Renting advive

FBaby

Don't worry about the "bad reference" as many landlords do not even attempt to carry them out, and if they do you can explain exactly what happened and most will see that they tried to use it to bully you out.

Really? Where I live, someone with a 'bad reference' would have little chance to get nice accommodation, but then demand overtakes supply.

Unfortunately, what is happening now is one of landlords' biggest worry and the reason why they refuse to take tenants on benefits or low income. I can understand that due to the local council attitude, many such families have no choice but to wait until they are legally evicted, but surely it is to be discouraged, not encouraged and I applaud the OP for looking for other alternative than just being yet another problematic tenant.

Guest101

FBaby wrote: »

Really? Where I live, someone with a 'bad reference' would have little chance to get nice accommodation, but then demand overtakes supply.

Unfortunately, what is happening now is one of landlords' biggest worry and the reason why they refuse to take tenants on benefits or low income. I can understand that due to the local council attitude, many such families have no choice but to wait until they are legally evicted, but surely it is to be discouraged, not encouraged and I applaud the OP for looking for other alternative than just being yet another problematic tenant.

Let's say hypothetically a LL said tenant must leave in 10 days, would you say the same thing? In essence it's no different. A s.21 notice in fact isn't even a request to leave.

FBaby

Why bring in something that is hypothetical? I think it is totally different. The law is that the tenant has double the time to deal notice than a landlord and rightly so. Two months is deemed reasonable. In some cases, it isn't possible, that's fair enough, but surely the priority should be to attempt to leave the property in that time frame rather than taking the attitude that because they don't have to, they shouldn't bother regardless of the consequences, which for them will be a poor reference, which in my world would certainly not help them.

Not all LL give notice out of spite. Many do so with guilt but have no choice but to do so or being at risk of financial trouble themselves.

ripplyuk

Guest101, are you sure it's only 2 weeks in a b&b? I watched a documentary about homelessness a few weeks ago and there was a whole family stuck in one room accommodation for ages. Over a year I think.

OP, if you can't afford to rent another house in your area, could you move to somewhere cheaper? I know it's disruptive especially with children and schools etc but maybe that would be an option? Otherwise the council will house you once you're formally evicted.

Guest101

FBaby wrote: »

Why bring in something that is hypothetical? I think it is totally different. The law is that the tenant has double the time to deal notice than a landlord and rightly so. Two months is deemed reasonable. In some cases, it isn't possible, that's fair enough, but surely the priority should be to attempt to leave the property in that time frame rather than taking the attitude that because they don't have to, they shouldn't bother regardless of the consequences, which for them will be a poor reference, which in my world would certainly not help them.

Not all LL give notice out of spite. Many do so with guilt but have no choice but to do so or being at risk of financial trouble themselves.

It's not the same:

A tenant gives notice to end a tenancy

A LL gives notice that they will be going to court after a certain date.

In fact unless a tenant serves their own notice, 1 rental period, the tenancy continues indefinitely.

Guest101

ripplyuk wrote: »

Guest101, are you sure it's only 2 weeks in a b&b? I watched a documentary about homelessness a few weeks ago and there was a whole family stuck in one room accommodation for ages. Over a year I think.

OP, if you can't afford another to rent another house in your area, could you move to somewhere cheaper? I know it's disruptive especially with children and schools etc but maybe that would be an option? Otherwise the council will house you once you're formally evicted.

It should be 2 weeks, obviously there are times when it's longer.

Arleen

FBaby wrote: »

Really? Where I live, someone with a 'bad reference' would have little chance to get nice accommodation, but then demand overtakes supply.

Unfortunately, what is happening now is one of landlords' biggest worry and the reason why they refuse to take tenants on benefits or low income. I can understand that due to the local council attitude, many such families have no choice but to wait until they are legally evicted, but surely it is to be discouraged, not encouraged and I applaud the OP for looking for other alternative than just being yet another problematic tenant.

And what alternative do you recommend? You may dislike the state of affairs, fine, but you are also not offering any other solution, beside "not being a problematic tenant". That may be good for the LLs, not so good for people with kids who can't just go couch surfing.

[Deleted User]

In my area, officially it was 12 weeks, then you'd be put in a 1 bed flat (I was told). In London it can be much much longer.., that's if they don't tell you there is a nice little flat 150 miles away they are renting for you (you lucky person) and you have to move there.

