Help with Landlord

KimLouise17

Could I have some advise regarding debt to landlord. We have been here almost 7 years and got into some arrears. Neither us nor the landlord are exactly sure how much we owe but he has told us it was 3 months (some payments where in cash)
We now owe around £600 ( we think)
There is nothing written down he has just told us we need to pay him £100 a month! its a struggle but we have managed, just,We really want out of the house But the council won't help because we have a roof over our heads.

Tansy_1980

The council will only have a legal responsibility to help you if you are homeless and have children or are vulnerable in some way. Can you afford the rent on the property without the extra £100 a month? If so, you could try discussing reducing the repayments with your landlord and repaying the debt over a longer period of time. It's also vital that you get receipts for all payments that you make to the landlord. It seems like there's very poor record keeping on both sides so you could owe more or less rent to the landlord, but have no way of proving this at the minute. If you explain to the landlord that you're finding it difficult to afford the £100 extra each month and may have to look for cheaper accommodation elsewhere, he might agree to reduce the repayments and allow you a longer period to catch up. However, he has a right to this money if you are behind on your rent and can take you to court to reclaim the money if you don't pay it back voluntarily. He could also begin eviction proceedings against you to evict you. If this happens, you could ask the council for assistance with rehousing. But, the council will not do anything until you are due to be evicted for bailiffs, you will probably be held responsible for the landlord's costs in evicting you andm, depending on availability of social housing in your area, you may end up living in temporary accommodation for a very long time before you get an offer of a social tenancy. This could be out of borough. It's worth looking critically at your situation to determine if your current home is suitable once you get on top of your rental issue and whether it's a viable long-term option for your family. Your landlord might be quite happy for you to remain there for several years as long as the rent is paid and the property is looked after.

If you're struggling with money issues, you should speak to Stepchange, CAB or a local advice agency to get help dealing with these. Your rent and council tax should be your priority payments - advice agencies may be able to help you negotiate payment plans with any other companies you owe money to, which will free up money to pay off your rent bill and reduce the risk that you will become homeless.

Pixie5740

How do you pay your rent? Standing order, bank transfer, cash? How often are you supposed to pay the rent, monthly, weekly?

Pixie5740

Your landlord should be able to provide you with a rent statement but if he can't/won't then knock up a spreadsheet, one column with all the rent due during your tenancy (A) and one with every payment you've made (B). If B is less than A then you owe rent and the difference is how much you owe.

Norman_Castle

If neither of you know and nothings written down how has the figure of £100 been decided? When will the debt be cleared?

Buy a notebook and write down every payment you make and the date it is paid.

KimLouise17

(Text removed by MSE Forum Team)

i suffer with extreme anxiety and depression, causing me to bury my head in the sand and shy away from certain situations, i got in a bit of rent arrears and the landlord kept knocking, few times i just gave him a few hundred pound here or there, no i didnt write it down at that point in my life i was trying to control the suicidal feelings and nothing else really mattered

i admit i was stupid and irresponsible but i am trying to turn my life around and pay off my debts

for the last 18 months i have written down every single payment but there is no record before then, i was paying monthly then some cash so cant be 100% sure how much i owe.

KimLouise17

Norman_Castle wrote: »

If neither of you know and nothings written down how has the figure of £100 been decided? When will the debt be cleared?

Buy a notebook and write down every payment you make and the date it is paid.

i have noted this for the last 18 months but feel the debt should be close to being paid off now, the landlord just said i had to pay an extra £100 a month or he will serve notice

Guest101

KimLouise17 wrote: »

i have noted this for the last 18 months but feel the debt should be close to being paid off now, the landlord just said i had to pay an extra £100 a month or he will serve notice

So they have increased your rent by £100 per month, what about the arrears?


Perhaps getting things in writing would help

Norman_Castle

KimLouise17 wrote: »

i have noted this for the last 18 months but feel the debt should be close to being paid off now, the landlord just said i had to pay an extra £100 a month or he will serve notice

£100 x 18 is £1800. Ask the landlord when the debt will be cleared.

Pixie5740

KimLouise17 wrote: »

i have noted this for the last 18 months but feel the debt should be close to being paid off now, the landlord just said i had to pay an extra £100 a month or he will serve notice

You really need to get it all written down to work out what's what. Whether you do that from your own records or ask your landlord to explain where this £100 a month has come from. Check whether the £100 pcm is anything to do with the arrears or is actually a rent increase.

Your landlord can issue notice whether you have arrears or not. A Section 21 does not require any grounds for eviction. If you are served notice and cannot find alternative accommodation contact Shelter for advice.

Tansy_1980

I'd really encourage you to get advice from a voluntary agency that is used to dealing with vulnerable people who have debt problems. These services are free of charge and they may be able to help you get a grip on your finances and turn things around. It means that an adviser will deal with your creditors on your behalf and this can take a lot of the stress out of the situation for people and make the difference in getting money problems under control.

Well done on coping so well with your health and problems and on taking positive steps to deal with your debt issues. I hope that you continue to feel better.