How can a young person get a room?

cobbingstones

Hi

My son 19 is currently living with friends after he decided to move out (long story) I'm trying to get him a room near work but I can't believe how expensive it is. They all want a month for deposit and then a month upfront. The cheapest I can find is therefore around the £700 mark. There is no way he could afford this money being on minimum wage.

I have tried gumtree and roomshare but with no success. What would he need to do to find a room that would be affordable?

Thanks

MM

poppysarah

Why isn't he looking?

Could he come back home?

cobbingstones

yes he is but with no internet and working full time its not going to well.

No.

Thanks

MM

poppysarah

Local papers - but it's time consuming and he'll have to be the ones who goes. It is a chore but part of being an adult.

You could ring the local letting agents and see if they know of any - long shot maybe.

Also word of mouth is really useful so tell everyone you know he's looking.

geri1965_2

£700 for a room?! Is this in London?

poorandindenial

Hi Madsmum

I live in London and pay £700+ for a one bed flat, he should be able to get a room for quite a bit less. What part of the country are you in??

One thought is that it could still be that the rental market is settling down after students went back to uni and you may find that more reasonably priced stuff comes on the market in the next few weeks.

The problem could also be that you are looking near his work, it may be better to look on convenient bus or other transport routes for him. As well as Gumtree you could try Loot.

Good luck

silvercar

A room at £700 a month suggests he is looking in an expensive area; even though there will be travel costs, it will probably work out cheaper to look further away from work and commute.

If this is still not affordable he could be eligible for LHA.

A months deposit and rent paid at the start of each month is the norm. 19 year olds starting out really are not totally independent people and will still have to rely on family for help.

Sonofa

I got the feeling that £700 was the initial deposit plus a month up front?

OP are you saying rent of £350 per month then or not?

PasturesNew

Yes, I thought the room was £350 deposit, £350 for the first month.

I thought that sounded like getting off light as my deposit is 1.5x a month's rent (they can be up to 2 months) and there are usually agent fees/credit checks too up to £150.

You're only really looking for the deposit money. He'd have had to pay rent up front wherever he lived. Can you lend him the money and get it back over a year?

Squirreler

Ah, makes more sense now it's broken down.

I just put it on the overdraft and cleared it bit by bit each month. You'll always need that deposit as wherever you live you'll need to put one down.

sarah_elton

Completely standard system. Firstly, you have to pay a deposit - it's your incentive not to trash the place. Secondly, you pay rent in advance not in arrears. I.e. you pay at the start of the month for the coming month. Otherwise you could live there for a month then walk out without paying. Therefore although it's a month upfront, you get a room to live in for a month for that money.

Depending on the room and what's included he'll also have to budget for bills, food etc. As for the initial cost, I'm afraid there isn't a choice but to save up, or for someone to lend him the money (as in a friend/relative).

The only way to get the initial cost down is to look in cheaper areas, as others have suggested.