Benefit tenants 'rip off' landlords.

[Gary L]

When the government started paying housing benefit to new private tenants rather than straight to their landlords last year, it was meant to give tenants more choice and help develop their budgeting skills - but instead it just means rents are not being paid, say some landlords.

One, who preferred to remain anonymous, told the BBC: "It's when people see this amount of money and think, 'Oh yeah, that's mine,' but it's not, it's the landlord's."
Another said: "It's too tempting to spend the cash, especially if you're on a low income and you've never seen that amount of money."

It was a stupid idea of paying the 'tenant' now, and not directly to the landlord as before.

I think these people just change things because they can.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8152937.stm

[Russ]

How does this work now, is there no longer even an option for the benefit to go to the landlord?

[Gary L]

The customer may have learning difficulties, a medical condition or educational needs that suggest that they may have difficulty in handling their own financial affairs; they may not be able to read or have language difficulties; they may suffer from drug or alcohol addiction; or have debt problems. It should be noted that the existence of any of these factors does not necessarily mean that rent should be paid directly to the landlord.
People who are unlikely to pay their rent. Customers may have demonstrated, through their past behaviour, that it is improbable that they will pay their rent. In these cases, a local authority may make payments direct to the landlord.

http://www.basingstoke.gov.uk/housin...ectpayment.htm

[Russ]

Is there any reason why landlords don't have that written in to their contracts? That if the tenant pays with benefits then it is to go straight to the landlord?

[Kymmy]

If I was a landlord I'd insist on a standing order that went out the same day as the rent was paid by the benefit agency..

[Gary L]

This new rule is not helping anybody. it just puts temptation to the tenant (which they term as an important aspect of helping customers with the move into work)
and it increases the probability that the landlord doesn't get paid at all.

Everyone loses out because of a change in the way the government wants this to now work. anyone would think there was a motive for this radical change.

[Russ]

Renting and letting will always be a difficult area. You get bad tenants, you get bad landlords and you can't please everyone.

[lucy7]

Originally Posted by Russ B

Renting and letting will always be a difficult area. You get bad tenants, you get bad landlords and you can't please everyone.

Totally agree there with that comment.

I have had some ace tenants, and I feel I am a great landlord.
Always some bad apples though who do not play the game, on both sides.
I have withdrawn my rental house from the rental market now, after the last tennants wrecked it. It upset me so much that someone, infact two of them could abuse my trust in them and abuse my property so much!

May sell it now.

[Dai]

Totally with you on that one Lucy. Us landlords are always painted as the bad guys but until you've been there and seen the appalling things that some tenants will do to your property it's hard to believe.

Still got a couple of flats but it's uncertain how much longer.

[brundles]

I've only ever been on the tennant side of things myself, but from talking to a friend of mine I know where you're coming from on the wrecked house Lucy. The last lot of tennants they had completely trashed the place - the only reason they (just) had enough money to cover the damage out of the security deposit was because him and his family spent the best part of a week doing the repairs.

This government "initiative" is nothing more (IMO) than a way to make things easier for them, claim they're helping people while dumping the bill on the public.

How about putting a "some" in the title i know it's not as fun to be factual but it is more realistic. Yes there are some bad tenants amongst benefit claimants and guess what there are bad tenants that are not on benefit go figure maybe it's that individual personality thing.

[Gary L]

I'm sure the BBC omitting the word "some" wasn't intentional. and I doubt if they thought it would upset many people by not including the word.

it's like saying 'Protestors cause trouble with Police' they're talking about the ones who are causing the trouble, not all of them.

[grandmaster]

Im sure i have vented my anger on here before about my (now ex) noisy neighbours.
When they left the property (because they did not pay!) they had their tea put down the plates and walked out.
The house was full of cans,bottles and cat poo.
The landlord who I have got to know had to rip out everything and replace it.

We have some new tennants now and to be honest it is difficult to tell if they are ever in . bliss!

[lucy7]

Sort of off topic now, but....................

My company does the internal cleaning for communal areas of a few apartment blocks.
One of them is mainly student lets, there is all sorts of yucky stuff to clean up there, once including sick and blood. The girls always ring me for the bad stuff, as I do not expect them to clear stuff up like that!

In another block in the city, the caretaker found human poo in the lift.
The property managment company gave me a ring to ask if I would clean it up, at that time I was 2 hours away, so the boss man of the managment company went and did it, as the caretaker would not.

I once did holiday lets in the rental house.
Rented it for a week to a young couple, found use of drugs evidence, foils and stuff, and the matteress had been peed in!!
Nice!

[Taf]

Our Czech Roma neighbours got housing benefit paid to them, they just stopped paying the landlord until he got a legal order to kick them out.

He still hasn't been paid.. 8 months in all... £5200.

To cap it all, the council was "obliged" to rehouse the family, first in a hostel, then in a 4 bedroom house (private not council house).

The payment should go direct to the landlord IMHO.