Local housing authority gave bad reference

thepcbloke

Hi all, I have been a tenant of my local housing authority (east kent housing) for 20 years. I am now in a position where I need to move to Peterborough asap as my mother has a health condition and needs help, she only wants family to help her, also me and my wife have no family down here and would like to live closer. We applied for private housing and all the checks came back ok apart from one, my local housing authority. Many years ago I was made unemployed and got into a little bit of rent trouble, this was cleared up within 1 year. Since then the rent account has been kept up to date and no issues. We have been good tenants, no complaints from neighbours, no damage to the property etc... however east kent housing have failed to give a good reference which has now stopped our application for the private landlord.

We now feel trapped in this house and feel we have no other options. What can we do?

Please can someone in a similar situation or has been in a situation like this please help.

Many thanks

elsien

Have you seen the reference and what it specifically says? I think you need to find out the wording and check it for accuracy before you decide what steps to take to get it changed if it is not correct. 
Can you look at doing a housing swap as opposed to taking on a private rental?

AdrianC

When you say they've "failed to give a good reference" - was the reference they did give inaccurate?

The fact that one particular private landlord chose not to rent to you doesn't mean no landlord will, of course.

greatcrested

How many years ago was the rent issue?

It might be worh a conversation with the Housing Dept requesting them to mak clear in any future reference the time periods involved eg 19 years good paymnt record with 1 years arrears 6 years ago which were resolved.

It depends really a) what exactly they wrote (ie how much detail) and b) whether they can be pursuaded to amend their wording in fuure.

thepcbloke

greatcrested said:

How many years ago was the rent issue?

It might be worh a conversation with the Housing Dept requesting them to mak clear in any future reference the time periods involved eg 19 years good paymnt record with 1 years arrears 6 years ago which were resolved.

It depends really a) what exactly they wrote (ie how much detail) and b) whether they can be pursuaded to amend their wording in fuure.

The rent issue was approx 8 years ago

[Deleted User]

Occasionally tenants ask me for a reference and the question is often "has the rent ever been unpaid or late". It is not a character reference. So check what was asked, as the HA can only give a truthful answer.

theartfullodger

[Deleted User] said:

.............So check what was asked, as the HA can only give a truthful answer.

Think that should perhaps read MAY only give.

Sadly it is very very common for landlords to give untruthful references: Often to get rid of tenants.....

yksi

If it's been reported accurately, the other answer to "what can you do?" is to get a guarantor or seek out a private landlord who may not ask for references.

Annisele

If the reference your current landlord gave was truthful, I don't see that there's anything you can do about it. But private landlords all make their own individual judgements about their tenants. You might well find that Landlord A is horrified by the idea of any arrears at all ever, but Landlord B isn't a bit worried about them.

(I know this isn't the question you asked, but in your shoes I'd be *very* reluctant to give up a secure tenancy - and I absolutely wouldn't do it until I'd exhausted all other available options. Any chance your mother could move to you, rather than the other way around?)

cattie

The local authority might have done you a favour as giving up a secure tenancy like you've had for the past 20yrs to go into private renting with no real security is not something many people would do. Had you considered trying to do an exchange into another social housing property before deciding to look for private accomodation?