Rental Deposit Help

AndyNorwich

So me and my girlfriend were on job seekers for the last 4 months. My girlfriend has today got a job so we want to sign off. We are looking at renting a place but have no money for a deposit and 1st month rent upfront which they require. I know theres some kind of help we can get but I have no idea where we get the help from ? Anyone got any ideas would really appreciate it . Thanks

19lottie82

Where are you both living just now? Why are you signing off, if only your girlfriend has a job?

Unless you are homeless I don't think you will get any help with a deposit or first months rent.

You may be entitled to housing benefit depending on your age / joint income, but this will only be payable once you have a tenancy in place, which, as you already know, will require a deposit and AT LEAST one months rent upfront until your claim is processed, probably two, to be on the safe side.

Also, if you are on benefits then a private landlord will most likely require a guarantor or six months rent up front.

You could put your names on a social housing list which doesn't require the above but, these properties are rare these days and in high demand, so getting one when you are in good health with no dependants is very rare indeed.

Mr_Pitiful

This doesn't have every scheme, but quite a lot.

http://www.crisis.org.uk/find-pr-scheme.php

19lottie82

Mr_Pitiful wrote: »

This doesn't have every scheme, but quite a lot.

http://www.crisis.org.uk/find-pr-scheme.php

Looks like these schemes are geared towards the homeless.

Werdnal

If you have so little money behind you, how are you going to convince a landlord to let to you anyway. If you are not working, you will be unlikely to be named on the tenancy, meaning your GF will have to show sufficient income to cover all the rent on her own as the tenancy will be in her name only. Aswell as the months rent + deposit, there will likely be credit check and referencing fees too.

How do you plan to cover all the other living costs of renting - utilities, council tax, TV license, food/shopping etc, on just her wage?

AndyNorwich

Werdnal wrote: »

If you have so little money behind you, how are you going to convince a landlord to let to you anyway. If you are not working, you will be unlikely to be named on the tenancy, meaning your GF will have to show sufficient income to cover all the rent on her own as the tenancy will be in her name only. Aswell as the months rent + deposit, there will likely be credit check and referencing fees too.

How do you plan to cover all the other living costs of renting - utilities, council tax, TV license, food/shopping etc, on just her wage?

Why do a very small minority of people on here question question question ? All I asked was for the help of people that have themselves may have been helped by a similar grant.

Were a young couple trying to make a go of life !

family6

If you have so little money behind you, how are you going to convince a landlord to let to you anyway. If you are not working, you will be unlikely to be named on the tenancy, meaning your GF will have to show sufficient income to cover all the rent on her own as the tenancy will be in her name only. Aswell as the months rent + deposit, there will likely be credit check and referencing fees too.

How do you plan to cover all the other living costs of renting - utilities, council tax, TV license, food/shopping etc, on just her wage?

a.wallace0106 wrote: »

Why do a very small minority of people on here question question question ? All I asked was for the help of people that have themselves may have been helped by a similar grant.

Were a young couple trying to make a go of life !

However unfortunately this is likely to be a reality and quite relevant, if it's not then your probably not likely to qualify for some of the available help out there (if there is any). I don't think it was meant unkindly (although I am mostly a lurker), I know people usually just ask questions so to better help others and give more accurate information.
For example, if you are living with family, advice maybe to stay a few months to save, if homeless or about to be advice would obviously be totally different.

Werdnal

I am asking the same question as any prospective landlord would - If you are taking a tenancy you have to convince me that you have sufficient income to afford to pay my rent and your own living expenses. If a tenant moves in and money is tight, they will want to put food in the cupboard, fuel in their car and pay the leccie bill to prevent them being cut off, and my rent may come well down on the list of priorities for their limited funds.

It OK to say you merely want an answer to one question, but you need to see the full picture. You cannot just ask whether you will get help with your deposit and 1st months rent - what about the month after that, the month after that and so on, whilst other bills which you have possibly never even though of land on the doorstep every day.

If you want to become tenants, you need to prove you can afford to pay for the property throughout the tenancy, otherwise the first month's rent and deposit will be immaterial. Indeed, any landlord who finds out you are struggling to raise this cash, may fear you are not viable tenants at all.

Sorry if you resent my trying to help give you the bigger picture, but thats life kiddo - you are adult enough to want to rent a property, so welcome to the adult world of bills, expense, more bills and more expense!

Making a "go of life" might mean you cannot afford to rent somewhere just yet, so you have to share a property/room rent, live with family etc for now. Good on your GF for getting a job, and I wish you luck in finding a property you can afford, but TBH, you might be better saving up, seeing if her job pans out and getting some funds behind you first.

19lottie82

a.wallace0106 wrote: »

Why do a very small minority of people on here question question question ? All I asked was for the help of people that have themselves may have been helped by a similar grant.

Were a young couple trying to make a go of life !

I'm sorry you don't like the answers given OP but there is no point in people just telling you what you want to hear.

As it has already been pointed out, there are no grants like this, unless you are homeless.

Even if there were, unless you could afford to run a home after you moved in (which is a lot more expensive than a lot of people realise), then the whole plan is really a non starter.

Sorry to sound cruel, but that really is the truth.

Plenty of young couples wish to get their own flat, but realistically the only way to do it is wait until you both have jobs, then spend the next 3 months (at least) saving enough for a deposit and first months rent, and by this time you will be able to prove to a LL that you are in steady employment and can afford to rent.

There are no real shortcuts I'm afraid. Good luck!