Is renting my own place a silly idea for my situation?

[tabbycattabbycat]

Hi,
Regular user but NC for this.
Sadly, I can’t work right now because of health problems, which is really frustrating. This isn’t where I thought I’d be at this point in my life. I wish I could get back to work soon, but my recovery is going to take some time.

At the moment, I'm living with family, and it’s been challenging. The atmosphere is tense, and I think I'm being verbally abused, which makes everything harder to deal with. I don’t have anyone else I could live with.

I really wish I had a place of my own! I’ve been hesitant to think about renting because it doesn’t seem like the best choice financially. However, I’m starting to feel desperate, and I’m not sure how much longer I can manage this living situation. I do get Universal Credit and have some savings, which could cover a deposit and a few other expenses.

So, I’m wondering if it would be completely crazy for me to think about renting my own place, even though money is tight? I’ve heard I could apply for help with housing costs through Universal Credit (although this won’t cover all the rent). I’m curious if anyone has some experience with applying for basic Universal Credit and later getting help with housing costs. What’s that process like? Do they tend to ask a lot of questions about why you need housing assistance all of a sudden?

Thank you so much for any advice or insights you might have! I really appreciate it.

Would you be entitled to enough to cover rent, council tax, water rates, gas and electric, food shopping plus your phone/internet/day to day living costs?

I think I’d be incredibly wary to go private renting while not working. You would probably struggle to find a landlord willing to accept you.

Unfortunately it’s really hard to rent at the moment when you are on universal credit. My friend is desperate to find somewhere, but as soon as he mentions UC they won’t even let him view properties. A house opposite to us has just been let out, a 3 bed semi for nearly £2,000 per month. The amount of people that came to view it was crazy, it will be hard, but it would be worth it for you to try and live independently away from your family.

You may find it easier to find a houseshare whilst in UC, rather than your own place.

I know you need to think of your mental health, but unless your situation is horrendous, for now I would stay put, leave your savings alone to accrue more interest, and look at enhancing or learning skills for when you do get a job - basically positioning yourself to get in a stronger position when you do leave. Don’t make yourself any more vulnerable than what you currently are.

Agree with the first comment. If you are entitled to help with housing costs, as a young single person it's not likely to cover more than a room in a HMO and that could be an even more stressful situation for you.

If I were you, I would certainly look into it. A place of your own - even if you don't own it - is very good for your mental health. People feel very powerless when still living with family, especially if it's tense or verbally abusive. Desperation is not going to help with your recovery.

I'm very pro renting as I intentionally rent and have done for years. There's a very anti-renting culture in the UK so most people will advise you not to; I'm just putting the other side of the case forward. There are as many advantages in renting as there are in having your own home/mortgage, but that's not what you are asking about.

Rents can be expensive depending upon the area of the country but there are places which are cheaper, and also places which are long term and which allow you to paint, decorate and make it "your own" during your tenancy. You need to do loads of research and find out what is out there, and work out what you would consider.

However, it may be an issue if you are not working and on UC. There are far fewer landlords who are happy with this. You will either have to be very dynamic and "sell" yourself (offering slightly above the going rate, several months' rent upfront, excellent references etc) or you may have to settle for a stop-gap. That would mean renting in a shared house first, just to get yourself out of the home environment and on your feet, and then move forward from there. Think it through carefully and see if anything would work for you.

I would focus on your recovery, save every penny you can and think about getting back into work when you’re able to. Could you start working from home?