Eviction :( landlord sold house! Serious anxiety

[Laughlivelove3002]

Hi, please can anybody talk me through the process or tell me any experience they had during their eviction process.
So this is the first time I’ve joined mumset and I am riddled with anxiety atm and just need some reassurance with my situations atm.
Basically In November my landlord sold my house and issued me a section 21a, due to Covid my eviction date is may the 5th, all checked and Lagite, I gave this to the council and they put me onto the bidding system and placed me on silver banding, so I have have been bidding and I am like 80-100th on the list which is so worrying. I rang the council Friday to speak to my housing office for a review and what she told me has distressed me so much my anxiety is through the roof right now. So she explained that I have a choice after may the 5th (eviction date) to remain in my home until my landlord goes to the courts and gets bailiffs or I can leave on may the 5th and go into emergency accommodation 😭
I suffer from depression anxiety and asthma and the stress has caused my face to flare up in bad dermatitis. I literally haven’t slept since Friday just stressing about having to go into a bed sit with my 7 year old
I’ve tried looking at private rent but with bad credit history from my past and only working part time on a low wage it’s just impossible.
Please can anyone give me any advice
Many thanks

It’s only January. Are you certain you won’t get anything in the next 4 months?

But yes, if you want council accommodation it will probably be temporary at first.

I'm surprised to hear that they'll offer you anything before you've got to your eviction date tbh. I assume you can check how they allocate banding via their website but I would think you would move into a higher priority once you are actually homeless.

I know it’s only January this is my anxiety literally through the roof right now :( it may seem like a over reaction to some but I’ve lived in this house for 8 years and I’m just so stressed especially due to loosing work to Covid too just everything at once

They'll expect you to stay put as long as you can.

Does the council offer a deposit guarantee/ loan scheme, where they pay/ guarantee the deposit on a private rental? If so they may also have a list of landlords that will accept those with a poor credit history.

She explained the process and it’s pretty clear, it’s just the thought off Going to emergency housing that frightens me to death

Emergency housing is a means to an end. It won't be much fun but it will only be for a brief time, if it comes to that, and then you will have a much more secure home.

You'd probably end up in emergency anyway if you wait to be evicted. If they will house you before you get evicted then bite their hands off. Get it in writing though. Emergency won't be lovely but it will be manageable and you will end up in somewhere more stable in the end.

I am in the exact same position apart from I have until June. She is right about your options. In the mean time pack as much as you can other than the things you need day to day so help you when you do need to leave. Have a look at storage options and costs, if you end up in temp accommodation and you own furniture you will need somewhere to store it unless you get put into a big enough home, often it is studios and 1 bed places in temp. Make your list of companies you will need to change address for and banks. This just helps you feel more organized and prepared.

Its such a shame, very few people are moving in social housing at the moment due to covid so everything is slower than normal. I feel for you it is scary. Every week of bidding that goes by you feel more and more desperate.

Take this time to have a clear out of anything you dont use or need or dont want to take with you. You will get there and when you do it will be a fresh start.

I would personally opt for temp accommodation, if you choose to wait for bailiffs get as much of your stuff into storage as when they come you dont have long to clear out but you can arrange to pick up your non essential items at a later date with the landlord.

Most people have to go into temporary accommodation while they wait for council housing op. Council housing is at a big shortage right now.

I think you should be realistic and prepare yourself to possibly having to go into a bedsit while you wait. At least you won't be homeless.

The time in emergency accommodation varies between areas, as does the quality and type of accommodation. Do you have any family that might be able to put you up for a while?

When our ll didn't renew our tenancy and we had a short time to relocate we suggested he gave us a glowing reference for a private rental to assist us on our way!! He did and we got a great place!

