Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Money matters

Find financial and money-saving discussions including debt and pension chat on our Money forum. If you're looking for ways to make your money to go further, sign up to our Moneysaver emails here.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

So fed up of the renting situation in this country :(

52 replies

thetaleofthegooseandthesloth · 04/04/2018 14:47

Currently we are stuck in a 2 bed terrace house with a small patio and the tiniest kitchen I've ever seen. We moved in 4 years ago and luckily are still paying the same rate but we can't leave because rent is extortionate here now. To rent a 3 bed we are looking at a minimum of 200 more a month, more towards 300.

On one hand I think I should be grateful for the roof over my head, and I am, but on the other hand I'm annoyed at having to fit my 3 children in one room. The youngest (2) is in with us at the moment and it's draining. I've been on the council list for 2.5 years and have never come any lower than 20 something on the list.

I'm a SAHM currently, I want a job but childcare for them so far has put me off. They are 5,3 and 2 and just part-time the costs would be ridiculous. Anyway, I have an interview next week for a part-time position in the NHS. However, I'm going to uni next September and so getting a job to get enough income for a 3 bed house isn't really a great idea, as we may struggle to afford the increased rent when I go to uni.

We have the money to put a deposit down on a house thanks to the in-laws saving but we can't because I'm in debt and have ruined that chance for about 6 years.

I am thinking about getting a sofa bed for downstairs and letting the children share our rooms. Has anyone done this? The older two share fine but adding the smaller one in is almost impossible, he's a little devil

OP posts:

unintentionalthreadkiller · 04/04/2018 19:04

Well said @waxedlyrical

ziggiestardust · 04/04/2018 19:08

Is the OP not allowed to vent waxed? She’s down in the dumps with her situation, this is a parenting support website, you don’t need to be goady. You’re not coming across very nicely at all. If you don’t have anything useful or helpful to suggest; maybe you could just stop?

waxedlyrical · 04/04/2018 19:13

@ziggiestardust the thread title is about the renting situation in the country. But the OP isn't really talking about the renting situation, she's talking about her situation. She even admits herself that she is paying below market rates! It's misleading.

ziggiestardust · 04/04/2018 19:19

But the renting situation IS crap in this country. You’re paying the same as a mortgage (and in many cases; more), and your security is horrible. If the LL wants to sell up and make up bullshit reasons to keep your deposit, they can and they frequently do. I think it’s perfectly ok to feel exasperation over that, and feel there’s no way out sometimes. Especially if you have a relatively low income but are forced to rent because of the council waiting list; that is shit to be honest. The OP’s title could be better written I suppose, but I have sympathy with her situation.

teenagedirtbagbaby · 04/04/2018 20:35

I had no idea they had that money, it's my husband's money and their gift for him. They only told us a few months ago. Cheers though, carry on with the digs without knowing someone's full situation. Classic MN.

Tippexy · 04/04/2018 20:40

How are you going to afford the costs of attending placement when you're on your degree?

huginamugwankinapacket · 04/04/2018 20:58

I will get a student loan and a little childcare grant which when added together just about cover it. Then parking and driving will come from us. We should get a grant from uni to cover books due to low household income.

2020 onwards should be fine as all 3 children will be at school so just wrap around care needed every day which will be covered by the loan. I have it all calculated. I'm not sure why I'm being asked this though.

Anyone actually slept on a fucking sofa bed downstairs or are you all here to judge?

Sonnet · 04/04/2018 21:02

How many MN identities

AGuiltyFeminist · 04/04/2018 21:30

Just here to judge OP

No really, I wouldn't want to sleep on a sofa bed but that is why I'm working and not studying which I would like to do but can't afford. We have to make sacrifices.
I think the fact that you called us all cunts wasn't very helpful and how come you have so many names?

GreenSeededGrape · 04/04/2018 21:42

Are you sock puppeting your own thread OP whoeverthefuckyouare

squarecorners · 04/04/2018 21:43

I admit I did raise an eyebrow at the maths of the ages of the kids and how long you've been in the house. I've had an unplanned child, lived through inconvenience, and yes poverty and I am making damn sure I don't have another baby until they have somewhere suitable to sleep and I've got the finances and family situation
to support two. Your family finances would probably mean that you would get a good chunk of childcare paid for with tax credits. You've posted for sympathy but the reality is that you have made some choices and now you have to deal with them.

specialsubject · 05/04/2018 09:35

The landlord can sell up. The Landlord cannot 'make up reasons to keep your deposit', that went out 11 years ago. Use the Guardian for its correct purpose.

Choices. 70 million people, housing for considerably fewer, refusal to pay higher taxes.

AlphaApple · 05/04/2018 09:39

I agree that the renting situation is crap.

I agree that childcare is criminally expensive.

But I think your specific situation is partly of your own making, sorry.

