Renting Keyworker in tears - please help! :(

I-Owe-You

Hello all...

Please help, I'm feeling so angry, upset and desperate - I am at my wits end. Please give me advise if you can help?

I work for the NHS and in 2008 was accepted for renting Keyworker property which is supposedly affordable housing with a local housing association. I rent a one bedroom unlifted new build on the 2nd floor, in an area that is renown for not being particularly affluent with lots of immigrants and is culturally diverse etc...

Year end 2008/2009 my rent was increased from approx £670.00 a month to £721.00, and today I have just received another letter to start another £54.00 increase will be expected from April 2010.

Making my new monthly rental charges £776.09 (I also have band C council tax which I get single person supplement for but still works out £90 a month; plus other bills... electric, gas, food, phone bill etc... to pay) I don't really have any luxuries - no sky TV or pricey mobile phone contract so try to not spend out of my means.

Unfortunately my NHS wages do not increase to match these revised rent charges. I earn £1200 a month after tax. I cannot afford to pay this revised rent as it is a struggle as it is. I do not spend much money on myself and do not want to have to just work to have all my salary going just on bills. There is no incentive for me to get up in the morning.

I am unfortunately not entitled to priority council/social housing as I'm in my mid 20s, work, and do not have any children - seems like you need to be a single jobless mother on benefits in this area for any form of prioritisation for social housing.

I just wondered if anyone more knowledgeable than me could tell me whenever the housing association are allowed to increase their rent charges over £100 within a year when the property is marketed as affordable for Keyworkers? ...Is there any governing body I can take this up with?

Any advise would be great. I'm desperate, & It's really getting me down.

N79

What sort of tenancy do you have? Who is the LL? What are the tenancy particulars?

Without facts it is not possible to speculate.

kidcat

Hi, I am not an expert and I am sure loads on here will be able to offer more advice but two things struck me about your post
First - are you entitled to any Housing benefit or LHA - theres a site called entitledto.co.uk that you can put your details into and it will tell you.
Second - whenever our rent has been increased theres a note with it explaining if we disagree then we can ask for it to be referred and checked to see if its fair or not. Is is possible you can do this?

Good luck

bubbles0169

maybe your local council can help you
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/BuyingAndSellingYourHome/RentingAHome/DG_4001366

puddy

its about choices, i take it you are in a city or on the outskirts of london somewhere??

i would have thought that its better for you to have gone for a flat share, room rental but a nice one where you have a large room, own bathroom sort of thing

no its not the same as having your own place, but if you could find a sharing situation for about 400 a month (which you would in the above locations), then you're over 400 a month better off (as bills are normally included, well most anyway)

when you're earning more to either buy or rent on your own again, then fine, but until then, your income doesnt allow you to live on your own

good luck

welshy_2002

Up until Xmas, I shared a high spec 2 bed flat in the city centre... Moved into a shared house and never looked back... More room, garden and the ability to save for my own place in a year or two..

There's little point struggling to fund your own place and stressing about it... move and feel the benefits of being able to save for once

Good luck

puddy

i agree, i wasnt meaning to sound harsh, but i bought my own place when i was 25, i had flat shared, rented rooms, from the age of 18, it enabled me to put a large deposit down for my own place

personaly, i have never understood how people afford to rent flats in london (or other expensive cities), i could never have afforded it and in fact couldnt now either

princeofpounds

- Check you are getting all benefits you are entitled to.
- Ask for a pay rise.
- Get a second job.
- Move out and houseshare.

Certain types of tenancies are only allowed to have rent reviews once a year, so if you can provide more detail that would be useful.

May I also ask how long you have been in the job? If you have not been in long (and it sounds possible from your low wage) then frankly it is unusual for someone of that age to live in their own place. Also, it sounds like you are paying some kind of south-eastern or london rental rate, maybe consider a transfer.

Personally I think the whole idea of 'keyworkers' or 'affordable housing' is a total nonsense. It was just a government ploy to get developers (and ultimately private housebuyers as a result) to subsidise low wages for public sector workers. The end effect of the policy was is to make housing more, not less, expensive although it's only been a very marginal factor.

mistrihelen

That rent sounds expensive for what's supposed to be 'affordable' housing. I can't offer advice on whether the increase is allowed, but I'd echo the suggestions above and see if you can rent elsewhere (that isn't 'affordable') for less - even in the most expensive towns there must be better options such as studios, house-shares, etc.

hermum

Have you checked to see what your council has set it's local housing allowance at? If you're being charged more than the council would expect a flat to cost in tht area, then maybe you could negotiate with the HA. It sure doesn't sound like affordable housing to me. On your tenancy agreement did it set out what the rent increase would be, if it's in line with the market, private rents in Devon where I live seem to have dropped in the last couple of years.
Are they charging the market rent & then giving you a keyworker discount?

Fire_Fox

I-Owe-You wrote: »

Hello all...
Year end 2008/2009 my rent was increased from approx £670.00 a month to £721.00, and today I have just received another letter to start another £54.00 increase will be expected from April 2010.

Making my new monthly rental charges £776.09 (I also have band C council tax which I get single person supplement for but still works out £90 a month; plus other bills... electric, gas, food, phone bill etc... to pay) I don't really have any luxuries - no sky TV or pricey mobile phone contract so try to not spend out of my means.

Unfortunately my NHS wages do not increase to match these revised rent charges. I earn £1200 a month after tax. I cannot afford to pay this revised rent as it is a struggle as it is. I do not spend much money on myself and do not want to have to just work to have all my salary going just on bills. There is no incentive for me to get up in the morning.

I just wondered if anyone more knowledgeable than me could tell me whenever the housing association are allowed to increase their rent charges over £100 within a year when the property is marketed as affordable for Keyworkers? ...Is there any governing body I can take this up with?

Any advise would be great. I'm desperate, & It's really getting me down.

First thing to note is that if rent / mortgage is more than half your income then the debt charities consider this to be unaffordable. Clearly you are in this category! Is the increase within a year? Your wording is unclear, it sounds like the rent increased in April 2009 and will again in April 2010? Are these increases in line with a general increase in rental prices in the area or are rents falling? Are you sure the band C for your council tax cannot be challenged (how to article on main MSE site)?

I would do some research and then initially appeal against the increase internally. You may wish to get some of the other residents on board, even consider starting a tenants association. Do also check that you aren't entitled to any benefits (https://www.entitledto.co.uk) and also consider completing a Statement of Affairs (http://www.makesenseofcards.com/soacalc.html) and posting on the DFW board to see if there are any other areas you can economise on. Finally look at increasing your income through online surveys, focus groups, cashback, matched betting.