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Original poster

Renters - what would you do if your landlord is selling up but there's nowhere you can afford to move to?

108 replies

Yankydoodledandy · 31/03/2022 11:32

So my friend has rang me in tears. She lives with her DS who is on an apprentership. She rents and is on PIP and benefits due to ill health.

Her landlord is selling up and she has to move in 6 weeks. All the council houses she can bid for she says are in really bad areas and private rent is crazy.

I just dont know how to advise her.

Anyone got any advice I can forward on please?

OP posts:
thebabynanny · 31/03/2022 12:19

She needs to stay put until she is evicted, but then she will have to accept anything suitable the council can give her. If I was her I'd happily take a flat in a less desirable area as the alternative will be a grotty B&B possibly miles away.

Chakraleaf · 31/03/2022 12:21

This happened to us. She needs to send council the eviction notices.

CavernousScream · 31/03/2022 12:23

The only reason to stay put and get evicted is to become eligible for council housing. Is she already in a priority band and bidding successfully on the properties in areas she doesn’t want? If so, there is no benefit to waiting to be evicted, she will have to accept council housing in an area she doesn’t want. If she needs to be moved up to a priority band to bid successfully and/or be allocated temporary housing, then she will have to wait to be evicted. Either of these things will only result in her getting council housing in an area she doesn’t want.

Has she checked what the local housing allowance level is and how that fits with the private rentals she is seeing?

Babadook76 · 31/03/2022 12:24

[quote lollipoprainbow]@Babadook76 how the hell is anyone supposed to find somewhere else to live in 6 weeks?!' It's crazy especially in this current housing crisis climate. [/quote]
The fast track eviction is only served after the landlord has issued the (correct) 2 months notice, and the tenant has refused to move out. So they’ve got 3 and a half months really

Danikm151 · 31/03/2022 12:32

Some councils will have a list of private landlords that work with them.
Others will help towards the cost of a rental deposit- it's much easier for them to do that than put another person on the housing list. . Speak to the housing team and go from there.

Eggmcmuffin · 31/03/2022 12:35

I know it's what councils and shelter advise but I always think it's pretty bad to wait until eviction as you're essentially stealing in the period after you stop paying rent and still live there waiting dor the eviction. I can see why people do it though.

raspberrymuffin · 31/03/2022 12:42

@Eggmcmuffin the idea is that you keep paying rent in that time, so no it's not "stealing". If you stop paying rent the LL can evict you on different grounds and you will still end up owing the money, so it's not a good option unless you genuinely don't have the money.

Renting out residential property is well known to be a highly regulated form of investment so any landlord will of course have looked into all these risks when they chose to do it.

Electriq · 31/03/2022 12:42

She has to take the roof over her head regardless of area, nobody wants to move to a bad area, but being homeless is worse, house swaps can take place after a year.

HopelesslydevotedtoGu · 31/03/2022 12:46

I would recommended bidding on any council properties that would be at all possible for them to live in. With her banding is she likely to get a council house?

Once in, she can later apply to swap, or even move into private rented if she really wants to in the future. At least she will have somewhere sorted for six weeks time, and can stay there for as long as she needs to.

Private renting is particularly difficult right now with lots of competition, so if she can get a council home I'd aim for that, at least as a temporary solution. Also nothing to say that next private landlord won't sell up in six months time and give her notice.

THisbackwithavengeance · 31/03/2022 12:46

This is exactly why private landlords won't rent to people on benefits.

Because the invariable advice is to stay put and get evicted thus costing the landlord potentially thousands and countless stress. And yes some landlords might be unscrupulous capitalists and Tory party members etc but many are just people who have temporarily let out their homes or need to sell for good reason and don't deserve to be shat upon.

Tough tit that your friend doesn't like the council houses currently on offer. When she finally does get evicted, does she think the council are going to build her a dream home in Millionaires Row?

AwkwardPaws27 · 31/03/2022 12:48

@Eggmcmuffin

I know it's what councils and shelter advise but I always think it's pretty bad to wait until eviction as you're essentially stealing in the period after you stop paying rent and still live there waiting dor the eviction. I can see why people do it though.
You are not stealing! You still pay rent during that period; your tenancy doesn't end until you either leave voluntarily or the court evicts you.

The alternative is you leave on the date your landlord gives you, can't afford private rental and the council refuses to help.

We went through this when I was a teenager with the home my mum had rented for 19 years. It was horrible, & the council wanted us all in one room in a filthy hostel (we kept getting outbid).

We ended up moving into a smaller private rental instead (it meant sharing a room with male sibling as a teenager, not ideal but all we could afford. Council wouldn't let us bid on 2 beds though!).

