I'm going to be homeless

pabstblueribbon · 2016-10-19T09:12:23+00:00

I'm a single sahm and my landlord has just told me that he's selling the house. I have no money spare. I'm fucked. Trying to keep it together but I'm struggling. No family or friends to help.

hellsbellsmelons · 19/10/2016 10:15

OK, get onto your local council and explain the situation to them.
Contact Shelter and see what advice they can give you.
Go along to CAB and get some advice from them.
You'll have options and there is help out there.
You just need to go and find it!
Try not to panic. Just arm yourself with information as quickly as possible.

mycatstares · 19/10/2016 10:21

Didn't you pay a deposit when you moved in? Can't you use that for a deposit on another property?

If not then go to the council and explain your situation along with written proof that your landlord wants to sell.

FedupofbeingtoldIcantusemyname · 19/10/2016 12:22

Cat, if you have paid a deposit you normally only get it back when you've moved out, and after an inventory/inspection has been done so you have to front the 2nd deposit first.

OP, not sure if they do it in your area but maybe try asking the council for the rental deposit scheme? It'll give you the first month's rent and deposit to move to another place and you pay it back monthly. I've used it and it was a godsend.

chickenowner · 19/10/2016 12:23

Contact Shelter, they will be able to give you lots of help and advice.

I hope it works out for you, what a horrible situation to be in.

chickenowner · 19/10/2016 12:24

PS Could you get any help from your landlord if you explain the situation? Not all landlords are bad, I'm a landlord myself and have helped tenants out with issues in the past. Might be worth a try?

JellyBelli · 19/10/2016 12:25

Contact the council and all the HA's, and get a letter from your landlord.

smEGGontoast · 19/10/2016 12:26

Can you afford to apply for a budgeting loan from the job centre to help you with some/all of the money for a deposit?

Soubriquet · 19/10/2016 12:27

Contact the council

They have a duty to house you. Do not stop paying your rent,'otherwise the council will refuse to help. They will advise you to stay there until the baliffs come to kick you out. It will be hard. It will be stressful but it will work out in the end

(I've been there. Be prepared for how hard it is).

LIZS · 19/10/2016 12:32

Some councils offer a deposit scheme to enable you to cover up front costs. Contact the Housing department to see if there is one and how to qualify. Presumably eventually you would get your deposit back. How old are your dc, could you look for work?

hazell42 · 19/10/2016 12:33

Register with the local authority and with all of the housing associations in your area. You have a child so you will be at the top of the housing list. If you do not get your deposit back and can't afford the initial month in advance/ months security that most private landlords want, you can apply to the local council. they all have a scheme for lending private tenants the initial deposit and months rent, though they don't always advertise it.
Once you have registered for housing, you need to make sure that you go to the housing office every week, preferrably in person, to check on the progress of your application and see if there are any developments. It sounds ridiculous, but although there is a points system, individual officers will quite often allocate houses to people they want to get rid of. But be very polite though, because they can put you to the bottom of the queue if you annoy them too much.
If your child is young you should qualify for emergency accomodation if you are really desperate, though it is seldom good quality and is only for a last resort.
You can also get help from Welfare Rights, CAB or check to see if there are any Tenancy Support Groups covering your area.
Good luck

BarbarianMum · 19/10/2016 12:36

First, calm down. Houses don't sell instantly so you still have time (or is he hoping for vacant possession?).

How much money do you need for a new deposit? How much is coming back from the last one?

Talk to your local council and Shelter. Talk to your landlord - at the very least he needs to put your eviction in writing with a date. He may be prepared to refund the deposit early, or delay your last couple of months rent payments, esp if he wants you out without having to go through eviction proceedings.

Make sure you know your rights.

SaltyMyDear · 19/10/2016 12:37

The house may be sold to someone who wants to continue to let it to you. Or it may not sell either.

So don't panic yet. House sales aren't quick. Use this time to work out your options.

JoJoSM2 · 19/10/2016 12:38

Why do you feel it's that bad? If you can afford the rent for him, then you can afford it elsewhere? You have a lot of time to find alternative accommodation as the selling process takesmonths. If for whatever reason, your rent was massively discounted and you wouldn't be able to find anything else, then go to the council - they should prioritize you? (not that I know anything much about that).

SissySpacekAteMyHamster · 19/10/2016 12:39

Has he actually served you with a notice to quit, given you a date?

It may be that the buyer might be happy to buy with existing tenants.

Speak to him and find out what the plan is.

melibu84 · 19/10/2016 12:40

JoJo It sounds like she doesn't have the deposit . . .

you can contact the council, but I have heard that they might tell you to wait until you're being evicted.

