Homeless with an IVA

STMc

Its Dorset...….I'll look on gumtree as you suggested but I know that she's been looking regularly and theres very little in Dorchester which is where her work is based, further afield would be Poole or Bournemouth which has more BUT incurs the prohibitive commuting costs...I have posted on the debt/IVA page but they suggested its a housing query...thanks for your replies

Pixie5740

Your friend and her friend might think it's an informal arrangement but it's not. It sounds very much like a legally binding tenancy agreement to me. I understand your friend doesn't want to "screw" her friend but it's not as if her friend didn't get anything out the arrangement.

The landlord could serve your friend with a Section 21 notice. If your friend takes that to the council then they might be more inclined to help. If not your friends options are, stay put until bailiffs physically remove her from the property and then the council will help, make herself homeless, or find alternative accommodation.

Taking the last option, finding alternative accommodation, what kind of accommodation has she been looking into? An entire property to herself or has she considered renting a room somewhere and becoming someone's lodger?

What kind of help are you able to give her? Are you able to help her out with the deposit or let her stay with you for a while?

foxy-stoat

Forget about private renting, she will need deposit and guarantor, she needs to lodge somewhere if the other friend wont evict her.

You can do yourself a favor and dont become a guarantor - find her somewhere else to lodge, maybe help with deposit but look at it thats its a gift not a loan as you wont get it back.

Comms69

Pixie5740 wrote: »

Your friend and her friend might think it's an informal arrangement but it's not. It sounds very much like a legally binding tenancy agreement to me. I understand your friend doesn't want to "screw" her friend but it's not as if her friend didn't get anything out the arrangement.


Indeed the 'friend' charged someone for something she would otherwise have paid for...

The landlord could serve your friend with a Section 21 notice. If your friend takes that to the council then they might be more inclined to help. - informal agreement, there's almost no chance the friend served a gas safety certificate; which by my most recent research in essence means a s.21 can never be valid (until the law changes, which it will, eventually) If not your friends options are, stay put until bailiffs physically remove her from the property and then the council will help, make herself homeless, or find alternative accommodation.

Taking the last option, finding alternative accommodation, what kind of accommodation has she been looking into? An entire property to herself or has she considered renting a room somewhere and becoming someone's lodger?

What kind of help are you able to give her? Are you able to help her out with the deposit or let her stay with you for a while?

https://www.landlordlawblog.co.uk/2018/02/13/bad-news-landlords-section-21-gas-safety-certificates/

STMc

I've taken a screen shot of Gumtree just done a quick search now to give you an idea of the rents being asked...her job is in Dorchester which is an hours train ride away (station to station) and some of these lets would need a local bus trip to get to the station so her commuting costs would be £68 train plus £15 bus fare a week

Unfortunately I'm not allowed to insert link as newbie-as listed they are:
£100 pw
£345 pm
£83 pw -this is almost manageable on her income
There are some at £65 pw that warrant some investigation so thanks for that heads up

Pixie5740

Comms69 wrote: »

https://www.landlordlawblog.co.uk/2018/02/13/bad-news-landlords-section-21-gas-safety-certificates/

You and I would know that but the council might not. Some councils do act when presented with a Section 21.

STMc

I may be able to offer her a room but not for the long term and aware that its not a solution for her as she will be in exactly the same situation when I need to ask her to leave...…...I won't become a guarantor (I'd struggle to do that with my own children because of the potential risks!) but I may be able to help towards an deposit.

Prior to this occupancy she was renting a room in a house and is looking for that again but that was before the IVA arrangement, and getting permanent work in Dorchester so the daily commute costs now factor in.

Rosemary7391

You could try spareroom.co.uk as well. I've found that useful before.



If she can find a friend looking for a place they can also check rightmove, estate agents etc for places they can share.

sal_III

There are over 20 options in Dorchester on sparerooms.co.uk at less than £400/month.

I don't know why people keep suggesting she overstays her welcome, when there is a pletora of alternatives.

Regardless of whether it's legal to do so or not, it's not moral. I don't believe it's a good idea for someone suffering from stress and anxiety to alienate her friends.

z1a

Is she not better becoming bankrupt? She has no assets to lose.