I have written a couple of topics on here that have been positive, but today I am so angry which is very rare for me to get as it doesn’t solve anything. But today have read my messages after enquiring about properties availability and have been treated like dirt with the responses I have received. What is frustrating me with landlords, and let me state, landlords that I have dealt with so far, not all landlords. So please don’t get your knickers in a twist, those that treat individuals like this will know.
Some landlords are aware that individuals, human beings with feelings are searching for a home. They have something that these individuals are hoping that they will succeed in getting. This does not give landlords the right to treat these individuals as low life’s. There are so many people in this world struggling without individuals sticking the boot in.
Unfortunately any tenant, regardless of whether or not they receive DSS, has the potential to be disruptive and cost you a lot of time, effort, energy and money. There really are no guarantees as it ultimately comes down to an individuals character, which is why I communicate with a honesty when contacting a landlord.
The fact that people receive DSS does not mean that they all share the same character traits. The same applies for people not receiving DSS. Not all of those people are trustworthy, organised, reliable or kind, regardless of how they earn their money. Every case is individual.
Even a suitable tenant in employment, could lose their job, and have to turn to benefits for support. And bare in mind that can take up to eight weeks.
Unless you have walked in someone else’s shoes, you have no right to judge!
Please understand Donna, with the exception a few individuals you’ve mentioned, landlords in general do not discriminate against DSS ‘people’ but the government ‘system’.
Having said that, unfortunately, it is a fact that a large majority of DSS tenants have no sense of fairness or responsibility, hence the landlords aversion
Working people have an employer who are a potential recourse for recovering debt. They are also more likely to have assets, i.e. cars, valuables etc., bank accounts to attach with probably more funds available for attachment in a dispute situation than a DSS tenant. Hence the common request for guarantors with DSS applicants.
The government will not payback a DSS tenants’ debt or even divert payments direct to landlord in the event of unpaid rent.
The government advise DSS tenants to break all moral and legal codes of conduct in respect to the tenancy they signed when / if it comes to eviction.
The government, in my area anyway, have frozen HB rates in a climate of high inflation, obviously aimed at disadvantaging the landlords who have taken on DSS tenants. I am currently trying to raise some rents with a couple of DSS tenants and have to go through a long-winded procedure of applying for discretionary payments so as not to make it difficult for the tenants who are unlikely to be able to afford the increases without such assistance.
Life is not always fair, but the majority always tend to spoil it for the decent minority.
Hi, Chris. Yes, rent increase problems when you have DSS TT is a reason in itself why LL don’t want to touch this category of TT. It’s unbelievably fiddly to raise the rent with them, and just imagine going through the process repeatedly.
I do understand why Donna is angry being tarred with the same brush with the rest. But, as Chris said, many DSS TT are so used to live all included style that they’re not a pleasure to deal with.
Donna, you keep saying about LL not approaching to TT on case-by-case basis because “not all DSS TT are bad” and mention yourself as an example. It’s impossible. LL don’t know in advance what kind of TT one may be. That’s why we prefer renting to a lower risk group. Nothing personal here. And with an awkward and unfair system/legislation to navigate coupled with rising prices and tighter housing market legislation on the horison, DSS TT will be disadvantaged more and more. It won’t be discrimination but rather risk reduction.
If you don’t like it and want to do something about it, go to your MP, petition government for the change in legislation. Ask them for the rent for DSS to be paid to LL directly WITHOUT DSS being able to cancel it any time. Ask them to implement efficient measures to facilitate rent increase fast and hussle-free. And, most importantly, ask them to start building affordable accommodation as well as more council properties. Starting to build high-rises again would be a good idea, postwar model.
Here you’re just letting the steam off (which is fine), but otherwise wasting your breath, Donna. And - I’m sorry you have to go through that. We recently took on a woman with very modest income, not nearly meeting rent p/a X 3 standard. But this amazing lady made a good case for herself. She showed us her bank statements for the year and all the savings she’s made, living a frugal life. She also volunteered to pay 6 months in advance. Then she walked through the flat, asking to turn down toilet flash and radiators. We were so impressed that we helped to unload and carry all her heavy furniture upstairs. And then she gave us a box of sweets as a thankyou ))) Can’t imagine many TT doing that. We just had TT from the other flat stealing some of our furniture.
Try to make an impression, too, Donna. What do you have to show for yourself? Apart from angry posts, I mean. I gave you some suggestions. The rest is up to you. And good luck finding your new home.