Yoyo89 · 19/10/2016 12:42

I am in the same situation. I have been here for five years paying the rent on time and landlord wants to sell up.
Firstly wait for your section 21, then phone up the council and tell them. They will give you an appointment to come in with all your paperwork. This is the stage I am at.
They said to me that I can rent privately and they will provide the deposit or go into temporary accommodation and wait for a council flat which can take 7 years and the temporary maybe outside of London.
They also said that I don't have to wait until the bailiffs come but that they will rehouse me once the landlord has the possession order.
At the moment I am slowly packing up my stuff and waiting for my notice to expire.
Do some research on the shelter website as I had to bring up what I was entitled to when I phoned the council. They dont tell you certain things.
Yeah so that's it.
I said to the council that I do not want to go private again as I've had a horrid time with damp and not having a boiler for two months and don't want to setup a life just to get evicted when the landlord feels like selling again.

BarbarianMum · 19/10/2016 12:52

Original poster

pabstblueribbon · 19/10/2016 13:06

The landlord hasn't given me notice yet which gives me a bit more time but there's someone coming to value the house in about an hour. If it was just the monthly rent then it would be manageable but there's the security deposit, administration fees etc etc. It's money I don't have.

I don't want to rent privately again. I've been here less than a year and feel like I've only just settled in and now it's time to pack up again.

I'm going to call the council when dd goes down for her nap.

OP posts:

shillwheeler · 19/10/2016 13:22

Good advice from hazell42 and others. Moving house, especially being forced to, is horrible and very unsettling.

However, try not to panic. Houses don't sell instantly and it may be worth speaking to your landlord about the possibility of selling with you in place if you have a good payment record and it is the type of property that would appeal to investors. If not, then he/she may want to keep their options open - which doesn't exactly help you, but may give you more time to think and to look at your options.

My guess is that your landlord will want to keep you on side, and it may well be that he/she will be able to be flexible. Speaking as a landlord, the last thing I would want would be a disgruntled tenant in the property when I am trying to sell it!

Obviously, I have no idea of how well you get on with your landlord, or whether they are a professional landlord or just renting out their own home, but it may be worth asking them if they know anyone looking for a reliable tenant. Do be careful though and don't agree to give up occupation until you're definitely sorted - or LL has that possession order.

Horrible to lose that sense of "security" but there are options and your landlord will have to give you notice and go through the statutory procedures, which gives you some breathing space at least.

shillwheeler · 19/10/2016 13:30

OP. I agree the fees are horrible, and I understand why you would rather avoid private sector. You should however get your security deposit back (assuming no major issues). Do check it is protected, if you haven't already - your LL should agree that it can be returned quickly to you. If it's not protected, then the LL may well have a few issues over getting possession. Worth a trip to CAB or perusal of Shelter's site.

Not all private rentals require payment of fees, which are usually levied by agents.

BishopBrennansArse · 19/10/2016 13:33

Call the national Shelter number and they'll put you in touch with someone on a local level to help you through the whole process.

MatildaTheCat · 19/10/2016 13:38

Hi OP,

Sorry you've had such a shock. I was recently in your LL's position and needed my flat back. My tenant was also a single sahm. I gave her a lot of notice and she tried very hard to get another private rental without success. The council advised her that they would only prioritise her housing once she was actually faced with homelessness which means that the LL has to wait for the end of the notice period before issuing an eviction notice. All of this is quite lengthy and can be slow. It is not until the eviction is signed off by a judge that you are classed as becoming homeless. You will need to show the housing department the Section 21 notice from your LL ( letter of notice, this must be a Section21).

In the case of my tenant she decided to look for more affordable housing in a cheaper area and after several delays she did find a property which was much larger and more suited to her family and was able to move out before the eviction notice went to court.

You are pretty protected by law. Your LL will have to follow the letter of the law and eventually the council will have to house you. If you rent privately you do have, theoretically a better choice since the council will give you whatever is available. There are schemes to cover your deposit etc until your existing one is returned.

Shelter will be able to give you more advice but don't panic, this will be uncertain and stressful but you are NOT going to end up on the streets and as said above, the property may be advertised as an investment with tenant in situ.

howrudeforme · 19/10/2016 14:06

The council will want evidence that you've been served notice. They can get in touch with the landlord to confirm. They often want it to go to court before they rehome you which is a pain - so be prepared for the hassle.

On the other hand, the new owner may be a btl and want you to stay.

Sorry for the uncertainly and financial stress.

I'm in the process of buying a btl and my offer was accepted because I wanted to keep the current tenant. Mine was not the highest offer but the owner felt some loyalty. I've already told the tenant that I will not increase the rent (although it's slightly lower than market rates).

There can be some fair outcomes.

Best of luck.