LL starting to boot all the rentals out on our street

laurenjs88

I live in england on a development owned by a big company.

They now appear to be kicking all the rentals out on our road they've started 6 doors up from us but have given notice to two houses. They got rid of a batch of people august last year so we kind of knew it was comming at some point, but they are still developing so thought we were more secure now they've started on the last batch of houses.

Problem is I dont currently claim LHA as we scrape by and OH isnt on the tenancy yet, So I have no idea what we are going to do when we get our notice! I am ill and currently trying to sort out benefits etc.. but that could take months.

We've got nowhere to go if we get the notice as there me, OH & the 2 children.

Do we have to get out within the notice or can we just stay for longer whilst they go to court etc and try to find somewhere else? I assume even after we are meant to leave if we dont we carry on paying the rent etc??

Eurgh I think i'm going to have a panic attack!

G_M

What kind of contract do you have? Is it a fixed term and if so when did it start and for how long?
How often do you pay your rent?
Why is LHA relevant?

Assuming you have an Assured Shorthold Tenancy, and are in the fixed term, you cannot be made to leave till it ends.
If it has already ended and you are a Periodic tenant (month by month) then you have to be given 2 months notice timed to end with a rent period. After that, the developer can go to court and request possession, which the court will usually grant.

If you know this is coming, though, best thing is to start planning now rather than wait for the inevitable.

laurenjs88

LHA is relevant because then I believe we could go on the "list" and get more "points" plus I know that if you claim LHA and are getting evicted the council has a help service and tries to get you more time in the house, well our's does anyway.

Were on the month by month & pay caleneder monthly, been here nearly 2 years. Im gutted the rate for 3 beds in this area is 600pcm we only pay 495pcm and will not be able to afford another 3 bed when we have to leave!

BitterAndTwisted

You've got two children so you don't really need a three-bed, that's just what you'd like

Oldernotwiser

Have you started looking for somewhere else to live yet or are you going to wait until you receive your notice?

Ambersuccubus

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

You've got two children so you don't really need a three-bed, that's just what you'd like

Actually, it depends on the age and sex of said children. Over tens of opposite sex should not have to share a bedroom - HB (and therefore I presume LHA) is predicated on this.

Derivative

Ambersuccubus wrote: »

Actually, it depends on the age and sex of said children. Over tens of opposite sex should not have to share a bedroom - HB (and therefore I presume LHA) is predicated on this.

Oldest child is three.

poppysarah

So are they doing them up and then charging more rent?
Are they not keeping the tenants in other properties?


re: LHA - if you are entitled to benefits then please claim them.
If your OH lives with you and works though this may erode any benefit you might have otherwise got.

Speak to the council tomorrow and get on their waiting list.

BitterAndTwisted

Ambersuccubus wrote: »

Actually, it depends on the age and sex of said children. Over tens of opposite sex should not have to share a bedroom - HB (and therefore I presume LHA) is predicated on this.

When you're in a private let and local rental-rates are unaffordable, this is a red-herring. There are Local Authority tenants who have children of opposite sexes sharing bedrooms well into their teens because some LA's don't have the vacant housing-stock stock to move anyone anywhere. If the OP will be unable to afford £800 a month and is currently paying £600 it's not likely that LHA will pay all of the difference, especially when people are working.

Still, if the OP is finding it difficult to afford their rent and they are entitled to claim LHA they should do so.

laurenjs88

Thanks for all the advice,
We rent a 3 bed house, and because we've been here for 2 years we have a 3 bed house worth of stuff, Yes we could live in a 2 bed but no I don't want too in all honesty however if we are being booted out we wont have any other option.

We have started looking but the places even for 2 beds are as Bitter & Twisted said unaffordable. Where we are is cheap and a lovely little area, but its 15 miles out of the city where we both work.

There is nothing where we are remotley affordable so we're going to have to pull the girls from nursery and move into a smaller place somewhere completly different. I know its just part of renting but I'll admit I'm a little bit cut-up we really wanted to buy the house in a few years

Oh and they are kicking all the rentals out to sell them off.

dizziblonde

If they know that in a few years you're wanting to buy the place - they might well be happy to keep you in there and delay your sell-off till right at the end (they can't stick an entire street's worth of houses up or no one's going to buy anything there wondering what the heck's wrong with the street that it's all for sale). My in-laws are renting a house out at the moment and know that in a couple of years the tenant's keen to buy it which suits both of them.

And up-down sizing houses isn't actually as hard as you'd think - I've gone from a 2 Bed > 3 Bed > 1 Bed > 3 Bed > 2 Bed and lived to tell the tale - ultimately if there aren't 3 beds around and you can't afford them... what you want isn't the issue really - I want to be on a warm beach right now but that's not happening either.