Accept Rent Allowance or not?

Chrissie

Hi All,

I'm very confused as to what to do.
I've a property for rent.
I'm getting a good bit of interest but practically all calls have asked if I accept rent allowance.

I'd prefer not to, but if the calls go on the way they are, I mightn't have any choice.

In your opinion / experience, should I accept, or give a firm no?
I know there are always exceptions to any rule, but on a whole, are tenants on rent allowance generally more hassle than the guaranteed rent is worth?

Any horror stories?

What's the worst that you've heard happen, or is it really only a handful of bad tenants ruining the reputation of so many decent tenants in receipt of rental allowance?

I really don't know what to tell these people.
Any words of advice, opinions, experience, etc is greatly appreciated.

Pompey Magnus

Funnily enough I was looking at a flat last night and asked the landlady out of interest why so many places don't accept rent allowance because I never understood why. She was saying that they used to take it but they had some bad experiences with people on rent allowance (they never left the flat and generally proved a major headache to them) so she decided never again. She did say that some mature students would get rent allowance and if they felt they were decent she would make an exception but generally she has had it much easier since not accepting it.

How Strange

OP, I wouldn't discriminate because people are on rent allowance but as a property owner you are entitled not to let your place to someone you have a feeling would wreck it or whatever. Re: rent allowance; you could get an unmarried/single mother with a child/ren and the way to look at it is the rent will always be paid on time if they are on rent allowance and their personal situation doesn't matter.

Remember people who pay the rent all themselves could wreck your gaff too and I've heard horror stories about seemingly respectable people (young men, lovely young couples etc) dealing drugs from places.

Don't write all people on rent allowance off; most of them are def ordinary people who find themselves in a tight financial position for one reason or another.

Crubeens

I think not accepting rent allowance is more a form of snobbery than anything else in many cases. Landlords just prefer to rent to professionals like themselves and don't trust the civility of anyone not in the same position.

I have always accepted rent allowance and have never had a problem. As How Strange says, they're generally normal people who are in a tight financial situation.

Moreover, rent allowance recipients are guaranteed their rent money every week so landlords should rarely see failure to pay.

racram

I have a property near Dublin and have always excepted rent allowance and have never had any problems. I rented to a single mother and child for four years and after she left I was lucky that another single parent and child was interested.

It depends on who you get.

jackieod

Hey Rent Allowance generally equates to 20 a month. in a house we rented the landlord did not want it to go through system so he knocked 20 off our rent each month 1e we were paying 550 but only gave him 530 each month.. worked out for everyone we got our reduction and he did not ahve to put in system!!

the_syco

How much rent allowance depends on a lot of things.

OP, meet them if you want, but go by your gut feelings, on who to let to.

miju

was living with my other half on rent allowance a good while back for over two years. we respected our landlords property looked after it , kept it clean and fixed probs ourselves rather than bothering the landlord.

The landlords exact comment upon his last inspection was "jesus this place still looks brand new after so long". basically depends on the person so trust your gut instinct on them and dont feel you have any obligation to "help them out" as some landlords I know think.

theres plenty of good RA tenants and some bad as well. But again thats the same with tenants who are not on rent allowance as well.