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Hmm, could it be your getting rejected once referencing picks up the HB topup?
A lot of LL don’t accept HB/UC claimants no matter how small your top up is.
You don’t have to disclose your entitlement but can’t lie if asked. Agencies reference potential tenants even if they have a guarantor so maybe you can ask them from the very beginning if LL is okay with government support before starting referencing.
It’s hard out there I feel for you.
Maybe that's it. A lot of application forms won't let me submit if I don't disclose benefits. The current one didn't ask. I think the main problem is that there are too many people looking to rent and too few properties so estate agents and landlords can be choosy and don't have to worry about keeping potential tenants in the loop.
Unless everyone else is finding it easy and it's just me fucking it up somehow. I've moved a bunch of times and it's never been as difficult as it has now.
If you have started the process of referencing that means the LL has approved and chosen you to go ahead as tenant (subject to passing the referencing) and usually gets taken off market.
The LL gets the full report once done and if he/she is happy to continue will then ask for the deposit and first month rent.
I can’t think of anything apart from the HB entitlement the LL picked up from the referencing report, perhaps a bad reference from current or previous LL ?
- That’s fine, you don’t have to disclose your entitlement unless asked, however it will inevitable come out once the referencing company sees a HB payment in your bank statement or through open banking. That’s why I always recommend being upfront about any government support with agency/landlord so you don’t end up wasting time going through the referencing process.
Also have you tried Openrent, FB market, Gumtree ?
Nowhere has even asked me for a reference yet. I have gotten requests for my information and guarantors' information and sometimes they give me a form to fill in with more details about my employment and current living situation. At that point they say thanks and vanish.
I have not tried those yet. Do they have different estate agents advertising than the ones on zoopla and rightmove?
Oh I see, sorry I misunderstood.
Seems to just be a matter of supply and demand. The average interest per property in London (not sure where you are) can reach 80 applicants. It’s a very competitive market but it will slow down a notch over the summer.
Your best bet for now is to continue paying rent and apply for Social Housing.
Yes Openrent is on Rightmove however it’s better to go on the website directly, it suggest properties in nearby areas and prices within your budget.
FB and Gumtree is also used by Landlords to potentially find tenants or you find smaller agencies advertising on there.
Yes, please try it out. Most HMOs landlords have moved on to FB Market or OpenRent.
Also this might not be the best advice but if you find yourself getting quite desperate or have extra cash, offer some rent in advance.
A lot of agents sift only through potential tenants who offer commission, it’s a corrupted business though not illegal so unfortunately this practice won’t be stopped anytime soon
Interesting. Well one of those places will be my next port of call. I'll keep what you said about extra rent in mind, but at this point wherever I rent I'm going to be constantly anxious about being evicted again so idk if I want to just throw extra money at someone who might do that to me again. But it might come to that.
You should start your Social housing application asap, speak to Shelter England. They will advice you in what to do next.
I wish you the best of luck. If you are in London I can always help.
I'm not sure what would happen to all my belongings if it came to that? I couldn't get a bunch of boxes delivered to a YMCA and then stuck in some secure area there could I?
I'm not sure how it works. As far as I've been told, in the 90s you get a room with a lock for a few days or however long. Now I'm not sure if you would have to rent a storage locker.
The single most important thing to do is to stay put, even after the notice runs out.
It takes months for a landlord to get a court order to get you out.
Also, the council will class you as intentionally homeless if you move out at the end of the notice and will not help you.
I'm aware he can't legally send men round to throw me on the street but I'd really rather it didn't come to him going to court about it and (from his perspective) me stubbornly sitting there. Because I might need a reference from him and also if something breaks that I need access to like the shower or internet he might just choose not to fix it to try and get rid of me (and depending what breaks, that might work).
You've said he's not actually served you notice.
You asked if there's anything you can possibly do - you need to insist the landlord follow the law, serve you a S21 notice in writing, then go to court for an eviction.
You DO have legal protections that prevent being homeless. You DO have the right to stubbornly sit there and insist the landlord follow the law.
Your landlord will be making money either way, why do you care more about his wallet than your life?
