Single mum high rent

[Topsysmum24]

I don't know what to do. Any advice or guidance would be appreciated.

Single mum, 13 year old child. Private rented flat £800 per month, rolling contract. North West. All fine for years, rent has always increased by about £30 per month each year.

Landlord sold the property a few months ago. New landlord is raising the rent to £1200 per month starting next month. Also issued a Section 21 if don't fancy paying the extra £400 per month rent.

I'm a newly qualified health professional starting salary £28407 NHS band 5. I was so pleased when I qualified thinking I'd be able to give my child a better life. Due to how I qualified, my wage goes up to band 6 in a year. I thought I'd been really clever and planned to start saving a deposit for a house. What an idiot I am!

I've been viewing other private rented properties within a 7 mile radius. There aren't many. They are all expensive in terms of average wages even though the areas I'm looking at are very working class, not affluent areas at all. I’ve wasted a lot of my annual leave on viewings already. I've been knocked back from each property due to my income.

I've taken on a part time job in the evenings and weekends to increase my chances but I'm still being knocked back. I'm competing with couples in double income households. I've got no chance.

Because I'm working all the time and with the stress of it all, I'm not performing as well at work. I'm a shit mum, I barely see my child. Barely see friends. I'm not looking after myself, I'm constantly exhausted. And no, there is no one we can live with temporarily. No family.

I've thought about moving to a random place where the rents are cheaper (I know that's always the advice). But as a single mum, uprooting me and my child from everything we've ever known, our friends, school, work, hobbies. It terrifies me. And what if it doesn't work out? What then?

If it was just me, I'd move to a random place in a shitty house share with mould everywhere for a year til I'm able to save up or come up with a plan. Having a child makes it harder. I'm tied to school and it's not fair to keep moving schools, especially in high school. My child is a big part of the school community and is really thriving.

I've thought about using credit cards for living costs but I'm already paying off credit card debt I accrued whilst training. And even if I took out more credit cards, what do I do when the rents increase again in a year's time? I'll have more rent to pay and even more debt payments. I can't keep chasing my tail like this. I want stability.

I've called the council and been through their longwinded homelessness assessments only to be told I'll be waiting 3-4 years for social housing. They said I'd have to wait for a bailiff to physically evict me and my child. I'd be bloody mortified doing that! I'm not perfect but I pride myself on being a decent person who pays their way.

What should I do?

Have you checked whether you might be eligible for Universal Credit?

If you pay rent the answer might surprise you!

@Topsysmum24 i know it's not ideal but I would sit it out until they evict you. That way you will be a priority for housing. Also as pp said check a possible claim for universal credit.

Ironically, I used to work for a charity giving this advice!

If I quit my part time job, I'd be eligible for UC but the Local Housing Allowance for the areas I'm looking at ranges from £575 to £871 per month so wouldn't really help.

I could apply for a DHP but in my professional experience, they don't tend to be awarded to people working full time. Maybe that's changed due to the housing crisis. Even if it was awarded, it would only be a very temporary measure.

The homelessness assessment people at the council said if I do that, I'd get temporary accommodation but it could be miles away from my child's school so she'd be forced to change school.

@Topsysmum24 sorry i didn't think of that

It's ok, you were only trying to help. It is an option but a scary one!

Have you tried a counter offer to the new landlord? I’m so sorry OP, I do believe the majority of landlords are grabby scumbags.

I have, they said no! They don't care at all. I understand they're in it to make a profit but they own the whole block and the previous owners were clearly making some kind of profit on each flat before they sold it, they weren't doing it out of the goodness of their hearts.

All my neighbours are in the process of moving or have already moved out. They're all either working couples or working flatmates so have more chance of finding somewhere than me on my own.

I could've written this OP. Single mum of teen. My rent jumped from £700 in 2021 to £1200 in 2023. It's almost half my take home. Add in council tax and utilities it's nearer £1500 p/m. Single parents are well and truly screwed. I'm in my 50's, suffering badly with menopause and ADHD and working more hours than I ever have, earning more than I ever have and I've never been so skint, exhausted and depressed as I am right now. I don't know what the answer is. I couldn't go down the homeless/council route either due to ds's school and whole life being where we are, plus my elderly parents. I'm trying to stay strong for my ds but feel like I'm heading for a breakdown.

How many bedrooms have you got? Could you downsize to one and you sleep in the living room?

You're at the start of a good career, with reliable earnings and job security. Once you're established you'd be a good candidate for a shared housing scheme.
I might be inclined to take a 1 bedroom with a sofa bed for yourself in the lounge so that you can start putting aside a deposit for a SO scheme. Even if you only get a mortgage for 25% initially, you have every prospect of increasing your owned share in due course.
You may say well there aren't any shared ownership schemes in my area, but with a 13 yr old from here on in options expand - they become more independent to travel a bit, then they move to a college, then they learn to drive, then they bog off to uni.

A one bedroom flat would be my suggestion too - maybe do it for a year, save like crazy and see how you get on?

It's so hard having a good quality of life these days on one income that isn't very high, it really is.

Op it's really shit, have you got any family you could stay with for a bit to save money?

I'm a nurse and single parent, I was able to live with my mum when dd was younger and eventually got a council flat.

In your shoes, I'd quit the part time job as you will only end up overworked and stressed plus it's already affecting your performance in your main job.

Recheck your entitlement based on your main job earnings only. You should be eligible for full LHA for a 2-bed in your area but you'll have to cover your difference between the LHA and your rent amount.

https://benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/

Or find a one bed as PP have said. You'll still qualify for two bed UC rate.

That sounds utterly rotten, it's so unfair. We badly need rent controls.

House share?
Cost of living is very geared to 2 incomes now
There will be other single parents in the same situation
Pooling families is great for finances and housing availability

Have you spoken to Shelter?

If the worst comes to the worse, don’t leave until you are forced to. This buys you extra time to find somewhere else, but to be honest with the rental market as it is I’d take the temp accommodation with the council and try and make it work with school if possible? At least that way you’ll have a secure tenancy at the end of it all.

It is really shit OP, I sympathise. I can’t afford another rent increase and I’m so anxious that my landlord will sell up due to the new bill being passed.

Google affordable housing. Some new build schemes offer discounted rents to keyworkers.

Wouldn't you only need to cover the difference between what help you'd get and rental amount? So 400 a month instead of 800?

Op you need to do a check for universal credit entitlement. I've just done a quick basic calculation based on the new rent and salary you've given and it's suggesting you could be entitled to around £75 per week, now I rounded up your salary to £29000, and didn't put any pension payments in, so even if you lha allowance is slightly lower than in my area you should be entitled to some help. Even £70 per week is nearly £300 of the £400 extra rent increase. Obviously you'd still have £100 to try and find but surely some help is better than none ?

Are you able to apply to any housing associations?

Agree with this. This is a great way and save like hell for a deposit for something. Really feel for you, it's so tough but stay positive as this is possible to get through x

Whilst I feel so sorry for OP. Desperately. We must remember that we are living in extremely high levels of inflation and hence high interest rates. This is the reason for the rent increases - it's not just for the landlord to make profit.

Apply for UC and quit the part time job OP, it just makes sense for your job and your child. Sorry I don't have advice on the housing situation though

I've never heard of houseshares for a single parent and their teenage child. I'm sure they're out there, but not many.