Going from house asso to private renting?

Wee_Willy_Harris

beyond_skint wrote: »

I see I live in cornwall. So lots come here then make themselves homeless, thus getting the houses.

I want to stay in the same town. But having tried for 6 yrs now I have just given up I think. This house we have seen is a neighbour of a school parent and the house owner died and the son is renting to us he lives in London so is not wanting to move down here or back to his mums house. So hes said he won't need it for at least 5yrs.

So it sounds like a long term let

Have a look on the Cornwall Homechoice website at their recent lets......
https://www.cornwallhomechoice.org.uk/Data/ASPPages/1/56.aspx
A number of 3 beds throughout the county have been let to Band C applicants who have been waiting considerably less than 6 years. In some cases they haven't even waited ONE year. Social housing in Cornwall isn't as bad as many would have you believe, and their frequent use of a local lettings policy (and the "local connection" criteria within the homeless legislation) make the notion of hoards of people travelling to Cornwall to jump the queue far less common than you believe.

Tiddlywinks

Could you and OH move into the smaller bedroom and then split your current room into two smaller areas for the children?

I also would not recommend moving from an assured tenancy into the unknown and tougher private environment. You say your future LL won't want the property for 5 years - what then? Where will you go? Your kids will be older and in order to keep them at the same school you will be limited about where you can move to. You'll only have 2 months notice to find somewhere new.

Also, what if the LL goes through a bad patch in his life - divorce, job loss, personal illness, debts, gambling etc? What then? He may decide to move in sooner or to sell to release the money.

Have you researched the other extras that a move might bring? Larger house may mean extra fuel bills, water rates and council tax.

If it were me, I would stay put and make the best of it for the moment (use the extra you would have spent on the new rent to put some savings aside - that way you'll also know over the longer term whether you really can afford the extra costs).

carefullycautious

Ditto the above. Stay put and put kids in larger room or use sofa bed in lounge for the two of you.

Children grow up and leave home, where will the two of you be then?

Chickmug wrote a thread about an older couple who were privately renting and were having a real problem finding more secure accommodation as they aged.

I know it is difficult when you dislike an area but keep trying to exchange. Sometimes it happens when you least expect it.

I know some one who lives in her privately owned 2 bed with a boy and girl who partitioned the room which wasnt very big. They are both grown now. She loved her house and location and did not want to move. She is so glad she stayed put as now that the children have flown the nest she does not have to have the expense of moving to a smaller property.

Also my father lived in a 2up and 2down and he was one of five who shared one bed 3 at top and 2 at bottom. They left home as adults without any problems, as it was normal for them. I expect many others have done the same also.

Dont give up your tenancy you will live to regret it.

Owain_Moneysaver

beyond_skint wrote: »

This house we have seen is a neighbour of a school parent and the house owner died and the son is renting to us he lives in London so is not wanting to move down here or back to his mums house. So hes said he won't need it for at least 5yrs.

But if his mum is taken ill, or he loses his job, or splits up with his partner ...

Is he willing to give you a tenancy with a 5 year fixed period? Because once your private tenancy is out of its minimum fixed period (usually 6 months) the landlord can serve 2 months' notice to quit.

It's really horrible spending year after year wondering if you're still going to be living there in three months' time - and knowing that once the landlord gets possession from the court the result is homeless hostel or B&B.

It would have to be a really really really bad estate to force a move.

And some kids from really really bad estates do turn out all right.

beyond_skint

Thanks everyone. I really am put off now, everyone is against it, so I think your right about thinking long term, I dont allow the kids out with the kids so they wont be getting in with them.

Just wish we could buy unfortunately we dont have 40k in our back pocket for a dep

honeyD

In June myself and my husband gave up a housing association property and moved into a private let property miles away.
The HA house was in the worst area Ive ever known. We were constantly hounded by the local "youths" (if you can call them that, Iknow a few more fitting words hah!) over a 7 year period and in the end had just had enough. The housing association werent willing to help, despite knowing of the problems and the constant calls to police.

We are just 2 quiet people who want to get on with our lives and not be bothered by idiots. After I was threatened with stabbing we decided it was time to get out. We found a house which took a little time to get but it has been so worth it. We have been moved for near 7 months now and things have moved on so much for us. We are both working so we can cover the rent which isnt too high at £380. We are closer to family which is great, and we are expecting a baby which never would have happened at the old place as we didnt want to bring a child into that environment. This new place is a little out of the way, and theres no cinema or anything locally so you have to travel out to do anything but boy has it been worth it!

If your reasons are great enough then I would move. Though you have to be practical about your budget with paying rent as you dont want to replace one problem with another.

Good luck whatever you decide.

beyond_skint

Thank you and congrats!!

Owain_Moneysaver

honeyD wrote: »

We are just 2 quiet people who want to get on with our lives and not be bothered by idiots. After I was threatened with stabbing we decided it was time to get out. We found a house which took a little time to get but it has been so worth it. We have been moved for near 7 months now and things have moved on so much for us. We are both working so we can cover the rent which isnt too high at £380.

Depends on where you are. I couldn't rent a 1 bed flat on the open market for that.

Fiddlestick

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

Is he willing to give you a tenancy with a 5 year fixed period? Because once your private tenancy is out of its minimum fixed period (usually 6 months) the landlord can serve 2 months' notice to quit.

Nearly all my friends have private lets and I've only ever known this to happen a handful of time.

That's not to say that it never happens - of course it does - but it's not as common as some people make out.

It's really horrible spending year after year wondering if you're still going to be living there in three months' time - and knowing that once the landlord gets possession from the court the result is homeless hostel or B&B.

I know the sentiment in which your comments are made, but that's a little dramatic to assume that the landlord just asks for possession and then wham bang, that's you in a homeless hostel.

The assumption is that once the landlord makes it known that they will not be renewing the tenancy then you will be going round all the local letting agencies and rental websites to find another place to stay.

You don't just go to bed one night and end up in a homeless shelter the next

It would have to be a really really really bad estate to force a move.

I grew up in a council estate in Glasgow.

Never again, no way in hell.

I've left those sorts of places *long* behind me.

And some kids from really really bad estates do turn out all right.

I appreciate that but when all your children's peers are getting involved in gangs, alcohol, drugs, violence and shoplifting... why stack the odds against them by staying?

No amount of cost savings in rent could ever convince me to raise my own children on a council estate.

I don't want to tar people with generalisations and I know I'll probably get some stick for my comments, but I've been and done that and got the tshirt - I've seen what estates are like with my own eyes; I lived in one.

Fiddlestick

theartfullodger wrote: »

Why not "I grew up on a scheme".. or did you not grow up in Scotland??

Because calling them "schemes" is an identifying mark of the lower classes.