I suspect it differs from area to area, so ask your housing office what they do and when.., see if there is a housing policy document on your council's website. See if there is a housing advice charity or go to your CAB as Housing Dept's often 'gatekeep' (aka lie) to put people off registering for housing. When I was looking for help I had to be careful, I even had a social worker come round telling me I 'had' to find private housing as the council would put me anywhere in B&B (which my council don't) which totally panicked me.

FBaby

Guest101 wrote: »

It's not the same:

A tenant gives notice to end a tenancy

A LL gives notice that they will be going to court after a certain date.

In fact unless a tenant serves their own notice, 1 rental period, the tenancy continues indefinitely.

You are citing the law and I am not disputing it in any way. Indeed, OP can just stay there until the bailiffs knock on the door, but she stated clearly in her FIRST post that she wanted to avoid this situation and I don't blame her as I also would hate finding myself in this situation. It is stressful for the landlord AND the tenant, and I agree with OP, getting a bad reference is indeed something better to avoid if possible and I don't know why someone would say that LL don't care about reference because my experience is exactly the opposite, it is the first thing LL considered especially in cases where the finances are borderline.

I didn't provide alternative advice nor did the 'experts', which is my point. Ripply is the only one who provided advice to avoid being in this situation.

My advice would be to speak to as many people as possible. A colleague a couple of years ago had to find alternative accommodation. They hadn't yet started a search but as they mentioned it, another colleague said that a friend of hers was just about to be looking for a new tenant as theirs was leaving. They got in touch and sure enough, a month later, they moved in avoiding going through an agency on either side. It was pure luck, but sometimes luck is on your side, so worth a try. Even your LL might know someone who could help, so indeed, speaking to them about your predicament is a good idea.

OP, you mention one agency, but have you tried others? Are you contacting them regularly as even though they know you are looking, they might act more promptly if you contact them -pleasantly- every few days.

Unfortunately, you are running out of time indeed, so are likely to not be able to go when requested, but don't stop your search and show your LL that you are really trying everything to move out asap. There is a difference between trying your best unsuccessfully and just sitting there waiting to be forced out because you cant be bothered to look for other alternatives.

Guest101

FBaby wrote: »

You are citing the law and I am not disputing it in any way. Indeed, OP can just stay there until the bailiffs knock on the door, but she stated clearly in her FIRST post that she wanted to avoid this situation and I don't blame her as I also would hate finding myself in this situation. It is stressful for the landlord AND the tenant, and I agree with OP, getting a bad reference is indeed something better to avoid if possible and I don't know why someone would say that LL don't care about reference because my experience is exactly the opposite, it is the first thing LL considered especially in cases where the finances are borderline.

I didn't provide alternative advice nor did the 'experts', which is my point. Ripply is the only one who provided advice to avoid being in this situation.

My advice would be to speak to as many people as possible. A colleague a couple of years ago had to find alternative accommodation. They hadn't yet started a search but as they mentioned it, another colleague said that a friend of hers was just about to be looking for a new tenant as theirs was leaving. They got in touch and sure enough, a month later, they moved in avoiding going through an agency on either side. It was pure luck, but sometimes luck is on your side, so worth a try. Even your LL might know someone who could help, so indeed, speaking to them about your predicament is a good idea.

OP, you mention one agency, but have you tried others? Are you contacting them regularly as even though they know you are looking, they might act more promptly if you contact them -pleasantly- every few days.

Unfortunately, you are running out of time indeed, so are likely to not be able to go when requested, but don't stop your search and show your LL that you are really trying everything to move out asap. There is a difference between trying your best unsuccessfully and just sitting there waiting to be forced out because you cant be bothered to look for other alternatives.

Yes but the OP also says she cannot afford to rent privately... It's a catch 22. But you implied that any tenant who stayed beyond the s.21 end date was behaving badly and that simply isn't true. I think it's emotive because it's Mr and Mrs Jones the newbie landlords and not Sainsbury's Housing Corp. but actually it should make no difference, it's consumer and provider.

A LLs reference means nothing because a LL may well give a glowing reference to a bad tenant to get rid quicker. Or a bad reference to a good tenant for revenge. Or it means nothing because they've never met. The tenant can prove rent payments from bank statements, that's pretty much it.

I do t know what you mean about finances being borderline, either the tenant has a CCJ / Banktrupt or they don't / aren't.

Avoiding being in the situation is in essence telling the OP to find more money. Well it appears she's a single mum to 2 ages 8 and 3...