Aibu to ask them to waive the need for a guarantor

[Tiredunicorn55]

So I have got myself into a bit of a sticky situation.

I have given my house up (due out on the 3rd August) and I’m currently staying with friends to enable me to save up to rent a bigger house as the one I had was far far too small for me and a baby- let alone all the things I need to for the baby.

I have found a house and applied for this and divulged that I am going on maternity leave in November and they have asked for a guarantor.
I’m assuming they have asked for this as I will be on reduced income and/or in receipt of universal credit for a period of time.

My problem is I have NONE to ask. My mum has an IVA and my dad is apply for his second mortgage and doesn’t want to get into golfed with it. Can’t ask my sisters or anyone else really.
Foolishly I didn’t think I would need a guarantor - it’s my first baby and thought it would be a simple straight forward process with the only obstacle being the raising of funds to get myself through the door.

Do I NEED a guarantor? I understand the reasons behind asking for one, of course, but I have an impeccable history of rental payments and household bills. I have got into a bit of difficulty with my council tax once but that was sorted within a month, but would this show on a credit check? Maybe? I don’t own my car so can’t even put that down as collateral.

Really at a loss as to what I can do now, any rental experts out there who can offer any advice? I’m not in a position pay a huge lump of rent upfront as I’ll just be able to get together the deposit and first month rent needed in time.

Any help is appreciated! Thank you

I’m really not familiar with the benefits system or housing process.

This needs to be your starting point, really, because you’re planning to rely on it in a few months.

What maternity benefits do you get from work? Is it just statutory maternity pay (SMP) or any extra and for how long?

What are you childcare plans going back to work?

Will you get CM from the father?

As other people have said, by giving up a tenancy you’ve made yourself intentionally homeless by definition. You might not have “intended” to but that’s the reality.
In order to fix that, the most secure thing you could do would be to ask to renew your current place, save like stink so you get a lump sum behind you and delay moving out for a little while.

I see why you felt it was a good idea to do it now, but without backup support it’s actually a really bad time to move. Don’t make yourself vulnerable.

Nearly all the people waiting for council housing “in need” got there through unfortunate circumstances, and lots of those will include being ignorant of how their decisions and lack of plans were driving them down that road until it was too late.

Most people on MN are parents. They don’t want to see you vulnerable in a homeless situation with a new baby and the ‘plan’ of UC and benefits. This thread might have seemed harsh but you come across as very naive and that’s pushed people to respond with bluntness.

england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/private_renting/rent_deposit,_bond_and_guarantee_schemes

Hi OP, my parents did something similar to you when I was a pre-teen. We were living in a studio apartment. They gave yo their tenancy, then went to an estate agent and applied for a larger flat. For various reasons my parents were about to be on a reduced income for a short while, so the estate agent required us to have a guarantor. We didn't have one, so they refused to rent to us. No amount of pleading made them change their mind.

We had days left on our existing property, the landlord already had someone else lined up so we couldn't go back. I remember going to the council office with my mum, crying and begging them to find somewhere for us. They offered us a grotty little B&B, it was awful. Dirty, shared bathrooms and kitchens, horrible neighbours, noisy and hardly any space. We had to store our stuff with friends who were getting sick of us. 6 months later, we were kicked out as the council had done their investigation and determined that we had made ourselves intentionally homeless by giving up our tenancy. They would consider housing us in a hostel, where we would share a large room with other people, if we really had nowhere to go.

We took our stuff and went to another council and begged for their help. They put us in another B&B, even worse than the first one and 20 miles away from my school. While they were checking our case, miraculously a council house came up in the worst possible area and at the beginning it was uninhabitable. The lady at the council raised her eyebrows and asked as if we are sure we want it. At this point the flat seemed like a luxury to us and we took it.

We had many difficult years in that flat and 20 years later, my parents feel they should have stayed in the studio. My parents had always thought "oh it will be ok, something good will happen" so it was a big shock to them when things played out as they did.

