HMO + Council tax + dodgy Landlord + dodgy tenant. Need help to avoid losing deposit

snapcracklepop

Yes but I signed up for it when I was a student, when I was exempt from paying council tax. As said, these indemnity terms are standard for student tenancy agreements. There thousands of people in this city with the same or very similiar tenancy agreements. There are an awful lot of people with this tenancy agreement in the UK.

And as for moving. You try and find a place that will accept somebody on income support. It is not easy at all.

It's almost criminal that I'm having to use income support money to pay my landlord's council tax bill or have the option of making myself intentionally homeless.

barnaby-bear

lynzpower wrote:

I know you are probalby new here, so Ill go easy, but please be careful about how you describe your co-tenant, as we dont want this post pulled due to (percieved, intended or otherwise) racism. So do tread carefully.

I thought that HMO had to be more than 2 households- not 2?

QUOTE]

2 households are an HMO, the only exemption under new rules is a TWO *PERSON* (person not household) flat-share (i.e. shared tenancy rather than two single). So a couple sharing with single friend on same tenancy = HMO, two friends sharing on same tenancy not HMO, two strangers on single tenancies = HMO....

lynzpower

but again, wouldnt you be entitled to council tax benefit if you are on income support?

this should protect you against having to pay it- surely

Id speak to Shelter the homelessness charity on this one.

lynzpower

thanks for that barnaby- committed to memory

clutton_2

lynz - this is a great definition from Barnaby - but if you need to work in a different borough, check out with the local council there as the individual council "interpretation" which is going on drives you insane !! i manage all over the country and councils - a law unto themselves !!!!!

snapcrackle - i had clearly missed that you are in Income support. I also would now urge you to go to Shelter - your situation is quite unusual and they are brilliant at housing problems.

i would have thought that if your entitlement to Council Tax Benefit has changed duriing the Tenancy that some help with HB would be forthcoming - but as i say, take your AST to Shelter.
best of luck.

barnaby-bear

clutton wrote:

lynz - this is a great definition from Barnaby - but if you need to work in a different borough, check out with the local council there as the individual council "interpretation" which is going on drives you insane !! i manage all over the country and councils - a law unto themselves !!!!!

snapcrackle - i had clearly missed that you are in Income support. I also would now urge you to go to Shelter - your situation is quite unusual and they are brilliant at housing problems.

i would have thought that if your entitlement to Council Tax Benefit has changed duriing the Tenancy that some help with HB would be forthcoming - but as i say, take your AST to Shelter.
best of luck.

yEp I was going by what is in the legal law written stuff, but most councils have so much on plate they are sort of rolling in the definition gradually i.e. targetting the 5bed HMOs then working their way down... the legal spirit of the law is designed to protect people from other people who would have no concern for their safety especially fire safety i.e. strangers separate households as in terrible parisian immigrant fires. Probably CT legislation hasn't thought of legal protection...

clutton_2

With a view to buying, i visited 3 terraced houses in Coventry which were next to each other all had been newly "refurbed" - woodchip and thinnest carpet on this planet - there were 24 young Africans living in these 3 houses. I reported it to the HMO office as soon as i got home.

snapcracklepop

Thbank you for the replies

but again, wouldnt you be entitled to council tax benefit if you are on income support?

this should protect you against having to pay it- surely

This is the root of the problem. The bill is in the landlords name, therefore I cannot claim council tax benefit as the bill must be in my name.

I cannot get the bill into my name because the council regard the property as a HMO.

In regards to shelter, thankfully I've managed to find a place but my liability will remain until the end of the month.

I have seen my MP, who's trying to do help but doubtful he can. As you said, there needs to be legislation in regards to legal protection but this would take forever to roll out.

However it would not work properly with student accommodation as rents would have to increase to cover liability were students' status to change whilst tenancies were current. Given this the council should allow landlords to include council tax in rent and pay 'Housing benefit' to cover this cost.

Currently if you claim housing benefit and your landlord includes council tax in rent, the council deduct this money from your housing benefit.

Personally I would just get rid of council tax and increase other taxes. A much simplier solution for everyone.

snapcracklepop

Just signed for a studioflat in the center of town. Lucky me! Not lucky because of the privacy I will now have, well maybe lucky there a little but the bloody bills are finally in my name. No more stupid indemnity !!!!!! anymore.

Yay!

However! I'm not letting this go. I'm going to change the status quo mark my words, what happened to me and what will no doubt happen to others in future is a travesty of current law. It is absolutely disgusting that these terms of contracts affect people this way. It was having a rather detrimental effect on my health too.

oi John Hutton, minister for work and pensions, this bullets has your name on it.

I shall don a large cape and underpants. well perhaps not.

clutton_2

don't forget that underpants should be worn outside the trousers !!!!!