DSS in privatly owned flat block - please help - life being made hell!

[Suade7]

Our flat block contains eight flat/apartments - all privately owned, but one particular Landlord keeps allowing DSS to reside in there - the woman at the moment is making our life a living hell - constant noise, constant banging, constant chidren running up and down. She even spilt her cat litter tray all over the landing and left it there - excrement and all for weeks and weeks until the cleaners came. She has midnight callers who batter the door down - she is runing our life, we are hard working professionals and are living in fear all the time of who is going to come calling! We have tried everything, every organisation, everything, no one seems to care!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There has to be a law or something that can't allow DSS to live under the same roof as hard working professionals with privatly owned proprty, please, please help,xxx

[meglet]

I has this problem. My neighbour wasn't DSS but just as bad. I complained to the owner that she was breaking the terms of the lease which specifically stated that noise shouldn't be made at certain times etc etc. Luckily for me she was thrown out.

[bednobs]

mad stupid inconsiderate people can buy houses too, so the fact that this person is paying the rent via housing benefit dosent make any difference. Except you can let the landlord know

[froggequene]

...a sh*tty tenant is a sh*tty tenant regardless of how the rent gets paid

You don't say who owns the flats, have those of you who are renting tried putting pressure on your own landlords? You could all get together & threaten to leave at the same time. They could apply pressure in turn to the owner of that flat

[Peter Pedant]

You have to persuade the Landlord not to take DSS problems.

This may be difficult - esp if he is on the scheme whereby the City/Housing pay an enhanced rent (up to 10- 30% above market) but the Landlord then gives up the right to select the tenant.

Have you tried telling the Landlord what a pain these people are, and how the resale price of HIS property is being eroded as well ?


Iam really sorry you have got these problems

Good luck

[daffy654]

This is the most snobbish post I have ever read on here. The fact these tenants are in receipt of benefits has little bearing on how they behave. Maybe they are behaving badly because they feel you all looking down your noses at them.

[cazzz1975]

you are right daffy, I have known private tenants who are working to be absolute animals in their flats, its not about the DSS part of it, some people are just inconsiderate, I suggest you complain to the landlord

try not to tar the dss claimants with the same brush please

[Suade7]

Thank you all so much for your answers, I am currently writing while her children scream and she slams the doors so hard, last nights eathquake was the norm here!!!
We have tried every channel, the other occupants in the flat are scared of repercussions from her though, because some of the people that come round, well lets just say they do not look the friendliest. Its seems to be the particuar estate agent, not sure if I can mention them, but the other flats that are rented in the block are only allowed private tenants - whereas this particular company allows DSS! I know it is the Landlord's decision as well, I have contacted the estate agent again today and they have assured me they shall speak to him, but I have tried this a million times, he does not care, he does not have to live here! The last Tenant he had smashed all of the windows and shouted obscenities at her child all day! I don't know whether to call the Police, because it is just unbearable and Mr Suade and I both have to work!!!! I am so worried about her scratching our cars though if we do anything! Its just upsets me so much, that our vey hard earned taxes, like everyone elses pay for these people who then abuse us!!!!!

[Suade7]

Daffy, how dare you - I am writing purely from experience of my life being made hell and frightening from these Tenants, I am well aware like everything else in life there is good and bad in everybody ,x

[daffy654]

Never mind how dare I............You are the one with the attitude problem shining through in your post.As I said the fact these people are on benefits is irrelevant to how they behave.My neighbours work and own their homes but both sides have made my life hell in the last two years. My fiance and I rent our home but we are model tenants.we are partially in receipt of benefits(tax credits and disability benefits for me and our son).Does that make us scum too???

[sleepyj]

snob ! hope she stays for years and years ...you might be on the dss one day ..if you lost your job !

[sleepyj]

daffe well said

[froggequene]

I was under the impression from your post that you & the other tenants had already called the police - get the number of your local station & call them

[sleepyj]

what are the police going to do for fs ....leave the poor woman alone why live in a flat any way ..if your that much of a snob go live in the country some where on your own

[CheekyChops]

I'm guessing that it is the last paragraph of your post that is causing the offence...

Whilst I sympathise completely, I also agree with other posters. Private tenants and in fact homeowners, can cause the same problems. You can't say that the problem is caused simply by this person being in receipt of benefits.

If I bought a flat in your block, surely I should be allowed to rent it out to whomever I wanted - whether that be DSS or a millionaire. They can all cause the same amount of grief.

[Twenty20]

The DSS part is irrelevant.

Have you spoken to your Council? You could start with Environmental Health who will look into conditions, noise etc.

Put your concerns in writing to the agents and also the LL. If the agent wont tell you who the LL is you may be able to find out through the Land Registry website for a small fee.

If the tenants have threatened you then call the police.

[christina81]

you are so stuck up its unreal.Get a life you sado and stop trying to make a point that you are a working professional and pay more rent.So what! Its not to do with how much money you earn.Its to do with being brought up being a polite and respectable person.Some people are less fortunate than others and don't have the money or capabilty to have what you have.Get over yourself!

[Info Bank]

ASBO,S
Exist for this kind of situation ...Not for you to decide but for the local authority.

So without taking sides on this matter let the local Authorities do this.

They may find That the behaviour is acceptable or not.

[Stu Dent]

It's funny though, folks. How it is that the problem tenants are always DSS? Of course private tenants 'could' cause similar problems. In my experience they don't however, because they have an economic interest in maintaining their property - co-owned or otherwise.

I've suffered similarly in my tenement block. I used to complain but accidents kept happening to my car. I complained to her, her landlord, and the council. No one is interested. The council talk of diaries and mediation. How can you mediate for someone leaving old mattresses in the close and letting her dog crap in it?

She doesn't take her bin out and when it's full, she uses everyone else's. Despite a free council collection, she disposes of old furniture just yards from where the council could uplift it for free!

Now I shut the door, turn up the TV, and do my best to ignore it and try to forget the days when my neighbours and I benefited from a clean, well kept close with a working entry system. All damages in my close have come from DSS tenants who don't care, and have no economic interest in the property. Thankfully, I won't be living where I do for too much longer and then it'll be complaints to council, DSS, social work dept, - freed from the worry of damages or far worse.

My advice Suade7 is for you to sell up and move. It will take an extraordinary amount of courage, determination, not to mention expense, for you to win the day through normal legal channels. And if you do? One problem tenant will be replaced by another.

DSS tenants are not scum and I'm sure the vast majority are responsible. But the tenants who behave like scum, trust me, are DSS. So let's not get all high and mighty with the snobbery accusations.

[nick4smidge]

not all DSS claimants are like this. I am on housing benefit due to long term serious illness and have no choice. It angers me that all DSS people are classed as a sub class of society because of idiots who do this sort of thing. I want to rent privately in a good area to get away from that scum - drugs, fights at 3am, rubbish and dog excrement everywhere. It should not be a general law - that is not fair on people like me. But I agree, something needs to be done about the people who cause these problems.