Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Haven’t paid rent in months!

538 replies

Uppoopcreek · 31/10/2024 00:13

I’ve just realised I haven’t paid my rent in around 6 months! I don’t know how this could have happened?
ive lived here around 4 years. All I can think is I set up a standing order a while ago and it didn’t work properly?
now, I have pretty severe MH problems. Awful anxiety and depression(probable ADHD but still waiting for an appointment to start the process). I never check my bank, I’m behind with other bills, too. I’m a bury my head in the sand type of person, but worry constantly about everything, About a month ago I hit rock bottom. Won’t go into details, but it wasn’t great.
I have 3 DC, and I’m on benefits.
Help! What do I do?! Had a text from landlord last night asking me to call him, which is what’s just prompted me to look now. I was asleep when he text.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Crankyaboutfood · 31/10/2024 01:27

explain your situation and ask for a payment plan

Crankyaboutfood · 31/10/2024 01:27

and don’t be hard on yourself but try to confront this head on

Original poster
Uppoopcreek · 31/10/2024 01:29

Thank you for all your replies. I appreciate it. I’m going to try and get back to sleep(doubt I will) but I’ll ring first thing tomorrow. I’ll let you all know how I get on.
goodnight x

OP posts:
Mummyoflittledragon · 31/10/2024 01:40

Good luck with it all op. I hope you can manage to dig yourself out of this hole…

FinishTheBook · 31/10/2024 01:47

How did you not notice the extra money but also manage to spend it?

LondonQueen · 31/10/2024 01:52

Unless your rent is very cheap I find it find to believe you have spent all your rent money on other bills because of the COL. You must be living well above your means.

Squirrelz5 · 31/10/2024 01:57

How much is your rent?

TERFCat · 31/10/2024 01:58

No way. You knew.

Contact the agency tomorrow. Be upfront. Then go to the council.

NiftyKoala · 31/10/2024 02:03

Hopefully you can make arrangements with the landlord to re pay. Is there someone you can trust that can over see your bill paying so mistakes can get caught quicker? Or maybe look into a company that does that as a service?

Midlifecrisisxamillion · 31/10/2024 02:06

If you are tight on funds, you'd have noticed. You have to do everything in your power to prevent your guarantor being impacted by this. Sell what you can.

1smallhamsterfoot · 31/10/2024 02:10

I mean I care for someone with paranoid schizophrenia and he is useless with his money and planning etc but even he would notice if he suddenly had an extra £500 minimum to spend every month for half a year???

biwinoone · 31/10/2024 02:12

First thing, apply for Discretionary Housing payment if you cannot afford to pay the rent. Tell your LL that you have applied for it. Contact citizens advice or step change for debt advice and they will be able to tell you what to do about the rest

biwinoone · 31/10/2024 02:13

If you are on benefits, ask for the rent to be paid directly to Landlord. That way you won't miss payments. You can also ask for the arrears to be deducted from your benefits.

CreamLampshade · 31/10/2024 02:21

Get a budgeting app and use it. I recommend Emma. Not even noticing you’ve spent an extra £500 a month is ridiculous. You’ll need to sort a payment plan with your landlord so that your poor (silly) guarantor is not affected. This is a really crucial thing to sort out as a responsible adult to three kids.

oakleaffy · 31/10/2024 02:23

CreamLampshade · 31/10/2024 02:21

Get a budgeting app and use it. I recommend Emma. Not even noticing you’ve spent an extra £500 a month is ridiculous. You’ll need to sort a payment plan with your landlord so that your poor (silly) guarantor is not affected. This is a really crucial thing to sort out as a responsible adult to three kids.

That poor guarantor.

They are going to be in for a nasty shock.

CreamLampshade · 31/10/2024 02:27

oakleaffy · 31/10/2024 02:23

That poor guarantor.

They are going to be in for a nasty shock.

Show quote history

Sorry but I do think living on benefits for a living creates a sense that you are not responsible for your own life and can just keep take take taking. It’s really unhealthy. And unfair on tax payers, landlords, guarantors!

I’ve got adhd and severe ocd and depression but I work.

I was bought up by someone on Benefits and they honestly felt they were owed the world. Still do! Constant complaints about the council erc when they have a three bed house worth £800k I could merely dream of. No money management skills, because it just keeps getting paid. For free.

marmamumma · 31/10/2024 02:31

I've done something vaguely similar but was a loan for a car from ny then MIL. I swear I set up the standing payment but apparently I didn't. She rang , quite cranky, fair enough, after 3 months. I was just OMG so sorry my mistake and paid her back over a year or so. Could you come to some kind of arrangement with your LL like that?

ForAvidQuail · 31/10/2024 02:39

1smallhamsterfoot · 31/10/2024 02:10

I mean I care for someone with paranoid schizophrenia and he is useless with his money and planning etc but even he would notice if he suddenly had an extra £500 minimum to spend every month for half a year???

Drowning in bill’s,young kids,rent no support you do bury your head and just can’t face it anymore coming from a bi polar carer who looks after many people with mental health problems and I also do their banking and shopping 👍

CreamLampshade · 31/10/2024 02:41

ForAvidQuail · 31/10/2024 02:39

Drowning in bill’s,young kids,rent no support you do bury your head and just can’t face it anymore coming from a bi polar carer who looks after many people with mental health problems and I also do their banking and shopping 👍

Show quote history

True. I apologise for my previous comment. It was a sweeping statement and not fair.

Jux · 31/10/2024 02:41

We used to have a flat we rented out, and we had a good tenant who came to us and told us she'd been injured and was waiting for an operation and in the meantime couldn't work. Because she came to us to talk about it, we had no hesitation in giving her time, understanding if she was short sometimes, etc. She was a great tenant and we wanted to keep her!

Talk to your landlord. There are so many unreliable tenants, hanging onto good ones who let you know when there are problems is a top priority ime.

ForAvidQuail · 31/10/2024 03:10

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

HallidayJones6779 · 31/10/2024 03:24

Good luck OP. Hoping you find a workable solution

tamade · 31/10/2024 03:25

@Uppoopcreek
What's done is done

Be honest and apologetic - you have dropped a clanger. But also get out your calculator and come to the table with a viable solution. Can you afford for example to pay 1.5 x rent that would be a 12 month payback? Or a lump sum and some other multiple of rent? If you are in benefits then I guess you are going to need some help from someone to meet the LL's expected time frame.

Sounds like the LL is pretty relaxed so hopefully you can work something out

AgentJohnson · 31/10/2024 03:35

Work out a payment plan and let your LL know that you have requested for your rent to be directly paid to him.

Utterknowitall · 31/10/2024 03:51

If housing benefit has been paid, and not passed on to the landlord, I imagine that will have implications too?

Swipe left for the next trending thread