Can I request information about my LHA tenants from the Council?

Bradford Council has a standard form titled “Sharing Information With Your Landlord” and each council should have a policy called “Landlord Disclosure Policy” outlining what they can tell you.

I have sent Both to Neil Patterson.

Reply to the comment left by “Robert Mellors” at “16/07/2014 – 16:03“:

Hi Robert I wonder if it is possible for you to email me a copy of the authorisation form . Thanks. really difficult situation with LHA tenants and would like info from council as well.

Reply to the comment left by “J B” at “17/07/2014 – 11:20“:

Hi JB,

Done and I added Adam’s.

Neil if Mick doesn’t mind, I’d like a copy of the ‘authority to speak’ letter. Most councils that I deal with include a form in the housing benefit application booklet, however, this only allows limited disclosure.

On its way 🙂

Reply to the comment left by “Lyndon Whitehouse” at “18/07/2014 – 04:22“:

I don’t mind at all. I think it’s disgusting how 95% of staff treat 90% of Landlords. I have many mates ring me with terrible stories that they just can’t get anywhere with HB.

Even with my detailed permission letters, a lot of staff still say not allowed to talk to u about anything other than payment. At that point, one has to complain. Take it higher, as long as tenant is agreeing. Then you can get some precedent in place for the future & just refer to such & such manager name.

We have to stress, you are only interested in helping tenant & HB in progressing claim forward.

I do have the most brilliant person at HB now, massive common sense, solves most problems, & all started from the permission letter years ago. Councils HATE to be took to the local Government Ombudsman & losing the case. They detest it. I don’t know what fully happens, but they must get some BIG black mark in the back, but you do get treated better when the Ombudsman rules, that the council is not using common sense & reasonable behaviour to ignore the permission letter.

You do have to get on with the tenant if you are taking a complaint all the way. As complaint sometimes has to be referred from then. Once complained, even if falling out with latest tenant, once permission is in place, can solve a lot of problems with later tenants.

Neil – would it be possible to send me a copy of these letters that are working for getting the LA to talk to us as I get very little joy out of Manchester and Salford councils – my thanks to the authors if this is possible. [email protected] Jon

Done 🙂

Reply to the comment left by “Mick Roberts” at “18/07/2014 – 15:18“:

What more do you need other than a letter that says something like:

> “I hereby confirm that I authorise you and give you consent to discuss all aspects of my housing benefit claim for my tenancy at the above property with [the landlord and/or letting agent] by post, phone and email:”

??

Reply to the comment left by “Colin McNulty” at “19/07/2014 – 20:09“:

You are right Colin.As a landlord with over 40 properties in my portfolio, spanning over 20 years and operating with 4 different councils, that is essentially the letter I use with no problems at all.

In the letter written by me from the tenants to the council concerned with the tenants name and address titling it, it simply says:-

“I give you consent to discuss all aspects of my housing benefit claim with my landlord, Mr xxxxx of xxxx address. I have received assistance in the writing of this letter but all content has been checked and approved by me.”

As stated in my previous post at the beginning of this thread, the tenants sign two copies of this. One I post MYSELF if the tenant is going to be claiming and one I keep on file. If the tenant is working I keep it on file just in case. This is done at the same time as signing the tenancy agreement whether claiming or working- who knows when a non-claiming tenants circumstances may change?

Been doing it for donkeys years and never had an issue with any of my councils- Bradford, Leeds, Mansfield and Nottingham- not even once.

I am really do not understand why this issue is becoming so long winded and unnecessarily complicated?

Some of our issues on this site are complex but I think the word for this one really is ‘Simples’?

However I do agree that the idiot desk jockeys on the hb phonelines can be a pain in the proverbial. Most of the time they speak to you like something they have stepped in and there are times when they are obstructive but this is the case in all matters with them. In this case I speak to their manager after telling the numpty I know far more about their job then they do and they get a slapping down. They then end up with their tail between their legs providing me with the information they initially refused to supply! Never pleasant but never fail to get a result either