Rent Allowance Question (Deposit & First Months Rent)

DirtyLeeds

Just a query if anyone can help me it would be greatly appreciated


I have been assessed by the local authority as being eligible for and in need of social housing and been placed on the list.

I have been approved for rent allowance and the gentleman in my local community welfare office/health centre gave me the rent allowance. He told me to find accomodation, get the landlord to fill out the forms and then supply them (told me NOT to pay any deposit or first months rent at the time of the landlord filling out the forms).

Subsequently I have been to view 3 or 4 apartments and have been told by each landlord that the way it works is I pay my deposit and first months rent, move in, then the form gets filled out by them and I receive my rent allowance AFTER I have moved in.

Is this correct?

Also I heard somewhere that if it's your first time in rent allowance subsidized accomadation, you're entitled to claim your deposit back/have it paid for you once off by the welfare aqs it's your first time.

Again, any help greatly appreciated!

DirtyLeeds

*bump*

gipi

There is no entitlement to a rent deposit from SW - each case is looked at individually. You can make an application for help with the deposit but do not assume you'll get anything.

Techno_Toaster

yeah usually you get the accommodation first and then apply for rent allowance. I can't imagine any landlord letting you live rent free and deposit free until your rent allowance gets sorted so you will have to pay at least the first months rent if nothing else. you can apply for ra then and a deposit but you may not get it.

DirtyLeeds

Cheers for the help lads