Private rent Help!

[Bellbell1199]

We're due to move out our private rent in February, landlord choice!
I'm due a baby in 6 weeks, and we have a 2 year old, so perfect timing!
Gr!
We've been looking to relocate and have just started to enquire about properties.

As it's bad timing with me going on mat leave. OH not working yet due to previous ill health and now covid struggles / still high risk of catching it... We're really struggling to secure something.

We have managed to get 6 months rent up front together, but even that isn't going in our favour.
Plan to pay our rent into a saving account so that we have another 6 months up front at the end of the 6 months.

The estate agent rang to say could we offer any more... More than 6 months rent up front?!
Also about referencing, would be a struggle. We knew that, that's why we have 6 months up front!

What can I do... So worried we will end up with homeless with 2 young children and its starting to worry me!

I'm a landlord. Because of covid you have to give 6 months notice by law - have you had this?
Also, I've never known people paying 6 months or more upfront.

Yes, he did give us 6 months notice, we're just looking now as the properties are coming up for when we are ready to move, we need to stay until we've had the baby at least, for help with childcare.

Just feels like we will never get a chance.
There was one property we wanted, said we could give 6 months up front, plus guarantor, and the landlord didn't want to rush a decision as it's not available til February.
I think they are stalling, hedging bets, to see if a more suitable family come up.

Hypothetically, would our position put you off letting to us, or would the 6 months up front be an advantage?

I gave work refs and bank statements.. And personal refs.

I can't claim to know everything as I'm not a career landlord, just by situation - I rent out my only house as I moved in with Dp.

It wouldn't put me off, though I'm not sure I'd be bothered to accept the six months up front. I was happy with good recommendations, the suitable deposit and the credit check coming back positive. Monthly payment is fine with me.

My tenants have both dogs and children but they have been excellent tenants, what makes you think you might not be suitable in the landlords eyes?
Sounds like they might be stalling but I honestly don't know why.

I guess they may be worrying about us affording rent after the 6 months.
My pay is going to drop, OH not working and when he does it will be part time to start with.
So. We are topped up with credit.

The funny thing is, all through covid, we've had credit as income and been able to pay our rent...
If OH was self employed or furloughed, or made redundant , we may have struggled, yet universal credit is unreliable in the eyes of some?

I've seen a lot of situations where people have paid 6 months upfront, even 9 months, and the most I've seen is 12 months. LL may be more willing to take 6 months if you have a 6 month break clause, or even if you do a 6 month contract. Your financial situation does not sound reliable I'm afraid (no offence) and most LLs would prefer to rent to working professionals. Whilst the 'no DSS' elements have been deemed illegal and discriminatory, some LLs are still having issues with insurance and making other requirements to ensure they avoid people in benefits (I'm not saying that's right or fair). Minimum HH incomes are the obvious one.

Have you searched for available properties on OpenRent?

I am very put off when potential tenants offer 6 months up front and would exclude you on that basis, because it's always usually because there's something unfavourable about the situation.

When you apply for a property, point out all the positives like good rental history/references, good credit scores, savings, the fact you work and that you can provide a guarantor.

I think going against you in that your DH is unemployed, you have a toddler and another baby on the way and your income is topped up by UC.

Can you get back in touch with the potential one that's accepted and say you really need to know if you have it so you can make your plans etc?

England - you can of course not leave at the end of the notice and it will take about a year to the bailiff. You would be liable for the bailiff and legal costs, and this would make you less attractive to future landlords so not recommended.

however as tenants you do hold these cards, even if they are of limited use. Might help if you need to negotiate an extra month. Make sure your new tenancy is as long as possible, although no sane landlord will give you more than a year to start with.

new legislation and ever fewer options for evicting bad tenants are making landlords very very cautious. Well done, Shelter.

@dinosauraddict
It's not unreliable... When we've paid our rent for the last year and a half.
What about the people that have been furloughed or made redundant who haven't been able to pay rent during covid?
We've paid every single month.

How an earth do unreliable People on credit get housing?!

