What happens next if Tenants now start to claim Housing Benefit?

Reply to the comment left by "Luke P" at "31/01/2017 - 15:57":

I find its best to have all skill sets under ones belt. To dismiss the tea and chat strategy as nonsense misses a trick . Many a time I`ve used a packet of fags a McDonalds and a lift to their friends / the council as a means to an end to say our goodbyes .Done and dusted in an afternoon Much better than waiting 2 mths for a sec 21 to kick in and expensive possession proceedings with maybe your house being trashed in the interim period as parting revenge

Its how you talk to people which often get results . One wrong word can set somebody off. One right word and they will do business with you. Its not about them being your friend as you intimated before. Its about having a working relationship . Its a two way thing. I know I have the ultimate power to evict but I can weald that power in a variety of ways to get my keys back

You get the tenants you deserve I say. If you see the tenants you select are - as you put it - `feral ` why select them in the first place.?

I use the evicting approach which is most effective for the prevailing circumstances. Some respond to the tough guy approach some respond to tea and sympathy. I`ve spent all my life dealing with dysfunctional people with alcohol / drug / violent backgrounds. I`ve taken tenants out of hostels / prison / tents / cars / the streets. / secure units .

Yes I am from the south and you I take it are from the north . Its a complete myth though if you think that somehow a dysfunctional tenant only responds to a tea and chat conversation south of the Watford Gap. Humans are very much the same under their exterior bravado. No one likes to be evicted.

Its your business and of course you manage it how you want but I`m guessing from what you say that you don`t possess the soft skills we are talking about and therefore you cannot employ them even if you want to which is why that route is failed for you .
Fair enough so you use other methods which work but for me they can be more limiting and less effective

I maybe have the advantage in that i can use your methods if needed as any landlord can. That is just routine. Or / and i can dovetail that with effective communication with a tea and a chat approach to produce the same result and often much quicker

Many dysfunctional people have been got at by people in authority all their lives. Their parents, their school teachers, their employers , their partners, the police , the prison staff etc etc . When their landlords likewise treat them in the same manner they of course react as they have always done when faced with confrontation .Same approach same result

Trying another route often works very well I find

Reply to the comment left by "Jonathan Clarke" at "31/01/2017 - 17:23":

John says he's totally sympathetic to their situation etc.

His tenants have him at their mercy, unless he learns how to deal with the awkward ones.

I have friendly chats all the time, but sooner or later I meet a spent up, Xmas liar and at that point, they either get a wiggle on or are put on the eviction route.

I have various routes of ending a relationship, but John has a tenant that are set to be semi retired on the benefits system, at his expense.

Reply to the comment left by "Jonathan Clarke" at "31/01/2017 - 17:23":

A "packet of fags" or a "McDonald's" eh… My goodness, you're in touch with the common man.

It seems you're morally superior, Jonathan.

The feral children was an observation from the streets, not my tenants. Almost all of the tenants in my area, given half a chance, will take their landlord for a ride if there's monetary gain in it for them, regardless of how nice you try to be. Practically the entire town is on HB and they openly admit such practices as having six kids, giving three to grandma so they can both claim the maximum allowance.

There's little point in a 'skill set' when dealing with my locals.

I have met very few people (tenants or otherwise) who are genuine in their plight. Somewhere along the line they're scamming or up to no good. If there was more honesty from them I might be more sympathetic.

Everyone, and I mean everyone, pays in the end. It doesn't take me all that long either. It's the guarantor that end up coughing up mostly. I have forced the sale of two properties to settle debts with me. My office is more like that of a solicitors' than a letting agency. At least there's satisfaction in making the scumbags squirm as opposed to a 'negotiated settlement' you spoke of, which I'm guessing cost you (perhaps less so than the alternative), but still you perpetuate the behaviour.

Reply to the comment left by "Luke P" at "31/01/2017 - 18:55":
.

John now has a flavour of how different experienced HB landlords would deal with the situation before him .

He has my negotiated settlement view and yours where .....

You see your tenants as scumbags and you get satisfaction in making them squirm.

I`m sure he will take both views on board and make his decision
.

Reply to the comment left by "Jonathan Clarke" at "31/01/2017 - 19:36":

Not all tenants are scumbags. Not all *my* tenants are scumbags. Not, even, are all the tenants in my town are scumbags. But the ones I end up suing because they have attempted to steal from me/the benefits system/the public purse sure are! But you continue to twist away.

I have over 300 happy clients that have specifically sought me out and who pay me to solve their tenant-related issues. I must be doing something right or at very least, striking a chord with them.

You may feel self-righteous, but you're still adding to the problem by choosing the easy, negotiated way out.

I should give them their Section 21 notice, they can then go to the council, who may or may not be able to house them. But, in my experience, if they left your house voluntarily, at the end of the notification period, then they would have made themselves voluntarily homeless. I had this with one set of tenants - they refused to move out, we formally evicted them and the Council had to house them. The Judge was great and understood that this was a mutually agreed process. She Ordered them to be evicted and the Council then rehoused them. Everyone was happy!!

important thing also to bear in mind. If you have a mortgage are you allowed under the terms of your mortgage to let to DSS tenants??

I had a similar situation, and it did take a while for my tenants to sort out their housing benefit. In the meantime they did everything they could to pay the rent including borrowing from friends and paying out of their child benefit. At one point I rang the housing benefit office myself and spoke to them to try and help sort it out. It turned out my tenants had filled in the forms incorrectly and the housing benefit officer thanked me for being a helpful landlord. When the benefit was finally sorted out I got a cheque to cover missed payments from the date of my phone call, so it was well worth contacting them myself even before the agreement to act on their behalf was sorted out.
My tenants left a year later of their own accord owing me nothing and leaving the house in spotless condition.

Hi John

I think Gary's got it about right, strange they should both loose their jobs at the same time? especially if they are due a baby. Get them out sooner than later.

All landlords' should look at their portfolio's and where possible evict all tenants on benefit and let the government deal with them, time to fight back.

best of luck

John

Reply to the comment left by "michael " at "31/01/2017 - 11:56":

Michael,
I just showed my partner your comment and she thinks it's hilarious.

She says I'm as soft as primula cheese and I would be classed as "Good Cop".

Ps Has John still got a business or has his tenants decided that renting is still free?