Advice on when a tenancy should start..

[N170698]

Hi, I have been offered a council home recently. I haven't accepted the offer yet, as they are telling me, that once the works needed in the place are done, they expect me to start the tenancy the following monday( according to them it should be second half of May).
Do I have any obligation to start the tenancy with the council when they say I should or can I ask them to consider my circumstances and start it a couple of weeks into June?( Notice in my current place is a calendar month which makes me liable for June's rent). I have been a bit anxious giving notice last week as to be honest, I have little garanty as to when these keys are going to be given to me and how long I will have to organise cleaning, fitting floors in the place (no flooring downstairs!!), moving...etc I am a single parent with a SN child and pretty isolated too.
Thank you.

Have you explained your circumstances to your housing officer? Ie you cant afford two lots of rent. Also would explain that you are concerned that you could give notice and work may not be completed in time.

What do you mean about no flooring?

From CAB site....worth speaking to local housing benefits

You can usually only get Housing Benefit for one home at a time. However, if you have to pay rent for two homes, you may be able to get Housing Benefit for both homes for a limited period. This might apply, for example, if you move home quickly and have to pay rent on your old home, if a new home is being adapted for a disabled person, or if you have to leave home because of domestic violence. The rules about when Housing Benefit can be paid for two homes are complicated.

If you need to claim Housing Benefit for more than one home at the same time, you should consult an experienced adviser, for example, at a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by email, click on nearest CAB.

Hi, thank you for your quick replies, as I have to give an answer tomorrow. I receive some HB benefit for my current home (1/2 of my rent), wasn't planning on claiming on new one as rent will roughly be equivalent to the half I pay for, here. I will take a look at the CAB site.

By no flooring I mean, on the ground floor, the floor is bare, no wood, no carpet, just painted ciment I guess, when I asked her wether this was included in the works being done, she looked at me funny saying this was council home and that it was me who had to arrange the flooring!!! So yes, quite a bit of expenses to be considered here.

Thanks again.

you really need to speak to the housing oficer and tell them that you have a months notice to give and that you will not take up tenancy until

tell them that you will do this in writing, but that you cannot afford to pay rent on two properties and you do not want to wait for housing benefit to give you an answer ( as this might be longer than your notice)

so a frank conversation is in order

ask her to put anything she says in writing, so that you can make a formal complaint at a later date if you want to