Tenancy Anxiety-no right to my home

[FromRushHourwithlove]

Not sure if anyone on here would know about housing rights-I've been living in my HA flat for over 35 years-moved here when friend unsure he wanted to live in UK still wanted rent covered for few months-he left and didn't return-we lost touch, just heard he's died, some years ago. I am nearing retirement age now and very scared about how I will continue to manage the 5 flights of stairs as I age and would love to do a swap and live near family but daren't tell HA he's died/I'm here. I've always paid the rent and the HA accept the rent from my bank account (my name's not same as my friend the tenant's). Please be gentle with replies, am so anxious about telling this

HA rents can be quite high, so you don't necessarily manage to save money by not paying private rent, you just don't have to claim housing benefits in order to pay private landlords the extra amounts they charge people.

Respectfully......don't make any more stupid mistakes (like asking for advice on MN). Go and see Shelter/CAB/a solicitor.... today

Tbh this isn’t a complex situation. What’s a bit silly is all the people thinking there might possibly be a way round this where OP gets to keep the property and become the tenant.

It was very difficult indeed to get social housing where I live 35 years ago, unless you had a particular need (disability, etc.). There were waiting lists decades long.

It was very difficult indeed to get social housing where I live 35 years ago, unless you had a particular need (disability, etc.). There were waiting lists decades long.

DUMB. Plenty of people rent from HA at market rate. I did myself for a while. Why are people so convinced it's all free or cheap? The ignorance around this subject is staggering but lots of folks on soapboxes thinking they know it all.

That’s interesting, even in central London it was fairly straightforward 35 years ago! I worked for a national HA and we didn’t really have any areas that were very difficult. What was far more common was areas where it was very hard to let because the rents were too high and people didn’t like the areas / property.

edited to add- I wonder if you’re thinking about council housing? Council housing was indeed hard to get in the 90s

So the landlord must know that it is not the legal tenant paying the rent.

Well they won’t “know”- it’s all automated so unless they looked for it they’d be none the wiser. Besides, it doesn’t matter. Plenty of people have their rent paid for them by family, friends etc. as long as it’s paid, it doesn’t matter

As a single homeless woman she would have been entitled

Quite possibly True. The whole thing is very odd.

The landlord has also had no contact from the legal tenant, presumably.

It’s not really odd. The norm should be that renters who pay their rent, comply with checks and don’t cause problems for the neighbours should be left alone. It’s only the emergence of over anxious unprofessional controlling landlords that makes us think the norm is some kind of monitoring.

Don't do this.. You are already illegally subletting. Don't add fraud.

Talk to the housing team at your local council about over 55 properties. In some areas there is't much of a waiting list for these. Talk to shelter and CAB before you talk to the HA. As soon as they find out they will start the eviction process. Try not to worry. The council have a duty to help you avoid homelessness.

And you're not stupid! I think a lot of people would have tried to keep the status quo in your situation.

💯! I think people are forgetting she’s been there 35 whole years! It’s her home, community etc. people say they’d give it up without a thought but that doesn’t reflect reality

Affordable rent properties have only started to be offered by HA in the last 10-15 years or so. If she’s been living there for 35 years ( and the original tenant years before that ) the original tenancy is likely to be a social housing tenancy

In the 1980’s where I grew up it was significantly more available than it is now.

Op you need to speak to Shelter as housing advice differs depending on where in the UK you are and it does sound like you need urgent specialist advice

I think what she might mean is that in some areas, social rents and market rents are similar in ££. This was a much bigger problem before market rents exploded in recent times

in places like say, Portsmouth, social rent and market rents were similar, market sometimes even cheaper. Often people preferred to take the market rent

Perhaps some areas were more difficult than others, but overall there was significantly more affordable housing back then, be it HA, council or private rental or even mortgage and then there we right to buy. Housing options 35 years ago were more available and cheaper than now (or in the last 4/5 years)

My sister bought her first hosue on the minimum wage when she was 18. Two up two down. No deposit required. That would be unheard of now.

And the poster also refers to council housing. Council housing has been in short supply since the 90s, but housing association properties (which OP is in) have not.

mainly because housing associations took over council properties en mass.

Well it was the checks and maintenance I was thinking about. Does rhe landlord have the contact details for the OP? And who do they contact when they need to enter the property?

They send a letter, nowadays they would send a text or email if they had your details (but they don’t for OP, unless shes provided them herself)

but ultimately for compliance checked they’ll just turn up and you let them in. You don’t have to be involved in the booking process, because it has to be done whether you engage or not. Think out of the millions of social housing customers how many don’t engage with letters or emails!

I’d agree with this. I lived in Edinburgh (tricky to get HA nowadays unless you are bumped up the list for whatever reason.) You could get a flat in the 90s though no problem. I had one in a grim area, handed keys back so I could rent somewhere nice in town at 3 times the price!

This is a vulnerable woman with significant mental health issues. Stop fucking kicking her. She would likely have been housed herself had she had the wherewith all to present herself to the council 35 years ago. You need advice OP from shelter. It will likely be fine. You can apply for over 55 housing. The council isn’t going to want a woman with a mental health issues homeless. That serves no one and certainly isn’t cost effective l!

I would recommend OP stays in the flat and stays quiet about it until she has secured over 55s housing. I think any other approach is too high risk.