immaculate.