Help me rent! Please.....

[Rabbitheadlights]

So we have a good income, but very poor credit history. I'm stuck in a HA property that's too small and need lots of repairs and they are constantly not turning up to fix.

I need to get out of this house it's affecting my mental health in a huge way and therefore I'm not being the best I can be in other areas.

I know ideally I should sort my credit score etc but the reality is that will take too long. I need to get out of this house now ... how do I do it. Please tell me there is a way?

There is a massive shortage of rental properties & competition is high for anything decent.

Don’t give up what you have for the fickleness of privately renting.
If a LL is too lazy to do credit checks and all the other checks they are likely to be a lazy good for nothing LL too. It’s a very competitive market for renters.

Seek advice about improving your credit score. Could Citizens Advice help?

Could you take out a consolidation loan and make regular payments via direct debit? I think that might help quite quickly to boost your credit score.

Are there any small repairs you can take personal responsibility for to make your home better? Is it decorating or a dripping tap? That’s easily rectified by a householder.
What exactly needs doing?

Are you living with too much “stuff” and clutter which is making your current home seem too small?

I appreciate you’re in a challenging situation but small steps are the way to go. It won’t happen overnight, sadly.

The problem is that you could move into other rented accommodation and still find repairs are not being done yet you are paying twice as much rent.

How many people live there and how many rooms? Do you have a good storage?

Thankyou so much for responding I'm so grateful. I appreciate there is no security in private renting but I see no other way out. The house is too small we have 3 bedrooms 2 adults and 8 children (I know) we have been on the waiting list for transfer for 7 years.I don't think they should have to rehouse us as we chose to have the children The house is a mess ... damp, a leak that they repair and then returns within a few months, black mold in the bathroom they paint over and that comes back a few months later. Exposed wiring in the kitchen because they drilled through the mains and then couldn't source tiles to replace. I am constantly on the phone asking when they are going to put right. They give a time and date and then just don't turn up. I've written to my mp and done all the things I think I'm supposed to do. But nothing is working and I'm stuck. There is not enough storage and not enough space and I'm really struggling day to day because I can't make it right. DP is great but useless at any kind of DIY and such I try but I'm pretty rubbish too. I've never posted before because I'm aware people will say well its your own fault for having so many children etc ...but I'm at the point where I'm hoping some of the replies might give something I haven't thought of in between the ones that will inevitably tell me I'm owed nothing and I'm killing the planet with our carbon footprint

You could try for a swap?
https://www.gov.uk/apply-swap-homes-council

Might be someone looking to downsize.

Could you do the repairs yourself? I know you shouldn’t have to but it might be better than the uncertainty of private rental maybe?