To ask what you’d do in this dire situation?

[ReallyStuck2024]

Posting for traffic.

I live in SE England. I’m trying to move to a cheaper part of the UK and I’m making plans to do so.

I work FT and have an additional PT job. I’m working around 55-60 hours a week.

No savings, can’t get a decent credit card or even a loan due to previous poor credit (which I’m working to resolve).I’m not entitled to any benefits.
I don’t drive so can’t take on work as for eg Deliveroo or Amazon or otherwise

Family can’t help me with financial support. I also cannot stay with family in the short term due to valid but complicated reasons.

the situation is: it’s going to cost me thousands to move: in terms of arranging a move but also because my current flat is furnished and I’d have to furnish an entire new house. So I need to save for six months or so.

whilst this is all going on, my LL announced he was putting the rent up by £450 a month, effective March. I can’t afford this and will need to move. But I can’t afford to move.

I am wracking my head for solutions here - even moving into a house share and getting rid of most of my belongings but that still wouldn’t work because I’d need a months rent and deposit up front and tbh, house shares and one bed flats aren’t that different in price where I’m looking.

What on earth am I meant to do? I’m seriously panicking

I can’t move immediately because I don’t have the money for a months rent up front and a deposit. I would in theory on the 23rd Dec when I next get paid but that’s only if I don’t pay my last months rent and don’t pay for any end of tenancy stuff here either. This also assumes I’ll be sleeping on the floor of whatever place I’d manage to find.

Just to say thanks to all and I’m noting the suggestions. Sorry if I sound dismissive. I’m distraught and worried and it’s making me fairly pessimistic.

I know that you're already working long hours but is there any way you could do something extra, such as babysitting? Or a shift or two in a pub or nights in a care home?

It all sounds very hard, I'm casting around for ideas!

Do you have things you could sell on vinted or marketplace?

I know that my suggestions are all small ones but the pounds all add up over time.

You really need to speak to someone at Shelter. Before you make any more decisions and plans.

What happens if someone presents themselves as homeless?

Do councils still operate a loan deposit scheme?

Is £1550pcm in line with similar properties in your local area?

If it’s higher then you could look at going to a rent tribunal instead.

Housesitting really could work for you.

Could you look at a place to rent that operates the "zero deposit scheme"? You don't pay a hefty deposit essentially, I think it's some sort of insurance policy instead? Maybe have a look into that, OP. Good luck!

Roughly where abouts are you thinking of moving to? It's not outing because there are literally millions of people in most SE areas 😂 but for example I live in Hampshire and could recommend some really specific examples and even know a few landlords.

www.zerodeposit.com/

More info here, OP. Feel free to ignore if not helpful!

I’m in Surrey and I’m looking to move to the SW - Devon.

Not for a one bedroom place. They go for about 1050-1150.

A £450 a month increase???

Jesus H Christ. I was on a forum recently filled with landlords who were complaining that the current and previous government had encouraged “anti-landlord sentiment”.

I think actually behaviour like this is what encourages anti-landlord sentiment.

OP can't make herself homeless by voluntarily leaving her flat - she'd need to stay put until the landlord evicted her then present to the council.

Oh wow Devon is absolutely impossible especially for renting. Why Devon?! I mean it's beautiful but insanely expensive/difficult to find somewhere. If you're looking for beaches etc there's loads of cheap lovely places in Hampshire.

because I have family and other support connections (vague) there

And there are lots of even cheaper seaside places such as Lincolnshire, Humberside, Northumberland etc.

The landlord is behaving illegally. £450 is ridiculous. Is this genuine?

You do not need to pay a rent increase, a landlord can not put up rent without either your approval or a court order. You do not have to agree to rent increases, they cannot 'tell' you 'rent goes up effective of' they can only ask (but the usually phrase it as if its mandatory to force compliance).

How much is your rent?

£450 is almost our whole rent so seems and insane increase... one average last year 7% was deemed a fair increase with inflation in rent sector so unless you pay over £6k a month rent than £450 seems wildly unreasonable and won't be supported by a court.

Lets assume you live in London where average rent is said to be £2,121 (eye watering to us northerners lol) then a 7% increase on that is still only £148.47.

A landlord has to be fair and justify reasonably why they are putting prices up.

Have a look at property guardian schemes in the area you want to move to.

Entirely genuine. He’s a total shyster. He has behaved appallingly previously.

Ah ok that's a shame! Really hard place to get into. If you have family can you not temporarily live with one of them whilst you save and are then in the area to find somewhere to rent?

I recommend taking a look at the rental tribunal scheme. Shelter have some good info on it, as does gov.uk and

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housing/paying-rent/challenging-a-rent-increase/

My rent is £1000. He has claimed he is increasing it due to his increased costs. The flat is old and has needed a fair amount of repairs this year which has increased the costs associated with it. He really has no clue - he regularly has a go at me for things that are none of his business, hence looking to move anyway.

In Surrey? I was thinking that sounds fairly cheap tbh. I am not far from there and anything decent I saw was in the £1,400+ bracket. Have you been in the place a long time? Seems like the landlord expects to be able to get a better return hence the steep increase.

It’s disgusting though. The private rental market needs far better regulation and our approach to housing is diabolical. We see it primarily as profit generating assets instead of actually homes for people to live in.