AIBU - Panicking and don’t know where to get help

[EmpressSuiko]

We have been served a section 21, our landlords are selling their property. It came as complete surprise as they’ve owned the property for years and said it was going to be a long let property with no intention to sell but obviously things have changed.
My issue isn’t with moving but the fact there is nothing, there’s no houses, any that do come up have insane waiting lists and people aren’t getting viewings, there’s a massive shortage in the south west and I’m so scared of being forced into a hostel.
I have two disabled children, I refuse to give up my dog as he is the children therapy dog and vital in helping calm them down.
My husband has incurable cancer and I’m so scared of the negative impact this may have on his health if we end up getting evicted.
I feel like I’m completely spiralling, I hate renting because of this but we have no choice we don’t earn enough to save and the house prices here are insane, we’d need ti earn at least 80k to even get s mortgage on a 3 bed!
I know this is the wrong place to post this I just don’t know what to do anymore!

Ring the council (district/borough if you're not in a city area) and ask for an appointment with a homelessness officer or housing adviser. Explaine that you've been issued notice to quit and are in priority need because you have disabled children and your husband has an incurable illness.

They will take a homeless application from you and should be able to help you, many councils can help people find property in the private sector if the wait for social housing is likely to be a long one.

And remember that it will be some time, probably months, before you have to leave. DO NOT leave a minute before you absolutely have to, ie before the courts have issued an eviction date. It will truly be months, so don't panic.

Good luck.

OK. Breathe.

Are they selling it as an investment property where they want another BTL landlord to take it on or are they selling on the open market?

The eviction notice - check the dates. Phone the council. Get on the housing register. Ask for an occupational therapy assessment for your DH and DC needs.

Consider whether your current home is actually safe and appropriate for your family needs - any risk of falls, any dangers in the home, mobility adaptions required, do you need level access to the property etc..... If you NEED things like this to live safely, their recommendations can bump you up the list....
www.cornwall.gov.uk/housing/home-solutions/

Call your local council housing office- you are high priority, about to become homeless and should get housed. They used to do it that you had to go there the day of the eviction (although fill the forms in earlier) and they will immediately put you in temporary housing while you bid on properties.

Call Shelter - they are experts in housing issues & can advise you.

england.shelter.org.uk/

I'm sorry OP. When I volunteered at a law centre and attended court hearings in relation to evictions we always advised that people do not leave the property unless and until there is a court order that is about to be enforced (ie bailiffs at the door). Leaving any earlier can allow the council to say you made yourself homeless (let's not even get into how ridiculous this is).

Speak to shelter or your local law centre. You do have some time as pp says it's likely to be months before anything happens, but take advice sooner rather than later.

Thank you everyone, I have contacted shelter and I am waiting for a duty officer to call me back, I’ve also registered with housing jigsaw.

I really hope we find something, We’ve been in this situation before when a landlord sold and we couldn’t find anywhere, our council at the time were so unsympathetic and forced us to take a filthy house with an overgrown garden that we couldn’t use, the house was in an awful state and full of asbestos, my husband because suicide and it was honestly the lowest point in our lives.
Our children were babies then though so they didn’t know any different but I can’t imagine putting them in that situation now, they won’t cope and I feel like such a failure, it my job to provide them a safe and stable environment and I’m failing them