Were looing to offer a house share for a single mother and her daughter

GEORGYPORGY

ok, is there a formal written agreement similar to that of the tenancy agreement that will need completing?

hippy-chicy

' with regards our relationship with said girl, had she not been close to us, this offer would not have been made '

'I have no access to filling the forms for benefit, however, we have been asked by the claimee to assist'

You have answered the questions here with regard to the relationship. Are you saying that you would evict and make this girl homeless if the rent was not paid?

Again this confirms that is not a normal landlord / tenant relationship. From what you have but It is not at arms length.

This is what the council will be looking at when making a decision on the commerciality of the tenancy.

terryw

The council will want some proof that his agreement is in force and for your own protection it is as well to have something in writing. A two-minute search on google will list lots of sites which provide agreements for a small fee. Here is one:
http://www.clickdocs.co.uk/rent-a-room-england.htm

TOBRUK

I'm sorry but is it just me ... if I had a friend of 21 years as you say with a toddler who was about to be evicted, plus the fact that the toddler was my godchild - yes I would want to help. However, I think what I would do was to take her in for a short time until she could find a place of her own and get on her feet, but I certainly wouldn't want payment for the room! If she could give something towards food or bills in form of a few pounds a week fine. Surely to help someone in that situation where she could get enough together for deposit to get another place and get herself back on her feet would be the thing to do. To me you don't seem to be in a position to truely 'help' your friend because you want payment for putting her up!

The OP rents the spare room out to students (normally) for income but now wants to 'help' this friend but wants to charge her for room and board - to me this isn't helping a friend out ... or is it??

Badger_Lady

I rented a room out to a lodger for a while, who was claiming HB due to disability. I just let the room as to any other lodger, on normal terms (in my case £300pcm inc bills).

The council did ask some questions about my relationship to the lodger, suggesting that we were setting up some cosy arrangement. I replied honestly to their questions (we met on Gumtree, we'd never met before, she was renting a separate room which is normally let out...) and they commenced payments of £250pcm, with other benefits covering the final £50.

However, if I had already been close friends with the lodger, I don't know how they would have reacted... the implication is that they would expect you to let her move in out of goodwill.

HappyMJ

Quote
any help and advice will be warmly welcomed,

As has been said before you will be doing her a disservice. At the moment she is housed so she is in a low priority group to get a social property, years in fact. If you house her then she'll stay in that group. However, if she waits to be evicted she won't be homeless on the street council will house her in an appropriate place much quicker than now. If you want to be nice then offer her the place to stay for a week or two for no rent while council get something sorted. She can get help with the deposit from here ---> http://www.canterbury.gov.uk/main.cfm?objectid=875

Indie_Kid

GEORGYPORGY wrote: »

the girl in question currently receives £11.00 per week in income support.

Does she receive any child benefit ot tax credits for the child?

terryw

hippy-chicy wrote: »

' with regards our relationship with said girl, had she not been close to us, this offer would not have been made '

'I have no access to filling the forms for benefit, however, we have been asked by the claimee to assist'

You have answered the questions here with regard to the relationship. Are you telling me that you would evict and make this girl homeless if the rent was not paid?

Again this confirms that is not a normal landlord / tenant relationship. From what you have but It is not at arms length.

Sorry but I disagree with you.

For anyone to take a mother and child into their own home would require much background information and it actually makes perfect sense to offer the vacant room to someone is already known to landlord. The OP is not related to the potential tenant (so far as I can see) and if in the long run no rent was paid, then the tenant would be "evicted". With a licence, not a tenancy, this is a simple matter without need for court proceedings.

chesky369

It can't be a tenancy of any kind, as the landlord will be sharing facilities with the 'tenant' - it will be a licence and (from CAB Advisernet :


A licensee has only a personal permission, rather than a legal right, to stay in the accommodation

So your friend may actually find it difficult to get LHA in the circumstances.

terryw

chesky369 wrote: »

It can't be a tenancy of any kind, as the landlord will be sharing facilities with the 'tenant' - it will be a licence and (from CAB Advisernet :


A licensee has only a personal permission, rather than a legal right, to stay in the accommodation

So your friend may actually find it difficult to get LHA in the circumstances.

Why? Nothing in your post even suggests a reason for this.

Any number of people have done and continue to claim HB or LHA for a room in a house.