Landlords ‘Unwilling’ To Rent To Universal Credit Recipients

Universal credit will lead to a “steady decrease” in the number of landlords willing to rent out properties to benefit claimants because it encourages tenants to fall into arrears, the National Landlords Association (NLA) has warned. Only 18-20% of private landlords accept tenants who pay their rent with local housing allowance (LHA), the housing benefit that will eventually be replaced by universal credit – down from 46% in 2010/-11. The latest survey of NLA members showed that 68% of landlords with LHA tenants and 63% with other benefit recipients experienced rent arrears in the last 12 months. LHA tenants owed an average of £2,263, compared with £1,774 by all tenant types. Read more on the Observer website.