Worried about my son who can’t find anywhere to live.

[justacastle]

(nc for this)
DS finished university and has spent 18 months applying for jobs (450+). A few interviews who say they recruited internally or need someone with more experience (that old chestnut). Most just never reply. We live in London.

He finally gets a job but it’s in Oxfordshire. The company will let him stay at their accommodation (usually for customers) for a maximum of two weeks.

He cannot find any accommodation after this time. He has tried spare room app but when he gets a response people are asking for females only or more often there is no reply. He messages them a couple more times but nothing.

He doesn’t drive but willing to walk/cycle. He does have T1 diabetes so that is a consideration with distance.

He then put an ‘I’m looking for’ ad another site and a woman contacted him to say that, following throat surgery, she would be renting out her 2 bed house and moving in with family. It looked amazing and the woman said that the bills & council tax. A 25 minute walk to work. Paid the holding fee and arranged viewing for Sunday (he starts work on Monday).

DS was excited about job & house finally the months of angst were coming to an end.

So this morning he received an email from the lady saying that the rental company (?) wanted an extra £750 deposit before they would let him view the property. She said that she would pay £500 but he would need to pay another £250.

DS asked who this company was (not found on companies house) and their contact details so he could discuss it with them. She replied that they ’do not speak to prospective tenants’.

She also sent him her passport details by email as proof of her identity. Trouble was that the Passport had a spelling mistake in her name 🙄 🚩

Bank notified & they’re dealing with it.

Big problem is now DS is starting work on Monday but will have nowhere to live by the end of the month. As it’s quite a tourist area the Airbnbs and bed & breakfasts are thousands. He’s on the list at local estate agents but he has no salary history yet. They are really out of his price range but we’ll help him.

Just as an aside UC have paid him nothing for months, just the odd £15 here and there.

He’s desperately worried that he will lose his job.

Any ideas folks?
I’m so sorry for the long post.

Yes I have in the past but his T1 can be very unpredictable (as can public transport) so lots of walking can cause a problem, as can stress.

I'm local to Wallingford. There is a very frequent bus service X40 that goes from Reading to Oxford via Wallingford. Reading would be cheaper than Oxford. Didcot is another option.

Im sure he won’t lose his job over it, the company may let him stay in the temp accommodation a bit longer or know someone in the company who can help, it’ll be much easier once he’s there, good luck to him hope his new job goes well!

I’m hoping that he can make some connections while he’s staying on site.

Thank you.

Brilliant! Thank you, there’s no comparison to local knowledge is there?

The obvious answer would be to get a scooter (ie lower spec than a motorbike), electric bike or electric (stand up) scooter. Make sure it is a legal one. Will significantly open up options that are commutable.

Oh dear!
Im crossing my fingers for your DS and I really hope the job goes well!!

Could he learn to drive? I did an intensive course over a month but you can even get 1 week ones. It would solve a lot of the problems! He could take the temporary accommodation for now and then persevere with a terrible commute, knowing it’s only for a short while.

All the best to your DS!

Is there a youth hostel nearby? That's what saved me one time when I couldn't find accommodation when starting a new job? (I then found a room via workmates).

As others have said Didcot or Reading may be ideal, also more suitable travel for a type one diabetic, I guess a lot of people don’t realise the impact type one diabetes has on your everyday life.

If the Reading to Wallingford bus is an option, there are lots of rooms to rent in Reading. My son was in the same position last summer and got a room sorted after one afternoon of viewings.

He could look for accommodation as a property guardian, through a company such as DotDotDot, there is a youth hostel five miles away in Streatley on Thames and the local town council has as list of accommodation including caravan sites.

Can he get the train and commute?

Try Spareroom.com

Nothing to help but I do feel for you / him.

DS had a very long slog to get a job. 100s of applications and just as he was successful covid hit. He had to move to Newcastle. He found a house share but then ended up being told to WFH, spent months working and living in the bedroom, never met his colleagues, struggled to make a social life.
It did come good in the end though. He stayed in the job, moved back home for a year then managed to find a flat. Just bought his own house and is very settled there.

Fingers crossed for your boy.

I think as his parents, you'll need to help him either financially, or practically, but helping the search for accommodation.

He should look at putting something up on a notice board at work (if they have a non-work related one).

Other online sites to try are NextDoor and any local Facebook groups for buying/selling, local events. Lots of people ask about rentals and rooms on these sites and they have more people on them than just those advertising in more formal places like Spare Room.

I say very frequent I've just checked and its every 20 mins or longer depending on tome of day but that is frequent in a rural area.
There is a train station in Cholsey but he might need a bike to get from Cholsey to Wallingford.
He should do whatever he can to stay in the job a year or two and then with some experience look for a job in a more convenient area. Well done for getting a job its so difficult in this jobs market.

If it's Wallingford then he should cast his net to Reading, or West of Reading in Tilehurst.
It's a short train ride to Wallingford and also a great place to live on days off, plenty to do for a young un who's just left home.
Try Reading.

Don’t hate me but can you help him with cost? Is there any family anywhere at all nearby? I agree if it’s a big enough company they’ll have a noticeboard of places for rent or even he’ll find somewhere to live easier when he can quote where he works

Openrent may also be useful

No idea what the travelling would be like but there's quite a few listed on open rent within 20k of Wallingford

https://www.openrent.co.uk/property-to-rent/didcot/room-in-a-shared-flat-roebuck-court-ox11/2851406

Yes I wish he had learned earlier. Trouble is we’re spoiled by excellent public transport here and he thought he would be commuting into London.
It doesn’t come cheap either. He has to jump through hoops just to get a provisional licence because of his T1. But I will encourage him to do it .