Terms of Use

1. About these terms

This website (“DirectDSS”, the “site”) is operated by DirectDSS Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales under company number 17147341 (“we”, “us”, “our”). By accessing or using the site you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use. If you do not agree with them, please do not use the site.

We may update these terms from time to time — see “Changes to these terms” below. Your use of personal data is also governed by our Privacy Policy.

2. What DirectDSS is (and is not)

DirectDSS is an online platform that helps people find rental properties that accept Housing Benefit and Universal Credit, and that lets landlords and agents advertise those properties. We provide listings, information and tools to help you search.

Importantly:

• We are an introduction and listings platform only. We are not a letting agent, estate agent, landlord, mortgage broker or financial adviser.
• We are not a party to any tenancy, agreement or transaction between you and a landlord, agent or any other user. Any agreement you enter into is directly between you and that party.
• We do not vet, endorse or guarantee any landlord, agent, tenant or property, and we are not responsible for their conduct.

3. Property listings

Property listings on DirectDSS are provided by landlords, agents and other third-party sources. While we aim to keep listings accurate and up to date, we do not verify every listing and we make no warranty as to the accuracy, availability, legality or completeness of any listing — including price, availability, whether a property genuinely accepts Housing Benefit, or its features and condition.

You should always verify details directly with the landlord or agent, view a property in person where possible, and satisfy yourself before entering into any agreement or making any payment. Never send money or deposits based on a listing alone.

4. Affordability tool and LHA information

Our affordability checker, Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates and any related figures are provided for general guidance only. They are estimates based on the information available to us and the details you enter, and may not reflect your actual entitlement or circumstances.

They are not financial, benefits, legal or tax advice and should not be relied upon as such. You should confirm your actual entitlement with the relevant authority (for example, your local council or the Department for Work and Pensions) and seek independent advice before making any decision. We are not liable for any decision you make based on these tools.

5. Acceptable use

You agree to use the site lawfully and responsibly. In particular, you must not:

• Use the site for any unlawful, fraudulent or harmful purpose, or to provide false or misleading information;
• Post or submit content that is unlawful, defamatory, discriminatory, offensive or infringes anyone’s rights;
• Scrape, harvest, or bulk-collect data (including property listings or contact details), or use automated tools to access the site, without our written permission;
• Misuse our forms or mailing list — for example to send spam, or to sign up others without their consent;
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to, interfere with, or disrupt the site, its servers or its security.

We may suspend or restrict access to the site, or remove content, if we reasonably believe these terms have been breached.

6. Communications and mailing list

If you sign up for property alerts, you consent to receiving emails from us about listings that match your preferences. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email, or by contacting us. How we handle your details is set out in our Privacy Policy.

7. Intellectual property

The DirectDSS name, logo, design, text and other content we create are owned by or licensed to DirectDSS Ltd and are protected by intellectual property laws. You may view and use the site for your own personal, non-commercial use. You may not copy, reproduce, republish or exploit our content without our permission, except as permitted by law.

Listing content submitted by landlords and agents remains their responsibility; by submitting it they grant us permission to display and promote it on the platform.

8. Third-party links and services

The site may contain links to third-party websites and services (for example GOV.UK, Citizens Advice, or mapping providers) and rely on third-party services to function. We are not responsible for the content, availability or practices of third-party sites, and a link does not imply our endorsement.

9. Availability and disclaimers

We work to keep the site available and accurate, but we provide it on an “as is” and “as available” basis. We do not warrant that the site will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, or free from inaccuracies, and we may change, suspend or withdraw all or part of it at any time.

10. Our liability

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits our liability where it would be unlawful to do so — including liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.

Subject to that, we will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from: your use of (or inability to use) the site; your reliance on any listing, estimate or information on the site; or any dealings between you and a landlord, agent or other user. In particular we are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, or for loss of profit, income, or opportunity.

If you are a consumer, these terms do not affect your statutory rights.

11. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. When we do, we’ll change the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the site after any change means you accept the updated terms.

12. Governing law

These terms and any dispute arising from them are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and are subject to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

13. Contact us

If you have any questions about these terms, please contact us at: