DSS Tenants - The Way to Rent out Your Property

By DSS we mean the Department of Social Security. As it is, a DSS tenant is a tenant, who receives benefits from the government via the local council, for managing their expenses. Typically, a DSS tenant would be someone, who is unable to take care of his expenses and so, receives support from the government bodies.

Now, while you are looking forward to renting out your property, a DSS tenant may not exactly be what you are looking for. In fact, nowadays, most people avoid letting out their properties to DSS tenants. There may be a volley of reasons for that. Firstly, most people are simply pissed off by the paperwork involved.  Delay in receiving rent and some other factors add to the growing disparity against renting out properties to DSS tenants.

However, with the number of rental properties, rising everyday, renting out your property to a DSS tenant, would be a considerable option. This is because; more and more people are now investing their money in rental properties. This has led to a mismatch in demand and supply of rental properties. Due to this reason, it is always advisable, to keep your options open.

Apart from that, DSS tenants are usually needy people, such as a single mother, an unemployed youth, or a person who is classed as homeless and looking to get back on his feet etc. By providing shelter to them, you would be able to do invaluable service to the society, the nation, as well as the entire mankind. Apart from that, DSS tenants are easy to find and hence, you will be saved form a lot of search. Along with that, you will not have to shell a dime to the rental agent. However, an agent can prove to be extremely useful in taking care of the paperwork. Also, the tenants are referred by the council and receiving benefit and if there are problems this can be taken up with the council directly with the help of the letting agent. As a landlord, you are entitled to receive your rental payments, particularly if the tenant is in receipt of the full housing benefit entitlement.

Renting out your property to a DSS tenant will usually involve a different process, than that of a private rental. First of all, if the tenant likes and wishes to opt for the property then a Pre Tenancy Determination form needs to be filled in with the agent’s details or landlord details, along with details, such as the rental value of the property, number of rooms and other details about the property. The tenant completes their details into the form and then presents this to their housing officer. Thereafter, the council will calculate the value of the house and the condition of the person requiring the rent and make a rental offer. After this, a tenancy agreement is arrived at and the parties involved enter into a legally binding contract.

Renting out a property to a DSS tenant has its own advantages and disadvantages; and in light of the recent economic slowdown, it does not at all seem to be such a bad idea, to rent out your property to a DSS tenant.