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Original poster

Renting - will it even be possible? Please help.

69 replies

Spottygiraffe85 · 07/09/2021 14:11

I left DH at the start of the summer and we are living with my parents. It’s not sustainable because it’s taking me forever to do the school run in the morning. FOREVER. Ds is 13 and dd is 6 and there isn’t really enough space for us either.

The plan was always that it would be short term and we would rent. A house has come up near where we lived for £900 a month, three bed. It would be perfect.
However I’m not going to meet their referencing terms. I have to be in full time work and paid £27k or more per annum.
DH earns around £170k per annum and I was a sahm for a a few years. I now work 28 hours a week but only earn around £16k.

On my salary plus what DH would need to give me I would have about £2.5k a month (plus UC but I know a lot of rental places don’t like that). £2.5k would give me an annual income of £30k even without the UC but I don’t think they will take that because my personal income is low.
I will also have half the house - £150k ish - when it’s sold or if Dh buys me out. Which means I wouldn’t get UC at that point but would have a good amount in savings. I would probably then look to buy so I only want to rent for 6-12 months.

Am I trapped? DH won’t move out of the family home so it has to be us that finds somewhere.
My dad would be a guarantor but I don’t know if there’s any point me even contacting the estate agents if the terms are all going to be the same.

OP posts:
JMAngel1 · 07/09/2021 14:17

I think the first person you need to speak to is a solicitor?
Who says DH gets tbe family home?
If he earns £170k why are you only getting £2.5k per month? Surely his take home must be at least £10k a month?

Original poster
Spottygiraffe85 · 07/09/2021 14:22

I earn around £1300 and he will have to pay me about £1,200 even if he has them two nights a week. I think that’s about right. It might be slightly more.
The solicitor said I could get him out of the house but to be honest it’s not worth the hassle and anger it would cause.
I just want somewhere of my own. I know it’s my own fault for being a sahm but I just feel like we are trapped. I either stay here - and my parents don’t want that either - or I go back.
I feel with an income of £2500 a month plus the UC / savings the I should be able to rent somewhere.
I am not in a position to up my hours massively right now - partly because the school run is now taking me well over an hour.

OP posts:
longerevenings · 07/09/2021 14:25

I agree with speaking to a solicitor.

Why did you and dc leave the house?
It would be more usual for the person who isn't the main carer to leave, are there abuse issues?

It doesn't sound as though you are going to meet the requirements for the rental at present.
This isn't unusual for people in your situation which is why the person who needs to rent a smaller property usually leaves.

I would talk to your solicitor again.

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General money
Dillydollydingdong · 07/09/2021 14:32

Are you on good terms with dh? Can you discuss it with him? Could you rent somewhere in joint names?
Or surely dh could afford to buy you out, so that you can afford either to rent or buy something for yourself? He wouldn't have to sell the house and it could be done quickly.

Original poster
Spottygiraffe85 · 07/09/2021 14:33

Even with the £2,500 - rent is £900 which leaves me £1,600 - if I allow £1k a month for the bills / food it would allow me £600 free.
Realistically - short term - I could claim UC until I get some money from the house / savings (no savings in my name but married for 18 years) which would mean I would be able to buy or I could use some of that money short term to subsidise my rent if I needed to even without the UC.
But I’ve no access to any of it right now. That’s the problem.

OP posts:
Original poster
Spottygiraffe85 · 07/09/2021 14:33

Not great terms with DH.

OP posts:
MadeForThis · 07/09/2021 14:38

Make sure you get everything you are entitled to. Share of all savings and current accounts, pensions, assets like cars and equity in the house. Make sure you are happy with the valuation.

Kinneddar · 07/09/2021 14:38

Are those standard letting agents requirements or are there other letting agents you could try? I rented on 3 occasions before buying my house & never had to provide anything like that. The first time I rented my Mum was my guarantor and that made things even easier

MuchTooTired · 07/09/2021 14:43

As long as your parents meet the guarantor requirements and are willing to sign it should be fine for most of the estate agents and landlords I’ve worked with!

Failing that, you could try to find a landlord privately and meet them directly and explain your situation, and offer the guarantor as well?

Original poster
Spottygiraffe85 · 07/09/2021 14:44

It says there’s no point even viewing without meeting those requirements.
I’m not likely to be full time for a while tbh. I could go up to 30 hours. And I still won’t hit the salary requirement. I’m looking out for other things but it is all time and we can’t stay here like this really. My parents don’t want us!

