Will I need to undergo another medical assessment if I move home and claim Universal Credit?

elsien

To be honest, I wouldn’t believe a word the agency says as about the landlord giving notice if you go into a rolling contract. 

Firstly, it’s not up to the agent to “allow it” or not - you simply decline to sign a new tenancy and it automatically goes onto a rolling contract. 

Secondly, if you’ve got your landlord contact details which you should have, then you could always ask them the question directly instead of going through the agent.
I’m not fully up to speed on the processes for rent increases but again, I have a strong suspicion that your agent is talking cobblers. 

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/private_renting/rent_increases

Only you can decide whether you want the security of that 12 months or not, but do it when you are sure that the threat of notice is coming from the landlord and not just the agent making things up as they go along. 

And obviously being served notice does not mean you have to leave, that does require a court process but that could then impact on future rentals. 

Have you actually been to the council to discuss all this with a housing officer with regards to where you might stand on bidding for properties? It might also be worth checking what duty they would have towards you if you were evicted and have nowhere to go, because of your disability?

MrHeisenberg

elsien said:

To be honest, I wouldn’t believe a word the agency says as about the landlord giving notice if you go into a rolling contract. 

Firstly, it’s not up to the agent to “allow it” or not - you simply decline to sign a new tenancy and it automatically goes onto a rolling contract. 

Secondly, if you’ve got your landlord contact details which you should have, then you could always ask them the question directly instead of going through the agent.
I’m not fully up to speed on the processes for rent increases but again, I have a strong suspicion that your agent is talking cobblers. 

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/private_renting/rent_increases

Only you can decide whether you want the security of that 12 months or not, but do it when you are sure that the threat of notice is coming from the landlord and not just the agent making things up as they go along. 

And obviously being served notice does not mean you have to leave, that does require a court process but that could then impact on future rentals. 

Have you actually been to the council to discuss all this with a housing officer with regards to where you might stand on bidding for properties? It might also be worth checking what duty they would have towards you if you were evicted and have nowhere to go, because of your disability?

Yes, I think my agent has a casual relationship with the truth sadly. Indeed, around 2 years ago I asked him if I could arrange a two year contract, and his response was he doesn't do those, and then told me that the landlord won't put the rent up again at the end of the one year long tenancy agreement, but, alas, that is exactly what happened. I then referred my agent to the fact that he said that my rent would not be increased about a year ago, and he responded in a very obnoxious tone of voice that "rents don't go down!". Clearly, the intention was always to have a one year agreement so that the rent could be put up every year, as that way the agent gets a bigger profit, and benefits financially from renewal fees.

That said, I do fear that my agent and landlord would seriously consider evicting me if I don't sign the new tenancy agreement, and that is a seriously big risk if one considers how few properties there are on the market given how many landlords have sold up, the fact that I suffer from debilitating health problems and would seriously struggle to move, would probably have some estate agents and landlords discriminate against me, together with the fact that I would need to pay for things like an end of tenancy clean, moving costs and a rent guarantor, and possibly the fact that I may be compelled to move out of the area, which would mean that I lose my severe disability premium, and quite possibly my place on the housing register. I think I may have been more tempted to push for a rolling contract if I had already migrated on to Universal Credit, but it seems that process could start anytime soon.  

Yes, I spoke to the someone who works in my Council's housing team today, and I was told that I need to bid more on properties to get more priority given the algorithm that is used. I thought that that is very bizarre, as I thought the date that I joined the register was the most important factor. I'm told that I can see how close I was to being successful by looking at my bidding details the following week (so, for example, when I come around fourth, I can assume that I am about to have made a successful bid), but that is hardly a very scientific and reliable way of approaching things, as some people with higher priority may not bid on certain weeks etc., so I may end up being awarded a bid that I don't want (there are the odd seriously decrepit properties an/or properties in tower blocks when I have an overwhelming fear of heights) etc. Of course, if I successfully bid on a property, even one that I do want to live in, in the early months of a new tenancy agreement, I could find myself in a world of trouble if that bid is successful, as I believe the Council can remove you from the register for not following through on bids.

I think the advice that I received from the person in the housing team was to sign the new agreement, as I haven't been bidding enough, and it generally takes a year or two to be awarded a property for someone allocated my banding (with the appropriate degree of bidding). I have been on the register since September 2022.

Obviously, my stress levels have hit levels no human should endure. 

Newcad

There are a lot of private landlords selling up, mostly the 'get rich quick' ones who got money from somewhere and were 'advised' to invest in one or two buy-to-let properties.