OP, some of the replies may have had a harsh tone to them but they are trying to be realistic. If there is any possibility, try and stay at your current cottage. If you don't have a guarantor, the alternative will not be any better. I have recently become a mum myself and the thing that babies need above material things is a roof over their head. My baby refused to sleep in his bedside crib so we co-slept for 4 months, we used a sling instead of a pram, car seat always stays in the car - there are ways of saving space.

My letting agency has to ask for a guarantor for anyone in receipt of benefits, even if they are employed. We are in a small cottage too, with a tiny living room and a young baby. It is definitely manageable as the baby can be in the carrycot during the day or in a collapsible chair which doesn’t take up much room. You could take the carrycot upstairs to bed although when they were very small my OH slept in the spare room and the baby and I were in the bed. Bed sharing is safe if you follow all of the rules. Sorry but I don’t think your safety net is big enough to move yet. I would ask your LL if you can stay.

Sorry I meant to say we have a collapsible chair, you don’t have to have one.

Could you move in with either of your parents until after baby is born? What is your company's mat pay policy?

If I were you I would stay where I am. Failing that I would move in with mum or dad, take 6 weeks maternity pay and then resume the flat hunt when back at work.

Really think you'll struggle to find an agency or private LL who will rent to you, and the type who would is probably likely to be fairly dodgy and not to be relied upon in upholding their responsibilities.

Honestly, if your place is so small I would google 'minimalist baby list'. You could get by with a sling, some baby grows, a moses basket, a sleeping bag and a car seat. Most stuff the baby magazines and websites recommend is just crap. Baby just needs warmth, cleanliness and milk.

I think you will be just fine.
As you say, you have family around and if it comes to it they won’t see you out on the street.

@Tiredunicorn55 have you considered finances for when your maternity leave comes to an end?

Are you going back to work? If so, have you considered just how much nursery fees etc will be.

I beg of you - get in touch with your current LL and keep your tenancy. 6 months down the line you will regret not doing it.

The stories from previous posters aren’t the exceptions, they are the norm. People are giving you their experiences - take heed of their warnings.

This is all a bit of a mess and I can’t really keep up, so your current partner isn’t the father of your baby but you’re 5 months pregnant and have a step son who you think of as your own when you’ve probably only been seeing your partner a few short months 🤔

Anyway back on topic I agree with everyone else, you need to stay where you are, you say if everything goes south your family wouldn’t see you on the streets but you’ll still be in no better a position as it’s bound to be even more cramped staying with other people. Have you factored in childcare costs for when you return to work? Other posters are correct in saying about the LHA being short of the full amount of rent, this was the case in my last rental property and I covered the rest.

I too think that gardens etc need to come a little later when you’re back at work and in a more stable situation but you seem to have made your mind up so will no doubt see a thread in a few months asking about housing for homeless

Unicorn, I agree the safest option is probably to ask for your old place back. Babies generally sleep in with their parents for the first year anyway.

I don't want to encourage anything irresponsible, but I acted as guarantor for my DC in rented accommodation and was surprised at how few questions were asked on the paperwork. I also remortgaged around the same time and don't recall any questions on the mortgage form about my being a guarantor.

The guarantor signs to say they will pay the debt if you don"the keep up with your rent. If this did happen , the landlord would ask your guarantor for the money.... if they couldn't pay, it would go to court. After that, wouldn't it be the court or the bailiffs that assessed the guarantors assets and potentially ordered a house sale? I don't think by signing the guarantor form, the guarantor"s house is immediately put under a charge to the landlord. The landlord just has 'home-owner' on the form so they know there are assets there that could be pursued if need be.

It might be worth getting a copy of the guarantor firm and reading it through with your Dad, without putting pressure on him. Maybe he could set up a bank account in his name or jointly between you. Then you pay your rent into the account each month (gradually building up a month's buffer for peace of mind) then he could pay the landlord.

That way there are no nasty surprises, if you started to struggle with the rent, he would know immediately and you could give notice before any arrears built up that might risk his property. Needs trust and transparency all round but I would consider this for my DC.

