Advice on council housing

Onthemoveagain

Hello everyone. I am looking for some advice. We have just been offered a council house which we will most likely take.

We currently rent privately. I'm not quite sure of the tenancy but we have been there for eight years and only ever had the one contract.

Can the one months notice start any time or does it have to be at least one month from when we next pay rent?

Also, will we be able to claim housing benefit on two properties until the notice ends and whilst we decorate and carpet the new home?

And does anyone know if we get the keys straight away or will we have to wait?

Sorry for all the questions and Thank you in advance.

jaylee3

Onthemoveagain wrote: »

Hello everyone. I am looking for some advice. We have just been offered a council house which we will most likely take.

We currently rent privately. I'm not quite sure of the tenancy but we have been there for eight years and only ever had the one contract.

Can the one months notice start any time or does it have to be at least one month from when we next pay rent?

Also, will we be able to claim housing benefit on two properties until the notice ends and whilst we decorate and carpet the new home?

And does anyone know if we get the keys straight away or will we have to wait?

Sorry for all the questions and Thank you in advance.

First of all congratulations! :T

No, you don't have to wait til a month after you last paid rent to give notice. If you paid rent say 10th Jan, (for a month) and now it's 25th Jan, you can give notice now. Then you will leave 25th Feb. So on 11th Feb, you need only pay 2 weeks rent.

Hmmmm, HB on 2 properties? Depends on the local authority, but some usually allow an overlap yes, at least for 2 weeks, maybe a month. Ask them on Monday.

You will (probably) get the keys on the Friday before the Monday the tenancy starts.

Good luck x

mickey54

jaylee3 wrote: »

First of all congratulations! :T

No, you don't have to wait til a month after you last paid rent to give notice. If you paid rent say 10th Jan, (for a month) and now it's 25th Jan, you can give notice now. Then you will leave 25th Feb. So on 11th Feb, you need only pay 2 weeks rent.

Hmmmm, HB on 2 properties? Depends on the local authority, but some usually allow an overlap yes, at least for 2 weeks, maybe a month. Ask them on Monday. Good luck x

You can apply for a two home payment, based on fact that you are obliged to give one months notice for private let and, you will have to accept and sign up for council ASAP. Ask your housing officer to complete the 2 homes app. Good luck in your new home.

moromir

jaylee3 wrote:

No, you don't have to wait til a month after you last paid rent to give notice. If you paid rent say 10th Jan, (for a month) and now it's 25th Jan, you can give notice now. Then you will leave 25th Feb. So on 11th Feb, you need only pay 2 weeks rent.

I don't think I've ever seen a post thats this incorrect.

OP read the stickied posts on this sub-forum on ending a tenancy.

BitterAndTwisted

Strictly you would need to give at least one complete rental-period's notice IN WRITING, so you'll need to double-check the dates on your original tenancy agreement.

However, it all depends on how good your relationship with your landlord ism, and how easy it would be for the property to be re-let. If you offer to be utterly cooperative with viewings during your notice-period your landlord might be minded to agree a mutual surrender earlier than one complete rental-period. But you'll only know that if you ask nicely.

jaylee3

moromir wrote: »

I don't think I've ever seen a post thats this incorrect.

OP read the stickied posts on this sub-forum on ending a tenancy.

Er excuse me: No it's NOT incorrect. This is exactly how it happened for us. And for many other I know.

If the tenant gives one month's notice IN WRITING on Monday, she will only have to pay rent up to 27th February. LIKE I SAID! (As long as the agreement says one month's notice, which most do.)

So if she paid a month's rent on say 11th January, then when she gets to 11th Feb, she will only need to pay the rent up to the end of the tenancy (which would be 27th Feb.)

Re, the overlap. the OP is only asking...No need for the vitriolic and spiteful benefit bashing.

t0rt0ise

Because we live in a civilised society that supports people. We don't believe any more in maintaining the workhouses.

Besides that we don't know anything about this particular recipient of HB. Most who receive HB are in work. Maybe you could support the fight for employers for pay a proper living wage instead of allowing them to rely on the tax payer topping up wages.

Onthemoveagain

Thank you. That answers a few questions.

For those that think we are scroungers on benefits, we are far from. We have two disabled children and so are carers 24/7. We are being moved into an adapted council house. We could just move in and get on with the decorating/carpeting but that would not be very safe, would it. Nor can we just tell our current landlord that we are going. So there will have to be a cross over period and our carers allowance wouldn't cover this.

jaylee3

Take no notice onthemoveagain,' there are a few very spiteful and mean people on here tonight, posting some very baiting and vitriolic comments, trying to upset people. I don't know what is so bad in their lives, that they feel the need to post in such a manner.

lighting_up_the_chalice

ska_lover wrote: »

Doesn't really compare - starving someone V's them expecting the tax payers to fund two homes whilst they take their sweet time in getting their second home ready. People who actually WORK and PAY THEIR RENT do not get the luxury of a free fortnight, so why the hell do benefits claimants assume they have YET ANOTHER free ride. ahh the benefits mentality strikes again!!

Not even in the same ball park is it!!

I didn't read any expectation from the OP. They were just asking if it was a possibility. As for taking "their sweet time in getting their second home ready", the timescales involved are out of their hands. The notice they must give is at the behest of their current LL, the new tenancy start date at the behest of their new one. Oh, and it could be a 4 week benefits overlap, not a free fortnight.

lighting_up_the_chalice

ska_lover wrote: »

I think the OP is kidding themselves if they think Housing Benefit will fund two homes in an attempt to make life easier for OP.

OP benefits are for necessity, not to make life easier for you....

And yet you CAN claim HB on two homes for up to 4 weeks. It's called overlapping benefit and is pretty much designed for the OPs circs.