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Original poster

Evictions. Please don't judge

95 replies

Homesweeethome · 14/09/2023 19:43

Quite some time ago I was evicted from my home under section 21. Leading up to the evicted was stressful as I did not know what to expect for my family. I was ripped apart on mumsnet. People were really nasty. Then people did not know how things worked just thought I could wave a magic wound. ",just do this" "just do that" thought it was all so simple. Then when I explained why it was not that easy . I was ripped apart some more.

My situation is now much better and and I have now been housed and I'm very happy so are the children.

I have noticed there has been a massive rise in evictions and familys becoming homeless. I have seen people on FB housing support groups reaching out for advice. I have also seen people posting on MN posting their situation. I have seen the comment "why have children if you can't house them". But mostly people seem much more supportive than a few years or so back. There seens to be more understanding and empathy.

Please be kind to people who are losing their home they are not in that situation because they want to be times are tuff for them.

OP posts:
rorret · 17/12/2023 11:40

@Homesweeethome if you have disabled children, or disabliities yourself, are you claiming all the benefits you are entitled to? I am sorry your house is run down xxx

Original poster
Homesweeethome · 17/12/2023 11:43

rorret · 17/12/2023 11:40

@Homesweeethome if you have disabled children, or disabliities yourself, are you claiming all the benefits you are entitled to? I am sorry your house is run down xxx

My house is not run down . And my housing is secure. Not sure if you got mixed up or not.

OP posts:
rorret · 17/12/2023 11:46

I'm sorry if I've offended you, that wasn't my intention at all I was trying to be supportive, as you said you rented a rundown house so your children had somewhere to live and inferred that you had disabilities or disabled children and that affording the rent was a struggle for you.

Again, I apologise, I was trying to be helpful and supportive in case there was some benefit you weren't claiming that you were entitled to.

sorry.

sandrapinchedmysandwich · 17/12/2023 11:49

OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 16/12/2023 20:35

hopeforchanging

you take it to the local laundrette. That sounds very blunt / uncaring, but that is actually what you have to do.

The nearest launderette in my city is 6 miles away. And they only offer a service wash which costs ££££. Not so easy if you don't have transport and not a lot of money

Original poster
Homesweeethome · 17/12/2023 11:55

rorret · 17/12/2023 11:46

I'm sorry if I've offended you, that wasn't my intention at all I was trying to be supportive, as you said you rented a rundown house so your children had somewhere to live and inferred that you had disabilities or disabled children and that affording the rent was a struggle for you.

Again, I apologise, I was trying to be helpful and supportive in case there was some benefit you weren't claiming that you were entitled to.

sorry.

No its OK. You have got mixed up though. That was another poster who said about renting a damp 2 bedroom. She said when her children were little so I don't (think ) she's in that situation now ..

It was me talking about disability/disabled etc I was just saying how everyone have different challenges/situation in life and its not always simple /easy and because one person managed does not mean another can

OP posts:
SiliconHeaven · 17/12/2023 12:10

@BouncingJAS quite unpleasant posts from you, do you have a problem with people procreating if they’re on benefits? It sounds like you think that people should only have children they can afford to without relying on any state benefits whatsoever?

Unfortunately it’s not black and white though is it? Many ordinary working families get benefits that top up their wages. There is a benefits cap that only counts the first 2 children. Plus eviction is very much down to bad luck, it can happen to anyone who is private renting.

Of course many people who are evicted simply find another private rental property, not all apply to the Local Authority as homeless, do you have a problem with this?

Flappingseal · 17/12/2023 12:15

@rorret i can see where you're coming from as I read @Homesweeethome's post similarly. I think the lack of quotation marks didn't help.

I am horrified at the lack of empathy from some posters here. Many many people live in rented homes for all sorts of reasons, and section 21 evictions are not due to any fault of the renter.

My own young adult children will be looking at finding an enormous deposit to buy even a tiny place of their own. One has looked into private renting and it's incredibly difficult to find anywhere. Even though he has enough money saved and a good income.

A friend of mine, married, both working, 2 children, was evicted because landlord wanted to sell. They were in emergency accommodation for six months, miles from work, schools etc. There was just nothing around here. Ypu cannot blame families for ending up in this situation. It's abhorrent!

rorret · 17/12/2023 12:21

Thank you @Flappingseal I really wasn't meaning to be rude and I'm upset that that's how it's been taken as it honestly wasn't my intention.

Original poster
Homesweeethome · 17/12/2023 12:27

rorret · 17/12/2023 12:21

Thank you @Flappingseal I really wasn't meaning to be rude and I'm upset that that's how it's been taken as it honestly wasn't my intention.

@rorret I don't think you have been rude or upset anyone. You didn't say anything bad just a little mix up that's all . Don't worry 💐

OP posts:
MikeRafone · 17/12/2023 12:31

Many Morrisons supermarkets have washing machines & tumble dries on the premises

crosstalk · 17/12/2023 12:41

OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 16/12/2023 20:35

hopeforchanging

you take it to the local laundrette. That sounds very blunt / uncaring, but that is actually what you have to do.

No laundrettes in our large country town. You'd have to take it all into the nearest city by bus. With your kids if you can't leave them at home.

