to stay in current house even though landlord has asked us to leave? dilema

[arieschicke]

I am a single parent with 3 dcs. 2 have complex sn.
2 months ago ll served me notice as he is selling the property. I have been trying to secure a private rental with no such luck.
The council have advised that when we leave we will be placed in bnb accommodation, then temporary house or flat share and then after approx 6 months we could be successful in bidding for a council property.
now my ll has sold the house and is exchanging contracts in 2 weeks. has asked me to leave by then. council have advised we will be placed in bnb. shelter have advised me to stay until the court evicts us, which means another 6'8 weeks here but the landlord could lose the sale.
I really can't decide what to do. any advice would be really appreciated.

'If you choose to invest in buy to let you should at least acknowledge the role you are playing in the (dire) housing situation and accept that it is your choice to particpate in this industry because the benefits to you personally are huge, but the experience is generally really shitty for people on the other side'
?
If the shit hits the fan Pod78 it could also get very shitty for the the hobby landlord and his pension scheme.
All sorts of things could change and go wrong he has invested all his eggs into the one basket?

Newbrummie and Goatlington, have you two missed 2 of the kids have complex SN? So, no, this isn't a "drama" over nothing.

4 people could be stuck in one room in a B&B for god knows how long - someone said 6 weeks upthread. Two with SN will have their routines completely mucked up, as will the third. The OP will have to cook for them in this room and entertain them, and comfort them when they're scared of the new surroundings or the strange noises or indeed any arguments/fights going on between other people there, in a worst-case scenario. They'll be stressed and upset and stuck in one room, possibly sharing bathroom facilities with strangers. They'll be in this room from school finishing to bedtime, unless they want to stay outside walking around or can go to friends, but you can't do that every night anyway. A drama over nothing?

Newbrummie, I think you're in for a shock when you go into B&B (although why you are when you talk about a house you're renting out I don't know). This is not a holiday B&B so, no, you can't just tell them to clean your room as you say. They won't be in every week changing the sheets, or turning down your covers at night leaving a chocolate on your pillow for you. There won't be a full English every morning either, in case you thought there would be. It's not a B&B like the ones you've had a holiday in. They're dumping grounds. They might likely be grotty, dirty, scruffy with an atmosphere of menace. You might be lucky but prepare for the worse.

No I'm not expecting room service, but it will be clean, If not by them after I've kicked up a fuss ... Then guess what I'll get off my own arse and clean it myself ... My children will be told it's a holiday, they don't need all the details and if worst comes to the worst they will be farmed out to friends and relatives.
It's the whole attitude that's wrong. Sort yourself out, nobody else is going to ... There's the bare facts.

(The radio 5live phone in thismorning is devoted to the subject of 'dodgy landlords')

And just FYI nobody not one of you has had a worse time with landlords than me I can assure you, again you have to turn that around and every time I go to spend even a pound I stop and think that's a quid that could be going towards my house deposit, do I really need xyz because nothing is more important to me than getting a secure roof over my head nowadays

I'm neither a tenant of a LL, but this type of thing is something that a LL needs to accept as a risk when they decide to let a property out, either "accidentally" or as a planned investment.

The LL knew the substantial risks when he decided to market a tenanted property (with a HB claimant) property, which had to be vacant prior to exchange.

If he/she were that concerned, then they should have waited until the property was empty before putting it up for sale. That's a no brainier. Instead they wanted to have their cake and eat it, by securing an extra few months rent (but taking on said risk).

OP, you need to do what's right for you, and your children. If I were in your shoes there is no way I'd consider making myself homeless so as to to inconvenience the LL.

Could those who accuse landlords of "propping up an unsustainable housing market" remember that we don't all live in the south. I live in South Yorkshire. We don't have a 'housing bubble', instead we have large areas of very cheap housing stock that is falling apart (and people still can't afford or don't want to buy it). In these circumstances private landlords (rogues excepted) are actually quite a good thing.

Just so you, and all those that follow Shelter's advice, know: this is why landlords do not want to rent to Lone parents, to parents with children with SN, or to vulnerable families.

When I rent out my properties, I will rent to a single man, or a married couple where everybody works, and with short term leases.
It's nothing against you personally, it's just that I refuse to support you, and the stupid advice a publicly funded service (Shelter) gives you. I refuse to have to pay lawyers and fees, lose out on sales because everybody thinks I deserve to lose the money as a rotten landlords.

So you'd be happy that this Mum with two children who have complex special needs could be put on the street simply because she cannot change her circumstances? Nice!

Nowt as cruel as some folk.....hard hearted and compassionless, I pity you NewBrummie" and Goat*, how horrible it must be to be YOU.

THIS mum cannot change her circumstances unless she walks away from two children who need her...,the State would care for them at a much greater cost than it would take to house her.

Hateful people both of you,

the figures behind the report have me utterly baffled after some reading.

the data source is the English housing survey which visits 13000 homes. (latest report, 2013-2014). So there is a MASSIVE extrapolation.

the EHS says that the number of homes failing 'decent homes' standard is: private rented 133,000, (which is of course 133,000 too many), owner occupied 286,200.

Citizens advice says that in 2012 790,000 households were living in unsafe dwellings. So in a year, 657,000 rental properties have been fixed and are no longer unsatisfactory? I doubt it.

