To refuse to leave rented property

[Boymamabee]

I’m having an ethical dilemma thanks to my husband…

I’m heavily pregnant (due a c-section next month) and we’ve been served a two month no-fault notice by our landlord (it’s all valid).

We’re struggling to find rented properties within our price range and although we’re at risk of homelessness, the council can’t guarantee temp accommodation before our notice expires. This makes my husband anxious as he says we have no right to stay in a house we don’t own and it’s unfair on the LL whose sale might fall through.

Places for the same amount of rent, or less, than we currently pay are more rural and would cost more fuel. Many of the local schools don’t have specialised facilities for kids with ASD (think rural schools with 20 students and 2 LSAs) and DS LOVES his school!

This is where it gets tricky…

We’ve been advised that if we stay with family or friends before the LL enacts a court possession order, we could be seen as making ourselves “intentionally homeless”. Likewise if we get ourselves into debt/arrears living somewhere we can’t afford.

I’ve proposed we listen to
their advice and stay put for now, but DH thinks it’s selfish and we’ll naturally find another way to make ends meet. He wants to be out before our contract ends and he feels sorry for the LL who’s going through a divorce.

AIBU?

And this thread is an absolute indictment on why a gvt need to be prioritising social housing of all types, not just one and two bed flats in cities. Leaving it to the private sector just doesn't work when there are vast shortages and landlords can pick and choose.

Yes it's desperately unfair on landlords, but this is the fault of the local council and government, not you.

You don't have any other reasonable choice other than keep looking for somewhere but if you don't find anywhere, stay put till the council will help.

Yes it's absolutely shit. But your DH needs to give his head a wobble, his priority is to you over the landlord.

And vote for a party that doesn't believe in cutting services to the bone as a matter of principle. So, not the fucking Tories.

how are you doing op?

In case anyone else reads this thread looking for advice, those commentors who said that you will: lose your deposit, pay huge amounts of legal costs, and never be able to rent again, are incorrect. It does not affect your deposit rights at all, it does not affect your ability to rent again if you were served with a section 21 even if you are evicted, no one will ever know this and no one has the right to know this and nor is it anyone's fault but the landlords for issuing a section 21. The costs are about £200 as they are capped.

Don't feel sorry for your landlord, they are not saints providing houses, they are actively keeping house prices high and contributing little to the economy in pursuit of their own gain, there are plenty of better more economically reciprocal assets they could be investing in instead. The UK needs more social housing but even more so it needs the same legal protections as France etc for private renters, in a country where families cannot get on the ladder to buy a too small and inappropriate house for their needs without rich parents or ridiculous salaries and an enormous deposits due to high house price (even high earners will struggle without the bank of mum and dad due to the tax burden that disproprortionately benefits the old who already own all the wealth), then they have as much right to call their rental HOME as anybody else and they should have the right of first refusal to buy their home, they should have the right to renovate their home, they should have the right to treat their home as their home and not be booted out with a mere two months notice. Don't make it easy for an immoral rent seeker to kick a PREGNANT woman out of their HOME.

@Thatsnotmytaxcode honestly, absolute rubbish !

Ultimately your just kicking the can down the road . Don't wait for shitty council offerings , find somewhere yourselves . It may not suit short term but you can always move later . Dealing with courts and extra costs seems an unnecessary pressure tbh .

thatsnotmytaxcode your attitude is the reason why so many landlords are selling up. Unfortunately, like so many people, the OP is not in a position to buy and the shortage of rental properties will only add to her difficulty. Her pregnancy is not the landlord’s responsibility to deal with. She should have moved and been less picky months ago and would now be settled elsewhere with her family rather than waiting for what will probably be a horrible temporary offering from the council.

@Boymamabee massive squishes in such a difficult time.

We rent out properties - and my advice as a landlord is stay put.

You’ve had some fantastic advice from others such as @LakieLady.

Definitely ring shelter.

definitely do not stay with family etc as the council will see you as needs met.

We are in the north west and have sold two properties this last year but gave tenants 6 months notice and actively helped them

good luck.

My parents used to rent out properties (couple of years ago) and they got basically a reference from the old estate agent /letting agency and one of the questions was : did they pay the rent on time etc.

I imagine there will be fewer nice properties left to rent if landlords - aside from all their statutory duties are being expected to essentially sort out their tenants' lives. Not all landlords are money grubbers some offer good places, don;t increase rent year on year - but they rely on the rent - it is for some a pension.

Hope you're doing ok, @Boymamabee , that all went well with your lovely baby and, if you're not actually settled, I really hope you're at least well on the way to finding somewhere suitable for you and your family.

I'd love to hear how it's going, and I bet I'm not the only one. ❤

Gosh, you sound lovely. This is the type of landlord people need - although you’ve sold off properties which is an understandable shame!

That was meant to be aimed at @TheCatterall

It is really, really shit for landlords that councils won't help people until they're at the point of being evicted.

But this is a problem made by the council rules, not you.

It is really shitty to have to put your LL in that position. But it's utter madness to make yourself homeless so as to not inconvenience your LL!

Your DH needs to get his head round this, his priority is you and your home, way above the LL!

And I say that as an ex LL (to a friend) who went through this exact thing as my friend couldn't find anywhere to go to when we needed to sell.

Even though they were my friend, we had to start down the road to court proceedings, so that if they didn't find anywhere, they became the council's responsibility and not mine (I needed to sell, to move to the town I needed to live in in time for school admissions for my eldest, which we nearly missed. It was a stressful time!)

Oh, hang on, this is an old thread! I see I made practically the same comment months ago.

I wonder how the OP got on.