Landlords - would you rent to me under these circumstances (universal credit problem)

[HangerLaneGyratorySystem]

My house is up for sale, divorce is going through but not done D81 (financial order) yet. I'd like to move out with DD20 and rent, leaving ex here to oversee sale whilst we wait - could be a long wait. I don't earn enough for a 2 bed property (no cant move to cheaper area as I need to be here for work/DD's treatment) but if DD20 and I rent together would be able to comfortably afford it. DD is disabled receives UC and PIP but can't claim the housing element of UC until she is on a tenancy agreement - but who is going to put her on a tenancy agreement if she doesn't have the housing element of universal credit first? I rang Shelter they said I'd have to "persuade" a landlord to agree to rent to us and put her on the tenancy agreement on the promise of her claim going through and that I should show landlord information from websites such as entitled.com, CAB etc to "prove" that she would get the money. (I read on HMGov website today that applications to add the housing element to UC claims takes around 3 weeks).

I think no estate agent or landlord in this current climate would give me the time of day to look at bits of websites explaining housing benefit/universal credit rules and be persuaded by it. So I think we're stuck - she can't claim the extra money until she is on a tenancy agreement and she can't go on a tenancy agreement until she has the extra income.

Anyone had experience of this? It must happen to families/single people trying to get their first private rental too?

How do you expect a landlord to decide which applicant to choose if they aren’t given all the information?

If you're saying not be put off by the forms - fair enough. But if someone had no other income what are they supposed to put instead, if they leave out the UC bit?
Also, would you really rent to the OP if you had other choices? If you were that sort why do you need such detailed forms anyway.

I know a couple of sympathetic LL's and they don't do forms. Your agent works for you and if you don't need the info then you can simply skip the forms.

That's why I suggest OP go to LL's direct or those with managing only agent. Of course she should apply, but there will likely be queues of people better off than she is unless she's In an extremely unpopular area

Also @areyouhavinglaugh you say finances are important but tell the OP to leave the uC housing benefit bit out. Quite contradictory unless I'm misunderstanding

Are you working? That would be my concern. I had a working divorcee pay a year up front with a good job. Tbh I'm more concerned that single woman tend to move in unsuitable men who tend tend to want to take over.

I'm going to be 100% honest that if you had a job your dd wouldn't worry me as much as you moving in some cocklodger down the line.

That's what happened. The bloke is working and seems nice but there was no credit check, he just moved in without asking me first. He's on the agreement, but still, it pissed me off, and all communications go through him, which also pisses me off.

But I'd never be that honest to an agent.

But with experience and hindsight I would add a clause to end and restart and tenancy with new checks if another adult moved in.

My tennants adult kids live with her. I turned a blind eye. I don't like dictating what kids come and go but if mum was to die the downside is the kids have no right to keep on with the tenancy i would want the house back .

So basically, if you work and can pay, your dd would be fine. I'd probably ask to do a new agreement. Once burned you loose good will.

Let's not tag you know who any more, they don't play nicely!

Anyway. I've rung a couple of agents, including the one currently selling my house who obviously know I am a "safe"(ish?) bet. They said its going to be very difficult, but have made similar suggestions to a poster upthread about the guarantor/6 months up front etc. Another agent has sent me an application form, we had a chat about my job and she said I need to put a letter in with my form for the landlords to consider, to give them an understanding of who we are i.e., 60 year old salaried professional and disabled daughter - staid spinsters of the parish stuff.

Someone also asked what Shelter thought my chances were - they thought they were fairly slim. They recommended putting an ad in locally, trying OpenRent etc.

I'm finding this thread really helpful even if opinion is divided.

I didn't mean leave it off the form, I just meant don't be put of or mention it at the viewing!
Obviously if say income and you put 35k but 12k is uc, just put that!

Just make an offer if you can pass the affordability threshold.

All income is taken into account.

Eg, if you need to pass income of 35k for a property and 12k of that is uc. It would not bother me in the slightest. Obviously I'm 1 landlord in thousands so may not apply to all.

But do not be put off trying!

I got 'you know who' blocked Mn emailed me she's a well known troll
So we can safely discuss 😀

Yes great @HangerLaneGyratorySystem
That's exactly what I'd expect from the EA
Make an offer let us see you situation and proceed from there.

Likely to be a long term tenant, keep the house nice, good communication, has savings from house sale etc

All good points!

Tbh I'm more concerned that single woman tend to move in unsuitable men who tend tend to want to take over.

What kind of misogynistic bullshit is that?!

