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Lone parents

Use our Single Parent forum to speak to other parents raising a child alone.

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Original poster

Private renting success stories please!

33 replies

aabidah86 · 07/09/2019 10:24

Just looking for your success stories at finding a private rental property as a single parent working part time and claiming universal credit?

Have made the decision to leave my 18 month old DC father finally (its been a long time coming), we currently live in his mortgaged property. Have got the ball rolling for UC application and just now starting to look for somewhere to live. I've heard lots of stories of it taking months to find a landlord who will let to a single parent claiming any form of government help. I've rung one letting agency and as soon as I mentioned UC her tone changed and she couldn't get me off the phone quick enough!

Any tips/hand holding/success stories please!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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HennyPennyHorror · 07/09/2019 10:28

Phone the local housing department at the council. How long have you got to move out?

Mackerz · 07/09/2019 10:29

This may be a stupid question but what’s the issue with UC as income, as you have a child, it’s guaranteed income isn’t it? Probably more secure than my income from my job (I could get made redundant, end up in long term sick etc).

Sorry I can’t be of any help and good luck finding a house and moving on.

Beamur · 07/09/2019 10:32

I am a landlord with such a tenant. She's been very reliable.

Original poster

aabidah86 · 07/09/2019 10:32

@mackerz honestly i thought exactly the same thing! From what I understand some landlords have mortgages that stipulate they can't accept housing benefit tenants, but as for the rest I just don't know!

OP posts:

purpleme12 · 07/09/2019 10:34

Hope much do you earn? (From your job)
And also how much do you earn job and UC combined?
Do you have anyone who can be your guarantor? As if you do they'll have you anyway regardless of your income

Original poster

aabidah86 · 07/09/2019 10:34

@hennypennyhonour I have no time frame it was an amicable split but I just want to get out sooner the better! I've also started council application but am fully aware I probably won't be a priority which is totally fair enough!

OP posts:

Mummoomoocow · 07/09/2019 10:34

It took us 6 months for the council to help us find a private landlord that was willing to rent to us on UC. This was with homelessness. You’re in for a long wait if you’re in London.

Original poster

aabidah86 · 07/09/2019 10:35

@beamur that's really good to hear thank you

OP posts:

purpleme12 · 07/09/2019 10:35

It is incredibly annoying and very worrying I agree cos yes I always pay my rent

Original poster

aabidah86 · 07/09/2019 10:37

@mummoomoocow I'm not in London but still in a big UK city so timeframe of 6 months seems to be the average here too

OP posts:

MancaroniCheese · 07/09/2019 10:37

Exactly as you said a lot of landlord mortgages and landlord insurance policies exclude benefit recipients. Unfortunately a small minority spoil it for the majority because they have trashed houses / defaulted on rents and as landlords can no longer take big deposits tenants on benefits are not as attractive an option as people who work....short sighted as you could lose your job the day after moving in...

The only way I was able to rent was because I got a job (albeit part time and low income) and paid three month's rent upfront.

mumwon · 07/09/2019 10:42

its not only mortgage companies it also insurance companies fine print & sadly many landlords have been caught out - actually since the wonderful UC councils & social housing in general have been badly affected - I think the figure that I read quoted that previously the number of tenants in areas was about 5% but its now about 25% (or more) this is also affected by direct payment - this may seem a sweeping generalisation but sadly it isn't.

purpleme12 · 07/09/2019 10:42

I know with insurance you can definitely get a policy which accepts tenants on benefits

Original poster

aabidah86 · 07/09/2019 10:44

@mancaronicheese thank you for this, i am a healthcare professional in the NHS and have been steadily employed for years. My profession is always in demand so even if i lost my job tomorrow there are always vacancies so i feel I'm quite secure in that respect. UC will be making up 50% of my monthly take home (if i did the calculation correctly) and i can pay a few months rent up front due to savings.

OP posts:

Iheartdonuts · 07/09/2019 10:47

I would rent to UC tenants but my mortgage and insurance wont allow this. Not much I can do about it .

Beamur · 07/09/2019 10:49

My insurers didn't ask me about the tenant being in receipt of benefits.

Iheartdonuts · 07/09/2019 10:52

Beamur mine specifically asked me. I said I was fine with UC tenants, knowing this would cost extra but then checked mortgage and found they wouldn't allow it.

purpleme12 · 07/09/2019 10:52

I don't know about mortgages but I do know that there are insurance companies that accept tenants on benefits (and actually if the tenant is working but has benefits as a top up they're still classed as working anyway from an instance point of view) so I wish people would stop using insurance as an excuse

Original poster

aabidah86 · 07/09/2019 10:53

@purpleme2 ooh that's really helpful to know thank you!

OP posts:

Beamur · 07/09/2019 10:53

I don't have a mortgage. Suspect that makes a lot of difference..

Mackerz · 07/09/2019 12:01

As you’re working, I’m just wondering if you could get away with not mentioning the UC to the Landlord. It will be paid directly to you won’t it?

We are renting for the first time in years. The Estate Agent did a credit check on us and took an employer reference which confirmed salaries.

Could you afford the rent without the UC (still claim it obviously just don’t declare it to the agency)? I was quite surprised by the affordability report that came back from the agency - they said I could afford a monthly rent at twice what I had decided I could afford. I think they say that you can afford to rent at 50% of your gross annual salary ( so if you earn 24k a year, before tax they would say that you could afford to pay 12k a year rent - so up to 1k a month).

Mackerz · 07/09/2019 12:07

It depends where you live of course. You can get a nice 2 bed flat in a decent area for £700 a month in my city in the north west.

Original poster

aabidah86 · 07/09/2019 12:25

@mackerz i live in the NW too, my salary would cover rent, council tax and some if not all bills. With zero left over for anything else. So UC would be covering my living expenses.

OP posts:

Mackerz · 07/09/2019 12:41

I’ve just done a quick google and to afford a rent of 700 per month, they would expect you to have a gross salary of 21k.

www.landlordreferencing.co.uk/rent-affordability-calculator/

We had to fill in a form and confirm our salaries (verified with an employer reference) and then fill out a form saying what debts we had (verified by a credit check). Unlike a mortgage application they didn’t ask how much you spend on entertainment, transport etc.

If you can pass the affordability checks I’ve mentioned with just your salary, I wouldn’t mention the UC to the estate agent or landlord.

MancaroniCheese · 07/09/2019 17:24

Can you say that you state that you will be getting a hefty maintenance payment from your ex that will help boost your monthly income and that it will help cover your additional costs?

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