Renting privately for people entitled to housing benefits - advice needed?

I have been applying for council properties for 2 1/2 years but due to the band I am in (I am unable to work due to a disability and live with parents but need my own space, at age 29) - not come close to being offered a property. I am now looking at the private sector, can people give me advice on hidden costs, things I need to be aware of, certains things I may be able to get help with due to being on Income Support/Severe Disablement Allowance/DLA - also any snags etc. and I already know not many landlords like tenants on housing benefit!!Renting privately for people entitled to housing benefits - advice needed?
If I knew what area you are in I could help more. A lot of councils work on a bidding system, you like a property they advertise on their website and you bid for it. Snag is, if it is a nice place in a nice area, the world and his mother bids.


In the event of a tie, they look at how many points you have.


Living at home won't help you because the council will consider you adequately housed and parents aren't likely to throw a disabled daughter out.


Make sure that you are to be nominated for housing association property via the council list. A lot do not accept applications unless you are registered with the council.


Start ringing the council on a regular basis, keep a pressure on them.


Also ask them if they operate a scheme where they help you with deposits to rent in the private sector, some do. Bristol is one.


Not all landlords refuse HB. The council will have a list of accredited landlords who may accept you.Renting privately for people entitled to housing benefits - advice needed?
I found it easier putting a months rent and a months deposit to one side - then i approached landlords telling them approx how long the council would take to sort out my claim and that I would pay a months rent in advance to show good faith! There are a lot of them out there that dont like DSS because they have to wait a few weeks for their money and they still have mortgages to pay. The other pitfall is that because your claiming DLA as well, you will have to pay something towards both your rent and your council tax - it wont be much but you will have to pay some
The private sector is fine as long as you can afford it as rent/council tax benefit payments will usually only be partially met and there is precious little security of tenure.


Your local Housing Associations coupled with a request for help from Adult Social care are well worth looking into and really should be your first port of call along with a visit to CAB.


As for Laying it on thick'; as another contributor suggested - well in this day and age a person's got to do what a person's got to do as believe me it's a dog eat dog world out there.(8 years wait for me).


Wish you the best of good fortune - Rock on.
Some landlords prefer housing benefit claimants, depends on the persons circumstances, the good thing is that the cheque is always there, my friend emailed 10 agents explaining her details and got good response from 4, also was offered 3 houses where they were high quality and the landlord was cool with housing benefit, bad points are that you may have to stand up to 3 months rent counting your month in advance as the benefit office can be slow also u may have to pay an agency fee of 100 pounds and u need a bank account and references, any shortfall in rent has to come from you and is based on the property ie a 2 bed semi detached worth rent of say 550 a month - you may get 280 towards it so the cheaper the rent the better, something like a flat would be a better scenario.





Oh some landlords do a credit cheque with Experian now.





Have u tried the local private housing associations? we have a few here in stoke on trent that accept benefits and provide nice apartments so maybe u have them there too?





Regarding benefit help u can get mobility allowance for a car if u r bad enough or the cash which is about 160 per month, that's from blackpool office also incapacity and extra for help with cooking if you are in danger of dropping a saucepan etc
Landlords do not usually mind people like yourself, or retired people on housing benefit. You are disabled and they view that differently, so you will be welcomed by most.


If you rent through a letting agent the costs can be high initially.


They usually charge a setting up fee. The cost varies but could be something like 拢150.


You usually need to pay one months rent in advance and a deposit.The deposit is often another months rent.


Very often the rent on private property is higher than council.


You may find that housing benefit will not cover all your rent.


The council do not usually assist with the deposit or month in advance.


You could check with the benefits office to find out what you would be entitled to because it varies from area to area.!!!!!
get yourself some good character refs, the only difference is that the rent tends to be higher. another possibility is to get social services in on the act and get em to push the council to house you. play on it with the old its getting me down living with my parents routine. get the doctors help, anyone you can think of, councillor, anyone, go around and look for empty council propertys and apply for them. its what i did and was housed within two wks. you just need to bug em until thier sick of you and house you.
Some landlords don't like housing benefit because it is paid in arrears, not because of the person!


You will need a deposit which is usually one mths rent , you may also need a mth in advance ( some do not ask people on benefits for this ) and then if it is through an estate agents some require an admin fee for the drawing up of a tenancy agreement between 拢50 and 拢100. It can be better going through an agent because then you know its all above board.


Once you move in you will be responsible for all the bills etc, the landlord only pays the buildings insurance.
Very few estate agents will let to housing benefit claimants where i live. So there is only the local papers to go by. Most private landlords i have come across in 24 years of renting have been either rude, arrogant, pompous or interfering. Sad but true! Best landlord I ever had was a Jew by the way. There is a new scheme starting now where the deposit has to be safeguarded. It's a very small step in the right direction.


However, if you're disabled there must be ways to make the system work for you. I know of someone who managed to get her own 1 bed ground floor flat with disabled parking bay after messing her hips up on a bender. They did section her though after the bender. Like i said, the system can be worked ... good luck.
A lot of private landlords don't accept people on benefits . All so you would have to pay up front a months rent and a deposit usually similar amount to the rent. You would require references. The tenancy will only be for 6 months or less to begin with . You could love the house and area but then the landlord could decide to not carry on the contract . Also benefits might not cover all your rent even if you entitled to full benefit . You should get a pre determination done on the rent of any property first . Basically it lets you know what they will allow you rent money wise .





I do understand the frustrations with trying to get a council property as I used to work for my local council office. I think renting private has some pros and cons . Least privately you can decide to live where you want to as oppose to where the council place you .





Have you tried housing associations and the citizens advice bureau as they could help ?
I wish i lived where u do because in atlanta all they want is houseing for one reason - they can get 1200 a mo for a two bedroom house -





my suggsetion to you is to call hud ( houseing urban development ) they may help you and they pay part of your payment - or section 8 - houseing vouchers for people with disabilities, kids, ( kind of like the fema thing ) your ss office should b able to direct you to some of these places - or even your dept of labor - or defax ( department family child services ) if you are disabled you should qualify for all of these things -
so,a benefits scrounger eh?