If you list all your current income AND all your DD's current income (as a household/sharers) and forget housing elements for now, how close are you to the required multiple?

@JeandeServiette our combined guaranteed monthly income x 12 = £31,00 gross. I want to pay around £1,300 for a rental so x 30 = £39,000. £8k short. I have £12k in savings (but I need most of that to pay the 6 months upfront plus the deposit). I have a guarantor earning over £55k.

Unfortunately with two tennants this has happened twice so it might be misogynistic but it happened. The first one tried to kill her with a knife, the second took over all the combination. When it comes to a hundreds of pounds of property, I don't want that risk again.

Say 90% move a nice bloke in I do not want to risk the 10% of cocks. You would be amazed that a nice boyfriend can turn into a shit partner but it's a fact however small the chance.

I don't tend to get single men wanting to rent a three bed house. So it is what is and I wouldn't do it again.

"Tbh I'm more concerned that single woman tend to move in unsuitable men who tend tend to want to take over."

Does not equal

"It happened twice". @IncessantNameChanger

Irritatingly close.

Maybe openrent will be the answer. You just need the rental equivalent of manual underwriting.

My ndn rented out her house to a couple on UC who paid six months up front….they never paid after the 6 months was up and completely trashed the house and it ended up costing her thousands. Some people ruin it for others!

Well whether PP is misogynistic or not she's answering OP's question.
Honestly OP shouldn't be worrying about her own suitability but that of her competitors.
Strangely, where I live (East Manchester) in an, um, not very upmarket area. Rental prices are similar to the posh areas of South Manchester, with all the grammar schools/footballers/ London-esque house prices.
I have no idea why anybody would choose to rent in my area bearing that in mind - unless the location is needed for work/family!

The other consideration is that tenants constantly at home cause more wear and tear, although that's changed with WFH.

I first read the replies after we recently had someone on HB who was rejoicing ingot wanting to pay increased rent although on another thread she said she could afford it. She revealed she would need tone evicted through the courts before she could move. Apparently that's the advice she received from the Council.

I must say, such advice is responsible for LL now not wanting people on benefits. Having read your op, your first port of call is really the Council- they should give you a list of landlords in your area who taken tenants in your situation.

I once had a tenant who fell on hard times and went on benefits- I kept him and was accustomed to rent being 150 less every other month. He was a good tenant.

For the eviction advice above and the attitude that poster revealed- I would rather have an empty flat than actively accept someone on UC or having a court order regarding 3rd party's children.

Good luck. Guarantee the remaining 6 months and you should be fine.

There's some really unsavoury comments on here - my daughter is disabled, not morally bankrupt or prone to fraud!

@MykonosMaiden "The other consideration is that tenants constantly at home cause more wear and tear, although that's changed with WFH."

You've lost me. Care to elaborate?

Do you claim UC yourself op ? Have you checked whether you would be eligible if you claimed half the rent element and carers element for your dd. ?

@Babyroobs I work, I earn too much to claim UC but thank you.

Tenants being at home all day causes more wear and tear. Carpets scuff more quickly, etc.
However this is irrelevant now with many people WFH LL's would exclude a good part of the population who can pay.

In any case OP I think PP who said you should just start applying are right. Regardless of what any individual's experience is here the rental market is very regional, starting to apply and seeing where you go would.give you good information.

I have friends working in London (junior doctors) who struggled to find rentals - reason being given 'NHS pay is low'. Another thread on here is about a poster struggling to find houses to rent in Brighton, the moment she applies they're gone.

If you have 10,20 people competing for a place then who the LL chooses is up to them. Only one person can get the place after all and the other 9-19 would just be rejected. Who knows, if that one person wasn't there, someone else would have gotten it.

If all else fails, see if you can rent a one bed then move out after 6 months?

Presumably the majority of your furniture etc is still in the marital home, so you don't have to move it out.

I think it may depend where you live and the state of the market locally. When my son last let out his house (I manage it) we had 13 couples all working wanting it all viewing over one weekend - I have never seen such demand ever. The letting agent only put forward those who met credit checks so I presume that was proof of earnings of a certain amount via an external credit checking service.

Do you really really have to sell the marital home and your solicitor has advised that? Is there not a way to obtain spousal maintenance and fund the current mortgage if you earn less than your husband? Usually solicitors will say never move out until the finances are settled so it may not be a good idea to move out until the last possible minute.

Where do you live? I'm renting out my parents 2 bed bungalow to help with care home fees and would be happy to chat to you.