Hi OP, I'm sorry to hear you're going through this. Unless things have changed, you may be better staying in the property. Don't worry about the bailiffs, they're not putting you in jail. You haven't done anything wrong. There are procedures to protect both tenant and landlord, that's all. It happened to me too. I was told by the council not to leave voluntarily as this would mean they couldn't help me. Unfortunately my landlord at the time made everything more complicated by not sticking to the guidelines. However, the council did eventually house me. I don't know if things have changed now. I felt so upset as though somehow it meant I was a bad tenant. (I wasn't, landlord admitted that!) The point I'm trying to make, is that it will work out. It made me ill too, so I can sympathise.

Do you have any family that might be able to put you up for a while?

You might not be considered homeless if you do this, even if they can’t have you full time. I know this is the case where I am.

OP it’s not great, but you’ll survive it. I had to sleep in the Salvation Army with doors that weren’t allowed to lock at 17, it was pretty horrendous but I constantly told myself that it was better than being on the streets. It was warm and relatively safe.

@Santaiscovidfree . Council housing is so much more secure though. And often so much cheaper. If op finds a private rental she will have no priority with the council. This eviction could have the silver lining of meaning op can find her almost forever home. She could even find herself in exactly the same situation in a year's time with private. You do always feel that any moment your home could be pulled from under you. My previous home was a private rental and we lived there for 13 years but I
ever lost that fear.

Thanks for the support, knowing I will eventually end up in a secure affordable home is all I keep focusing on at the moment, I just have a lot off family and friends worrying me at the moment so I need a bit of positivity I think

Shelter website gives very good advice about this x

Yes definitely hold out for your forever home. They can't chuck you out then unless you break the tenancy agreement. Really hope it all works out for you, OP.

Only a court can evict you. The section 21 you received was a notice that your landlord wants you to leave, and will be applying to the court for that to happen. He can only apply after 5th may.

When you moved in did you receive information on your rights as a tenant? Is your deposit protected? Do you have a copy of the EPC and an up to date gas safety certificate? If no to any then the notice is not valid and the court will instruct your landlord to put right whatever was missing and reissue the section 21 notice, which will be a 6 month notice again.

IF the current section 21 notice is valid, 5th may is the earliest he can apply to court. Currently there is a backlog and the earliest your case will be heard is January 2022. Once your case goes to court you will incur court charges, but as long as you vacate the property by the day before court, you won't get any charges and your deposit will be repaid (as long as there's no damage.

TLDR: keep paying rent, keep living in the property, keep bidding on council properties, you've got until at least Jan 2022.

Thanks everyone for supportive replies, yeah I really am kind off done with private rent, the landlord has messed me around for the last 3 years keep putting on and pulling off the market, had views and people coming into here looking around for the pay 3 years so kind off a kick up the bottom now it's sold and I've just got to tell myself to look to the future, thanks for the advice regarding the court process, council has checked all paper work and all is correct and as it should, but pretty good new the next cour are pretty busy until January, that could give me more time on the bidding system

yes, that's right if England. The section 21 ends in May but that is NOT your eviction date. Council person is wrong.

That is the date when the landlord can apply to go to court if you don't leave. You do nothing wrong by not leaving at that point. You only HAVE to leave when the bailiffs arrive, and that probably won't be until 2022. If you go before the bailiffs the council will indeed wash their hands of you - but it isn't impossible that you may get lucky on their waiting list before then.

yes, the landlord wants/needs to sell and can't while you are there - but that is the risk of letting property even though no-one saw this coming. Even in normal times there was a six month wait from the end of the section 21.

I'm a landlord.

I don,t know how it works but have you tried approachng housing associaitons? AAnd yes Shelter as well.

Ok I will ring council tomorrow to clarify, thank you. Yes it wouldn't be my estate agents first eviction so I am sure they are prepared to do what they need to do, just got to hold out I suppose, i just want to be stress free and out of this situation, there's nothing like feeling unstable in life is there

You won’t be in emergency housing for long and it will put you in a better position to get a permanent property

Yeah that's how I have to think of it I suppose it won't be for long, I feel much better after posting this actually, because my friends and family have never had to go through all this stress I think there horrified when I tell them and then it causes me to worry even more! Thanks for the advice everyone