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Original poster

Trying to help London family on verge of eviction

60 replies

Rentaway · 20/02/2023 15:16

A lovely woman who helps with our cleaning is desperately trying to find a flat by April for her and her husband and nine year old son. They currently live in north London near Bounds Green but the landlord company has given the entire block Section 21 notice.

She can only work school hours and earns about 800 a month. Her husband is a builder but works for a company so is employed but does not bring in that much. She is the one with the get up and go in that relationship…

Their maximum for a rental is £1100 a month and they are after a one bedroom (which is still too small but that’s all they can afford). She is willing to move anywhere in London that is within catchment of a decent secondary. Her year 5 boy is already crying himself to sleep that he will probably have to leave his primary school.

What on earth are people in this position meant to do? Her English is insufficient to be pushier with the council and they have offered zero help so far. I have urged her to call Shelter but I think she is on the point of collapse from the stress.

I have been looking online too and cannot find anything in that price where children are accepted, let alone near a good or outstanding state secondary.

I know she can try and make it difficult and stall the Section 21 but I also know she really is intending to move as she does not want to cause trouble and has to move within a few months for schools in any case.

Does anyone know of any acceptable
properties or landlords within an OK school catchment in London or is she asking for the moon on a stick?

OP posts:
Inkpotlover · 21/02/2023 07:40

Unless they have strong family ties in the area, they should look to leaving London. Rents here are spiralling - even if you do find somewhere within their budget, there will be dozens of other people vying for the same property and if they both happen to be in the position where their earnings are paid cash in hand, it's going to be highly unlikely they'll be viewed as the best prospective tenants if others in the queue with them have bank statements etc. Be mindful of how much you advocate for her, it's great you're helping her but you don't want to be put in the position where she asks you to act as a guarantor.

Eastie77Returns · 21/02/2023 07:41

I was also going to suggest Romford and the surrounding area as assumed you could get a 1 bed for about £900. Had a quick look on Zoopla and cheapest suitable one I found was £1250…

The family will probably need to consider Essex or Kent if they want to stay in the SE. The only other option if they want to stay in London is a sublet house share. They’d be in a single room with shared facilities which is not ideal with a child.

I’m sorry OP, it’s absolutely shit.

Twiglets1 · 23/02/2023 05:37

This woman’s main problem is her husband which you can’t help her with. He is a liability.
She needs to investigate after school clubs at her child’s current school and get a better paid job. So does he, or work more hours.

sashh · 23/02/2023 06:13

I know it is difficult to p and leave everything you know and that this family has already done that but realistically they could have a better life outside London.

I'm n Wolverhampton, the council did some deal with one in London and a whole group of people moved at the same time.

London is 2 hours by train.

They would be looking at a 2 or 3 bedroomed house here, with a garden.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/131897303#/?channel=RES_LET

I'm not saying the place is perfect, there are many other options.

You have not said where this family is from but there are Polish and Ukrainian social organisations here, I don't know if there are others.

I used to live in Finchley, which is quite a good bit of London, local shops and amenities ut I doubt they would get more than a studio.

Redebs · 23/02/2023 06:30

trampoline123 · 20/02/2023 19:27

If their monthly income is 1300 a month rent of 1100 is far too much.

He needs to get off his arse and sort a proper job.

Single homeless project can help too.

I think they'd be better off far out of London.

Not many high-paying city jobs for building labourers, I'd expect

Redebs · 23/02/2023 06:32

Twiglets1 · 23/02/2023 05:37

This woman’s main problem is her husband which you can’t help her with. He is a liability.
She needs to investigate after school clubs at her child’s current school and get a better paid job. So does he, or work more hours.

So she should leave her husband and dump her child?
FFS!

Redebs · 23/02/2023 06:35

Holyguacamollie · 20/02/2023 19:15

I agree with a move out of London. That type of rent would get a lovely place up north

That's not how it works. 😕

mybunniesandme · 23/02/2023 06:37

He needs to get off his arse and sort a proper job.

So does she for FFS. And also start improving her English.

Guavafish1 · 23/02/2023 06:38

Further West London like Slough, Southall, Ealing Hounslow etc ... I suspect its just about doable

Stepuptowardsinfinity · 23/02/2023 06:48

This doesnt add up. So their income is around £2800 a month before tax, roughly £33k a year. They are not living on the breadline. Yes rents are very expensive in London but they could move a bit further out and get a big one bed or small two bed, especially if they can spend another £100 a month. I live in London and am a landlady so know the market. And why can she only do school hours? Her son is 9, not a baby. She could do extra work evenings and weekends when her husband is home. Have they got lots of debts that you don't know about?

Twiglets1 · 23/02/2023 06:52

Redebs · 23/02/2023 06:32

So she should leave her husband and dump her child?
FFS!

Show quote history

Where did you get "dump her child" from?
Using an after school club to work more hours to afford rent is not dumping your child.

