LL selling house - valuations/viewings while I'm still living in house

[Deleted User]

I am very sorry for the situation you find yourself in.

I would suggest you go back to the council, explain that your LL does not believe what you have been told and ask for a letter telling you your options as far as they are concerned. Say you'll wait for it. Even a hand written letter will do.

It might be an idea to get them to explain how you can qualify for housing benefit but not any other help, like with HB if you are moved to B&B, help with a deposit and first month's rent loan. Sometime with HB offices you get different answers if you make it clear you aren't going to go for one visit and walk out never to return. Be polite but insistent.

Then show it to your LL so he knows what you say is true. You might have to be very insistent with the housing department. Also state to your LL that very often councils won't offer emergency accommodation until the bailiffs are at the door, which means you will have to wait til he takes you to court and then returns to get the baillif order produced. This obviously could all be avoided if he would allow you a little leeway. Give him the council's phone number so he can make a call and find out from them what needs to happen.

If the council won't help with this letter, contact your MP and/or councillor and explain the situation to them. They can 'kick bums' when needed. It certainly won't do any harm.

But either way, I wouldn't panic about needing to move out exactly on the day stated on the S21 form (did you get this after you gave him the deposit.., in my case I signed all the forms and the council handed over the deposit a day later.., this makes the S21 invalid as you have to hand over the deposit BEFORE being issued a S21). Is the deposit protected .., were you given details of this.., if any of these haven't been done correctly, the S21 will be invalid, the problems will have to be sorted before you are issued with another one. Then another court date arranged.

You should have a little bit more time than you have been told by the LL.

AngelPie78

deannatrois wrote: »

I am very sorry for the situation you find yourself in.

I would suggest you go back to the council, explain that your LL does not believe what you have been told and ask for a letter telling you your options as far as they are concerned. Say you'll wait for it. Even a hand written letter will do.

It might be an idea to get them to explain how you can qualify for housing benefit but not any other help, like with HB if you are moved to B&B, help with a deposit and first month's rent loan. Sometime with HB offices you get different answers if you make it clear you aren't going to go for one visit and walk out never to return. Be polite but insistent.

Then show it to your LL so he knows what you say is true. You might have to be very insistent with the housing department. Also state to your LL that very often councils won't offer emergency accommodation until the bailiffs are at the door, which means you will have to wait til he takes you to court and then returns to get the baillif order produced. This obviously could all be avoided if he would allow you a little leeway. Give him the council's phone number so he can make a call and find out from them what needs to happen.

If the council won't help with this letter, contact your MP and/or councillor and explain the situation to them. They can 'kick bums' when needed. It certainly won't do any harm.

But either way, I wouldn't panic about needing to move out exactly on the day stated on the S21 form (did you get this after you gave him the deposit.., in my case I signed all the forms and the council handed over the deposit a day later.., this makes the S21 invalid as you have to hand over the deposit BEFORE being issued a S21). Is the deposit protected .., were you given details of this.., if any of these haven't been done correctly, the S21 will be invalid, the problems will have to be sorted before you are issued with another one. Then another court date arranged.

You should have a little bit more time than you have been told by the LL.

Thanks for this. I'll get to the council and see what I can do, but I don't hold out any hope. This time last year, I sat in the council offices and they threatened to the police cos I wouldn't move! Maybe our local housing office will be more flexible worth a try.

In terms of the deposit, I paid this when I moved in and the S21 was issued a month ago (when we'd been here for 9 months) The deposit has been protected, and I have been issued with the certificate for this.

What do you reckon? Is it valid? Shelter were gonna help, until they realised how much I 'earned'

Thanks again

[Deleted User]

Yes it does look like the S21 is valid, but if I was you, I'd still go ahead with what has been suggested above. Do you have a friend to go in as witness (sorry, but I have had a similiar experience with housing departments and it was only when they said no but realised I wasn't going to go away with my tail inbetween my legs and never return I started getting different answers).

I was actually placed in emergency accommodation (a fairly ok flat) for nearly three months, which gave me enough time to find another place even though LL's who will accept benefit people are rare here too. I was also offered a deposit and rent loan (nearly all paid back so it wasn't a 'permanent loss' for the council. I do realise not all councils will place people in actual flats etc as emergency accommodation though. I was told 'no you don't meet our criteria' initially, went back again, then when things got even worse for me, went back a third time and was offered the emergency accommodation. The 'you don't fit our criteria' became less of a no no somehow.

I still think bringing your LL face to face with reality, giving him the Housing Dept's no. saying 'look, if you can be a little flexible, we can both get what we want. I just need two months or so to find a place to live. If we do it the hard way, you'll have to go to court twice to evict me, and it'll take at least as long as that.'

