Facing Homelessness & No Guarantor

sal_III

letitbe90 wrote: »

Think you guys missed the fact she has mental health issues which possibly may not be helped living in a HMO.

And will homelessness be better? Mental health issues are generally not a barrier to finding a spare room. Previous experience with shared houses, no matter how horrible will most likely pale in comparison to living on the street.

OP is currently living with someone and only moving out because asked to, not because she can't bear it, so obviously such option is not out of the question.

nyc_451

letitbe90 wrote: »

Think you guys missed the fact she has mental health issues which possibly may not be helped living in a HMO.

I don't know what mental issues she's facing and what experience she had in a shared household. However, I am under impression that OP is not even concidering looking for a room that would meet her needs. Don't like socialising? Find a landlord that will be happy to have a quiet lodger. If you're both working, most likely you won't see each other much. OP has the deposit and upfront rent, live in landlords don't tend to carry out credit checks, lodging is cheaper than renting a whole place, so why would you rather become homeless and hope the council will offer you something? Could rent a room for 6-12 months, restore the credit, save up some money and then look for your own place.

alotofcoffee

Thank you everyone for your replies and a lot to take in regarding options etc.

My current situation is that I live with my friend but she wants me to leave, she threatens me with violence on regular occurrences and her mood swings are so erratic that it is not helping my mental health.

The issue I have with renting a room is that I have a small dog, I have thought about rehoming her but she is the only reason I get up in the mornings or leave my house. She even comes to work with me. So finding a landlord that rents rooms who would accept that is like a needle in a haystack.

Credit file wise I have CCJ's that I am slowly clearing so I know that as soon as anyone see's that they will say no instantly. In terms or guarantor I have looked at 'HousingHand' but its an additional monthly cost on top of already high rental prices here.

I would love to get another job to increase my savings but I have 3 jobs already and I can't fit anything else into my day.

I hope this answers some of the questions.

ripplyuk

alotofcoffee wrote: »

The issue I have with renting a room is that I have a small dog, I have thought about rehoming her but she is the only reason I get up in the mornings or leave my house. She even comes to work with me. So finding a landlord that rents rooms who would accept that is like a needle in a haystack.

Have you checked? When I look on Spareroom for my area, there are quite a few landlords accepting pets. Your dog goes to work with you which should also help.

Exodi

I think you're looking at this from the wrong angle; you shouldn't be comparing Council Housing V Private Renting as these choices aren't available to you - you should be comparing Homelessness V Private Renting.

I'm not sure what the links are between your mental health and private renting, but as someone that has previously lived in council housing - I certainly wouldn't say it's preferable by any stretch of the imagination.

alotofcoffee

Just to clarify I am not looking for council housing, there is none in this area and many more people in need. However the council does have access to Private Landlords and property and also assistance with overcoming my guarantor issue alongside other help and advice.

littleblue735

I also suggest looking on Spareroom, I was between rentals last year and I found lots of family's renting out a the spare room or annex. It works for the family too as I usually ended up childsitting or dog sitting as well which was extra small income.

Exodi

Oh i see, that changes things a bit.

Whilst not ideal, you could always use Airbnb for the interim period of finding somewhere if relations with your current host because strained. I just looked up booking a place for 4 weeks up the road from me and the amount was essentially the same as you'd expect to pay in rent (to my surprise).

Councils also seem to be a lot more reactive than proactive so maybe putting across that you're homeless after you leave may focus their minds (most authorities seem to recommend approaching the council with homelessness...)

I don't think you stand any chance otherwise as you're essentially walking in saying "I've got somewhere to live but I feel like paying less rent than everyone else?

I also can't help but feel there's a significant reason you're deliberately ruling out private rentals...

Rosieandjim

You would have been wise to put your name down on a housing register in your local area years ago as there are housing associations who would also look at your application also. Can you say what area approx you are in as this would give an indication of the level of applicants there may be on the lists.


Also you would be viewed as having a need if you are over 50.


If you do have a mental health worker they may be able to assist you. Also don't be afraid to talk to your local MP as they too may be able to help. Shelter also.


Just found this
https://www.advicenow.org.uk/know-hows/what-do-if-you-can%E2%80%99t-get-guarantor


Quote from link
There are tenant referencing and insurance companies that offer rent guarantee and legal expense insurance to landlords. Typically, landlords can buy 6-month or 12-month policies for premiums between about £50-£60 and £100 to safeguard their rental income up to a fixed monthly maximum, for example, £2,500. If your landlord carries such insurance they will be protected if you don’t pay your rent. You could offer to pay the premium for this type of insurance in return for your landlord waiving their requirement for a guarantor. However, it is probably a condition of any rent guarantee insurance that you, as the prospective tenant, are reference checked. The company providing the insurance may insist on you having a guarantor, irrespective of what the landlord thinks. But it may be worth investigating this possibility.

FreeBear

alotofcoffee wrote: »

The issue I have with renting a room is that I have a small dog, I have thought about rehoming her but she is the only reason I get up in the mornings or leave my house. She even comes to work with me. So finding a landlord that rents rooms who would accept that is like a needle in a haystack.

Credit file wise I have CCJ's that I am slowly clearing so I know that as soon as anyone see's that they will say no instantly.

Whilst landlords are few and far between that will accept pets, they do exist. One of my two has a dog which I allow because it helps with her MH issues. Admittedly, the cat doesn't approve, but we can't please everyone. As for credit checks, I've never done one, and as long as the rent is paid on time, CCJs and poor ratings do not concern me.

As said earlier, don't give up on a spare room - There are some decent people out there, and I'm sure that there is something to suit your needs. At least you are working and can fund a deposit - That is two barriers less to overcome in your search.