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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 16:10

@Cherryblossoms85

I had no idea I was exposing myself to those sorts of losses when I rented out my BTL to a lovely tenant on benefits. I had always thought it was terrible to refuse to rent to benefits claimants, it's good money after all and she had kids and kept everything nice. Well that's me told...
It's not really a specific benefits issue - working tenants would also have to stay put if they had nowhere to move to.
Thoosa · 31/03/2022 16:17

I think @Cherryblossoms85 might be on a wind up, especially describing benefits as “good money”.

Cherryblossoms85 · 31/03/2022 16:22

Umm not really. It's a lot more secure than a tenant who loses their job but doesn't qualify for benefits. What's a wind-up is people blaming perfectly good landlords for terrible government policies over the last 30 years.

halfsiesonapotnoodle · 31/03/2022 16:25

Has she looked at rooms to rent? There are some good websites and a fair bit of availability it seems to me. All sorts of different prices and setups. Google that in the area, OP.

browneyes77 · 31/03/2022 16:30

If she accepts a council place, she will at least be in a position to try and do a swap at a later date. So there may get an opportunity to swap to a slightly better area in future.

It’s not great having to live in an area that isn’t nice, but at least it’s a roof over her head for the moment and bides her some time to look for other more suitable private rentals in time, if that’s what she’d prefer.

The other option would be housing association, but their waiting lists can be as long as the councils.

Zwellers · 31/03/2022 18:48

Dobbysgotthesocks post reported as i am one of those vile moronic people who rented out my late mother's property to help fund her long term care.

EatSleepReplete · 31/03/2022 19:03

This was almost exactly the position we were in a couple of years ago. Our LL wanted to sell, we were served notice. I'm disabled & unable to work. DH was on zero hours (agency) work. 1 child. We couldn't find anything affordable & all the rental agents we spoke to refused to even give us forms as they wanted financial info first... we stayed put until the council told us to leave, lived in a shelter for a while. Were fortunate to get a HA house after a while. We applied for loads of houses on the council list, I bid on literally everything on the list that was suitable (2 bedrooms & within walking distance of a town centre, as we've no car), & took the first one we were offered. We were only top band once we were actually homeless, apparently that's pretty common.

Your friend needs to be more realistic. She will be lucky if she gets social housing in a reasonable period of time at all.

NoSquirrels · 31/03/2022 19:09

All the council houses she can bid for she says are in really bad areas

She needs to bud on what she can get, I’m afraid. Staying put and hoping it will get better won’t improve things.

TreesoftheField · 31/03/2022 19:18

Why punish the landlord?? Oh yes, make yourself homeless and sleep rough before you cause your landlord any hassle!!!
Landlords know the law and the risk they're taking when renting a property. The tenants are under no obligation to leave and be homeless just so the landlord doesn't have to feel stressed. And it is correct that the council will tell tenants to stay put until a court order is in place because they're totally overwhelmed with people being made homeless and have to buy themselves some time.
It's ridiculous to insist someone not making themselves homeless is punishing the landlord!!!

tempester28 · 31/03/2022 19:23

She should take the council house - even if it is an undesirable area. I am sure there is about to be a crisis in the rental market as you can see there are fewer available. She should take the council house and move on later when it is possible

tempester28 · 31/03/2022 19:26

There are fewer houses available for a variety of reasons, but one is that the government has made it less attractive to be a landlord.

TabithaTittlemouse · 31/03/2022 19:28

She doesn’t really have a choice apart from whatever property she is offered. A house/flat in a not so nice area is better than nothing.

The alternative of waiting to be evicted could mean ended up in a horrible B and B and still only being offered a house in the areas that she doesn’t like.

It’s not nice but it’s life.

browneyes77 · 31/03/2022 19:39

@Zwellers

Dobbysgotthesocks post reported as i am one of those vile moronic people who rented out my late mother's property to help fund her long term care.
I think that poster is just projecting their current situation. It’s obviously an extremely difficult time for them having just had a cancer diagnosis and then being told they have to vacate in 4 weeks.

Their emotion is the driving force behind their comment. Understandable given their current situation. Try not to take it too personally. They’re just venting I think.

LegMeChicken · 31/03/2022 19:42

@tempester28

There are fewer houses available for a variety of reasons, but one is that the government has made it less attractive to be a landlord.
They've made it worse. Now the ONLY people who can afford to be LL's are, as quoted elsewhere, the 'bastard LL's who own 60 houses. And these ** www.theguardian.com/business/2021/aug/19/lloyds-plans-big-move-into-uk-rental-market-with-50000-homes

They're much, much worse than 'situational LL's. quite frankly.

