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Original poster

Landlord selling our house

77 replies

mimi14 · 22/09/2021 18:19

After a bit of advice please.
We've lived here for 6 years, but our landlord has just told us he plans to sell the house within the year.
We can't afford another private rent in the area, as he capped ours at way under the market rate. Rentals around here are at least £300 more than we've been paying per month (we realise what a lucky position we've been in all these years).
However, this now leaves us stuck as anything else is unaffordable 😩

I've done a benefits calculation, and we'd be entitled to the housing benefit part of universal credit (currently just on wtc and ctc), however most rentals say they don't accept benefits, and we wouldn't pass an affordability check without 🤔. DH is working full time, just on a low wage, and I'm currently a sahm. Does anyone have any advice?

OP posts:

drpet49 · 23/09/2021 06:58

* Being a SAHM when children are still in school is a luxury most people can not afford.*

^This. Get a job. What do you even do all day when the kids are in school. Ridiculous.

kristplankook · 23/09/2021 07:07

There's so much hospitality and care work out there at the moment you'll easily find something.

A couple of nights a week in a restaurant or pub should give you the extra money you need. It's something I had to do when money got tight on top of a fully time job. I really enjoyed it too.

Good luck!

VanCleefArpels · 23/09/2021 07:20

Er no it is not the law for LL to have to take tenants to court to get them to move out !

Yes it is. Legally the only reason any tenant has to leave a property is as a result of a court order.

VanCleefArpels · 23/09/2021 07:24

@Bloose

Terrible advice as it neglects to mention if the landlord gets a court order then you become liable for his legal fees!

It is spectacularly rare for costs orders to be made against tenants. In fact this is best advice especially if eviction is likely to lead to a homeless application - councils will deem tenants “intentionally homeless” if they leave before a court order is issued and therefore have no obligations towards them to provide housing.

VanCleefArpels · 23/09/2021 07:27

@BrilloSolar good landlords should know what tenants rights are and factor in potential costs of eviction when weighing up the financial reality of letting out property. Believe me it’s not only tenants on a low income that can create issues. Landlords will always do affordability/credit checks, why wouldn’t they?

gogohm · 23/09/2021 07:35

There's lots of jobs out there currently, in the short term hospitality or care are your best options because they need weekends and evenings when your dp is home for the kids. In the longer term make plans for a better job, plenty of women work in careers with kids, or how about retraining as for instance a truck driver, there's lots of financial help and incentives currently to get qualified, you can then work perhaps 2-3 days a week and use childcare

Lily78123 · 23/09/2021 07:38

Become a self employed cleaner during school hours.

Pebbledashery · 23/09/2021 12:13

Your situation is very simple, unfortunately you now are not in a place to be afforded the luxury of being a SAHM. It's not financially viable for you or your partner. You essentially need to find a job that makes up the rental shortfall so you can afford to rent, and also doesn't incur childcare costs.
Part-time night shift work is what you need.

AlfonsoTheMango · 23/09/2021 12:33

@VanCleefArpels

Do not leave the property before the landlord gets a court order to evict you. If you leave before this your application to go on the council register might be screwed.

The landlord needs to serve proper notice - which needs to be in a prescribed form and presupposes they have complied with other obligations such as gas safety certificate and certain documents at the beginning of your tenancy. Once the date on the notice expires they then can go to court to get an Order. This will take several months. This gives you plenty of time to consider your options

That's horrible advice. And a terrible way to deal with a landlord who has rented at below market rates for years.

VanCleefArpels · 23/09/2021 12:44

@AlfonsoTheMango it’s the law and good landlords are well aware of the requirements.

Original poster

mimi14 · 23/09/2021 13:04

Thanks everyone for replies, even the harsh ones.
My youngest has only just started school, hence why I've been a sahm. Yes it has been a luxury we've been lucky to afford due to our low rent etc.
As I stated, I am currently looking for a job, but we live in a rural area and I don't drive, so this does narrow down my options a lot.
My eldest has special needs too, and we've had lots of school refusal in the past few years.

We're not in a position to buy the house unfortunately, but I'm going to ask the landlord about selling with a tenant in situ, I didn't realise that was a possibility. We could offer to pay more rent but his reason for selling is that he's getting older and wants to sell off some of his houses (he rents out several), so I don't think it would make a difference.

OP posts:

Darceyhemingway · 23/09/2021 13:40

Selling with a tenant in situ would be really risky for him as people won't buy. There's been threads on here in the past where people have brought with tenants in situ then they refuse and they buyer has to go to court to evict etc. I would just keep looking for a job abs somewhere else to live. He seems like a reasonable person and has been honest and given you plenty of time to get something else sorted

feellikeanalien · 23/09/2021 13:55

OP have you thought of putting an ad in a local paper saying that you are looking for a rental? We live very rurally and like you had been paying a fairly low rent. I put an ad in our local paper and had a number of replies including the landlord of our present home which is also a low rent. If there is no middle man involved you can sometimes still find something although I know it isn't easy and realise we were very lucky.

I really sympathise with you. It's very hard, particularly when you have a child with SN.

PaperhouseLegs · 23/09/2021 14:00

Good luck with the job hunt OP. There seems to be a lot about at the moment so fingers crossed you should find something. With regards to being in a rural area and not driving/school refusal, could you look for weekend work so your DH can have the children and drop you off at work?