I cannot find this figure of 790,000 in the 2012 report.

obviously even one rented house failing decent standards is one too many (we'll forget the owner occupiers). Perhaps someone with real statistical knowledge can explain, because the data has been from the original report, through citizens advice and then through the BBC and now looks minced.

meanwhile I will continue to ensure that my rental meets all decent standards, and then some.

Let's hope none of your tenants has a catastrophic illness then ofa.

Did you know that life doesn't come with a crystal ball? No? Well it doesn't!

I chose to have a child, I could afford that child. Unfortunately my "crystal ball" was faulty. It didn't predict my husband would walk out, it didn't predict that my son would be autistic, it didn't predict that my sons needs would mean periods of time out of work.

That's not expecting the state to care for me, it's me trying my best to cope with sons needs as a lone parent. People are tight, nobody will love my child the way I do, I will do my very best to support him. At this moment in time that means social housing and benefits and I could not give a flying fuck if that bothers anyone else. I worked full time and paid taxes for over 30 years before be in this position.

Hateful thread with some horroble people on it. I have been a landlord too but would never have evicted a young mother or a one parent in benefits. You give notice and well when the place is empty.....not wait until the last possibke minute to squeeze the last possible penny from the place. Greedy selfish people some of you. How you sleep at night is beyond me.

Hiding this thread now as people making me angry and my life is stressful enough already. Some of you are so thick you have swallowed hook, line and sinker all the propaganda by the media. And you call yourselves intelligent....shame on you.

She can change her circumstances and she will eventually when it either becomes so unbearable for her that she's forced to or something - maybe a post on Mumsnet makes her realise she can take control of some of the situation leading to a better one. I'm prepared to spend whatever time necessary in a B and B or whatever to get a council property and never be in this situation again, I would suggest the op just gets it over with as fast as possible personally but up to her.

I am not saying I would necessarily evict her, I am not completely cold. It would depend on so much things.

But on the other hand, I will not rent to anybody in her position, ever.

Newbrummie you sound like you're working the system and if you're that get up and go why don't you get up and help yourself rather than take a place away from someone that really needs it - i.e. get a private rental or go and live in the place you rent out. You shouldn't be trying to get a council place and leave them for those in real need such as people with kids with SN. In fact you're probably breaking the law. You're criticising the OP when you're doing exactly the same as her only she really needs it .

I'm not breaking any laws ... The children's father owns the house but he's washed his hands of it so I am renting it out in the vague hope that one day the money might come to my children.
I'm not prepared to entertain a private rental, anyone and I mean anyone can apply for a council place and the sooner she gets on with it the sooner she'll be in one.

Channel 5 might be interested in filming your perfectly legal struggle to sponge get wots yourz newbrummie. They like your type.

If you're that close that you're renting it out for him they'll tell you to live in it as it's a possible roof over your head - one that they don't need to provide on an already overburdened system. They'll leave you sleeping on friend's floors rather than put someone else on their list as there's not enough to go round in most areas, if not all. They explore every avenue. I hope you're telling them about it.

Oh so you won't entertain a private rental. Yes, anyone can apply for a council place but it's based on priority and need so if there's nothing wrong with you and you can work you'll probably have years of waiting, depending on the area. The OP is getting on with it. What more can she be doing? She's waiting to be evicted so she'll be in the system as you seem to be too as you're waiting for a B&B as well. You not doing anything more than her to get sorted, only she needs it more.

Brummie why can't you and the kids live in it?

Newbrummie I'm really confused forgive me ....

So your ex own a house. He has no interest in it. You have the keys but instead of living in it with his children have decided to rent it out. You're getting the rental income which you then use to pay your ex's mortgage? Yes?

If the council find out about this they will not like it and are unlikely to give you homeless priority because in their eyes you ahve somewhere you can live and you've chosen not to.

If however I've misunderstood I'm sorry and I hope it works out for you.

I don't own it ... I don't have the right to step foot in the house, I choose to handle the paperwork to stop my kids loosing out.
I love however that it's not fine for the op to have to be at the mercy of so called greedy landlords but because I have a jot of "get up and go" I should be ... How does that work then ?
I'll use the council house/flat whatever as a spring board to again better my situation and then it'll be freed it up, anyone can do it

The council are well aware of the situation. I can't legally enter the property ... Aside if anything else a family lives there or are you suggesting I throw them out

That's exactly how I'm reading it lists and Newbrummie isn't contradicting it and has admitted twice now that's the situation. That's her business but she shouldn't be acting like she's being really proactive and the OP isn't, aided by Goat saying she likes her attitude, when she's not doing anything other than different to the OP, only she seems to be working it more, to me anyway.

I actually have one more child than the op ... In no way have I critiqued her just said get bloody on with it waiting around to be evicted isn't going to help her

No I'm not suggesting you throw them out but its possible the council would suggest it (sorry but that's the way things are)

Anyway it sounds like you've got it well covered with the council and they're happy to proceed. Sorry Newbrummie - I don't know your situation but I hope you don't mind me saying that your ex sounds like he is a first class b*stard and you're well shot of him.

Please be careful though you may still not get a council house. Councils are discharging their housing duty in some cases by offering a private rent. Its harder to get a council property through the homeless rouute than it used to be though it does of course still happen

You know lists I can't disagree with anything about my ex ... He's stopping me accessing £20,000 I have in a pension by not cancelling a visa because he knows that's the end of his right to stay ... Knowing that means his kids go to a B and B ... I'd send him the link to the one up the thread if I thought he'd give a shit ... Anyway