Can your partner up his earning potential at all? That's a low wage on which to support 3 kids.

swingofthings · 05/04/2018 14:11

What will you be studying? Nursing/Midwifery? It would have been easier to do this before becoming a mum, but if you are motivated, then you can make it work. In the meantime, you'll need to accept that you're going to struggle, be restricted and that being able to afford your first home is a dream to look forward to for when you'll have achieved your studies and started your career.

You're still probably young, so plenty of time to enjoy the luxury of a big enough property.

NukaColaGirl · 05/04/2018 14:16

Childcare is paid for via University, in the form of grants and loans. I’m a single parent with 3DC, I start Uni in September, after busting my ass doing night classes for the last year. Ignore them OP, privilege my arse, I’ve struggled and sacrificed to get my place at Uni If you others want to go to Uni, why don’t you actually look into student finance before you start berating OP for doing something you want to do instead of throwing out bitter, hostile comments??

RunMummyRun68 · 05/04/2018 14:16

Op yes I've done this!

Do you have a gas appliance in the room you will be sleeping in? Gas fire or boiler?

ziggiestardust · 05/04/2018 18:16

specialsubject yes they can. It’s happened to me, it’s happened to a friend. We both took photos, presented to our respective EA’s... option given? “Take it to a small claims court”.
Right.
With what money?

specialsubject · 05/04/2018 22:01

How did that work with the deposit in a protected scheme?

If it wasn't, then it is the small claims for a guaranteed win case. That's why there are vulture lawyers circling to do it for you.

scaryteacher · 06/04/2018 10:59

Doesn't matter where you are really; our Belgian landlord decided he wanted to break our 9 year lease and move back in. Yes, we had 6 months in which to do it (ending 01/01/18), but it was still irritating and cost us a shit ton to move. We were in the new place 2.5 months after being given notice.

Mumblebucket · 06/04/2018 11:25

I agree the rental situation is arse, but I agree with PP's that the fact you're renting isn't your problem. You need to take responsibility for your situation and recognise your hardships are not the country's fault, they're mostly your own doing. That's not judgey by the way, just honesty and I'm sorry if it upsets you but the sooner you take responsibility, the sooner you can start to move forward.

You chose to have 3 children in a house that's too small to house your family, knowing your partner doesn't earn enough to move you to a bigger place.

You're choosing to study instead of earn. Fine, but adult education is a privilege, not a right. Loads of people can't afford to study as an adult because they have children, so you can't choose to study and then complain you can't afford to live.

You made a choice to get into debt. You made a choice not to do further education before you had children/ when you just had 1. You made a choice not to work while your children were young.

Take responsibility and stop complaining about your situation when it's a direct result of the path you took.

swingofthings · 06/04/2018 11:37

I'm now a LL. My tenants wouldn't know my previous situation. They see a married lady, with a good job, who can afford to have another home, go on nice holidays, a brand new car and is clearly very lucky to be where she is.

What they don't know because I would never tell them is that before I got all this, I was a single mum of two children under the age of 4, who was working FT in a demanding job studying for a Master's PT at the same time and whose income went 95% into paying for childcare, the mortgage, the bills, the repairs, whose life was so stressful and exhausting, who would have given anything to be a sahm at times, but who did it all so that I could afford the three bed semi that my tenants are now enjoying themselves.

Yes I was lucky to meet my partner and share living costs, but I still work FT in a demanding job and raising my kids mostly on my own.

Don't assume that all LL had it so much easier than you. I was in the same situation many many parents struggling, but I made different choices, I stood by my job, worked hard, got promoted, I continued to work FT although it meant no entitlement to tax credits and a large childcare bill. So many single parents I knew then told me I was mad to do what I did when I could have gone on IS and got the interests on my mortgage paid. I didn't though.

It's easy to blame everyone else for their situation and assume some just have it good, but you'd be surprised by the background of some of those who are seen to have it so much better than you.

shirt · 06/04/2018 11:39

@ziggiestardust That must have been years ago - now deposits are held in a protected scheme - Landlords can no longer 'make up reason's to keep your deposit.

@Mumblebucket - Spot on with absolutely everything you wrote.

shirt · 06/04/2018 11:39

'make up reasons' not 'make up reason's!

Namelesswonder · 06/04/2018 12:14

Yes, a sofa bed in the living room would help a lot. I’ve had friends do that.

You know what, I lost sympathy with you when you started swearing at people. At the end of the day you made bad financial choices and you’re now living with the consequences. The problem isn’t with the rental market but you. Take responsibility for your past actions and stop blaming the system.

GreenEyedGoose · 06/04/2018 12:15

scary 9 year lease

How does that work? Assume both parties have get out clauses, I don't think I could commit to renting a house for 9 years.

Flip

1 2 3

Swipe left for the next trending thread