Struggling to find somewhere to rent due to money

Buggles

Hi
By March 20th I need to have found somewhere else to live. My mum and I are currently renting a 2 bedroom house for £585 per month. Our 12 month lease is up on March 20th. My mum is planning on moving in with her boyfriend then and I cannot go with her (30 miles away from where I work and he only has one bedroom). I am planning on renting a flat.
I really want to avoid estate agents as I KNOW that I will be refused once credit checks are done. I am 22 years old and currently only work 16 hours a week. I know full well that I will need to, unfortunately, rely on housing benefit to help pay my rent. I have no choice but to get somewhere to live though.
My only option really is private rental, and there are literally NO flats/houses around here that are private rentals (I live in a very small countryside-town)

I'm starting to really panic now, knowing that I have six weeks to find somewhere. We do not want to renew the lease on this house as our landlord will not do a month-by-month lease and the minimum she will do is six months, plus I cannot afford to rent this on my own.

I don't really know what I'm asking here, just hoping somebody will have some advice.

Also, does anybody know of any websites that have private rental classifieds?

theartfullodger

Buggles stated...

We do not want to renew the lease on this house as our landlord will not do a month-by-month lease

If you don't renew the lease then the old tenancy automatically rolls on, month-by-month (assuming you pay rent monthly according to the tenancy agreement..). That the LL doesn't want to is tough on the LL. The tenancy becomes a "Statutory periodic tenancy" on the s\me terms as the previous one...

LL can then give you notice to quit (usually a "Section 21 notice"). Even after this expires (check your records, you may have had one already..) you still don't have to leave...

LL will need to get a court possession order to get you out... even then you don't have to leave... LL then has to get bailiffs to carry you out (usually wise to leave day before..). All these things can take several months....

However if you go that route you are very very unlikely to get a decent reference.

Your renting position is very tricky. Sorry to be blunt but your best bet is probably to start working longer hours (? 40/wk) and spend less on other things so you can appear a better bet to landlords...

Hope it works out...

Lodger (Landlord since 2000)

adg1

Buggles wrote: »

I really want to avoid estate agents as I KNOW that I will be refused once credit checks are done.

Given the place you seem to live you may have no option but to use an estate agent. I know they charge a fee (is that what you are trying to avoid?) but they will be able to provide you with far more options.

With regards to the credit checks, will your mum act as a guarantor for you? If so, she will be checked instead of you - your rent comes from the local authority but she will guarantee to make up to the landlord any shortfall if you ever fall behind.

Is this an option for you?

RAS

Hi

At your age, you are more likely to be able to afford a house share or lodging, both of which might be easier to find.

Do you work in the town?

Buggles

Thank you for your responses.

theartfullodger, that's interesting to know! Thanks!

adg1, I'm not particuarly trying to avoid the fee, I just don't want to waste the money knowing that I'm very likely to be turned down. My mum would act as guarantor but she doesnt have very good credit history.

RAS, yes, I work in the town and have no transport. I really really do not want to house share as I'm very quiet and prefer my own space. I know I can't afford (literally!) to be fussy though.

princeofpounds

Firstly, don't worry in the sense that you will not become homeless. Your eventual recourse will be to the council who have a duty to get you accomodation, but it might only be a dingy B&B until you get yourself sorted as you are not a priority need being a young single guy.

You need to earn more money; what are you doing in the other thirty-four hours a week you aren't working? Is a second job, extending your hours or a new job a possibility?

Then you need to look at reducing your housing costs. A house share is the most obvious solution. Lodging the next most obvious.

Try estate agents anyway. Be upfront about your credit before they ask for credit check fees. They will know some landlords who will be more desperate for tenants and will be prepared to relax this requirement, if there are any. If not, no harm done.

Call the council housing office and make sure that you are getting the benefits you are entitled to. Ask them for contact details of landlords who accept benefit tenants.

Also see if there is a local landlords association you can contact.

Call Shelter for more advice, it's free and this is exactly what they are there to help with. In particular they can help you with the council-related stuff.

theartfullodger

PoP stated ..

