Housing Benefit-Private Sector

[womble72]

Hi,

 

How true is that estate agents(Letting) will not take any body with housing benefit?

 

My friend has been told to move by the landlord because He has sold but is on part housing benefit.

 

An estate agent told me today they will not consider anybody on HB because the council pays directly to the tenant!

 

Nobody will touch anybody on Hb because of this reason?

 

The local council says there is a 3-4 year waiting list for affordable housing.

 

Plus they told my friend to sit in the property until the court proceedings for eviction!

[Snorkerz]

I am currently in the process of letting a property to a tenant who claims benefits - and that is being let through an agent! So, "how true is it"? Not very.

 

However...

 

An agency will work for very many different landlords, some of those will not accept Hb, some of those who would, may be persuaded otherwise by the agent. Properties that do accept Hb tend to vanish quickly. Your friend will have to approach every agent in town asking if they have landlords that accept 'Housing Benefit'. If they have no suitable properties, it is no use leaving a phone number - they won't phone 'low priority' applicants back. Your friend will simply have to call them all back, at least twice a week to be sure of catching the few suitable properties available.

[womble72]

Thank you as always!!

[Mrs E Blackadder]

I think it depends on the agent. A couple of years back I had a bit of a run in with a local estate agent who told me that they didn't 'deal with people like you', meaning people entitled to housing benefit. She said that they didn't want people on benefits of any kind!

 

Fast forward to today. I went to the same estate agent to see if they would value my property and found that they have been taken over by a very nice couple who assure me that they are happy to negotiate with local landlords and have recently placed two families on housing benefit into privately rented property. They said that they liked to treat each case individually.

 

If I have my facts right, as far as I am aware you don't have to tell the agent/landlord that you are receiving housing benefit, however it is illegal not to tell them if they ask you directly.

[womble72]

Thank you Mrs Blackadder for your response.

 

I will pass your comments on to my friend.

 

Much appreciated