make do and mend for tougher times

Nargleblast

(Jumping off the lurkers bus a moment) Fuddle, when I read your post about your landlord's visit, I thought "Out by December 20th - well, Happy Christmas Fuddle and family!" What a complete and utter !!!!!! to do that to any family! If you had not kept up to date with your rent, or if you had wrecked the place, I could understand it, but what have you done to annoy him? Asked him to sort out a damp problem, which he should by rights sort out!

Maybe, as some have said, this is meant to be - a turning point in the journey towards a better and nicer home, perhaps.
I have no experience of renting, so cannot offer any advice on that. The best advice is - always get the best advice. Be guided by your mates on here, as some seem to be au fait with the law in these matters. I remember years ago, moving out of the marital home with DD into an old Victorian terraced house, and sleeping on a mattress for the first night as my bedroom was not quite ready to sleep in. That night I had the best night's sleep for a long time, and I still remember it now, years later and many changes in life circumstances later. I suspect at some point you will be worrying about what to do about Christmas. Don't worry if you are all in upheaval around Christmas time - Christmas is after all just another day, and when Dec 25th comes round, it will be as nice and as fun as you can make it, whatever the circumstances.

kidcat

D&DD I did that with cat food, Mr A had an incredible offer on tins of cat food and I bought six months worth, we moved eight weeks later! My dad was not impressed at all.

GreyQueen

Oh Fuddle, what a blinking thing to happen. A pox on your LL and may his next tenants be the tenants-from-hell.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE call your local council on Monday as soon as their lines open and speak to the housing advisers. They will tell you what is legal and what isn't.

A S21 has to be in writing and it has to take a certain format. A verbal notice is no notice at all. When you get an S21 take it immediately to your council for their advisers to check it's correctly-worded. If it isn't, or the notice period isn't correct, it is invalid and he would need to re-serve.

If it is valid, you don't leave on the date it expires unless you have found somewhere safe and affordable to take your family. He would then have to apply to court to get a warrant of eviction and this would have to be served by a court officer. All this takes a lot of time and costs him money and buys you some breathing space. Possibly many more weeks after the S21 has expired.

I'm operating on the assumption that your local authority is the body operating the waiting list? Make sure that they are aware of what is happening. I'm astonished that you're coming up in the twenties on bidding so quickly (you'd be in the hundreds for a family home around here if so recently on the register) so this may give you sufficient priorty to get a social home.

Please be very careful to seek independant advice from the likes of Shelter and avoid anything which could possibly lead to a future finding of intentionally-homeless (google it). If you become homeless with dependant children you must make a homelessness claim on your local council. They will have to house you temporarily whilst they investigate how the homelessness came about and whether you are deemed intentionally or unintenionally homeless under the terms of the relevent Act. Worst case scenario is "int-homlessness" and they'd still have to give you 42 days to vacate the temp accomodation.

If unintentionality is found, you will get the very very highest priority to bid on a new social home.

I hope and pray that this nightmare will see you settled in a secure home within a very few months. We're here for you, hun, never forget that.

Wanders off to find a Fuddle Landlord Effigy and a pincushion.

7_week_wonder

Another lurker coming out from lurkdom to give Fuddle a big hug. I'm feeling useless as I have no advice or experience to offer, but just wanted you to know that there is a whole crowd of OSers on your side. Take care, take as much help as you can from this board and, from what I've seen of your posts, I know you and your family will emerge from this stronger and in a better place.

Byatt

Hiya Fuddle, I'm so sorry, what gut wrenching news, I totally understand how you feel, but everyone has given you brilliant advice and now that's what you need to follow. It will work out I am sure, it just doesn't seem like it right now. And you know you've made a home there, so you can do it again, it's you and your family that make the home, not bricks and mortar.

xxxx

mardatha

GQ good advice. Fuddle - he might just poss be playing mind games. If GQ said verbal notice is no notice then in law, nothing has happened at all yet. Sit tight, tell the LL nothing, and get on the phone first thing Monday. And think of the whole cloud of good vibes rising up from the forum for you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

mcculloch29

Oh Fuddle... There seems some very sound advice on here and looking in the local free paper, quite a list of properties to rent, though not so many in really good areas, it has to be said. Particularly around here, it does seem to be a renter's market.
A small tale.
I rented out my house once to join my ex abroad and had to return very unexpectedly when my marriage broke up. My tenants were very well known and liked and boy, was I the bad guy. Despite having nowhere to live myself.
A few years later I was talking to someone who knew my tenants and expressed my guilt, that I still felt.
I was told I'd done them a big favour. They'd been rehoused in a really good part of town, and as their bankruptcy had expired they had been able to buy their council house. It's still one of the nicest houses on that road.

missrlr

fuddle
Whoa there girl, hold off on the credit card application, there will be a credit check for the tenancy and 2 in a short space of time may ring alarm bells. Be sensible and think what Martin says about lots of applications in a short time.
I know some authorities will provide deposits as loan for those in need or have discretionary funds to assist in such cases, you pay over an agreed time period. i beleive these are interrest free too. so before you do something rash look to these first.

12months

:grouphug: just wanted to let you know my thoughts are with you. That's an awful thing to happen but lots of good advice offered on here. Look after yourselves x

Rowan9

Another one sneaking in to say keep strong Fuddle - so glad you are getting good advice here.
Candle lit for you, along with positive vibes to the Universe and a big (((hug))) if you want one.
W