OP i really feel for you. Unfortunately the rental system and the buying system are aimed at professional single people who have comfortable jobs and outstanding credit. If you're anything other than this it just seems to be so hard.

Does your council have a list of affordable landlords?

Have you tried applying to social housing on the basis you will be effectively homeless?

I think that'll be our next option.
We are registered with the council, but I haven't bidded on any properties and now I can't work out how to get on the bidding page.
Although we don't really want or stay in this area.
We wanted to relocate, but seems odds are against us!

Is free that it’s not usual for people to pay 6 months upfront.

Sometimes tenants offer it because they have dodgy references or don’t wanna their references taken up, or their affordability is below par. Then they offer 6 months to show they can afford it. But to be hontst, there are issues with this.....it can be something drug dealers or those planning to sub-let are widely known to do, plus if people can’t afford it after the 6 months as income is just too low, there will still be a problem after the 6 months is up.

So I think LLs are viewing Op with suspicion. It would be better for Op to have decent references and an income they can prove, and just be paying monthly.,,far more secure for a LL.

So it is difficult out for people wi5iut the refs and the reliable income. But they are quite simply more risky. I would speak to the council about it because it could be an ongoing problem.

The thing is we can afford it, even after the 6 months...
We've been paying rent without fail on credit for a year and a half.
Seems so unfair to me, that a decent couple with young children won't be looked at simply because of circumstance.
My OH will get a job as soon as we relocate, and credit will top up.
Plus I get nhs mat pay which is still a decent amount a month.
We have no debts, no credit cards.

A young family, with me about to have a baby, working for NHS, we
really sound like drug dealers to me.

Tricky one OP. (Landlord here) is there any reason you can't just apply in the usual way, are you worried you won't meet affordability criteria or credit checks.

I agree with PPs. I view people who offer 6 months up front as suspect TBH. They're either hiding a bad reference or something else.

Shelter and this government have done a very effective job of making being a landlord so unprofitable and so difficult to get rid of bad tenants that landlords now are incredibly cautious of who they let to.

Have you tried applying on your income alone? Do you pass the affordability checks?

We wouldn't pass the affordability checks.
My income at the moment is 20500.
Oh doesn't work, but will once we're settled.
And come January, my income will drop to half as I'm on mat leave.

UC doesn't count as income. Does it...? Even though that's what's been paying our rent the past year and half, and have references to prove that.

What a time to be evicted, a month after having a baby...

We need 30 X the rent a year as income... Ludacris!

OP, have a look at moneysavingexpert forums and their advice on getting notice to quit.

You obviously don’t want to leave, and right now is not a good time, so unless the landlord is able to help you leave as they want the property back sooner, I’d apologise to your landlord but explain the circumstance and that you’ll be staying until court ordered (no, there are no fees etc to pay if you leave after this has been done)

We do want to leave. The state of the mould and damp is atrocious.
It's just bad timing with me having a baby any moment, and Going on mat leave.

Keep trying and you might get lucky. Before moving into our house, we were (probably stupidly) honest with the landlords and said that we wanted a bigger house because we were trying for a baby. We also have a dog. They were great and in the end were so happy to have reliable tenants that they put us on a fixed rolling contract that means that at the moment, we are paying less in rent for a 4 bed house than most 3 beds in our area. Just keep looking and good luck!

For example... This has been escalated to Landlord since 2018...
One weeks worth of mould since cleaning it!

Don’t leave voluntarily,
Call council and get bidding page sorted
Start bidding every week
Advice council you’re going to be homeless and get their advice, make sure all paper work LL has given you is correct - if not then you may be staying longer

My OH really Doesn't want to live round here anymore, and Im the same., altho would stay for ease.
He's adament he wants to move away (difficult family)
So the council route would Tie us to where we currently live.

We need 30 X the rent a year as income... Ludacris!

But that's not really excessive op.

If your monthly rent was £600 you'd need an income of £18k a year. Any less than that and you'd be spending over 40% of your income on rent - which would be too tight for me to be willing to risk as a landlord.

Income wise I thought it should all count. We were on UC 2 years ago when we moved into a rented house and it was all added up as income - my wages, UC and Child benefit.