Form, not firm, sorry!

I don’t actually understand the point of a rental guarantor. Does the really think they’re going to get a charge against the guarantors house for a few grand unpaid rent? And even if they did, they wouldn’t receive the cash until the guarantor sold or paid it off voluntarily.
I guess they assume that any guarantor will just cough up the cash when a tenant defaults, but that’s a bit of a daft assumption. Some would, some wouldn’t.

The guarantor can be taken to court and be given a CCJ etc. Same as any debt.

Yes of course, obviously. . But it’s not exactly an easy assurance of rental payment is it? I think landlords ask for it without thinking about whether it will genuinely provide any more security to them

If you do actually have family who'll take you in and who you would be prepared to live with, I think I'd choose that over renting the sort of shithole that landlords who are willing to take you without guarantors typically have to offer.

Also, go to CAB and learn about the system you're planning to rely on.

I agree maybe stay with your family if you’re going back to work you only have the maternity pay period to worry about.

I’m sure someone else has said this but you may not be able to go on universal credit if you’re employed just for the duration of your reduced pay- i mean everyone would do that wouldn’t they? No one can live off £148 a week lol

The unpaid rent will be pursued like any other debt from the guarantor, possibly forcing them into bankruptcy if they really can’t raise the cash.
Not sure why anyone imagines the court would accept a casual ‘oh, I know I signed that form, but I haven’t got any loose change on me at the moment, your honour, soz”?
If it wasn’t recoverable, it wouldn’t be called a guarantee. It’s why you need a certain level of assets / earnings to qualify.

While you sound nicely positive, I agree with the others. Do everything you can to stay in your current place. A one bed place to yourself is more than big enough for you and a baby. I know whole families living in studio flats - which isn’t ideal, but they manage. And you have too much baby stuff. I know you’ve got it now, but babies don’t need much. I didn’t have a pram, a carrycot, a car seat- didn’t have a car- electric pumps , etc.

Meant to add, a friend of mine leaving an abusive relationship had to stump up six months’ rent in advance because she did not have a guarantor.

If I was in your situation I would stay where I am and look at downsizing my furniture to fit my baby in.

For example what size of bed do you have, could you sell it and buy a single or small double. I would rather have a small house than no house.

With regards to benefits it can take a minimum of 5 weeks for them to be sorted out, do you have enough money to get through that time.

Also what type of heating was there in your cottage? If you were used to gas and find yourself somewhere with night storage it will cost you a whole lot more.

I hope you can get something sorted OP. Unfortunately I don't think private landlords will be the solution unless they own the property outright (which is unusual). I'm a private landlord and would have every sympathy for you and on a human level would really want to help you but the terms of my mortgage and insurance mean that I can't rent to someone on benefits at all, and if a tentant fails a credit check they need a guarantor. It's a really stupid situation from a societal point of view as I'm not sure where people without perfect credit scores and guarantors are meant to live, but unfortunately it's the result of legislative changes, many of which were actually meant to protect tenants ironically. It's only going to get worse as new "protections" are introduced. We often get threads on here scoffing at the fact landlords are up in arms about such proposals. This sort of case totally makes the point that all the changes do is incentivise landlords not to take anything but a "perfect" tenant.

RebootYourEngine Those waiting the 5 weeks to receive UC are offered a loan to tide them over until they get their first payment. It is paid back over a year, no interest.
Nobody claiming UC is left destitute for 5 weeks now. It doesn’t deserve the bashing it’s had, it’s a good system that works as long as people keep to their commitments, attend all meetings and are honest.

Op, have you looked online at the guarantor bond scheme yet? It might be beneficial to you.

My daughter went to the bank, got a loan and paid 6 months rent up front. She has a min wage job, but no debt etc.

No I would not act as a guarantor - because both her and her boyfriend of 2 months were named on the lease - if they split he would stay, she would come home and I would be left paying for him to stay there if he defaulted.

Do you have a good relationship with your bank?