Becoming homeless for my dream job

[ForTidyFinch]

I've been offered and ideal job in the town where I currently live but my short term tenancy is due to end in a couple of weeks. I have tried everything to find a new place to live. There is nothing available in this small town and I have no friends or family living close enough to help. I have decided to start the job and then live in my car. I've reached a desperate point now where I think there is little chance of me being able to rent privately even if something does become available. A run of bad luck has drained my finances and a CCJ was taken out against me without my knowledge (for overstaying in a service station when my car was broken down!) This was taken out while I was living abroad and I have only just found out. So there goes the chance of renting privately. So the choice I see it is being homeless and destitute staying with relatives or living in my car and starting this interesting job opportunity. I think I will live in my car. WWYD

Become a lodger where you rent a room in someone else's house. It's usually a short term situation, not a tenancy. Advertise on local FB pages that you are looking for temporary lodging while you start a new job and I bet someone will make you an offer.

Also, have you asked your current landlord if you can extend the short term tenancy, or if they have anything else available? If you have been a reliable tenant to them, they won't worry about a CCJ.

To fill in on further details . Its a ruralish area where rentals are few and far between. Currently on rightmove there is nothing and hasn't been in the last two months. A longer commute might be possible in theory but I have some car issues and even the next bigger town nearly 20 miles away also has nothing available. I have been searching for four years in that town so I know something is not likely to be found quickly. When something does become available it gets snapped up immediately with not even a chance to view. It wasn't this way when I first moved to the area, but most potential landlords are now on air bnb not offering long term rentals. If I can make it through a few months I have a fair chance of securing a 'winter let' - that's if they would accept me with a CCJ.

My longer term plan is to apply to have this CCJ removed and apply to the council for housing. Realistically the local council have very little and I would be low on the list. They told me when I first moved to the area (for a job) not to bother applying as they have very little housing

To complicate matters further my car is currently not running and I've been told the engine is not repairable. I'm making a complaint because I've been told by breakdown people that it was a mistake by the garage that led to the irreparable damage. So may well be living in a car that's not moveable.

My plan is to take action about the car, CCJ and keep looking for a long term place to live while working and saving money.

Why is everyone giving advice about camping? OP go to the council and register as homeless. Go to citizens advice and get some advice. Call Shelter. You are homeless and the local authority has obligations.

I've not actually ever been able to get through to Shelter on the phone - they must be inundated - but I'll keep trying.

You’ll need an address to register your car/driving license/car insurance against.

Also GP etc.

OP you need to go to the council and tell them that you are homeless and sit there until they take you seriously.

Doesn't matter if they say there is limited housing (there is everywhere) they need to help you and a room somewhere, B&B, whatever is better than trying to live in a (non working) car for the forseeable.

But I am already registered for all those things? I am going to become homeless so I don't have a choice. In a couple of weeks I won't have my own address

My employer has a staff noticeboard of rooms to key on their intranet. I'm not saying yours will, but maybe ask about once you start. We also do tenancy deposit loans for employees, which you pay back through salary deductions.

Can you ask the new employer if anyone there has a room available for rent? - in towns like you’re describing normally the easiest way to find somewhere is via someone you know or have a connection with.

You can ask in a way that doesn’t reveal that you are likely going to work for them whilst homeless if not

Wishing you some better luck soon re car etc… As PPs have said, definitely look into getting that CCJ set aside; and in the meantime https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/ is a great website for finding housesits. If you can get friends to write you some references it will increase your success rate; you can also upload Airbnb references if you have any. Best of luck, I hope you find a permanent solution soon.

Your driving license may be declared invalid if you haven't updated your address or at the very least if pulled over you may be fined.

Agree with PPs, if you give a vague (within 20 miles) idea of where you are, someone might be able to offer practical help.

Yes my old employer had the tenancy deposit scheme! Most employees werent aware of it. Would have been very helpful right now but wouldn't get a rental with a CCJ anyway and my new employer has no such scheme 🙁. I've just had a run of bad luck which I suppose is how most some people end up homeless

Take the dream job, but commute or figure something out. House share, lodger etc

So your car isn't running? You're parked somewhere and intend to stay there?

Well your cars going to end up towed then.

I'm not sure what the relevance to the job is. You'd be homeless regardless of the job.

I often see Nextdoor App or Facebook requests for a spare room for lodgers. You might get the interest of someone who could do with some spare £, but hasn’t been motivated to advertise.

Where is your car parked if it’s not moveable?

Why are you clinging onto an area that offers you nothing? No job that pays enough to live in, no housing you can afford, and you have no family and friends there. Why on earth stay?

Move to where you know people, get an ordinary job - any job. Rent a room initially (most areas have lots) and build back up. Sell your non working car, sort your finances out. Make choices that give you a home and stability and a future.

And in terms of why you need an address, setting aside bank, tax, NI, employer etc, the CCJ which is causing you so many problems arise because you didn't receive the letter sent to the address associated with your license plate. That is the kind of thing that happens if you lack an address, and then takes ages to sort out.

Water won't be a problem. I'll be going to work every week day where there is a kitchen with a tap, a microwave etc. I'll also have the leisure centre membership. The stigma is a big fear for me so I won't be advertising my situation and I don't really want to give any details here or what town or what job it is for that reason .

I'm sorry OP this sounds awful, but I just don't think you can afford to stay where you are. It sounds like you have friends and family that live elsewhere - do you have anyone living in a big town that would be willing to have you for a bit? I would look at a job in that place - this just isn't tenable long term.

Quite aside from any practical considerations how are you going to give your employer your address if you don't have one?

As someone who lives in a similar area, just don't. Move somewhere else and find actual quality of living.

Towed why? It's not illegally parked. This is a small town surrounded by countryside not a big city. You can legally park most places.

I’m possibly one of the only posters replying who has sort of done this. I’ll explain a bit more.

In many ways my situation wasn’t all that dissimilar to yours. I’d actually had a run of bad luck with jobs. I had a false accusation in 2014 and although I was eventually completely cleared it took ages and during that time I was pretty much forced to resign. Finding another job proved tricky as a result although I got short term work, there was no pay parity, no pension or sick pay etc. And I did fall very unwell two years later and was in a horrendous position where I had to try to work but couldn’t really. So four years after my false accusation I decided to apply for and got a job which was on a level with my old work but was in a very expensive area of the country hence they struggled to recruit.

I actually owned my house outright due to an inheritance but selling it and buying somewhere else wasn’t an option as I couldn’t get a mortgage due to crap credit. I couldn’t private rent for the same reason.

I didn’t live in my car but I did stay in it a night or two a week. It’s pretty horrible. It’s uncomfortable, that’s the main problem. And cold, even in summer. And scary and exhausting as you sleep very fitfully and badly. So I really really would not recommend. But - equally sometimes it’s the least worst option. Realistically people do fall through the cracks and sometimes this is how it is.

If you do decide to do this I would really really urge you to have a few nights in a travel lodge or air bnb or similar. Living in your car seven days a week will destroy you. But it is doable if unpleasant sometimes.

I wish you well.

Your driving licence and car insurance will be invalid with the wrong address.