The National Housing Federation (NHF) has joined forces with housing charity Shelter to launch a campaign to end the practice of 'no DSS' in the private rented sector.

People receiving benefits are often locked out of the private rented sector and thought to be openly discriminated against by private landlords, which the NHF and Shelter believe is wrong, as reported by Landlord Today.

Currently, thousands of private landlords nationally reject housing benefit claimants, despite accusations that they are discriminating against those on lower incomes.

Refusing DSS tenants may be perceived as discrimination, but this is a claim rejected by the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA Propertymark). The trade organisation says the current situation doesn't exist because of landlords or letting agents, it is a problem caused by the government and the banks.

ARLA Propertymark said the difference is that private tenants pay their rent in advance, but tenants on housing benefits are always a month in arrears. With such a shortage of rental accommodation, the organisation says landlords will always choose a tenant who can pay their rent when it due.

The trade organisation has repeatedly called on the government to resolve this problem, but no action has yet been taken.

ARLA Propertymark says the issue is exacerbated by lenders who have a clause in their buy-to-let mortgage agreements to prevent landlords from letting their properties to tenants on housing benefit.