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Tenants on benefits don't have money
The facts are that many tenants are on benefits because simply they don't have very much money. It's a simple fact of life that if you let to a tenant that has a limited income, probably no savings that when things get tight something is going to have to give. This normally means not paying some or all of the rent. I don't think that landlords can be criticised for making a rational economic decision when clearly tenants on benefits pose a greater financial risk to their letting business. Having said that many landlords target specifically benefit tenants seeing them as a steady income stream if and when they can get the benefit paid directly to them.
Benefit cuts affecting landlords
Recent Local Housing Allowance benefit cuts have reduced the amount and attraction of these tenants. The introduction of Universal Credit threatens to reduce the attractiveness of tenants in receipt of benefit still further. Would you let to tenants letting on benefit. Can they make good tenants and is it wrong to tar all benefit tenants with the same brush let us know your thoughts.
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8 comments:
No: it is not absolutely fair. Some benefit tenants are financially responsible and find themselves on benefit because of genuine long term illness. Such tenants do their sums, are financially reliable and become excellent long term tenants. The ones that have to be watched are the younger ones who have possibly never worked and, if their rent passes through their hands, can easily be tempted to "improve" their standard of living. These are the tenants to be avoided at all costs.
What goes around comes around.
The only tenants that have left me owing thousands are benefit tenants. Latest is a 5k refurb plus 2k in lost rent. I don't rent property because I love it. Basically it's work with a fair amount of grief. I've enough grey hair as it is to keep worrying about benefit tenants. Adios
I currently rent a property to a family on benefits. The rent has only once been paid on time and since November last year not at all. I took the tenant to court to obtain possession of the property at which point the council stepped in and persuaded me to let them stay offering to pay £2200 of the £2500 arrears. The tenant could not be bothered to pay his small £ 300 contribution. So back to court I go and will also have to repay the council's money. Nieve definitely, out of pocket certainly. Would I rent to someone on benefits again? Absolutely not the shame being I now believe all people on benefits are the same although I hope that they are not.
many benefit tenants do find it difficult but i dont entirely blame them.i understand that much of the blame may be that the government stopped paying the rent direct to the landlord ,this meant that the tenant getting the cash direct found that rent money could be spent on other things,i.e too great a temptation.the fact that the landlord had niow to bring court proceedings did not trouble them.since this irresponsible change by the government it was inevitable rent was no longer a priority to a certain element of irresponsible tenants.
I have just recovered one of my flats from a missing tenant.
I found she was subletting two bedrooms and the external store.
£2.5k refurb costs including replacing furniture which she sold on ebay. Police said no point in taking her to court. The court cannot send her to jail as she has a wee one.
Forget about single mums get a family in
Just had a family of Eastern Europeans left my property, who were on benefits. They mde all excuses not to pay the deposit, and have not paid any rent since they moved in, despite the council giving them housing benefit. They have broken every door, taken stuff not belonging to them and the police do not want to know. The council is now offering me compensation for the loss of rent but the insurance will be hit. Lease again to benefit tenants? Never!
No freaking way. We let to professionals only. Due to issues with the letting agent there was some mix up and a benefits tenants got in. She stopped paying rent after a couple of months and in the end it took us
1) 2 yrs to evict her
2) lost over £8000 in rent arrears and expenses
3) Cost us £600 in repairs
Avoid at all costs
Benefits is not the whole picture. I have East Eruopeans on "benefits" as good as gold. Why?
1) I got six months bank statements off them. 2) Took 3 months deposit up front as they did not have "credit history" in this country. 3) got personal references and recommendations from reliable sources. 4) demonstrated the property was in top condition 5) regular visits to ensure they are not breaking anything or any rules 6) charge top rent 7) prompted week before rent due to pay on time.
In other words I demonstrated I am a fair but serious landlord offering a quality accommodation. Of course they have income its not all declared to the authorities. So I am indirectly Benefitting from all their benefits.... Can't knock it!
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