DSS- questions regarding payment to landlord

[greengriff]

Absolutely, and that's been a way that's led to resolution of problems before eviction, which is of course the last option. We had one girl who spent the first £1100 she got in a fit of excitement but then with the help of her parents and friends made the lot up in a couple of months. And good for her, but she is the exception rather than the rule.

Of course a guarantor is the ideal solution to all problems, but is not always an option.

[Booboo]

Bear with me - I'm a newbie...

Been reading this post with interest - I have had both the good and the bad (and yes, there has been the ugly). I mistakenly gave two girls and their kid a tenancy on one of my houses through an agent and they falsified their references - they moved in and then told me to take them to court for the rent after 2 months... They werent on benefits but knew the system and played it.

I then rented the house to a family on housing benefits and they have been absolutely delightful - I didnt take a deposit as they were HB (the old style - paid to me) and have never had a problem from them - they've been in there for over a year and a half now!

I rented my other house to two men who were working- one did a runner in June without notice but not owing any rent and the other was made redundant end of June - he explained the situation, I agreed to a replacement on the tenancy for someone he knew - I tried to be understanding about it - it being a difficult time and agreed to the housing benefit... BUT I DIDNT know about the change in the rules... I turned up at the house for my quarterly check and lo and behold - he has done a runner - complete with the housing benefit that he has been paid since the end of August...

I finally managed to get someone to talk to me at the benefit department and guess what? they dont want to know - he has had his benefit paid and if he doesnt pay it to me they dont do anything about it... I have to take him to court and it is nothing to do with them - no fraud, no taking money by deception- nothing. So what does this tell them? thats its ok to do it... Whats the point chasing someone who is on the dole?

They will pay future benefits to me as is over 8 weeks in arrears but because they wouldnt discuss the claim with me I had no idea that they were paying it to him, as the tenancy agreement quite clearly states that it has to be paid to me, and because he kept in touch with me with all the falsehoods I quite merrily thought that the delay was due to incompetent admin which we all know the council has.

The moral to this story? Doesnt matter if they are DSS or not!
I'm only going to rent to families - I guess they cant afford to be put on the streets or make themselves intentionally homeless.

[J4L]

I agree but surely if you do your work properly initially you'll have emergency contact numbers for parents, guarantors, referees etc.
Plus you could always call around there and knock the door!

[greengriff]

I agree completely. One of the first warnings of a problem is that someone previously easily accessible becomes somewhat 'hard to reach'!

[J4L]

Communication!!!



That's it!!!!!!!!

[greengriff]

As I've said before, I'm far from burnt out and I will carry on until I get bored - which I nowhere near am. My business is more likely to be affected by the credit crunch (a few of my customers have a rather shaky view of what a good yield is and may live to regret some of their purchases) than by the actions of tenants. Also it's quite obviously not 'all' of our tenants that are scum, as that really would be financially untenable unless you could employ Rachmanesque tactics on them :-) The ones that are will be gone and replaced, as there are plenty of them about around here. Good or bad luck of course has an influence on many things, including business. If you have any suggestions for 'better management' then I'm open to hearing them, but of course you're unlikely to post your 'secrets' online now are you!

As for handing the lower end of my business to you why would I want to do something silly like that? It's been very profitable for us and will continue to be so. It's definitely not as 'easy' as the higher end stuff, which is basically money for old rope, but where there's muck there's brass as they say. And it's nothing if not interesting!

[J4L]

Burnout greengriff, pure burnout.

Like I said on an earlier post, what area are you in, I'll take ALL 80+ off you.

I have to say we manage quite a few of your so called 'undesirable' tenants and we have no problems with them at all.
Is this LUCKY do you think or is it that we manage them better??
Did YOU install all of them?

I've heard some local agents to me ranting like this and to be honest the reason they rant is because they've been 'found out' Their rant is for the benefit of the duped LL's who then believe their bs about ALL these people being scum.
How it's not the agents fault but the Tenants. haha

If you don't put the 'right' one's in you're sure to get trouble.

[greengriff]

Pass me a strong paper bag, someone! (The kind they have on boats).

I guess that's you surrendering the argument then? :-) Nice final flourish. Worthy of the Bard himself!

[mind the gap]

Pass me a strong paper bag, someone! (The kind they have on boats).

[greengriff]

I don't need to. You have enough of your own for a whole platoon of bigots.

:-) Do you know what 'prejudice' means?

In case you don't it can be summed up as 'an opinion based on incomplete information', which by sheer coincidence nicely also sums up your opinion of me! Whereas my conclusions on my tenants are based on pretty well complete information. I reach my conclusions from experience - the greatest teacher of all.

Whilst I confess to being ignorant of a great many things (and hence don't post my opinions on them on online forums) I am certainly not ignorant in this respect, having worked both in the 'trenches' of the welfare state and as a landlord and letting agent for a number of years.

Also there's nothing wrong with a bit of bigotry! I'm certainly bigotted when it comes to, say, people who bash old ladies over the head and steal their handbags!

Key - thanks for your heads up!

[Key]

Greengriff - you have my vote!

Day in day out with these people is tiresome, they play the system like a banjo.....I leave property empty now rather than consider another LHA tenant, my time is worth so much more - the ones we have we are stuck with - until the section 8 notice kicks in on the remaining 4 - then thank god almighty we are free at last

[mind the gap]

Don't project any of your issues or prejudices onto me!

I don't need to. You have enough of your own for a whole platoon of bigots.

[greengriff]

greengriff: Your comments lack any originality of thought or expression, having been swallowed whole and regurgitated, straight from the pages of the Daily Mail. I pity your children, having to put up with you spewing such nastiness over them. Don't delude yourself - your parents failed, spectacularly, to instil any moral sense in you at all.

So wrong. I don't have time to read the daily mail or any other newspaper. Maybe daily mail reporters rent out properties in the same areas that I do ;-) ?

I am a local councillor and a fundraiser/volunteer for a disabled charity (which is where my newspaper reading time goes) and seeing people with PROPER problems struggling to do the best they can hardens my heart to idiot tenants and other whingers who think they are somehow hard done by. I am happy, my family is happy and if I could just free everyone from the yoke of this ridiculous government that we have then I'd be happier still. Don't project any of your issues or prejudices onto me!

[mind the gap]

I have a horrible feeling that all this will disappear when Moderator sees it.

Probably the best thing for this kind of ranting.

[jeffrey]

I have a horrible feeling that all this will disappear when Moderator sees it.