Sweetchocolatecandy · 23/09/2021 16:10

[quote VanCleefArpels]@AlfonsoTheMango it’s the law and good landlords are well aware of the requirements.[/quote]
Just because you can doesn’t mean you should though.

Morally, I couldn’t do that to another person- especially to someone who had let me live in their property, charged below market rent the whole time and gave plenty of notice to leave.

VanCleefArpels · 23/09/2021 16:19

@Sweetchocolatecandy I understand that sentiment but if it meant the difference between qualifying fur social housing or not then you really would

MatildaIThink · 23/09/2021 16:21

@mimi14

Thanks everyone for replies, even the harsh ones. My youngest has only just started school, hence why I've been a sahm. Yes it has been a luxury we've been lucky to afford due to our low rent etc. As I stated, I am currently looking for a job, but we live in a rural area and I don't drive, so this does narrow down my options a lot. My eldest has special needs too, and we've had lots of school refusal in the past few years.

I would start now, many companies are crying out for staff, so even a part time job whilst your children are in school on minimum wage would more than cover the extra (even accounting for the drop in benefits associated with increased income). If there is anywhere in range then working in a bar one or two evenings a week when your partner is at home would also be a viable option.

If you already have a family car then I would really consider learning to drive, whilst you might not be able to use the car during the day if your partner is using it, it would make working in the evening in a bar or supermarket a viable option and the insurance should not be horrific if you are not in your early twenties, even with being a new driver.

I don't think you need to worry hugely, he has said within a year, but even a quick sale will likely take 3+ months, that should be more than enough time to find a part time job and get some extra money in.

simitra · 23/09/2021 16:22

If he is only selling off "some" of his houses could you:-

#1 persuade him to sell off another (not yours)
#2 offer more rent in compensation

Sweetchocolatecandy · 23/09/2021 16:28

[quote VanCleefArpels]@Sweetchocolatecandy I understand that sentiment but if it meant the difference between qualifying fur social housing or not then you really would[/quote]
Not necessarily as if the OP’s landlord tells the council that she is causing problems and refusing to be evicted whilst she is still in the property the council may refuse to re-home her when she is eventually evicted-then what?

NailsNeedDoing · 23/09/2021 16:29

You’ll probably be better off moving anyway if you’re rural and you can’t drive. You’re more likely to get a job that way, especially if you look for evening and weekend work for when your DH is home rather than school hours work.

You could afford market rate rent if you got a job, so social housing isn’t your only option. For that reason, it would be incredibly shitty of you to make the landlord take you to court and go through all that hassle and expense. If you do decide that you want to be formally evicted, then the least you can do is let the landlord know that’s what you’re going to do, and pay upfront for the legal fees and court costs.

VanCleefArpels · 23/09/2021 18:27

@Sweetchocolatecandy that’s not how housing allocation works. Every council has a duty to find housing for people who are homeless and the way in which they have left the previous property is not relevant EXCEPT that councils do not have any obligation to those who make themselves intentionally homeless, a definition which includes leaving a tenancy before being legally evicted

Sweetchocolatecandy · 23/09/2021 23:14

[quote VanCleefArpels]@Sweetchocolatecandy that’s not how housing allocation works. Every council has a duty to find housing for people who are homeless and the way in which they have left the previous property is not relevant EXCEPT that councils do not have any obligation to those who make themselves intentionally homeless, a definition which includes leaving a tenancy before being legally evicted[/quote]
There is no guarantee that someone will automatically qualify for a council house if they are evicted and it also states on the shelter website that tenants could become liable for court fees and any unpaid rent if a legal eviction takes place, so I don’t think you should be encourage people to essentially squat and let their LL take them to court in the hope they might get a council house. God help them if all goes wrong, they end up paying a fortune in fees and ever try and private rent again.

VanCleefArpels · 23/09/2021 23:44

@Sweetchocolatecandy advice is to always keep paying the rent, and in practice it is vanishingly rare for a costs order to be made against a tenant being evicted. Even if a tenant stops paying the rent action to recover the arrears is usually throwing good money after bad as in most circumstances the tenant is by definition unable to pay.

I do this for a living: as a landlord myself and as a housing adviser.

VanCleefArpels · 23/09/2021 23:46

And if they are evicted and so become homeless yes there’s no guarantee of a council house but there is a duty on the council to consider housing needs and provide emergency /temporary accommodation as long as the tenant meets the criteria, the most important of which are nor intentionally homeless and a local connection to the area.

SoloISland · 24/09/2021 01:31

@MouseholeCat

Wow, this truly is Mumsnet at its worst! OP- if you're already looking for a job then you're doing the best possible thing you can here, which is to increase your income. I hope you land something good soon.

Perhaps your partner can also look for something on a higher wage too? I know someone in my family was able to increase their income by a good few thousand a year by moving to night shifts at a supermarket. It wasn't fun, but it got them by until they could find something else.

To all the vipers, learn what it's like outside of your bubble and try to have some empathy. A lot of people in the UK are on similar incomes to what OP's family are. It's a struggle and they don't deserve to be berated or belittled for it. People don't always see all the answers right away if they are stressed and under pressure. If you don't have something useful to contribute, why bother putting someone down?

THank you

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