Floppyelf · 23/02/2023 07:03

Sounds to me like she’s trying to use you. Not your circus…

Noicant · 23/02/2023 07:04

I know you are trying to help OP but I would be careful of starting to feel responsible for the outcome of this. You can’t fix everything for someone, east london sounds a good bet. There are often associations for nationality groups that can provide some help where there are language barriers as well so it may be worth seeing if you can help her locate one to provide support and help her with the council.

Overthebow · 23/02/2023 07:07

they need to both work more and look in areas they can afford. They can’t work part time and then complain about it being able to afford something in the most expensive city in the UK.

Whatthediddlyfeck · 23/02/2023 07:16

Redebs · 23/02/2023 06:32

So she should leave her husband and dump her child?
FFS!

Show quote history

That’s quite a stretch of a statement! Using out of school child care is what millions of people HAVE to do to be able to earn a living so they can pay their living expenses, it’s hardly dumping!😂

Theelephantinthecastle · 23/02/2023 07:43

Thornton heath? Croydon maybe?

But both of them need to up their incomes if they want to stay in London.

He could look at taskrabbit for some extra cash

She could do things like babysitting for cleaning clients potentially (my cleaner does this) - perhaps picking up a Saturday job. My cleaner is thinking of training to be a book keeper

cadink · 23/02/2023 07:46

They need to move to a cheaper place or she ups her hours and the kids get wrap around care.

cadink · 23/02/2023 07:51

I doubt they'd be entitled to benefits as they're on almost 3k a month. This post is a bit naive OP

Soontobe60 · 23/02/2023 08:06

Twiglets1 · 23/02/2023 05:37

This woman’s main problem is her husband which you can’t help her with. He is a liability.
She needs to investigate after school clubs at her child’s current school and get a better paid job. So does he, or work more hours.

Why is he the liability? She works part time and earns almost 1/3 of his income.
OP, she needs to get a full time job. She is a cleaner, so I imagine she could get work very easily. Where I live cleaners charge about £15 an hour and trying to get one is impossible. The demand is very high. A full time cleaner will be able to earn around £2K a month if they work term time only.
Something has got to give for this family. Either they move to a much cheaper area, or they’re going to be homeless pretty soon with the Council housing them in a crappy place somewhere - often miles away from where they currently live.

RoseFl0wers · 23/02/2023 08:08

The best thing they could do is move to the North. Plenty of 2 up 2 down terraced houses that are less than £1000 a month. Much better than a £1.5k a month 1 bed flat. Her son is at an age where moving schools is easy. Loads of cleaning and building companies to apply for jobs. Her and DH need to get applying. They can’t afford to work part-time in the most expensive city in England.

WorkingFromHomeRocks · 23/02/2023 10:57

Sounds like she’s going to have to leave London. When we wanted to buy a bigger house, we had to move 60 miles away because equivalent ones where we were cost an extra £100-150k. For us, the house was more important than the area.

ItsMeAnnie · 23/02/2023 13:05

Overthebow · 23/02/2023 07:07

they need to both work more and look in areas they can afford. They can’t work part time and then complain about it being able to afford something in the most expensive city in the UK.

This, 100%. Bounds Green is not a cheap area by any means. Sounds like she's trying to get you to act as a guarantor or similar- I'd be wary if I were you.

Yesthatismychildsigh · 23/02/2023 13:28

You sound very naive, OP. This couple seem to want their cake and eat it, with some naive person serving it to them. I could have got a promotion and gone to live in the South East but I couldn’t have afforded the lifestyle I have now, so chose not to take it. They’re nowhere near in dire straits but you seem to be viewing it as they are. They have opportunity to further improve their earnings and level of English to help themselves. They’re choosing not to, yet wanting to stay in a very expensive place which they simply can’t afford. They need to live within their means, and your drama ridden post and I’m guessing similar attitude to their non predicament isn’t helping them. Please don’t let yourself be used like this.
By the way, I have a bridge for sale….

ItsMeAnnie · 23/02/2023 13:29

Yesthatismychildsigh · 23/02/2023 13:28

You sound very naive, OP. This couple seem to want their cake and eat it, with some naive person serving it to them. I could have got a promotion and gone to live in the South East but I couldn’t have afforded the lifestyle I have now, so chose not to take it. They’re nowhere near in dire straits but you seem to be viewing it as they are. They have opportunity to further improve their earnings and level of English to help themselves. They’re choosing not to, yet wanting to stay in a very expensive place which they simply can’t afford. They need to live within their means, and your drama ridden post and I’m guessing similar attitude to their non predicament isn’t helping them. Please don’t let yourself be used like this.
By the way, I have a bridge for sale….

And this, too.

OnaBegonia · 23/02/2023 13:38

For those saying oh just move up north, how do they finance a move? travelling to view homes 100s of miles away? they're already struggling, moving costs a lot of ££.