Please does anyone know anything about renting privately or being housed by the council?

[used2bthin]

XP is paying the rent till feb 08 when the lease on this [place runs out. Then I will need to look for somewhere else. I seem to remember from when I tried to find somewhere as a pregnahnt single mum before that landlords would only consider people who worked and earned over a certain amount. I don't work, atm I receive DLA for DD and carers allowance for me but will be reassessed for these in january so don't know what will be awarded then.

I know febuary is a way off but am stressing about what to do as I was told being housed by the council can be tricky. Are there lists of landlords who accept tenants who will be claiming benefits? Anyone know what happens when you go through the council? Thanks

[LadyOfWaffle]

First thing no matter what is get oN yOUr local housing list via the council.

[Joash]

depends on where you live and who your council are.

[mytwopenceworth]

Private rented might be a problem depending where you are, but you MUST get on council waiting list.

DON'T voluntarily move out when the lease is up. Stay put, they will begin eviction proceedings and you can be considered as homeless by the council.

[used2bthin]

Ladyofwaffle I am on the list but need to update them as I applied as a pregnant single mum to be living with parents. Then moved to a different area with xp. Think I should apply still with original place though as I think there is some rule about having lived in the area so many years! Am very confused!

[used2bthin]

Oh dear maybe I am too much of a wimp but my landlord and landlady seem ok so wouldn't want to upset them! So is it better to go through the council then?

[mytwopenceworth]

You go to the council and make an appt to see a housing officer. Tell them your situation and that you are going to be homeless on . Get your file updated. Don't worry about your landlord - if they were that nice wouldn't they be renewing your lease? Don't do ANYTHING that would make you 'intentionally homeless' or you're screwed.

[used2bthin]

What would I do that would make me intentionally homeless? Just want to make sure I don't do it! Haven't asked the landlord but we moved out of the city catchment area to here and it makes more sense for me to be near parwents etc now on my own. We also spend a lot of time at the hospital so I could possibly argue I need to be closer to it?

[used2bthin]

My parents have just arrived so I will be gone till later but would appreciate any more input!

[Lorayn]

used2bthin, call your CAB, they will know who the housing advice people are in your area, then get an appointment to see the housing officer. You may not be rehoused by the council unfortunately, so you need to know where you stand sooner rather than later.

[tetti]

I would still contact some letting agents,I know some accept people who are on benefits.I would email the ones in your area,it's well worth a try.

[mytwopenceworth]

Intentionally homeless if you deliberately did or didn't do something that caused you to leave accommodation which you could otherwise have stayed in, and which would have been reasonable for you to stay in.

Cover all bases, certainly try to find your own accomodation, but also you MUST go to the council and tell them that you are about to be made homeless.

Also try all the local housing associations, some take their tenants from the council waiting lists, but some operate their own lists too, usually on points system, homelessness scores big points.

[TwoIfBySea]

used2bthin (hey so did I!) a couple of weeks ago I had a personal housing plan done by the housing officer. Because I am in a housing association house and not under threat of eviction I have hee-haw chance of getting a move unless someone wants to swap...anyway...she told me that at the moment the only way to get a house is to have a minimum of 400 points. To have that you need to be homeless or about to be made homeless.

Just a little info for you and I am sure that it will be the same where you are (I'm in West Lothian.)

[Tinkerbel5]

Definately go to the council as they have a list of landlords that rent to benefits claimants, usually they advise you to refuse to move out and let the landlord take you to court but I think that unfair for a landlord to have to pay to do that and its also unfair on the tenant being dragged to court and having bailiffs throw them out.

[used2bthin]

Oh thanks everyone, Tinkerbell I was hoping that there would be some kind of list of landlords who would accept me. So sounds like I really do need to speak to a housing officer. I'm pretty sure I couldn't stay in this property anyway(it's under an agent and the minimum salary required is 21k)but will find out where I stand. The stuff about being intentionally homeless is very helpful too, I hadn't even thought of that, thanks.

The housing associations in my area (I think) all are only accessed through being on the council list. Does anyone know, if I rent privately and claim housing benefit, would I still stay on the council list? If I got a housing association place how does it work, do you get to stay in the same place indefinately or would you have to leave if your circumstances changed?

