Six months rent due, no money

ScaredCrazy

tanith wrote: »

Have you approached your local council?

We've asked for housing benefit, but not council housing - They say the waiting time for a one bedroom flat is five years, and I don't know how best to approach them to ensure we get somewhere suitable rather than whatever's available.

tanith wrote: »

How did you manage to find the deposit money for the rental you are in now? Could you not do the same again?

When my girlfriend and I moved in together we were both students, and paid with our student loans. After that, I had a job and my girlfriend had an inheritance. Now I've lost my job, and this has depleted my girlfriend's inheritance far faster than planned.

spacey2012 wrote: »

Divide the rent in to monthly portions at the pro-rata rate the tenancy is for now and write a cheque for the rent each month until they serve a S21 notice.

We apparently have been served one of those (got two letters in the post saying one was served on 6th September 2014 (isn't that in the future?)). One letter says the landlady wont take action to enforce it until 27th February, the other says 27th March. It also requests that I advise them of my intentions, but I don't know what to say. Two other problems, we don't yet have enough money for the monthy rent (housing benefit isn't high enough, so we will need to top it up from ESA, PIP and carer's allowance, but assessments, and then probably appeals, for those will take time). And since I had to go to a basic bank account, I no longer can write cheques.

daisygirlmac wrote: »

What does your original tenancy agreement say regarding rent? If you could put the exact wording it would be helpful.How long have you been there?

Sadly I don't think I have a copy anymore, with my mental problems I have the unfortunately tendancy to destroy paperwork when overly stressed - I know I shouldn't, but I'm not always a rational person.

daisygirlmac wrote: »

How long have you been there?

Just gone four years I think.

princeofpounds wrote: »

You might have received a section 21 notice at the beginning of the tenancy - did you?

I don't think we got one when we moved in, but the rent was one day late last time - even though we told them about this in advance, we still got repeated phonecalls and letters demanding it be paid on the day not the day after, and then a notice saying we had to move out. I don't have it anymore, but I assume that would be the section 21 thing.

pinkshoes wrote: »

If you really want this property, you are going to have to come up with the money somehow!

It's not that I really want this property (it's actually quite awful, paint peeling off the walls, plumbing doesn't work, horrific mold that I'm no longer in a condition to scrub off, but I guess that's why it's cheaper than anything else nearby), but I don't know what other options there are - a studio flat or shared house is asking for trouble with my mental condition. With my communication problems and anxiety, it's taken me over a year to open up and effectively talk with the mental health people, and they told me if I move to a different postcode I'll have to go to a different set of people - this would be a major set back for me getting better. Lastly, I can't walk very far or afford public transport, so I'm rather limited in places from which I can still reach the doctor, psychiatrist and shop. Given options (and some way to get deposit money and hire movers), I'd happily move, I just don't know how it's possible.

silvercar wrote: »

Ask the landlady if she will accept direct payments from the council.

We don't have the landlady's contact details (she blanks them out of any post she forwards to us), only the letting agency. Would they do this? It seems that would mean they automatically miss out on their cut. Also, the housing benefit is a bit less than the rent - the rate is £115 (I presume that's per week).

Guest101

On your tenancy what address is listed for the purpose of serving notice?

Mojisola

ScaredCrazy wrote: »

I have no money, and no income, my girlfriend does not work

Why aren't you claiming benefits for your health problems?

What are you living on, day to day, with no income?

RAS

Guest101 wrote: »

On your tenancy what address is listed for the purpose of serving notice?

Really important question, this. The LL has to provide an address for the serving of notices.

ScaredCrazy

Unfortunately, I don't have the document anymore - one day stressing through trying to sort things out I lost it, flipped and destroyed the box file we keep most of our important paperwork in. Extremely stupid of me, I know, but at that particular moment all I could think was that the papers and trying to solve them were hurting my head, and needed to be permanently stopped from hurting me more. Stupid stuff like that being precisely why I'm afraid of what would happen if a move set back my mental help, or I don't have the chance to get into an empty room and recover anymore.

silvercar

silvercar wrote: »

Ask the landlady if she will accept direct payments from the council. The council are allowed to pay HB direct to landlords in certain circumstances and yours may qualify.

Would they do this? It seems that would mean they automatically miss out on their cut. Also, the housing benefit is a bit less than the rent - the rate is £115 (I presume that's per week).

It is a question for the council as to whether they would do this. It would help if the landlady asked for it to be paid direct, but you could certainly ask and a letter from your CPN or GP would help. Forget about the letting agent's cut - that is between the letting agent and landlady - the landlady can always arrange to pay the letting agent herself.

How much is the HB and how much top-up do you need to provide?If HB pays most of it, the landlady may be happy for you to pay the top up yourself.

ScaredCrazy

Mojisola wrote: »

Why aren't you claiming benefits for your health problems?

What are you living on, day to day, with no income?

I've been brought up to be ashamed of my mental problems and keep it hidden, so as long as I could scape by from my job I never sought to get diagnosed, or ask the public to pay money for my mental weakness. When I started having trouble walking, the doctors repeatedly told me it would go away soon (and still are, a year later). I tried to keep working, but eventually they told me not to come back until I was better - which never happened.

Now, my girlfriend has applied for ESA and PIP for her health problems, which as I understand it means I can't get ESA or JSA. Once her PIP has been assessed, I can claim carer's allowance, but I don't know how long that will takes. That just leaves PIP for me - for which I've been trying to get diagnosed, but this has been stretching on for months because they're underfunded - at my last appointment, they said I was almost certainly autistic, and had a couple of other mental issues beside (I was too panicked to ask what), and 21 days later I'm still waiting to hear from them. Whilst I could apparently put in a claim for PIP now, I thought it better to wait until I have the evidence of my condition to make sure the claim is successful.

At the moment, my girlfriend is buying me food - she wont discuss the finances with me (because she knows I hurt myself when I get stressed worrying about it, so insists I trust her to handle it all), but as near as I can tell the housing benefit payments have started and after debts she's using the remainder of that to buy the food.

Guest101

ScaredCrazy wrote: »

Unfortunately, I don't have the document anymore - one day stressing through trying to sort things out I lost it, flipped and destroyed the box file we keep most of our important paperwork in. Extremely stupid of me, I know, but at that particular moment all I could think was that the papers and trying to solve them were hurting my head, and needed to be permanently stopped from hurting me more. Stupid stuff like that being precisely why I'm afraid of what would happen if a move set back my mental help, or I don't have the chance to get into an empty room and recover anymore.

Contact the agent and request the LLs address they must provide it within 21 days. Failing to do so is a criminal offence

Homeagain

barneygumble wrote: »

That sounds like a cosy arrangement as a landlord, 6 months up front?

In all the years I've let property I've never heard of that.

After living abroad for a few years, I had to pay 6 months rent in advance as I had no credit history. It is quite common. I suppose I can understand why.

dancingfairy

It might be worth going to your local CAB with regards to claiming benefits and making sure you are getting all the help you are entitled to. This should give you a safety net to get well again.
df