Your eventual recourse will be to the council who have a duty to get you accomodation,

- er,,, sadly no, council has limited duties as regards to unintentional homelessness: It is likely if OP had a home but left in almost all circumstances then OP would be turned away by council.

Sorry to be gloomy, best to understand the position: It would of course not hurt to get on council waiting list buy single people without threat of violence or not suffering health issues are very very unlikely to get anywhere..

See
http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/homelessness/help_from_the_council

-in particular...

The council has to provide you with emergency accommodation while it looks into your situation if it believes you may be:

• legally classed as homeless
• eligible for assistance, and
• in priority need.

- for more info...

As before, get better paying employment & save some money... private renting these days is sadly usually the only option: You don't want to end up in a single homeless hostel, and most people who you & I would consider "homeless" are not considered homeless by council & don't even qualify for the hostel...



Lodger

BitterAndTwisted

Buggles in the very first instance I would get on your Local Authority's website and investigate what their LHA (Local Housing Allowance) is for a single person. At your age it will in all likelihood not cover a one bed-roomed flat but might cover the rent for a room in a house-share or as a lodger. Housing Benefit is no longer paid in nearly all Local Authorities these days and if you qualify for LHA it is invariably paid to the claimant so any places you might seek to take a room in do not need to know that you are claiming it. Self-discipline is called for so that you always pay the money over once received. Investigate whether family or friends might be able to loan you monies for any deposit or rent in advance you may need to come up with.

The time for insisting that you can't share with others might be over, I'm afraid.

There might be any number of folk with a spare-room who might welcome some-one capable of helping with house-work, shopping, painting and decorating or even watching kids now and then in exchange for a reasonable and affordable rent. You've certainly got the time available!

Squish_21

Have you looked into renting a room in a house/flat share? B cheaper than trying to rent a place on your own.

Fire_Fox

Buggles wrote: »

Hi
By March 20th I need to have found somewhere else to live. My mum and I are currently renting a 2 bedroom house for £585 per month. Our 12 month lease is up on March 20th. My mum is planning on moving in with her boyfriend then and I cannot go with her (30 miles away from where I work and he only has one bedroom). I am planning on renting a flat.

I really want to avoid estate agents as I KNOW that I will be refused once credit checks are done. I am 22 years old and currently only work 16 hours a week. I know full well that I will need to, unfortunately, rely on housing benefit to help pay my rent. I have no choice but to get somewhere to live though.
My only option really is private rental, and there are literally NO flats/houses around here that are private rentals (I live in a very small countryside-town)

I'm starting to really panic now, knowing that I have six weeks to find somewhere. We do not want to renew the lease on this house as our landlord will not do a month-by-month lease and the minimum she will do is six months, plus I cannot afford to rent this on my own.

Also, does anybody know of any websites that have private rental classifieds?
adg1, I'm not particuarly trying to avoid the fee, I just don't want to waste the money knowing that I'm very likely to be turned down. My mum would act as guarantor but she doesnt have very good credit history.

RAS, yes, I work in the town and have no transport. I really really do not want to house share as I'm very quiet and prefer my own space. I know I can't afford (literally!) to be fussy though.

IIRC at 22 you are not entitled to LHA for a one bedroom flat only the shared accommodation rate. Working sixteen hours a week you simply cannot afford the bills on a one bedroom flat: trust me electric heating is VERY expensive.

Either you need a second or even third job - early morning cleaning, washing cars, paper round, nights at a garage - or you will have to look for lodgings. Not all shared houses are noisy, and they can be great for increasing your circle of friends or confidence building. At 22 really you should be open to new experiences, not sticking within your comfort zone.

Have you considered making the move away from your small countryside town? What is holding you there - you don't have a full time job, your mum is leaving, and you don't sound like you have an outrageous social life? :huh:

princeofpounds

sadly no, council has limited duties as regards to unintentional homelessness: It is likely if OP had a home but left in almost all circumstances then OP would be turned away by council

??? What makes you think that the OP will be classed as intentionally homeless? Presumably they have received a Section 21 notice, are still paying their rent, and will be advised to stay put until the eviction order is in place? That doesn't count as intentionally homeless.