[CrookshanksinJimmyChoos]

We were on the council list owing to me being deaf a few years ago and renting privately with help of housing benefit (while we were job hunting) and they don't seem to mind that. Mind you, that was in 2000 so things may have changed since then

[used2bthin]

Hello crook! Was it somewhere you were already renting or did you find somewhere whilst on benefits? My friend's(v gorgeous)older brother used to be an estate agent and he said landlords didn't like it cos the benefits can be messed up and mean that the tenant can't pay the rent. Don't know iif that was true though.

[CrookshanksinJimmyChoos]

Well, we were pretty sneaky...we pretended that my Grandparents were paying the rent and didn't tell the agents that it would be housing benefit - we were renting in Clifton so didn't think they would look kindly on that sort of thing!! lol!!

At that time, the benefit came into our account and then we paid them so I didn't see the need for them to know tbh and DH got a job very shortly after so it wasn't for very long.

A lot of landlords don't like the whole housing benefit thing though because a small majority of people on housing benefit have messed it up for the majority of people who don't abuse the system. Mind you, its always worth putting a few feelers out and seeing what the climate is like out there....

There are of course, some landlords that like people on housing benefit as they know they will get their money, which makes sense. You need to start looking around. Could also say to lettings agency that you will have references from present landlord, old employers etc to reassure them that you won't use the property to mainline crack/grow ganja etc

[used2bthin]

I see good plan. Hope I can get a reference from the present landlord, I've knocked down the coat pegs, dented the walls in various places and burned a line from my straighteners in the carpet!

I'm pretty sure the housing benefit does go straight into the account so in theory I could stay here actually. It's nicer here than where I was before but it may make sense to be closer to my parents, town etc.

[CrookshanksinJimmyChoos]

Its a toss up between the nice accomodation and the being close to parents etc....I personally would look for somewhere close to parents as I would want the extra help with DS...but only if I could find somewhere nice that I felt safe in....mmm...

Contact council asap and see what they say - fact you are getting DLA etc for DD may help swing things along a bit

[used2bthin]

Yes am hoping so although we were told we didn't get extra points for her on medical grounds when we applied as a couple to livE in area I'm in now.Was advised by CAB to apply for housing nearer to hospital when DD was small as getting there quickly could make a real difference so it probably applies more to the city. May go against me that I've lived away from it a year though to be honest I would never have moved away if wasn't for XP harping on about wanting a nicer house and a garage!

[CrookshanksinJimmyChoos]

Wel.....why not fudge a little and tell them that XP was mentally abusing you and forced you to move away and you felt you had to agree as wanted some consistency for DD etc/didn't want to break up and then you came to senses after you split and realised you needed to be near hospital etc and how much worry not being near the hospital has caused you.....

[used2bthin]

I'm too scared for that! Will definately make an appointment next week though. Got letter through from council asking for DD's birth certificate so hopev they weren't about to house me on the basis I still live at my mums house, that would be so annoying. Unlikely though, they told me it would be a 15 year wait even though my poarents had said they wanted me to leave last september!

[used2bthin]

I'm too scared for that! Will definately make an appointment next week though. Got letter through from council asking for DD's birth certificate so hopev they weren't about to house me on the basis I still live at my mums house, that would be so annoying. Unlikely though, they told me it would be a 15 year wait even though my poarents had said they wanted me to leave last september!

[CrookshanksinJimmyChoos]

How do some people manage to waltz in and get housed right away?? It really winds me up! One of DH's mates has a council flat and dabbles in property - at one point he had two flats and his council place and I was really really annoyed as first time buyers are getting priced out and there are a lot of people in need of council accomodation.

I got so cross I rang the council to ask if what he was doing was legal and they said that as annoying as what it was, people in council accomodation were allowed to have private property!!!!

[used2bthin]

Right am coming off here. Cannot justify even though we are sorting stuff out will be cursing my late night mn habit tommorrow morning(if I'm lucky, if not I'll be cursing it tonight when DD wants to share my bed at stupid o clock) good luck on other thread. I'm sure it will be ok x