Beautiful3 · 31/03/2022 12:50

Worse thing ahe can do is squat, as she'll be evicted and have bad references. I honestly would take a council property in a bad area. Otherwise she'll struggle renting, especially when rent goes up each year. I wouldn't rely on her sons income when he gets a pay rise (after his apprenticeship ends) either, as he may meet someone and move out.

lollipoprainbow · 31/03/2022 12:55

@THisbackwithavengeance lovely post Angry

thebabynanny · 31/03/2022 12:56

@THisbackwithavengeance

This is exactly why private landlords won't rent to people on benefits.

Because the invariable advice is to stay put and get evicted thus costing the landlord potentially thousands and countless stress. And yes some landlords might be unscrupulous capitalists and Tory party members etc but many are just people who have temporarily let out their homes or need to sell for good reason and don't deserve to be shat upon.

Tough tit that your friend doesn't like the council houses currently on offer. When she finally does get evicted, does she think the council are going to build her a dream home in Millionaires Row?

People who just temporarily let out their homes and see it as a quick and easy way to make money are the worst kind of landlords and deserve everything they get.
lollipoprainbow · 31/03/2022 12:59

@THisbackwithavengeance Not all people on benefits are scum who don't pay their rent on time. I'm a single working mum who gets top up housing benefit, I have been a good tenant who has paid my rent on time for 9 years. I now face being homeless due to my ll selling up and private rentals being exortionate in price and few and far between, i guess that's 'tough tit' for me though isn't it.

tss67 · 31/03/2022 12:59

She is lucky she has benefits in place PIP and is lucky to get a council flat as the private rent sector is unaffordable and unless she has 6 months up front rent to pay she has no chance..

Xfox · 31/03/2022 13:03

@Beautiful3

Worse thing ahe can do is squat, as she'll be evicted and have bad references. I honestly would take a council property in a bad area. Otherwise she'll struggle renting, especially when rent goes up each year. I wouldn't rely on her sons income when he gets a pay rise (after his apprenticeship ends) either, as he may meet someone and move out.
She's not squatting. The tenancy is still in place, and she is living there perfectly legally as long as she continues to pay rent. A landlord cannot end a tenancy. Only the tenant or a court can. Staying put waiting for a court date if they choose that route is well within the tenants rights, as any landlord should know.
Wellthisiscrapeh · 31/03/2022 13:05

This happened to us.

We were both working but lived in London so had to claim top up housing benefit as rents are astronomical, so no landlord would have us.

The landlord who did rent to us, we had to jump through so many hoops, including 6 months rent in advance and letters from ds school and church group to prove he/we were of good character.

Must have been someone like @THisbackwithavengeance who thought we were scum.

Then he wanted to sell. We didn’t want to get evicted and end up in temporary accommodation for years.

Luckily, dh work switched to working from home so we moved 170 miles away to where dh is originally from where we could afford to rent (and then buy) on his wage.

Ds had just started A levels so it was a huge upheaval but we had no choice.

Cocomarine · 31/03/2022 13:05

Definitely check with Shelter that all has been served legally.

And take the Council offering. What else can she do? If her son is on an apprenticeship, then he’s old enough that she can’t rely on him living with her much longer, or benefits related to a child. Or possibly housing list bidding position based on having a child. I would bite their hands off to get into a Council flat now, because it’s only going to get harder - for her personal circumstances and the generally economic situation.

It’s shit that it’s a bad area, and sometimes bad really does mean very bad indeed. But she not going to rent any better privately if she has no money. So get into the secure tenancy, and make a decision from there if she wants to move into a private rental in a better area.

321user123 · 31/03/2022 13:08

@Eggmcmuffin

I know it's what councils and shelter advise but I always think it's pretty bad to wait until eviction as you're essentially stealing in the period after you stop paying rent and still live there waiting dor the eviction. I can see why people do it though.
In reality councils should act (mandated by the government)! as soon as you receive notice.

You are also supposed to be paying rent until you move out. Why would you stop paying if you still live there?
A notice is effectively a request to leave.. but rent is still due.

Lemonem · 31/03/2022 13:10

Keep trying to find somewhere and stay put in the meantime. Even if it means going over her notice period

Ipadflowers · 31/03/2022 13:10

I don’t think she has the luxury of rejecting council housing as she doesn’t think thr area is good enough. She’s going to have to accept one. She really doesn’t have the luxury of picking and choosing her location.

THisbackwithavengeance · 31/03/2022 13:10

[quote lollipoprainbow]@THisbackwithavengeance lovely post Angry[/quote]
But true?

We see time and time again on here complaints about landlords won't rent to people on benefits which invariably means people on benefits and single mothers and this is why.

If you want to blame someone, blame councils or Thatcher government for selling off all the council house stock.

Keepitonthedownlow · 31/03/2022 13:14

If she has been served notice she should get more 'points' so might be able to bid for better council houses.

Ipadflowers · 31/03/2022 13:14

@THisbackwithavengeance is correct sadly.

And She’s been offered council housing, many would give their left arm for such a thing, she’s saying the housing she’s offered isn’t good enough, she has options. She’s just not taking them, if she rejects the council won’t home her at all. I’m sure plenty of other people live in the areas she’s being offered.