I have a cottage in Wales and an apartment in Manchester. Because of work the cottage not used much now and i have an opportunity to rent it. Problem is the person is on disability and single. I do not mind waiting for rent to be paid but I am told the DHS might not pay out the rent I want for it. Is it true?

quote:

Originally posted by bonfire:
I have a cottage in Wales and an apartment in Manchester. Because of work the cottage not used much now and i have an opportunity to rent it. Problem is the person is on disability and single. I do not mind waiting for rent to be paid but I am told the DHS might not pay out the rent I want for it. Is it true?

It probably depends on how much you want for it!

I'm no expert but I have heard that at least the DHS are a reliable 'partner'.

I have been told to ask £650 for it by estate agents

quote:

Originally posted by bonfire:
I have been told to ask £650 for it by estate agents

Sorry, I didn't mean to ask for a figure.
I couldn't say wether they pay less than other 'renters'

But someone else on here will (hmm, deja vu).

DHSS rents are capped at what the council deems 'fair rent' for the area. If you talk to the local housing benefit section, they should be able to help you. Getting rent from DHSS can take a while but they are fairly reliable once the arrangement is in place.

DSS will only offer to pay what is fair rent for a single person based on one bedroomed accommodation. Someone I know [single on long term disability] gets £350 a month from the DSS in Bath, yet the flat costs him £650 a month [because of location]. Luckily his parents help him out with the rest.

i claimed housing benefit for a short while and the dss wouldn't give me the full amount, i think this is quite common, so then you have to chase the rest thru the tenant. i'd steer clear

g

quote:

Originally posted by soopermum1:
i claimed housing benefit for a short while and the dss wouldn't give me the full amount, i think this is quite common, so then you have to chase the rest thru the tenant. i'd steer clear

g

Thanks, I now know why no one wants to rent to DHS claimants. Both here in Manchester and in Wales there are lots of properties that are standing empty looking for tenants and all of them have no DHSS claimant clauses.

Is this also true when someone is already renting?

The main discouragement from DHSS is the fac tthat you don't know who you will be getting. There is a bad rep about DHSS Tenants, much as there is about Council Estates.

If you are happy with the Tenant, then having the DHSS pay for their rent is actually a good thing. They should pay you regularly by Direct Debit, and if you agree to rent exclusively to DHSS Tenants, then I believe there is a scheme in place to redecorate & repair any damage caused.

If your rent is fair for the area, and you are happy to take the Tenant, then I wouldn't let the fact that they are on Disability benefit put you off. The likelihood that they will have a miraculous recovery and thus stop the payments is much less likely than a private tenant losing their job and defaulting on payment.

Ary.