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

One bed flat prices depend where you are wanting to live, if you go to either a popular seaside town or a city with students, that's more expensive, if you don't need to travel much, commute and are happy in the more rural parts, then it will be cheaper. There aren't heaps of things around, but you usually can find something, like I say on Next Door or Spareroom, lots of people need lodgers at the moment due to their own cost of living crises. I would take a deposit though, even just a few hundred, I think most people would expect to do that.

Can you join a credit union. Start a very small savings pot and build history for a small loan.

Save as much as you can now and then consider whether you do a one step move to a new area or if it has to be two step in terms of finding a room to rent.

Ideally a shortish term lodger or similar to cut bills, build a buffer and then start again in a new area. This might be better than a room in shared housing.

A 2 bed furnished bungalow in Dartmouth has just been advertised today on a 6 month winter let for 800 pcm - Fulfords. Zero deposit guarantee available.

I’ve just checked Rightmove. The going rate for a one/two bed flat in Crediton (lovely, my friend lives there) is around £750 a month. It’s really close to Exeter with a good train and bus service.

Have you looked at out of season short term lets in Devon as a temp measure?

My friend rented a two bed in Swanage, Dorset with outside space for £800 / month Feb-June. The LL wanted it back for peak season.

Crediton is close to where I am looking - if not actually where I am looking.

but then I’d need £1500 wouldn’t I? First months rent, deposit. Argh!

Why do you need to spend money on a end of tenancy clean? Just do it yourself - the landlord can't stipulate how you clean the property, only that it is clean! And if you think they'll be withholding your deposit for other reasons anyway, then why bother cleaning - they can't withhold more than what you've paid!

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/1143562898074955484?adults=1&categorytag=Tag%3A8678&enablem3privateroom=true&location=Crediton%2C%20United%20Kingdom&photoid=1893356874&searchmode=regularsearch&checkin=2025-01-01&checkout=2025-03-01&sourceimpressionid=p31733852175P3M4L8uKmZ-WDK2t&previouspagesectionname=1001&federatedsearchid=6ce4f2fb-af4c-453d-9c47-4b9d9e0c58cc

ok, not quite where you need to be right now but not a million miles away and will be an OK option for a couple of months to get you back on your feet.
£735 per month. No deposit as it is a lodging, essentially.

I spent a year as a property guardian - no bills or council tax but they can ask you to move out at short notice.

https://www.adhocproperty.co.uk/guardians

A professional clean and professional oven clean is stipulated in my tenancy agreement but actually I don’t think this is enforceable…

Could you look to move before the rate increase, to another furnished rental so as to avoid the need to buy furniture? I don't know what size of place you need, but a right move search of my own area (northern) it seems that you can get a good 1 bed city centre flat furnished for £850 month. Best of luck OP I sympathise.

Not enforceable, and how would the landlord know, providing it was done to the same standard?
But like I say, if the landlord will be keeping the deposit anyway, then they have nothing more to withhold should you not do a clean!

This

contact shelter

£450 raise is not acceptable

also go to council about getting on bidding list for properties as you are not able to afford the rent- also see if they will house you out of county - sometimes they do have schemes to do this

moving without furniture is easier

Id give my notice on present flat and try to find a room in a house share for short term - again you'll not need furniture and work from home in cafes, library and hot desk places that are around.

Id then look at places further north and away from the south east but with good transport links that not driving will not be an issue

How much rent are you presently paying and how much can you comfortably afford?

https://homeshareuk.org/

what about doing something where you live with an elderly person? It’s normally a rent-free or for a very nominal rent and in return you offer time to them during the week and live in their house. This way you might be able to give up one of your jobs.

Also, maybe something like a housekeeper with a live in position? Then you can save. Until you’ve got enough for a new place .

@ReallyStuck2024 try this place https://www.selgars.org/ I stayed there last December for a month as I wanted a retreat from London but for longer than a week. I rented out the Cottage, but there are rooms you can take. It's a small coliving arrangement over winter type set up on a huge old printing farmhouse. I enjoyed it, it might be a good stop gap whilst you save, etc.

what’s your pay op?

He stipulated that a receipt or invoice would be required as proof but actually he can go fuck himself. I think I can pay for an oven clean (£40) and that’s it. I’ve kept the place spotless so cleaning it myself won’t be hard.

Do not do this. Ridiculous advice

He can’t make you pay for an end of tenancy clean, carpet or oven cleaning OP. That’s been illegal since 2019. He can only expect it to be cleaned to a professional standard but you can do it yourself, hire a carpet cleaner if needed etc but you cannot be made to pay for it. And even then it only has to be to the same standard as when you moved in.

I’m paying 1000 and I can probably go up to 1100. I can’t work in anywhere open (cafes, libraries) due to the nature of my job so would need to do it totally from home. I’ll speak to my council, I didn’t think they’d help to house me or assist me out of county.

I’ve looked at house shares but the deposit issue still remains :(

Id be really tempted by hindsight and not pay the last months rent and give notice at the same time - I very very much doubt you'll get your deposit back and the amount LL keeps putting rent up I bet your deposit is lower than the rent

Youve already told him you can't afford the rent - so it shouldn't come as a surprise and but he time he does anything you'll be gone.

just remember to give notice and pay council tax up to the notice period and keep the paper work 0 as he will not doubt try to lay the council tax back onto you

to put the rent from £1100 a month to £1550 is totally out of order

Number 1. Save
Number 2. Do NOT. and I cannot stress this enough. Do not move out. Your landlord needs to issue you with an eviction notice before you have to go anywhere. If you leave before this happens, you will get absolutely no support whatsoever from any agency. Facebook has some great tenants pages and I wholly recommend speaking to shelter.
You'll have mixed advice on here, some of which will be from landlords. Some from those who have never rented. Please please please seek advice from someone who has a experience in this.
Lastly, please ignore the ridiculous advice saying to withold the last month's rent in "lieu" of your deposit. That's hideous advice and with your current credit rating in the toilet, it would be the worse possible thing to do if you ever want to rent again.

Our neighbour got a gorgeous three piece suite from the British heart Foundation.

Can you tell landlord you can't afford it so are planning to move but can't do so until June, so can he hold on a couple of months then put up the rent to whatever he wants for new tenants?

Alternatively just plan to make your move elsewhere in March. You don't need to furnish the whole house immediately- make a list of absolute essentials. And divide the list into things that have to be new, and other things that you can get second hand. Then gradually buy other items as and when you can afford to.

Charity shops and antique shops tend to be cheap in cheap areas and are an excellent source for: chairs, tables, bedside tables, book cases, crockery, Cutlery, cooking pots etc.

Have you tried looking for social landlords in the area you want to move to? If you ring the local council and speak to the housing department, they often have a list of landlords that are willing to accept good tenants without huge deposits etc. There are a few social housing providers in my area that don't require you to join the housing register with the council. They only ask for a month rent upfront.

As for having no furniture, when I fled DA I had absolutely nothing. No furniture or flooring, it was quite embarrassing having visitors. But, you can buy things cheap from second hand shops etc and most will deliver for a small fee. When you've had time to save, you can buy better things.

If you need a van to move, look for local man and van, last time I moved it was £80 for 2 hours. Obviously you need to have everything prepared to save time. Best of luck.