Housing Benefit - does your landlord know?

[NewMummyx]

Im hoping to move to a bigger place once the LO is born and alot of people have said not to bother telling agencies or landlords I get Housing enefit as it is paid to me anyway so they will never know.

Does anyone do/done this?
Im tempted as it gives me a larger range of properties to choose from but cant shake the feeling I'd get caught out somehow

What do you think??

 

[wannabemumma]

i defientley wouldnt, here in basingstoke pwople will not touch anyone if they on any kind of benifits

 

[littleblonde]

dont u need to get the form signed by your landlord?

 

[Kimboowee]

Most take housing benefit - but not unemployed people

 

[tessica123]

If there is someone in house in day time it affects there landlord insurance ie more risk of fire ect

If for eg fire happened and landlord thought no one in house all day his insurance may be affected

When I lived alone they too housing but not unemployed and I had to sign to say that if I wa going to spend more that 14days which is average holidays from work in house I had to inform him so he could notify insurance

It's hard looking for somewhere I rang and said I am on maternity so will get housing help would you still let to me and while I didn't tell Them I want going back to work most said yes

 

[Vesta]

When I was renting I ended up on housing benefit for a month or 2 when I lost my job. I never told my landlord and it didn't cause any problems.

 

[NewMummyx]

dont u need to get the form signed by your landlord?

see that's what i dont understand I think you have to get the landlord to sign your Housing Form the first time you apply for HB (I did) but Im not sure if you need to do it if you move and are already receiving HB, confusing!

 

[katiekittykat]

If you go through an agency, they'll want employer's refs or some other proof of income, so you'd probably be better off going through a private landlord. x

 

[Marleysgirl]

We didn't have to get the Landlord's signature on any HB (LHA) form. We had to provide his details and a copy of the tenancy agreement, but we opted to have the money paid direct to us and we then paid him. We have no idea whether he ever found out that my OH had been laid off and we were now on HB, he never mentioned it and happily renewed the tenancy.

As someone else says, if you're taking on a new house/tenancy then it will be more obvious as you'll have to say whether you're employed in the application, and you'll also have to cough up for a deposit (which you can't get on HB).

 

[twinkle1975]

If there is someone in house in day time it affects there landlord insurance ie more risk of fire ect

If for eg fire happened and landlord thought no one in house all day his insurance may be affected

When I lived alone they too housing but not unemployed and I had to sign to say that if I wa going to spend more that 14days which is average holidays from work in house I had to inform him so he could notify insurance

It's hard looking for somewhere I rang and said I am on maternity so will get housing help would you still let to me and while I didn't tell Them I want going back to work most said yes

Really? I didn't know that - I quite often do my work at home as my office is freezing - never thought to let my insurance company know!

 

[firstprincess]

No need to tell, u provide copy of tenancy agreement and you hb is paid to you so as far as landlord is concerned your paying x

 

[RiverSong]

we didnt tell our old ll as he didnt ask. X

 

[pandaspot]

You dont have to tell them and you certaintly don't need the landlord to sign any housing benefit form. I work for housing benefit and never heard of this happening unless you want to disclose the fact.

The landlord would not need to know, just make sure you pay your deposit and months rent. Under lha rules hb can only be paid direct to yourself anyway. It's not allowed to go to the landlord unless you have special reasons to request it does.

With regards to insurance I work at home 4 days a week and my landlords agents knew that, they never mentioned anything about it affecting the landlords insurance. I wouldn't worry about that to be honest

If you need any help with the claim just ask

 

[Jemma_x]

Our landlord knows, we wanted a good relationship with him as we want to stay here aslong as possible so we were honest from the start.

 

[emsiee]

I work for Housing Benefit too and no you dont need the landlord to sign your form hun. Just make sure you have your first months rent and deposit upfront. It gets paid to direct to you, but if your gonna through an agency, remember they will wanna know your income and how your gonna pay the rent.

A few years ago I had to claim Housing Benefit as I lost my job, and my landlord never knew

 

[kimmyk]

Yeah, I believe most of these posts are correct - don't think you're legally required to tell landlord, so don't bother. I don't think it effects his [removed] of the place, so I honestly don't see the purpose in telling him. None of his beeswax!

 

[purpledahlia]

When i was looking the agencies wouldnt even let me view a flat without telling them on the first phonecall what i worked as, And as i didnt have a job at the time they all said they couldnt help. I found a private landlord and he asked and i got it paid to him. Changing it over in April to be paid to me and renewing my tenancy for another year. By then id hope to have a permanent job to move and go through an agency!

 

[RJ01]

Ok I'm a landlord and every time one of my tenants go onto HB I get a letter in the post informing me. When it is a new tenant I get the first HB paid to me and then they pay the tenant.
I have to inform my insurance company if I have working tenants or tenants on HB.
Also if you stop paying the rent the landlord can apply to have it paid to them after 2 months unpaid.
I would be honest with the landlord.

 

[stephx]

Mine doesn't know- didn't need to sign anything at all x

 

[anna matronic]

I was already in my flat when I made the claim for HB and they asked me if I wanted to tick the box to say they couldn't contact my landlord. I said ok (not that he'd mind but rather he didn't know) anyway I provided everything they needed so they had no reason to contact him.

But it is possible to claim withour them knowing and it is prefectly legit