To ask for a private renters thread?

[LisaJool]

Just so I can vent? Been in the same house for 10 years, it's a bit ramshackle but great area and rent was frozen. I had almost forgotten that the house wasn't mine until the landlord came to say they are selling. I couldn't believe the price of rent when I started looking and I'm really panicking now. I'm a full time carer for disabled ds which means I'm on full housing benefit, except that the full amount doesn't even cover 60% of the cheapest house I can find.
No point going on housing list as it's about a 10 year wait. I'm not looking for solutions but just want a moan. I'm going to need to pay at least £5k a year extra, and I can't afford that. I used to give to food banks but fear I'm now going to need to use them.
Any other private renters struggling?

Not sure if you are happy to say where you are looking op but I work for a reputable ll who is more than fair and takes basic deposit and bond...

@Hopeyoursproutsarealreadyon thank you so much, but I've already signed a new lease. The landlord has already knocked £150pcm off but it's still so much money. The situation is complicated in that we need to be near(ish) the children's hospital as ds has so many appointments, if I move out I'll end up spending much more on petrol driving back and forwards.
Local housing allowances don't seem to have gone up much, if at all, but rents have soared.
For the first time ever I'm resentful I don't have MN parents who all buy their dc houses (lighthearted!).

Vent away! I feel your pain. The last two houses I rented got sold - one I'd been renting for 15 years and the other 5 years. My current house is £250 a month more expensive than my last one but there was nothing cheaper about. I also used to donate food to food banks but I am now using them. I pay £1350 per month for a 2 bed house in the South East. It's shocking how much private landlords can get away with charging.

Can you not stay until you are evicted (keep paying rent) then go to council as homeless and get a council house?

I would ask shelter/the council and citizens advice to confirm that info is correct. But I may be in a similar position soon and that is my plan.

For reference where I like a 2 bed private flat is 1300 but a 2 bed council flat is 450 a month

@Yourownpersonaljesus my new rent is £400pcm more than what I've been paying, but it was the cheapest I could find.
@Namechxnge I know people who have done that (out of no choice) and they've been placed in hostels far away then moved around. Due to ds' access needs the council have told me it's going to be very difficult for them to find something suitable at short notice. Their advice is that I shouldn't leave the house until it goes to court which could be another year or so. I really, really don't want to do that to my LL, he has been very decent and as I said kept the rent frozen and he is now in financial diffs and has to sell.

It would be great to have a council house but list is massive. I know a family with a dc like ds who are in temporary accommodation which is very unsuitable and the council are supposedly building them a purpose built bungalow. They have been saying this for 4 years and nothing has come of it yet, so I wouldn't hold out any hope.

This might sound weird but I'm very good with money and have always had enough and a cushion on benefits. For the first time I'm now thinking we are in poverty and it's having a physical effect on me.

Im really sorry for you op and its disgraceful that this is happening. It is of course policy and by increasing regulation (for little gain to be honest) and increasing taxation resulting in decreased profits this is going to happen to more and more particularly with rising interest rates. I am certain that the underlying agenda is to make us all debt slaves whether to a mortgage or rents due to large businesses (reduced competition leads to increased prices). There was a time that tenanted properties were sold with the tenant in situ. This seems to happen very rarely now and it is wrong that tenants aren't properly protected. In my view landlords should be able to treat their rental properties as small businesses with all appropriate deductions but in return paying renters should have far better rights to quality accomodation and security of tenure. Not everyone wants to buy and it is a scandal that the whole debate has become about the effect on house prices. It is going to get much worse.

@cantba thanks,and I agree it's going to get worse. The estate agent told me that I was lucky as this time of year isn't desirable for most people to move, so there wasn't much competition. Things will get much worse after Christmas and he said many landlords are doing a price hike in January.
Because my rent was frozen I didn't realize the situation was this bad. As you say we are literally going to be like slaves and more children are going to get deeper into poverty.