The government plans to crackdown on BTL landlords and letting agents posting ‘no DSS’ adverts discriminating against tenants claiming housing benefit.
Around 20% of people living in rented accommodation in the UK receive housing benefit and yet research shows that 20% of landlords listing properties on Zoopla used ‘no DSS’ in their adverts.
Out of 86,000 property ads assessed on property website Zoopla, 8,710 listed “no DSS” in their advert description, reported housing charity Shelter and the National Housing Federation.
Around half of landlords said they will not accept a tenant on housing benefit, according to the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG), which is lobbying for the change.
Housing minister Heather Wheeler commented: “I want everyone to have the security, dignity and opportunities they need to build a better life – at the heart of which is ensuring everyone can find a safe and secure home to call their own.
“This funding will make a huge difference in opening up the private rented sector to people who need it and give them the chance to rebuild their lives. Half of landlords said they would ask for ‘no DSS’ tenants.
“I will also be meeting key stakeholders to tackle ‘No DSS’ advertisements. If the sector is unwilling to take action, the government will then explore all options to remove this practice.”
We're excited to announce that we're working on building a shiny new website for readers of Landlord Today! As part of this process, commenting on articles will be temporarily disabled. We look forward to sharing our new and improved Landlord Today website with you shortly!
.png)
(1).png)
