Which agents accept housing benefit

Please be aware that some landlords do not accept Housing Benefit, it is advisable to contact agents and landlords in the areas that you wish to live so that you can ask them what they have available. Website: www. You should also consider renting directly from a private landlord. Many landlords rent property in this way and provide a good service to their tenants. Flat Apartment 6. Terraced house 3.

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The landlord will potentially be more open to accepting you as a tenant if they have some of your rent already safe in the bank. Housing Benefits DSS. Tip 2 — Gather References A good tip is to think about your previous rental experiences.

The agent acts on behalf of the landlord when offering viewings and tenancies. Agents can't charge fees for things like viewings, references, credit or affordability checks, or immigration checks. No DSS policies are blanket bans on renting to tenants claiming universal credit or housing benefit.

You can complain if you see adverts like these or if an agent refuses to deal with you because you're on benefits. No DSS policies and adverts are unlawful discrimination but you can still be asked to pass an affordability check. Find out how to challenge DSS discrimination with our template letter. Check your local housing allowance LHA rate so you can search for properties that are affordable.

LHA rates are used to work out universal credit or housing benefit for private renters. You may get less than your LHA rate if you're working. If you already pay a similar or higher rent to a private landlord whilst claiming benefits, provide bank statements and references to show a good history of rent payments. You may be asked to provide a guarantor for the tenancy. Guarantors sign an agreement to cover costs if a tenant doesn't pay their rent or cover damage in the property.

They are usually relatives or close friends. They may need to pass a credit or affordability check themselves. Guarantors are not a legal requirement and you may be able to persuade a landlord or agent that you don't need one if you've already shown you can afford the rent. Find out more about guarantors for private renters. Some landlords feel unsure about letting to tenants claiming benefits because both universal credit and housing benefit are paid in arrears.

You may be able to reassure them by offering enough rent in advance for the first 2 months of the tenancy. This should cover the period while you're waiting for a benefit application or change to be processed. Once your benefit is processed you will usually get it on the same day each month so you may be able to set up a direct debit for future payments.

Don't arrange a bank transfer until you're sure the tenancy is going ahead.