You could also try your student union.., if they can't help, they may be able to refer you to someone who can.

I don't know if any of this helps, but I hope so.

lighting_up_the_chalice

Get an appointment with a HOUSING solicitor with experience in HOMELESSNESS. Provided you are eligible (UK Citizen), homeless (S21) and in priority need (dep children) you pass the threshold for a homeless investigation.

Homeless families can only be placed in B+B accommodation for a maximum of 6 weeks. Many areas don't use B+B for families at all.

As for move on or what homelessness prevention options are available, it would help to know who your LA is?

specialboy

OP, we are in April now so I cant see what your problem is, the s21 doesn't mean you have to leave when told, by the time the LL has gone to court to get you out you will have had your student loan and be able to move. You don't have to let the estate agent in or allow viewings if you don't want to and if you feel that they may come in regardless then change the locks.

[Deleted User]

Specialboy.., imagine you have a family, not much money, no money for a deposit and first months rent, an awareness that LL's who accept tenants on benefits are rare (and when you do find them they tend to be LL's who don't have properties in good repair) and the LA is refusing to help. You scour the papers and online sites.., and discover a fair amount of the ads on there are scams or LL's who will actually only let a property through an agency who you know will refuse you cause you've already been to them. You see supposed two bedroom properties and find they are including the lounge as a bedroom because they actually want to rent to students, not families and are maximising their income. You go to see another property that is well, lets say not in a good state of repair.., but the LL refuses you because you're not working (I am a carer as my kids have ASD).

You worry yourself sick. I am in the same situation (potentially) and it worries me sick.

I was in emergency accommodation but I was being warned I had to find somewhere quickly towards the end as the council needed to place others in there, i was told my homeless application would be refused although I disagreed with that decision, there was little I could do, there was no help from Shelter etc (and I watched my friend being let down by shelter because they didn't meet a Housing appeal deadline and she really did end up homeless). You go to the one agency out of 6 in the area that will accept benefit recipients daily to be told there aren't any properties available in the near future, you scour the papers every day, always aware time is running out for you and your two kids. You go to the other agencies, if you are lucky one might phone the landlord, only to be told the LL won't accept benefit recipients. Again. The council has offered you a loan to cover the first month's rent and deposit.., but you still can't find a place. Three months it took. And the last month wasn't pleasant.

That's why the OP has posted on here. Say she uses her grant/education loan for the deposit.., what is she supposed to live on.., this money is to support her? She may get her deposit back, she may not. She could get her deposit back 3 months later or not at all. But she has to get an alternative property to be lucky enough to be in this position. You may be further limited because you can only move to a limited area because of schools (and school places aren't easy to get, my closest school for a place initially was two bus rides away which meant if I had problems with one child .., I couldn't take the other child to school).

That's reality. And its worrying. Bad as my rented property is.., I dread having to find somewhere else to live.

specialboy

deannatrois, have you read the OPs posts? she came here asking about allowing viewings while she is still in the house and in post 3 says







'' Am happy to leave and even sign something to say I'll be out by a certain date - I just would like an extra month, if possible. ''


As far as not having a deposit to put down on a new rental she will have her deposit returned from this LL and will have a chunk of cash in April/May from her student loan.

AngelPie78

Hi guys,

I am fine using my student loan to pay for my rent - I get weekly tax credits, child benefit and housing benefit to pay for bills, food etc. The loans won't cover all of my rent, to be fair, but it'll be better than nothing. I'm looking to move to the other side of town as the rents are £200+ cheaper per month and it'll be cheaper to use buses than live hear the boys' school. I only have them three days for the school run, so it'll only be a struggle on those days. I can't think of anything else to do so we're gonna try that

I did just come on here to ask about the viewings part of my problem, but I've taken loads from the advice here and will be following through on these this week - such as finding a solicitor for some advice and maybe going back to the housing office. Mainly, I'm going to talk to my LL as that is the best path. The house will be empty and I feel confident that we can move out in May, so while that solves the short-term housing issue, I can then focus on what to do in the long term, with a six or 12 month contract under my belt as a breather

If anyone else has any advice, then am happy to add it to my list

RAS

By the way have you asked your Welfare Officer at Uni about a Hardship LOAN to help you move???

AngelPie78

RAS wrote: »

By the way have you asked your Welfare Officer at Uni about a Hardship LOAN to help you move???

Hiya, yes I applied and they told me I have too much income. LOL. They didn't seem to understand that I just needed it til my student loan was paid...