My dad would be my guarantor though.
Maybe I need to phone and speak to the letting agent. They say those are their terms though. I suspect they will have a lot of people interested in the house so can pick and choose. Someone with a higher income and no complications would be a better choice for them, of course.

OP posts:
Original poster
Spottygiraffe85 · 07/09/2021 14:49

I mean - in theory - despite have NOTHING of my own, I should get £150k from the house, £50k savings, a share of the pension, plus the child maintenance. The solicitor mentioned spousal maintenance because DH is such a high earner but I’d sooner not take it.
So basically I should have around £200k from the marriage plus the pension and then my monthly wage plus CM.

OP posts:
Bythemillpond · 07/09/2021 14:54

Not really helpful but we are in a similar position (we also have cats)
Even my neighbours who sold for a 7 figure sum have ended up in Airbnb (small dog and self employed)

The whole thing is ridiculous

Original poster
Spottygiraffe85 · 07/09/2021 14:57

What will you do Bythemillpond ?

I feel at a loss.
It seems ridiculous to make myself homeless when I could afford to rent.
But where else do I go with it?
I either go back to DH or we stay here and we can’t stay here - for the school run alone. It took an hour and a half this morning. Plus I’m sharing a room with dd. My parents are feeling a bit overcrowded. It was only ever meant to be short term.

I’m feeling defeated. I suppose I should have considered this before leaving. I just thought - naively - I will have enough money to afford the rent so it wouldn’t be a problem.

OP posts:
safariboot · 07/09/2021 14:58

You're not going to get a £11k a year home on a £16k salary. The usual affordability check is your gross income needs to be 2 1/2 times the rent. So that would be about £550/month rental.

You'll need the child and spousal maintenance sorted out, or the expected lump sum, before you can expect a landlord to rent you something more expensive.

Slayduggee · 07/09/2021 14:59

With £150k from the house and 50k saving could you buy somewhere and have a small mortgage? Rather than find somewhere to rent for 6/12 months then buy somewhere and move again?

TakeYourFinalPosition · 07/09/2021 15:02

The usual requirement is for income that is X times more than the rent - is that what you’ve worked this out based on?

If you rented somewhere cheaper, would you meet the requirement? It might not be where you want to live, admittedly… either cheaper area or smaller house… but it might be your only option here.

Original poster
Spottygiraffe85 · 07/09/2021 15:03

I could but it would take time for the sale etc.

Would the rental take into account the CM? If I had £2.5k a month that would be enough. £550 a month won’t get me anywhere rental wise.

OP posts:
Original poster
Spottygiraffe85 · 07/09/2021 15:03

We need three bedrooms. I can’t put ds in with dd.

OP posts:
Pebbledashery · 07/09/2021 15:05

You're not stuck.. But you can't class child maintenance as dependable income, as it can quickly be retracted!
I would say your best bet is either to get a guarantor who is willing to act, or find a landlord who will accept housing benefit. Try calling your local council and ask if they have a list of approved landlords who accept HB.

Phphion · 07/09/2021 15:05

You need to get the maintenance formally agreed. What they will want is for you to be able to show them that you have a guaranteed and sustainable income that meets their affordability criteria. If your DH is required by court to give you £2.5K then they probably would accept that as guaranteed income (particularly with your dad as an additional guarantor), but if it's just an arrangement you have come to between yourselves, then they probably wouldn't because he could just stop paying.

Original poster
Spottygiraffe85 · 07/09/2021 15:05

And also - DH earns £170k a year. Why should his children be overcrowded?
Unless they live with him. Which I don’t think his hours will facilitate and they wouldn’t want.

OP posts:
LookAtMoiPloise · 07/09/2021 15:06

I rented on 3 occasions before buying my house & never had to provide anything like that

Neither did we

Pebbledashery · 07/09/2021 15:07

Would you be able to afford all the bills alongside the rent also? Council tax, water, electric, gas, broadband etc...
It might not be ideal, could you stay a little longer with your family and save up a bit more. There's no point moving until you can feasibly afford it.

Mariell · 07/09/2021 15:10

I’m the guarantor for both of my children who rent houses and that seems to be the most important thing when dealing with letting houses, that if you have a guarantor that can provide the adequate financial statements then it’s a green light to be accepted.

NeverTalkToStrangers · 07/09/2021 15:16

Why isn't STBXH acting as guarantor? They're his children, he has a responsibility to make sure they're housed appropriately.

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