Spirallingdownwards · 17/12/2023 12:43

hopeforchanging · 16/12/2023 20:31

Hi, thank you for this post. We will be seeing 21 section notice soon, as landlord was selling for past 1 year. I have no family in this country, so will likely go through the dread of applying for homelessness. It all seems extremely surreal and scary, but stories like yours truly make me hopeful that once it happens, once it is over we will soon find peace again. I find the biggest problem is that there is so much unknown.

My biggest fear: where in emergency accomodation you can do your laundry? As silly, as it may sound!

As you have known for a year then surely you won't need to apply as homeless as you have had plenty of time to look for a different rental property.

Flappingseal · 17/12/2023 12:58

Spirallingdownwards · 17/12/2023 12:43

As you have known for a year then surely you won't need to apply as homeless as you have had plenty of time to look for a different rental property.

Show quote history

Have you tried looking for a rental property lately? This is the problem. It really isn't as easy as all that. Certainly where i live.

Spirallingdownwards · 17/12/2023 13:04

Flappingseal · 17/12/2023 12:58

Have you tried looking for a rental property lately? This is the problem. It really isn't as easy as all that. Certainly where i live.

Show quote history

Which is precisely why I said it was good that the poster I was replying to had over a year to sort this out. HTH.

Rickenbackergoodgrief · 17/12/2023 13:08

On the subject of launderettes, some local petrol stations have installed washing machines and tumble dryers on their premises but outside under a roof.
My local one has ( Texaco ) It may be worth looking at your local petrol stations to see if they have done this.
I don't know what the cost is as I've never had to use it, but I know it's a recent thing.

dothehokeycokey · 17/12/2023 13:12

The housing situation in this country is utterly terrifying

I'm sorry so many are having to go through the situation and I'm really glad op and other posters have been housed adequately now.

rorret · 17/12/2023 13:16

Rickenbackergoodgrief · 17/12/2023 13:08

On the subject of launderettes, some local petrol stations have installed washing machines and tumble dryers on their premises but outside under a roof.
My local one has ( Texaco ) It may be worth looking at your local petrol stations to see if they have done this.
I don't know what the cost is as I've never had to use it, but I know it's a recent thing.

There's one near me in the car park of the local spar. It's about £7 to wash a load and the same to dry it iirc. I use it for duvets as it's an 18kg load.

rorret · 17/12/2023 13:16

actually maybe the big 18kg load is a tenner.

Kazzyhoward · 17/12/2023 13:17

MikeRafone · 17/12/2023 12:31

Many Morrisons supermarkets have washing machines & tumble dries on the premises

Quite a few petrol stations have them too.

Also, if in a college/university town, the student accommodation blocks usually have laundrettes that can be used by anyone - they're usually unlocked and payable by prepaid card/online account, often the Circuit app.

Gettingbysomehow · 17/12/2023 13:19

OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 16/12/2023 20:35

hopeforchanging

you take it to the local laundrette. That sounds very blunt / uncaring, but that is actually what you have to do.

Do you have any idea how expensive the laundrette is for people on a low salary - its unaffordable. When I went through a 6 month period of unemployment 7 years ago I had no money for the laundrette so all my stuff was washed by hand in the bath and hung up. You can't separate out laundry into whites and coloured, it's too expensive to do two loads, you just have to hope the dye doesn't run.
I'm fine now, back working and continue to own my own home (I paid the mortgage with my savings).
My son has been evicted 5 times by landlords who either wanted to sell up or live in the place themselves. It's bloody expensive to keep moving, there is the deposit, rent up front, storage, let alone trying to find another rental and the last one didn't allow cats so I had to take them bringing my cat family up to 4.
It's caused him so much stress he's decided to move to Wales and buy a place which he is doing now. he wanted to save up a bit more money first over the next two years but he says he just can't do this any more.
Life is shit when you are renting.

Flappingseal · 17/12/2023 13:35

Spirallingdownwards · 17/12/2023 13:04

Which is precisely why I said it was good that the poster I was replying to had over a year to sort this out. HTH.

Show quote history

If there's very little available, and you're having to literally compete for what there is with interviews with the landlord, a year could still not be long enough

Flappingseal · 17/12/2023 13:36

Agreed @Gettingbysomehow

LorlieS · 17/12/2023 13:44

@Flappingseal Agree. There are very, very few suitable rental properties in our area so if our Landlady said no renewal of contract it would be devastating.
And before anybody says it we cannot "just" move as my mum and dad live locally and help us out with childcare so that I can go to work and pay the rent!

OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 17/12/2023 14:06

Gettingbysomehow · Today 13:19

OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · Yesterday 20:35

hopeforchanging

you take it to the local laundrette. That sounds very blunt / uncaring, but that is actually what you have to do.

The lady has asked about laundry in emergency places, that is the answer. I did say it sounded blunt or uncaring.

The lady wants to be as prepared as possible ( mentally ) so she knows what to expect if the worst happens.

I am not the landlord who may be evicting her one day, I am not the Housing Officer who will be providing the emergency housing. I am a person who spent every Sunday for over 6 months putting our laundry into a shopping trolly with a laundry basket on top ! and walking to the nearest laundrette due to none of the 3 emergency places I was placed in having laundry facilities. And it also had to be dried as there was a rule ( amongst many many rules ) that laundry was not to be dried in the room - not even the handwashing of any undies.

mbosnz · 17/12/2023 14:34

@Homesweeethome I'm in awe of your coping abilities and how you've gone through such dark times with such stoicism. Your children are very lucky to have you.