What are our options re housing?

[mindifidont]

So we've just been told our landlord wants to sell the house we've been in for the last 3.5 years.

I'm now really worried about finding somewhere else. We haven't got enough money for a deposit on a new property and unfortunately haven't got a great credit history.

Although we haven't got any CCJ's, we've struggled financially the last year and have fallen behind with payments on a couple of credit cards. Really stupid, I know, but what's done is done.

We might just about get a new deposit together, but will a new landlord have is with the crap credit history?

We are both working full time and have always paid our rent in full on time.

I'm also wondering about getting a council tenancy. We've been on the waiting list for six years but are in band D (lowest priority).

Will we get a higher priority as we're told to leave this property with possibly nowhere else to go or is this (bad credit and no deposit) deemed as being self-inflicted and not a reason good enough for them to help house us?

If you decide to use this situation to increase your eligibility for social housing, find out what how it works and then speak to your landlord. He may be supportive, eg giving you a clear letter giving notice etc. This may be enough to push you up the priority list. He will want your cooperation when showing potential buyers around.

Speak to Shelter.

The bigger problem is if the authority don't have any housing to allocate. They can then put you in a hostel for months on end? Sometimes some distance from schools etc. Getting a housing association property is a great long term prize but in the short term being homeless would be tough.

We should be fine. It was mainly our credit history that worried me but if it is not gonna cause any problems we should hopefully have enough time to get a deposit together before the house is sold.

Renting is a pain though, I suffer from anxiety and this feeling of never knowing how long you are going to get to stay in a property is definitely contributing to it.

I want my children to be able to put down roots etc which I not possible while we're renting.

But we will be fine.