Good evening. Do all landlords reply to enquiries? I enquired on a very rare find of a landlord that accepts HB but have heard nothing back. Just wondered if people have found this the case. This house would be perfect for my family as the house im renting is in such bad repair and my landlord just doesn’t care. Thank you. Mandy
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I always reply .even if its to say … sorry I cannot help you.
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I have had a fair few landlords respond. even like @Colin3 says just to wish me luck but sadly they cant help.
Landlords aint bad guys they just need to protect there investment. which is why soo many checks are completed. i hate it because
i do have bad credit. ( Because of a ex partner)
I dont have a guartone (My dads a decorator so he has his own company)
I do have References from ex employers police officers and personal references but sadly this doesnt help.
I do have the money ready.
But what more can you do? good luck i do hope you find what your looking for.
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Thank you for your reply. Its a real difficult one. You feel so desperate trying to find a home and if your down on your luck and dont meet all criteria its very difficult. Just hoped I’d get some response.
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I haven’t had my own place to call home properly for 13 years or more. I am not some bad and crazy guy running around committing crimes and damaging property ive just been unlucky I’ve recently lost a 9 year old daughter to an aggressive cancer, but the council don’t care about single males and the landlords although máke out they are fair are very untrusting towards me and my situation. It’s a hopeless feeling I’ve even considered suicide at some stagesas I feel I’m never r going to have a place to call my own. People don’t care that is the bottom line. I’m 38, a student, studying in my own time a self employment course, have been on disability for a few years so the rent would ld be guarenteed but still I never ever get a shot at my own place its the same old excuses. Then I look at everybody els with their own places even huge foreign families and my heart aches for just some acceptance, for my country to look after me or consider me before others for once. But I’m still classed as homeless, sleeping on a front room floor with no personal privacy really. If I was a bad gut I get it but you know when you meet someone if they qre genuinely decent or not and I’m accepting and open to everybody. The rules are there to keep people like me struggling… With no one to help me, no priority given from the council, well there us some but I never get offered anywhere, what am I to do? I even watched recently as an active heroin user got given his own keys to his own place from the council! What a joke, and a cruel one at that. Im clean and sober, have no dependants and do the right things but look no help… Sometimes I feel ill finally get ro rest in my coffin, does anybody else feel this way?
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Hi James, so sorry to hear about your daughter and what you’ve experienced. Have you tried making a homeless application? Given that this situation has affected your mental health to such a degree you’ve contemplated suicide I’d certainly advise it. You can be classed as being in priority need because of it. Check out shelters information on homelessness. You might need some specialist advice from a charity like Shelter to help you as the whole process can be a nightmare. Stay safe and hope you can talk to your GP or someone who can support you with everything. Best wishes
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I know exactly how you feel. I’m a single mother with a 21 Yr old uni student, who 29rks part-time. I am in receipt of benefits also due to long-standing illness. I never get a look in either. My credit is bad, but I am paying them off by arrangements. My rent is also guaranteed to go direct to landlord, but thus doesn’t help. Because of a few idiots and tv programs, landlords think that all benefit tenants only want to live for free and to smash up properties. I beg to defer, I respect my home just like any landlord would respect theirs. I have been in my current property for 7 yes, the landlord requires the property back due to his families needs. Have a working guarantor who owns his own home and is on a good salary. My landlord is more than willing to give a reference on my behalf and I have deposit etc. But no one is even interested because I’m on benefits. I feel exactly the same you do. I really feel like my next real home will be my coffin.
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Denice you are correct about the tv programs . Bad tenants and bad landlords always make the news and viewing. Good guys do not get a look in
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And it’s getting worse. Collin3, I hope you find your home real soon.
i am not a tenant I am a Landlord . I know the difficulties in finding a place as many landlords have had their fingers burnt. Thus we are wary.
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Sorry for the mix-up, I truly understand where landlords are coming from. But it’s just so hard for decent tenants because of the stigma.
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We totally get it. Just be upfront with a landlord. Your best weapon is the reference from your Landlord and any paperwork showing your credit is getting better. It is all a bit of a lottery for tenants and landlords. Keep going, you deserve a place.
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Always up front, nothing to hide here. Bless you and thanks for listening.
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Hi Denice
I can understand how you feel but as Collin said there some bad tenants and bad landlords too.
I am a landlord and I have given my property to who
received housing benefit. I want to tell you that I have given my best service to one of my tenant and always tried to help
but after many years the tenant has ruined the relationship s me in past and realised mistake and apologised. But again same but will realise one day.
I had another bad experience with another one and
I had go the court and she lied in court. After that I said I will never make this mistake and go through so much stress.
But I gave it another one last year a single person on
furloughed and claiming on housing but given again given me so much stress.
Now I am the such a phase and wanted to get out of this
rental business because of bad tenants.
But again I have good tenants too and having bad
credit reference have told me the truth. He has been very good.
So sometimes with bad experience all get worried and be extra cautious but since you got a good reference from your landlord I am sure you will find somewhere nice.
All the best.
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I agree with you Dee Dee. There is a stigma re housing benefit. My daughter who has been in her present flat for 14 years is having to leave as the landlord wants possession of her flat to improve and
modernise it. She has been a very good tenant and has always paid her rent in time; She has a guarantor. It is very difficult for her to find a landlord who will take her on despite her good record.
I am sure there are many people like her. It seems very unfair although I can to a certain extent see
it from the landlord’s perspective.
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can she not move back in when work is done?
No. She had been served with a Section 21 no fault notice. The landlords want possession of the flat which needs a lot done to it. Fortunately she has been given an extension in order to find something.
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We are still searching but despite following up on various properties we have been rejected due to her housing benefit status. She has mental health issues and obviously this situation is not helping.
My husband who is her guarantor and a UK property owner has written to substantiate her responsible attitude towards paying her rent… Because there are so many available tenants who are not on
housing benefit it understandably gives the landlord more confidence in taking them on. The agents are obviously hindbound to follow the instructions of the landlord no matter how worthy the case is. This is despite the fact my daughter has been in her flat 14 years without any problems. It seems very unfair and is not helped by being Brighton and Hove.
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First - she really needs legal advice. If she told the landlord that the flat needs repairs, this may be an illegal eviction.
Second - Has she applied for council housing? They will likely tell her to stay where she is until the bailiffs arrive but then they will help her.
Citizens Advice and Shelter are good resources to start with.
First off to every landlord saying that they are wary of people on dss, DSS ceased to be a thing in 2001. It’s DWP now and being on Benefits is not a crime.
People on Benefits are not bad people, yes there is people who abuse the system, but the majority of people on Benefits are decent people who cannot work due to disabilities or have mental health issues, through no fault of their own.
Also it’s illegal to discriminate against people on benefits note the Equality act 2010 UK wide.
So please stop discriminating against people on benefits, in many ways your rent is guaranteed as it can be paid directly to the landlord. People that work could lose their job tomorrow, a lot of us on benefits are dealing with life long conditions so your rental income from most people on benefits is actually safer.
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