To rent a standard 2 bed in my area, you have to be bringing in 40k pa. I got my current house with my exP three years ago, he left pretty sharpish. They let me continue the tenancy without any checks being done (incompetency rather than kindness, AFAIK).
Been paying the bills on time every month without fail. There's some bubbling on the kitchen doors; looks like water damage. But the guy who fitted the kitchen came round last week (when I reported it in September), and said he can't work out how it's happened. Said the estate agents emailed him in September, but never followed it up. I pretty much always have the kitchen windows open, and have the extractor fan on when I cook (though he told me they were watching the pennies when they did the kitchen, so the fan doesn't actually extract much 
). He doesn't think I've caused it.
There's also been some flaking to a radiator which looked like damp. My Christmas tree was in the way so I didn't notice it until I took it down, but reported it early Jan when I did. The damp mans come round and said he thinks they'll have to do all sorts of stuff to the wall.
None of this is my fault, I don't think. I reported the issues in a timely fashion. The house is impeccable. I've been a good tenant. There's not been any other issues in three years. But they're putting the fear of god in me.
They either wait 5 months to sort things, or they want to send people round with an hours notice. Not to worry if I'm not in, they'll give these random people a key. I always agree, even though I'm not really comfortable with it. I'm so scared of becoming homeless.
They say the owners want to come next week to look at the kitchen. I said I'd work from home that day so I'd be here. They weren't very happy with that. At first I thought it was because the owners wanted to have a good nose, but now I'm wondering if it's because the estate agents don't want me to tell them that it's them that has caused the delays.
Anyway, I'm on nowhere near 40k (though my wages, tax credits and housing benefit probably equal about 32k), but have no trouble paying my (extortionate rent).
But if I get given notice on this place, I'd have no chance finding somewhere else. I was under MARAC last year (for the most serious and dangerous domestic violence cases), and I had the fire brigade fixing extra fire alarms etc cause me and my DD were at such severe risk, and they still wouldn't consider giving me a council house, so my exP wouldn't know where we lived. They said 5 years ago they'd have given me one that day. But it's just not possible in the current climate. They don't have any.
So I don't earn 40k, though I have a good job, a degree and 4 years of excellent renting history where I've paid £1150pcm rent on time every month), so I have no chance of finding somewhere to live. I'm 25, so this is the whole time I've lived on my own.
I could not get a council house. I lived in a homeless hostel whilst pregnant, and got attacked and my door broken down for a few quid and had to share a bathroom with these theiving violent addicts. I couldn't have my DD in a place like that. Some people there had lived there three years with their kids waiting for somewhere better.
I could move to somewhere cheaper, and I guess I'd have to. But my boss is amazing, my new job is more than I've ever dreamed of, and he's paying for my masters this year. Plus I'm surrounded by family who have my dd a couple of afternoons a week, meaning she's not stuck in childcare 7-6 every day for her whole life.
I'm a young, educated professional who has been an exemplary tenant for years yet I'm sensing in the next couple of months I'm going to get booted out of here, and have no chance of getting anywhere else because I dont earn 40k, and housing benefit isn't considered in the sums anyway.
But I can afford the rent with budgeting, and always have! I'm praying I'll get accepted for shared ownership, and I never have to deal with horrible landlords and estate agents ever again. I can't sleep with the worry.