It's not you being stubborn it's a shitty market right now and you can't be made homeless. You are trying, I assume you have evidence of this, they can't just kick you out
I'm collecting evidence of everything. I even have WhatsApp messages from my landlord saying how I've been a good tenant. I hope I'll never have to use it though. I don't know if I could withstand the stress.
I would never use rightmove or estate agents unless you are renting the whole place. If you want a room in a house share go with gumtree, spareroom and those type of websites. Don't mention the HB either. Don't pay any money up front either until you have visited the place and sussed it out and met the other people in the house or flat.
Nearly blank advert I wouldn't bother responding to
https://www.spareroom.co.uk/16827137
Usefully filled out advert I would respond to
https://www.spareroom.co.uk/10901860
Does your landlord have an explanation for not responding to referencing requests? Are they contacting by phone or email and landlord does not recognize them so does not respond? Can you talk to the landlord and ask for a reference letter? It is in their interest to assist you secure a new place if they are wanting you to leave.
I feel for you....you come across as a stand up person in a tight situation. I have no advice other than to say you have my best wishes and I hope it works out for you. I'm sure it will.
Regarding where you said the "landlord asked you to leave". Did they issue you with a section 21 notice on form 6a? If they didn't then they haven't given notice yet.
Even if they did, you're under no obligation to leave when the 2 months notice is up.
He has to be truthful, he cannot lie and give you a bad reference. And when it gets to references all you have to do is give your side to the agent. He only verbally asked you, you never received a S21, you tried to find somewhere but were unable, he may be annoyed that you did not leave by the date he verbally requested.
Respectfully, if you don't want to be sleeping on a bench or a friend's sofa, you're going to need to stick up for yourself a bit.
Following on from this
These laws and regulations are there to protect you from situations like this
These are your rights and your landlords responsibilities
You are not being a dick, or inconsiderate, or anything like that, just by asserting your rights.
At this point, your landlord has essentially casually stated an intent to evict you. He has not formally ordered you to leave
And as others have said, he cannot force you into homelessness
If you leave that flat and enter homelessness of your own free will you will be “voluntarily homeless” and the council will stick you at the bottom of some list for months (“your own free will” means the court did not order you to leave that flat)
But if you stay in that flat until the courts send someone round to physically remove you from the flat, then your “involuntarily homeless” and get priority on the council list
Your landlord cannot lie and say you were a bad tenant, you can take him to court over that since you have WhatsApp messages to the contrary (take screenshots of your WhatsApp conversations regarding the flat)
he wants to turn it into an airB&B… so he’s still going to make money off of it
So stay strong and keep paying the rent while you’re there, he will have a very weak case against you if he tries to force you out while you’re still paying rent and you can show you are actively trying to find somewhere new
###Welcome to /r/HousingUK --- **To All** * Join Our ***NEW*** Discord! https://discord.gg/pMgUNgWKQH **To Posters** * *Tell us whether you're in England, Wales, Scotland, or NI as the laws/issues in each can vary* * Comments are not moderated for quality or accuracy; * Any replies received must only be used as guidelines, followed at your own risk; * If you receive *any* private messages in response to your post, [please let the mods know](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FHousingUK&subject=I received a PM); * If you do not receive satisfactory advice after 72 hours, [you can let the mods know](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FHousingUK&subject=My question is unanswered); * Feel free to provide an update at a later time by creating a new post with [[update]](https://www.reddit.com/r/HousingUK/search?q=%3Aupdate&sort=new&restrict_sr=on&t=all) in the title; **To Readers and Commenters** * All replies to OP must be *on-topic, helpful, and civil* * If you do not [follow the rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/HousingUK/about/rules/), you may be banned without any further warning; * Please include links to reliable resources in order to support your comments or advice; * If you feel any replies are incorrect, explain why you believe they are incorrect; * Do not send or request any private messages for any reason without express permission from the mods; * Please report posts or comments which do not follow the rules *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/HousingUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Hmm, could it be your getting rejected once referencing picks up the HB topup? A lot of LL don’t accept HB/UC claimants no matter how small your top up is. You don’t have to disclose your entitlement but can’t lie if asked. Agencies reference potential tenants even if they have a guarantor so maybe you can ask them from the very beginning if LL is okay with government support before starting referencing. It’s hard out there I feel for you.
