Go fund me for a house deposit

[Glinda25]

Hi, would it be highly inappropriate to set up a go fund me to get the funds for a house deposit? Im currently private renting but the house is full of damp from top to bottom, its starting to affect our health, im asthmatic and my partner is diabetic, my chest is so bad at home and my partners sugar levels are always high no matter what he does to bring them down. The landlord has been made aware of the damp and has just said oh well see it will cost alot of money!! I've paid my rent and if ive ever gotten behind ive always paid up yet nothing in nearly 8 years has been done in this house, the place Is falling apart but hes not interested. I was thinking of going down the environmental health route only problem is that its all been verbal I don't have anything in writing. Hes now pushing for a property inspection but I feel like he's only doing it so he can turn it round on us and evict us!! Im at my wits end council are no help and only want to give us a 1 bed flat but ive got pets so its not ideal and even then I could be bidding for years!!! I just don't know what to do!! We both work full time and still don't have enough money to get a deposit together! Sometimes we have to choose between eating or staying warm!! So fed up!!!!

Just remember that if you are in receipt of means tested benefits like universal credit - you will have to declare any gifted money towards your housing deposit as capital OP. It will class as income and savings.

Personally, I think it’s a bit shameful to ask others for money for this reason - you and your partner need to pull your own weight.

Even if you did by some miracle raise enough for a deposit do you really think a mortgage company would entertain you when you have to choose between eating or staying warm? 🙄

Personally i think it’s a bit cheeky. There probably thousands of folk on similar housing situations. I don’t imagine you’ll actually raise much from it. Why don’t you try doing some videos on tiktok to make money. You could do videos of the condition of the house and ask people to stay and watch so you can get out of the poor housing.

You can make money once you have a certain number of followers, you only need 1000 followers to start doing tiktok shop and earn commission. Maybe something to think about and look into.

Well it's not illegal, and God loves a trier, as they say. Just please don't be disappointed if you don't manage to raise enough - but who knows!

Yeah don’t do that. Internet begging is vile.

I mean this in the nicest possible way but your in the same position as MOST people. What you describe is not remotely special or unique.

I'm disabled, 3 kids (2 with SEN), 2 pets as well and we just moved after 13 years due to terrible untreated damp and no heating. We had paid increasing rent like clockwork every months for over a decade and nothing was done. As soon as we moved out the landlord did a full refurbishment but did NOTHING while we lived there.

They will virtually never do works with a tenant in situ, thats standard across the private rental market. Living in one rental long term means your rent rises at a slower rate than if you constantly move but the trade off is that they won't really fix things inside (except their basic gas and electric requirements) while they have a tenant so issues develop.

No one is going to help you because almost every renter is in the same boat, there is no magic quick fix or don't you think we would all be doing it.

Go fund me is for actual charity stories. Things like funeral cost for people who died abruptly young and/or tragically (where the family has to find money within a matter of weeks having never assumed this would happen to them) or people in private medical countries like America who cant afford life saving medical treatment etc...

Do both of you have full time jobs ?

I’d donate.
I’d be happy to give someone £20 to get a deposit, especially if that person was someone who’d give another person £20 towards theirs once they’re in their home.

When I was a child I used to wonder why big groups of people didn’t all take it in turns to give one person in the group money each month until everyone in the group had a turn. So people could have a bulk amount for buying a house or car. Then I grew up and realised people can’t be trusted to not get their share and then exit the group but in my mind it was a fabulous idea 😂

It might be cheeky or inappropriate etc, but you wouldn't be forcing or coercing anyone, just throwing it out there and if anyone is of a mind to chip in, they can and you're grateful. If nobody wants to, so be it.

I had help with my first house deposit and I'm aware of what a fortunate position that is, so I don't feel inclined to judge anyone who gets help via some other legal and non exploitative way.

This would be vvvvvvvv CF behaviour IMO!

Mumsnet hasn't disappointed today...

Spoilt brat is disappointed that her new date messed up the restaurant booking so she may end up at Wetherspoons in her fancy frock. A poster wants a reason to be off from work whilst still receiving pay and now someone is considering a Go Fund Me for a house deposit.

I am way to invested in these posts!

@ZovYou don't have to give to a beggar on the streets either but it's still illegal to beg. It's just that the law hasn't caught up with technology and modern method begging.

Can you cope with the potential vitriol you might attract?

My view of GoFundMe is simple - if you don't think the cause is worthy, ignore and move on - but some people actively look for things they can bully people over and this would be gold dust for that type.

I do sympathise - I'm Gen X and was fortunate to get my first house when it was possible to do so on two very low salaries (no min wage back then but I was on less than £10k a year and so was my partner). It wasn't easy even then - we had a black and white telly and all our furniture was cast-offs from our parents, we had to count every penny - but at least it was possible. It's really hard for young people nowadays. I wish you every luck in your venture however you approach it,

Why are you concerned your landlord would evict you if you allowed him / her to do a property inspection which they are supposed to do anyway? Surely if the property is that bad you would want them to see it?

Start the gofundme page if you want but lots of people are having it rough so helping a stranger raise a deposit for a house is unlikely to be seen as a worthwhile cause.

Tbh I’d be more likely to donate to a house buying fund than I would to an appeal to take your children to “make memories” in Disneyland, no matter how sick they are.

Cringe

I'm feeling really inadequate that I can’t afford to privately educate my DC like her peers’ parents can- after reading the OP I’m thinking I’m only a go fund me away from glory 😅

Who do you think is going to donate and why should they?

Lots of people are not in satisfactory housing and struggling? ,whatakes you special?

Good luck with that.

You need to rehome your poor pets.

🤣😂 I wouldn’t give but there are always some saps that would. I have literally just seen a Facebook post about some guy’s house being cold because of the neighbour’s renovations and 4th comment was if you set up a go fund me, I’ll donate 🤔🤣🤨

Get a plan together to sort out your housing problem, Email your landlord, keep a paper trail, email your MP if things are truly that bad, and yes, get in touch with environmental health. But if you both work full time and you have no DCs you must be doing something wrong if you can't afford to eat and heat your house. If the council can give you a 1 bed flat then you'd have to make arrangements to house your pets elsewhere - surely this would be better than your health being as awful as you describe. If you can't afford to keep your pets then you won't have a choice. Unless you get proactive and do everything you can to scrimp and save, possibly move to another rental and shout about your housing problem nothing will change. A Go Fund me is not the answer - there are many many people far worse off than you.

I think the 1 bed flat being an issue with pets is because presumably there's no outside space and op doesn't want her pets to go without a garden. I actually have a rescue cat whose previous owner was in a similar position and chose to give her up so that she could move to a property that wouldn't allow pets. Sad but sometimes people have to make these decisions.

The go fund me is a cringey idea, sorry op. But you shouldn't have to put up with mould either.

Where has that come from? The OP hasn't even said what her pets are!

Highly inappropriate……please don’t do it.