Housing Benefit tenants?

Question

Why is it that landlords are so against have tenants who claim housing benefit. They are guaranteed to get the rent on time every month, and not all DSS tenants are dirty slobs, it really bugs me.

Answer 1

I live in PA and in my area there are very few private landlords that will accept housing tenants.The reason is that once an apartment is approved for housing assistance tenants,it then becomes a permanent housing assistance property.Meaning,they then no longer have a choice as to the future tenants that will be renting the apartment.When that apartment becomes vacant,the next person on the list then gets that apartment,weather they are a desirable tenant or not.I can't say that I blame the landlords at all.If I owned a building I would want the option of renting to the tenants of my choosing.While I would say the majority of those with housing assistance would be great tenants,the small percentage that would trash the place makes the landlords just say forget it. I've seen that instance with the building next door to my boyfriend.It is a section 8 housing bulding and there has been nothing but trouble ever since he lived there.The last people moved out in the middle of the night after someone came in with a gun looking for one of the drug dealers that lived there.They totally trashed the place and now the landlord has thousands of dollars in repairs to fix what was broken.There was one American woman,5 hispanic men and a three year old child living in that one bedroom apartment.

Even though the landlords are guarenteed the rent,the bad tenants have ruined it for those who would be good.I would be able to qualify for housing assistance,but since not many landlords accept it,in my area they have apartment complexes where they put everyone with assistance.Those places are just not a good place to live,again because of the minority of the bad that ruin it for everyone else. I choose to pay my full rent and live in a safe environment,even though 3/4 of my disability check goes for rent.It is sad but seems like the innocent in this country always get the short end of the stick because of the small percentage of guilty.

Answer 2

The landlords have learned, over time, that so many of these tenants will not take care of the property.

It may be an unfair generalization, but it's a true one.