Why is it that when a DSS tenant falls into arrears, the local council ADVISE them to stay in the property until they are able to be legally evicted?
And they say “tenant’s have no rights”… mind blown.
A landlord cannot serve an eviction notice on rent arrears grounds until a tenant is 2 months in arrears, and from my experience, the council are only too eager to point that out to the tenants – and even more shockingly – actually encourage the rent-dodgers to sit tight until they have exhausted the entire 2 months.
Whichever top-management piss-stain conjured up this formality needs to be peeled like an onion and tossed into a bowl of vinegar. Harsh? Nah. Why? Because…
- The council are paying DSS tenants housing benefits, which is intended to contribute towards their rent. So when a tenant is evidently spending their allowance on other shit, the council shouldn’t advise them on how to prolong the eviction process, and consequently facilitate in maximising the financial loss for the landlord.
- Landlords are actually doing the government a favour by housing DSS tenants. Eventually, as more and more landlords get screwed over in this fashion, there will be very few of us left that will accept DSS tenants. Those that do accept are already limited in numbers.
The council can argue that they are merely informing the tenants of their legal rights. But I’m saying that’s bullshit, because I know based on experience that they “advise” the tenants to stay in the property until they legally have to vacate, and that’s pretty different than “informing”
If there was any flipping justice in the world, the council would:
- Revoke all benefits for the rent-dodging shithead until the balance is settled.
- Tell them to get the fuck out of the property immediately if they can’t settle the balance, as opposed to advising them to remain in the property until they’re at least 2 months in arrears (and therefore racking up even more debt).
- Tell them to stop fucking taking the bloody piss, because there are genuine people out there that actually deserve benefits.
But no, apparently patting the parasites on the back with cotton gloves and providing them with guidance on how to cause as much damage as possible is the way forward!
I remember when one of my asshole DSS tenants fell into arrears; I made it clear that I had full intentions of starting the eviction process after she had fed me bullshit excuse after bullshit excuse for months on end. The excuses were high-up on the leader-board of being the dumbest junk I ever heard. And believe you me, I’ve heard some dumb crap in my time.
She relayed my intentions of evicting her to the council, at which point she was advised by them to obtain an ‘eviction letter of intent’ from me, because she was told that if she could provide evidence that she was on the verge of becoming homeless (which she claimed she would be if I evicted her), she could be fast-tracked onto the council house waiting list.
Seriously, WTF?
If you feel confused, don’t be! You probably understood perfectly fine, you just don’t want to believe the reality of the situation: Yes, she was being rewarded for spunking her benefits on shit she shouldn’t have been.
Ok, so if I follow the logic correctly, I can break your legs with a shovel and in return you will give me a fiver? *scratches head*
If it were up to me, and it’s probably a good thing it’s not, I would happily provide rent dodgers in receivership of housing benefit, with a sleeping-bag and a few empty boxes, and wish them the best of luck… as I have them dragged out of the warm home they were given the money to pay for!
When someone is receiving benefits, yet fails to pay rent and continues to receive support from local authorities, you know something is grossly jacked up.
The fact this is standard practice and happening on a daily basis is excruciating.
The saddest part about it all is that the people suffering the most are the genuinely decent claimants who are being tarred with the same brush as these parasites.
Disclaimer: I'm just a landlord blogger; I'm 100% not qualified to give legal or financial advice. I'm a doofus. Any information I share is my unqualified opinion, and should never be construed as professional legal or financial advice. You should definitely get advice from a qualified professional for any legal or financial matters. For more information, please read my full disclaimer.
i do love a DSS rant, thanks LL.