Urgh housing options as end of pregnancy looms!

Travelqueen

Hi there, and congratulations.

I just wanted to ask if the Landlord knows you are due to give birth in August? I assume so.

As a reluctant landlady I can't understand why they are being so inflexible, although I have to admit that sometimes having a house and managing it yourself whilst miles away can be stressful and maybe they've just been seeing expenses come their way for house repairs?

No landlord or tenant is perfect but you sound pretty good really. I do wonder if you should call their bluff as they'd be forced to go back to an LA which I imagine they wouldn't want.

You say you want to own in the future, have you looked at shared ownership schemes to see if you qualify? Housing associations? One of my friends qualified for one in Tower Hamlets as she'd been living there for 4 years, so maybe there's a similar scheme near you?

Good luck anyway whatever you decide to do

Take care

TQ

Cazza1

Hi CM - my mum said it might be a good idea to remind them about the cost of going through a letting agent again (especially the monthly 10%) but I imagine they are aware and I feel like I may anger them if I point it out. I did initially tentatively request a temporary reduction in rent but also acknowledged at the time that they were fully in their rights not to say yes to this - but added that it seemed silly not to ask as a first port of call. They said no as what we pay is the market rent for the home & area which was fair enough but if we leave they will see £85 less a month than what they're getting now if they go through an agent.

I know what you mean about staying and I know moving is costly but I was thinking if we could find somewhere £150-£200 a month cheaper that initial cost would quickly even itself out. Parents have offered to loan the deposit then we would get ours back from here to reimburse - all being well they release it. We have really taken care of the house and I guess after 5 and a half years there is always going to be some wear and tear.

Hi TQ - thanks for your reply, Yes the landlord knows we are expecting our second child - we told them a few months ago and at the time they jokingly said don't have anymore otherwise we'll be needing a bigger house. Lol yeah right - looking at downsizing into a two bed as it is!!

I think the distance is an issue for them as the lady in this country isn't managing the property but is a friend of their's who has stepped in from time to time - to drop money off (two double glazed units broke last year due to age so these had to be replaced). But on the whole they haven't had to pay out for a great deal... they requested the tree being cut back which was a huge job and they paid for it, plus the window units, now this lock on the window. We've replaced toilet seats with better quality ones, laid new lawn when the shaded area has become bare, cut back trees and replaced bathroom fittings (shower head, pipe and riser rail) which have perished due to age - so we have contributed on both sides really - and we genuinely care about the house, which I know every landlord would like as a matter of importance!

I have made an application to Homebuy for any scheme they may accept me on but have applied on my own because of OH's bankruptcy. Problem is that on my own I can't see that I'd get a mortgage - I work 18.5 hours a week so although I save on childcare and see more of my wage than I would if working full time, on paper my wage isn't great - about £15000 a year. Bless my mum she has been saving towards our wedding (which we haven't been able to save a bean for!) but has offered it to me for a deposit, but its not enough really. Thats another motivating factor for moving - so that we can actually save a bit of money.

I have emailed them about our issues with the current early termination clause in a bit more detail and haven't heard anything back yet so they are probably taking some adviceI imagine. All I want is the ability to give notice should we absolutely have to or have a periodic tenancy so that if worse comes to worse we can move on with them having time to find other tenants. Its a lovely house and I don't think they would have any problems re-letting but I think they would need to go through an agent, being so far away with people in their home they have no experience of.

Sorry for my really really long post . Thanks for your replies, nice to know that others think they're being quite inflexible as I was starting to wonder whether we are completely in the wrong in what we were proposing. xx

franklee

Cazza1 wrote: »

Hi there Franklee - thank you for your reply. We pay our rent directly into their account. Their names are on the account but I am unsure of the location of it. Do I need to check this? If its a british account but they live overseas does this make a difference? we definitely pay directly to them. Have just checked m online banking and there's no details on the list just the name of the account. Thank you I appreciate your help, Caroline

Yes you need to check this, the important issue is are they non-resident, not that their account is British, the information you need is all in the link I gave you:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/international/nr-landlords.htm

So have a read it's quite straightforward.

Basically:

"If you have rental property in the UK but your usual home is outside the UK, your tenants or the letting agents you use will need to operate the Non-resident Landlord (NRL) Scheme. They need to deduct basic rate tax from rental income before they pass it onto you. You can set this tax off against your own tax bill at the end of the year."

Unless

"Non-resident landlords who are eligible can apply at any time for approval to receive their UK rental income with no tax deducted. This includes applying before they have left the UK or before the letting has started."

and

"Letting agents and/or tenants don't have to deduct tax if HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) tells them not to HMRC will tell an agent/tenant not to deduct tax if non-resident landlords have successfully applied for approval to receive rents with no tax deducted."

So you need to see evidence of the latter and in the absence of that do the former. I think a polite enquiry to your landlord and/or HMRC will let you know which applies to you.