Help with private renting

Natalie6999

myself & my partner are at present living in a council house, but due to having neighbours from hell & despite complaining & begging the council to rehouse us, we are now looking at private renting as a solution.

We are on benefits due to me being disabled & my partner being unemployed, have 1 child, no savings or spare money.

Is there anywhere we can get help with money for a bond, rent up front & moving expenses wich will total around £1500?

PippaGirl_2

Do you have a secure tenancy? If so I wouldn't give that up for love nor money as they are ending now. Have you put your name on other lists for a house swap? The councils have their own lists and there are national ones too. Benefit caps are likely to get tighter and lowered over the next few years meaning more and more people in private rented won't have their rent covered, whereas you will if in social housing.
But if you do decide to leave your current home there will be hundreds in the queue to apply for it I suppose.

Dunroamin

Also worth bearing in mind how much more expensive the rent will be when your husband returns to work and you're paying your own rent.

Natalie6999

we are desperate to get out as both my partner & my son have been assaulted by these neighbours from hell & we are all regularly threatened & abused by them. Our home has turned into a prison, we don't go out if we can help it, my son can't play out like a normal child, we spend our lives locked in our house.

PippaGirl_2

Also bear in mind that housing is not secure in the private rental arena, some people are fortunate in finding long lets but others through no fault of their own are moved on when landlords want to sell/move back in/ change agency/have friends they want in and then you will have to finance each move and the interiors will be different needing different things. Also many LL are very clever at using your deposit as the basis for their upgrading between tenants and it can be a fight to get it all back even though you have left it as you found it.

PippaGirl_2

Natalie, have you involved the Police?

Natalie6999

Yes we have but as the estate we live on is near enough a no go area for the police, they werent much help. When my partner got attacked the police told us that it was the law of the jungle where we lived. We have tried out local councillors & MP to get us to help but they dont seem able to help us to get moved.

Dunroamin

You can have neighbours from hell in the private sector as well.

Morglin

Don't give up a secure tenancy, as bad neighbours exist in private accomodation as well. Your landlords have a legal obligation to assist here, and you need to force them into it. They cannot just wash their hands of it, and neither can the police.

Try ringing SHELTER:

http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/neighbourhood_issues/antisocial_behaviour/eviction_for_antisocial_behaviour

This site gives info and support to those suffering anti social neighbours:

http://www.nfh.org.uk/

Or, you could try and swap council homes:

http://www.homeswapper.co.uk/

Lin

PippaGirl_2

Sounds like Whitehawk

Natalie, I feel for you but the Police and the Council have a legal duty to sort this out. Have you been to the CAB about this? Victim Support?

There is an orgnaisation called Neighbours from Hell and their website has info and forums I would hope you would get help and advice from there. Please don't give up your secure tenancy before knowing what should be being done and how to make it happen.

missapril75

Check your PM