Tenant has no where to go. How do we move firward

[1744sunset]

We are selling our rental and gave the tenant notice in November. She has a social worker and recieves benefits. The council have said they won’t find her somewhere unless we go to court to evict her. She is willing to move but just simply can’t find any where. Do we need to through court? It just seems so brutal and uncalled for.

Some of us like to help other people if we can.

Who on their right mind would rent to someone on benefits?
When we rented landlords were very strict about this.

I’ve been the tenant in this scenario. I just left the 3rd rental with my child whereby the landlord has had to sell - and it’s just so frustrating that the housing market is so so unstable for families that can’t afford to buy - yet arnt “needy” enough to the government for social housing or support. I work full time, single mum and have little involvement from government / SS (except the UC top up and CB).

The first 2 times it happened I could afford to move, and did. However the 3rd time I visited over 20 properties and couldn’t afford anything at all! Edited to add I was bringing home about £2k pm. My last rental was £1.2k (a small flat 1.2 bedrooms) and I couldn’t find anything on the market below 1.6k - I wouldn’t have been able to cover bills and food at all.

I felt bad for my landlord but for the council to help me I had to stay put or else me and my child would be on the streets and the council would say it’s my fault!

It took a year in total, although you have the section 21 or section 8, it then takes aaages to get a court date for an actual eviction and the council only react when you have an actual eviction date. Anything before that, they will tell tenant to stay out and treat it as an unlawful eviction.

So I stayed put. And we both had to ride it out. When I was finally evicted I went through months of horrific BnBs and hotels and hostels - sharing a room with a pre-teen for months - so it’s not a glamourous life at all - my crime was probably not earning enough.

Good luck OP - I know it’s been tough on landlords, but this free market means vulnerable tenants are suffering.

Why can’t she rent privately?
She shouldn’t be declaring herself as having “nowhere to go” because the council won’t magic up a place for her.

@AngelicKaty I paid the 12% to have an agent deal with it all tbh. They issued a section 21 and the tenant left . As above I guess I was lucky

This was my mums rental I have to sell to pay for her care and I was an excellent landlord fixing anything quickly so considering I think I did well ✅

Why did it cost thousands, was a lawyer used. It can be done without a lawyer.

Good for you in being a decent accidental landlord, but you should not be giving OP advice on the eviction process as you have little knowledge of it.

You could ask if it's okay to evict her?

Stress to the landlord?!

"Let them eat cake" eh? OP posted that her tenant has been looking for new accommodation, but can't find anywhere she can afford. Have you any idea how unaffordable renting in the private sector has become? Do you not read or watch the news? OP's tenant would have to find the deposit and first month's rent on a new rental (unless the LA are prepared to give her a DHP but even then, she'd have to be able to afford it going forward), which will likely be significantly higher than she had to pay for OP's property. Not to mention that many private landlords won't accept tenants in receipt of benefits (the shortage of private rental properties means they can pick and choose from around 30 applicants per property - this also explains the huge rise in private rents). OP's tenant has a social worker so will be classed by the council as vulnerable - for her future security, in a property she can afford, it would be better if she holds out for local authority or HA housing, even if it means she spends some time (could easily be more than two years) in emergency/"temporary" accommodation.

Why can’t she rent privately?
She shouldn’t be declaring herself as having “nowhere to go” because the council won’t magic up a place for her.

She's unemployed and presumably vulnerable, as a social worker is involved. I doubt anyone is going to be renting to her in the current market.
She sounds exactly who social housing is for.

Indeed. The tone deafness of that comment was staggering.

Thank you for this.

Five years ago I was letting 11 properties, now just four. Nice homes to good tenants.

I never understood the demonisation of landlords. It is so obvious. that if you force them out of the market, there will be a shortage of rental property.

I think the idea was corporate owners of rental property, backed by pension funds, who would be "more professional." Ha. Ask the Germans or Americans.

I would rent out a fifth, a flat we inherited and which we are slowly doing up in order to sell. Without the Rental Reform Act we would have borrowed the money, done it up faster and let it. It was inherited rather than sold during probate because the tenant at the time, using it as a second home, made the most of the relaxation of the rules during lockdown, and refused to move. No, not doing that again. Nor I suspect will OP.

You have to go to court to evict her.

@AngelicKaty well Mumsnet isn't fact is it and this is how it worked for me so I shared it .
When this sale has gone through I'll never be a landlord again and luckily won't need to rent so I'll step away from
The thread ✅

yes,you be doing her a favour cos they rather burden her wwith staying on beyond notice/nowhere to go like thaats isnt impact attempt daily life....

It's obviously the difference between a tenant who doesn't want to leave (can cost thousands and take ages) and a tenant that will be prepared to leave, but has nowhere to go until the official court date for eviction is set, and from then on the council will house them. It sounds like this tenant is prepared to go, but their hands are tied unless it is done through the courts to make it official.

IMO if you have been taking money off a tenant for x amount of years, you should do everything you can to work with them, if that means going through the court to enable them to access the help they need, then it is just something you have to accept as part of being a landlord.

You need to go through the court. It will help your tenant.

I’m sure you could understand the demonisation of landlords if you put your mind to it. Just as there are plenty of good landlords, there are plenty of mediocre ones, and plenty of terrible ones. A lot of people have done very well out of BTL properties. They get two, or more, bites of the property-owning cherry. Their tenants get no bites.

Well you are getting what you wanted.

The Government is taking firm action to encourage private landlords to leave the sector.

Who said I wanted anything? I simply think it’s quite clear why so many people take a dim view of landlords.

Council need the eviction actually taking place before they will do anything

Presumably not a desirable tenant ( Young, professional , high earner)
Instead has a social worker and is on benefits-
Most landlords would see red flags 🚩 with this type of tenant.

And I was just saying that the Government has taken a note of those views.

OP sounds like a very nice landlord. A few years back if she were selling with a tenant in place, she would have found buyers. Not now.

It will be time consuming, expensive and unpleasant for her, and no fun for the tenant either. This will be happening all the more frequently.

The properties I own are EPC D, like about 60% of the rental housing stock. (Victorian in my case, which even with existing add ons like double glazing, would need a huge amount of work in order to meet the new 2030 targets.) I am not allowed to rent unless I do the necessary works, and even then I don't know what I can do. I can't evict the tenants so I can do the works. So tenant leaves, I sell.

I'm assuming you gave notice via a Section 21? If the 2 months have elapsed then you will need to start proceedings.

It's unlikely in this case that the tenant will voluntarily move and realistically you can't market it until they do. We tried with a professional family in situ, the photos showed dirty washing on the floor, a dirty kitchen and an overgrown garden. Not the image we wanted.

On another note, I don't understand the demonisation of right to buy. If families hadn't bought, they'd still be paying rent to live in those properties. It wouldn't have created any more availability.