LegMeChicken · 31/03/2022 19:43

Also @Dobbysgotthesocks sorry to hear of your sitaution. It's disgusting what they get up to!
IME the people who CAN'T afford it are the most generous in letting tenants stay etc

MidnightMeltdown · 31/03/2022 19:44

She doesn't have a choice. If she can't afford private rent then she must take the council house.

I know that it sounds harsh, but beggars can't be choosers. She is very lucky to have that as an option. Saying that the area isn't good enough is an insult to thousands of people who would love a council property but aren't offered anything.

Dobbysgotthesocks · 31/03/2022 19:56

@Zwellers

Dobbysgotthesocks post reported as i am one of those vile moronic people who rented out my late mother's property to help fund her long term care.
Report away!!! I have every right to my feelings and opinions.
underneaththeash · 31/03/2022 20:01

[quote Dobbysgotthesocks]@THisbackwithavengeance no it is invariably capitalist landlords who are the problem. Landlords on the whole are utter moronic scum. Never ever met a decent one. Vile vile vile humans.
I have 4 weeks to be out of my home. Despite just being diagnosed with cancer. I can't afford anywhere else and am not eligible for social housing.
My bastard landlords are multimillionaires and have over 60 properties in the uk. [/quote]
Yep always the landlords. I'm sorry you're ill.
We're landlords and DH came from an abusive working class background, mine was okay, but no inheritance. We still pay for MIL.
We worked hard at school, saved and both bought our own homes independently at 25.
Can you imagine having any other asset you own that someone has contractually borrowed and not giving it back? Renting rights are massively swayed towards the renter at the moment and landlords are really aware of the fact.
We have 6 properties and the last 3 bed house had 10 families interested and the 2 that had no references we not in contention.

OP

  1. Get her to contact the landlord and tell them she'll struggling. If she's willing to allow viewing, decoration etc, they will be more ameanble to letting them stay.
  2. She can bid on smaller property, in a nicer area. He can just stay on a camp bed.
Didyousaysomethingdarling · 31/03/2022 20:03

@allBabadook76

Have you got a link to the info you posted please?

spongedog · 31/03/2022 20:17

@thebabynanny 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.

Do you mean people like me - you sound daft - I worked abroad for 3 years at the start of one of the many previous recessions (1991-). I had a mortgage at what eventually rose to be 15% interest - company wasnt going to pay the mortgage, so I had to. Was I supposed to pay rent for my own home abroad and this empty flat in the UK? I moved back into my home - despite only 3 years of letting out to professionals - accountants & nurses - the place was a pigsty. Most of it had to be gutted and I started again from scratch. I didnt deserve shitty tenants like the ones I had. Yet they were vetted with references etc. I would never rent again to tenants without being my own managing agent and have the rental property very close by (and also a large crew of heavies). Rental legislation has changed but fundamentally very few people will make any money from the actual letting after costs and void periods.

SausagePourHomme · 31/03/2022 20:21

Mumsnet is the wrong place to get lots of good advice on this as there a lot of buy to let landlords who will give advice that suits a landlord. Please advise your friend to speak to Shelter

Thoosa · 31/03/2022 20:26

I would never rent again to tenants without being my own managing agent and have the rental property very close by (and also a large crew of heavies).

Is that really your best attempt to persuade everyone that LLs are nice, empathetic folk? Confused

Cos it sounds y’know, gangsterish. Hmm

Eggmcmuffin · 31/03/2022 20:27

Well, my experience is that tenants didn't pay any rent during that period and I never recovered it despite going through all the right procedures. I've let my flat out to individuals on benefits before it was tbe private renters that decided they were going to stop paying

Graphista · 31/03/2022 20:32

6 weeks doesn't sound right at all has she been legally evicted? How long has she been living there and what kind of tenancy does she have?

I would tell her to contact shelter as a matter of urgency, they can not only advise but even advocate where necessary

but then she would have bad references if she gets evicted

No that's not how it works

thebabynanny · 31/03/2022 20:40

[quote spongedog]**@thebabynanny 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.

Do you mean people like me - you sound daft - I worked abroad for 3 years at the start of one of the many previous recessions (1991-). I had a mortgage at what eventually rose to be 15% interest - company wasnt going to pay the mortgage, so I had to. Was I supposed to pay rent for my own home abroad and this empty flat in the UK? I moved back into my home - despite only 3 years of letting out to professionals - accountants & nurses - the place was a pigsty. Most of it had to be gutted and I started again from scratch. I didnt deserve shitty tenants like the ones I had. Yet they were vetted with references etc. I would never rent again to tenants without being my own managing agent and have the rental property very close by (and also a large crew of heavies). Rental legislation has changed but fundamentally very few people will make any money from the actual letting after costs and void periods.[/quote]
Yep, people exactly like you who don't take it seriously and just want someone to come and pay your mortgage without causing you any hassle.