Help - Messy - Long post

PRINCESSX87

Long post sorry if i have posted in the wrong area please move if needed *

3 years back me and my OH moved in with my mum, due to her being disabled she needed someone around at all times.
Anyways, In this time me and OH applied at our local council in hope that we would be rehomed close to where she currently is.

I asked our current landlord if we would allow me and my partner to come on the tenancy to cover us in the future, He said that we had no worries he has no plans what so ever to sell or even make us move as we are living in the home, He grew up in as a child. Then a week ago he came to us and told us, He needs to up the rent due to 2 people doing a runner on him. He wants to up the rent to £1100 pcm.

This is the choice he has given us, Agree to pay the current change in rent, Or down size to another one of his properties within the area.
This would be fine, But he is only offering a home to anyone on his tenancy. So now me and my OH are known as homeless in less then 8 weeks.

We have no family to fall back on, As all their properties are to small.

My partner works full time, With a local company & now he is being told if he moves away and cannot get to work on time then he will be fired!
(We do not drive and public transport costs a fortune* - Please note, My partner is on a low income, Barely min wage.)

I have been short-listed for 2 different jobs within my area. Where we are now it takes 45 mins walking time & 20 mins by car.
(So moving further away for me would be impossible for me to take these jobs - Plus i need to do 2 weeks of unpaid training & 4 weeks before i get paid)
(Then i will be getting around the £105 per week mark, Only for the weekly transport cost to be £65)

My mum still needs a carer, day or night or even in emergencies.

So now we are completely stuck, Because we have no money, No home.

We cannot afford to go private as we cannot make the deposit, We have asked the council about the bond scheme and we are not entitled.
No family can afford to offer us the money,
And the council is offering us emergency accommodation miles away (The housing office said that its currently 10 miles away from where we are now*)

Is there nothing we can do? Can the council be more flexible? Help....

BitterAndTwisted

There are a couple of things which are not clear to me from your post:

Have you moved in with your mother?

Do you have a tenancy agreement and which property is it for?

PRINCESSX87

Sorry just getting worried now:

Yes we moved in with my mum due to her illness.

No me and OH are not on the tenancy, However my mum is. < This is for the property we are currenty in.

ifonlyitwaseasier

ok is she still within a contracted period of her tenancy? if so he cannot just up the rent. LL would have to wait til the contract was up for renewal and then try to renegotiate it.

PRINCESSX87

No her tenancy is not up for renewal, But he said he can do it due to the rent no being upped in the last 3 years.

BitterAndTwisted

I think you should approach your Local Authority as a threesome. This could make a huge difference as you are currently your mother's carer although I don't understand why you are considering employment if your mother requires full-time care. How would that work?

It's not necessarily simple or straightforward for the landlord to just up the rent at a moment's notice just because his financial circumstances require it. Don't panic!

AMILLIONDOLLARS

Just because two of his other tenants do a runner is no excuse for increasing the rent of the property you are currently in! First things first!. Are you saying that you have been living in the current property for 3 years paying xxx amount of rent and the landlord have been aware of this? Does your mother have a rental agreement? If you have been there for the three years and can prove it, then you may have rights regarding the increase of rent and whether you can stay in the present property. You will need to go along to your local CAB for advice. or why not try SHELTER. You may have no choice but to go into emergency housing. Is your mum planning to stay where she is?

AMD

Just found the website, is might be of some help to you:

http://www.desktoplawyer.co.uk/dtl/index.cfm?event=base:article&node=A76046B76371D76563

Jowo_2

Shelter offer free advice to tenants and may have a drop-in centre locally to you. Read their section on homelessness, how the local council should process it your application and their obligations should the current landlord serve notice on you.

This doesn't necessarily mean there is an obligation for them to provide you with social housing at a location convenient for your employment, often social housing is very stretched and the local authority put people in temporary accommodation, but Shelter will advise you of your options.

BitterAndTwisted

It is a LOT cheaper for the State to have a family member take on the responsibilities as a carer rather than having to provide the same themselves, so this might give you some leverage with your local authority's housing department.

Don't start packing yet.

Do you have sight of the tenancy agreement? If so, is there anything in that agreement about rent-increases? It sounds to me like the rent can't be increased during the term of the agreement unless there is mention of it and the amount.

poppysarah

Is the rent a fair rent still after the increase?

He has to give suitable notice of rent increases. See shelter website

blckbrd

OP is your mum claiming all the benefits she's entitled to including any relating to her needing a 24/7 carer?