They can now get better returns elsewhere (and in many cases for less hassle from the bad tenants selected to be tenants by greedy agents).

On the social housing bidding don't give up hope.

The very nice, 20 year old, flat where I now live I was initially 19th on the bidding list - I was a bit gobsmacked when a few weeks later I was offered the tenancy, people do fall down the priority list, or go up the list, for various reasons after the bidding has closed and you can find yourself at the top.

Hope that you too find the accomodation that you would like to.

PS. My former private landlord sold that property after I had moved out, he was/is getting out of the domestic rental game.

HillStreetBlues

Speaking as a fellow private renter and knowing how hard it is to get a private property to a standard that you want to live in.
I hate to be bullied and mostly always stand up for myself, but when I do I look at the possible consequences. in your position I would have to bite the bullet and sign though gritted teeth (if you can do both at same time).
The other option is just call their bluff, but they clearly aren't a decent agent/LL so it's possible they will get rid of you out of spite rather than business sense.

MrHeisenberg

Newcad said:

There are a lot of private landlords selling up, mostly the 'get rich quick' ones who got money from somewhere and were 'advised' to invest in one or two buy-to-let properties.

They can now get better returns elsewhere (and in many cases for less hassle from the bad tenants selected to be tenants by greedy agents).

On the social housing bidding don't give up hope.

The very nice, 20 year old, flat where I now live I was initially 19th on the bidding list - I was a bit gobsmacked when a few weeks later I was offered the tenancy, people do fall down the priority list, or go up the list, for various reasons after the bidding has closed and you can find yourself at the top.

Hope that you too find the accommodation that you would like to.

PS. My former private landlord sold that property after I had moved out, he was/is getting out of the domestic rental game.

Yes, that sounds about right. I see the market has seriously dried up in terms of rental properties these days too, and that is of course driving up demand, which of course drives up rents, and the more rents go up, the more extortionate rents seem to be the 'market rate', and greedy landlords and agents get their wicked way. I really wish this country would mimic the Swiss model where rents are more tightly regulated:

https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/politics/missed-opportunity_few-tenants-take-advantage-of-rent-controls/43229726#:~:text=The Swiss rental market is,by the rental reference rate.

I think we also take a serious risk as tenants when we decide to rent a property in terms of ending up with a good landlord or a bad landlord and/or a good estate agent or a bad estate agent.

Glad you managed to get a decent social/council flat. I often despair when I look at some of the places made available to bid on. I often Google the postcode etc. too, and am shocked to see issues with mould or crime in news reports etc. How soon did you have to move in? Do they allow you some time to end your tenancy agreement?

Another problem I have is that there are actually no photos of the property interior, so one is essentially committing to a place to live before you have actually even seen it. Did you have that problem?

Based on what you have said, bidding success can be extremely unpredictable, and that's a potential worry because I don't want to bid on a property only for the purposes of getting my priority increased. 

Interesting that your previous landlord also sold up. Mine did too, in the middle of the pandemic (when I am in a vulnerable group because I have asthma), and when I was suffering from debilitating health problems.

MrHeisenberg

HillStreetBlues said:

Speaking as a fellow private renter and knowing how hard it is to get a private property to a standard that you want to live in.
I hate to be bullied and mostly always stand up for myself, but when I do I look at the possible consequences. in your position I would have to bite the bullet and sign though gritted teeth (if you can do both at same time).
The other option is just call their bluff, but they clearly aren't a decent agent/LL so it's possible they will get rid of you out of spite rather than business sense.

Yes, it's extremely difficult and distressing, isn't it? After all, you will be spending most of your time in that property, so it is so important to feel at home and comfortable. I have recently seen one bedroom properties in my area (in Berkshire) advertised for £1000pcm, and they look like something out of a horror movie, and it seems the landlord/agent in question is having not much difficulty renting them. 

Yes, I have decided to renew for the moment, but I am absolutely determined to get out of my current apartment by the time the 6 month break clause comes, and certainly before the end of the tenancy, as it is reasonable to believe the rent will probably go from £920 to around £1000 then (it has just gone from £860 to £920), even if I have to pay 3 months rent as a means of escape. The private rental market is making me feel profoundly insecure and anxious, and even generally unwell, and I really don't want to deal with unscrupulous agents/private landlords again.

I am inclined to agree. I think the agent telling me that one can't increase the rent on a rolling contract is also a major red flag, as I know that's possible, albeit once a year.