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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask for some advice on being behind on rent

42 replies

farnywarny · 03/08/2011 12:02

I am short on my rent again. We just can't seem to make ends meet. DP isn't working (looking though) and council say we are not eligible for any benefits apart from he gets £15 per week jsa.

I have a private landlord, and we are behind on last months rent by £100 and are going to be short by £300 this month. Can he evict us?

OP posts:
Firawla · 03/08/2011 12:03

i think u have to be 2 full months behind and then they can, but not sure..

AuntieMonica · 03/08/2011 12:04

if you don't pay your rent, then yes he can.

do YOU work, OP?

Imnotaslimjim · 03/08/2011 12:05

Why aren't you entitled to rent relief if he's on JSA? I'm assuming you don't work either if you're struggling so badly. I'd be back on the phone to find out!

Pootles2010 · 03/08/2011 12:06

Is moving a possibility OP? Not sure on ins and outs of it all, but if you say you just can't make ends meet, something's got to change.

ihatecbeebies · 03/08/2011 12:07

You need to be 3 months behind in rent before he could do anything and even then he can't just throw you out straight away. Speak to the citizens advice, I've been in a similar situation and they were really helpful. Good luck with everything.

Original poster
farnywarny · 03/08/2011 12:07

Yes I do work, full time - not great wages and we don't seem to be entitled to any help whatsoever. No rent relief, hardly any tc's, its dire

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TheMagnificentBathykolpian · 03/08/2011 12:07

You're not entitled to housing benefit? Are you sure?

If you want people to help with suggesting budgets etc, you could post your income and expenditure, although I appreciate this is personal and you quite reasonably may not want to - but if you did, people would be able to give you advice.

Original poster
farnywarny · 03/08/2011 12:11

pootles2010 we have 3 children, 2 girls and a boy, so need 3 beds...the cheapest rent in the area is what we are currently paying

The council have written to us to say we are not entitled since our application following dp's job ending :(

OP posts:
Flossbert · 03/08/2011 12:11

Firalwa's right - you can be given notice for missing two rental payments but if you're still within the fixed period of your tenancy agreement I think the notice has to expire at the end of that fixed period IYSWIM. If you are now on a periodic ("rolling") tenancy, you can be given an ordinary two months notice period. If you're short, rather than can't pay at all, best to speak to your landlord and see if you can negotiate something with her - I'm sure she'd rather have you pay 75% of the rent and have a plan to make up the difference, than have her property empty and get 0% of the rent.

Rhinestone · 03/08/2011 12:12

Well firstly I think you need to speak to your landlord immediately. I'm a landlord at the moment and if my tenant was behind on the rent and NOT talking to me then I'd be fucking furious and looking into eviction.

But if they spoke to me, and told me what they were doing to address the situation and volunteered some kind of payment plan then I would be sympathetic. I'd rather have a sitting tenant who was trying to do the right thing than go to all the hassle of eviction and finding a new tenant. I'd also just have sympathy on a human level and consider myself fortunate that I can still pay my mortgage without your rent.

Check your benefits, speak to CAB but please, please, please speak to the landlord.

Pootles2010 · 03/08/2011 12:13

Could you look at moving out of the area? We moved 15 miles away from city centre where we work because of house prices, actually quite pleasantly suprised by town we've ended up in.

Original poster
farnywarny · 03/08/2011 12:13

Rhinestone I will speak to him. He is a bit of a nighmare at the best of times. These are the first 2 months we have been behind and its only happened because dp has lost his job

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AuntieMonica · 03/08/2011 12:15

i asked that about your job sit as it doesn't ring correct that you are not entitled to any increased benefits whilst your DP is out of work at all.

please check with your local CAB and your LL, as PPs have suggested, perhaps someone has missed something somewhere.

good luck

bananasplitz · 03/08/2011 12:16

he gets £15 per week jsa.

£15?

Rhinestone · 03/08/2011 12:17

Good luck. Of course you don't know his circumstances and he might not be able to cut you any slack but open, honest communication is the key. And make sure you keep saying that you know you have a responsibility to pay him and fully intend to live up to that etc etc blah blah. Don't make your problems his problems.

Original poster
farnywarny · 03/08/2011 12:19

Pootles2010 we are already 'out of town' and I cant move ds school again, it would be 3rd primary school for him

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Original poster
farnywarny · 03/08/2011 12:20

bananasplitz yes, we were Hmm too

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LIZS · 03/08/2011 12:20

yes your ll could take out an order to evict you if you default - Shelter have advice on this - or simply give notice under an AST without citing a reason. If you are evicted due to arrears you may find the council doesn't have a duty to rehouse you either. If you have savings or any other assets you need to use them to make up the shortfall and negoitaite making up the arrears. Are you up to date on other bills ie Council tax ? Perhaps visit CAB to see if you are missing claiming anything or need help budgetting.

EricNorthmansMistressOfPotions · 03/08/2011 12:21

Unless you have £££££ of debt that you are paying before rent, or are complete spendthrifts, or you earn shitloads, then you cannot not be entitled to housing benefit IMO - if your household income is short or the rent to the tune of £300 there is something very wrong. Have you looked on entitledto.com? Or on your LA website? They sometimes have benefits calculators on there. I'm a LP and I earn a fairly average salary but I still get some LHA towards the rent. Have you given Tax Credits your new estimated annual income, taking into account your DH's drop in income?

HeatherSmall · 03/08/2011 12:23

If he hasn't paid enough national insurance then £15 would be about right but you must be getting a decent amount of tax credits and over £200 a week in wages not to be entitled to housing benefit.
This sounds like poor budgeting rather than not making ends meet.

Original poster
farnywarny · 03/08/2011 12:24

EricNorthmansMistressOfPotions entitled to says we are entitled to 200pcm in hb. Council say we are not entitled to anything

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TheMagnificentBathykolpian · 03/08/2011 12:28

I would hazard a guess that the council are wrong!

AuntieMonica · 03/08/2011 12:29

something is not right here at all

Original poster
farnywarny · 03/08/2011 12:32

TheMagnificentBathykolpian can I appeal? Entitledto says I am entitled to £64pw in hb!! We could really do with that help right now until dp finds work

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Original poster
farnywarny · 03/08/2011 12:33

I have just re dont the entitled to calculation which is why I said £200 and then £64pw btw

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