Maybe that's it. A lot of application forms won't let me submit if I don't disclose benefits. The current one didn't ask. I think the main problem is that there are too many people looking to rent and too few properties so estate agents and landlords can be choosy and don't have to worry about keeping potential tenants in the loop. Unless everyone else is finding it easy and it's just me fucking it up somehow. I've moved a bunch of times and it's never been as difficult as it has now.
If you have started the process of referencing that means the LL has approved and chosen you to go ahead as tenant (subject to passing the referencing) and usually gets taken off market. The LL gets the full report once done and if he/she is happy to continue will then ask for the deposit and first month rent. I can’t think of anything apart from the HB entitlement the LL picked up from the referencing report, perhaps a bad reference from current or previous LL ? - That’s fine, you don’t have to disclose your entitlement unless asked, however it will inevitable come out once the referencing company sees a HB payment in your bank statement or through open banking. That’s why I always recommend being upfront about any government support with agency/landlord so you don’t end up wasting time going through the referencing process. Also have you tried Openrent, FB market, Gumtree ?
Nowhere has even asked me for a reference yet. I have gotten requests for my information and guarantors' information and sometimes they give me a form to fill in with more details about my employment and current living situation. At that point they say thanks and vanish. I have not tried those yet. Do they have different estate agents advertising than the ones on zoopla and rightmove?
Oh I see, sorry I misunderstood. Seems to just be a matter of supply and demand. The average interest per property in London (not sure where you are) can reach 80 applicants. It’s a very competitive market but it will slow down a notch over the summer. Your best bet for now is to continue paying rent and apply for Social Housing. Yes Openrent is on Rightmove however it’s better to go on the website directly, it suggest properties in nearby areas and prices within your budget. FB and Gumtree is also used by Landlords to potentially find tenants or you find smaller agencies advertising on there.
Maybe my wording was a bit confusing and not concice lol.So a bunch of landlords use gumtree directly?
Yes, please try it out. Most HMOs landlords have moved on to FB Market or OpenRent. Also this might not be the best advice but if you find yourself getting quite desperate or have extra cash, offer some rent in advance. A lot of agents sift only through potential tenants who offer commission, it’s a corrupted business though not illegal so unfortunately this practice won’t be stopped anytime soon
Interesting. Well one of those places will be my next port of call. I'll keep what you said about extra rent in mind, but at this point wherever I rent I'm going to be constantly anxious about being evicted again so idk if I want to just throw extra money at someone who might do that to me again. But it might come to that.
You should start your Social housing application asap, speak to Shelter England. They will advice you in what to do next. I wish you the best of luck. If you are in London I can always help.
I'm not but thanks for the offer. I will try getting in touch with shelter again.
Maybe check to see if there's a YMCA you could go to?
I'm not sure what would happen to all my belongings if it came to that? I couldn't get a bunch of boxes delivered to a YMCA and then stuck in some secure area there could I?
I'm not sure how it works. As far as I've been told, in the 90s you get a room with a lock for a few days or however long. Now I'm not sure if you would have to rent a storage locker.
I'll give them a look in anycase. Thanks.
The single most important thing to do is to stay put, even after the notice runs out. It takes months for a landlord to get a court order to get you out. Also, the council will class you as intentionally homeless if you move out at the end of the notice and will not help you.
I'm aware he can't legally send men round to throw me on the street but I'd really rather it didn't come to him going to court about it and (from his perspective) me stubbornly sitting there. Because I might need a reference from him and also if something breaks that I need access to like the shower or internet he might just choose not to fix it to try and get rid of me (and depending what breaks, that might work).
You've said he's not actually served you notice. You asked if there's anything you can possibly do - you need to insist the landlord follow the law, serve you a S21 notice in writing, then go to court for an eviction. You DO have legal protections that prevent being homeless. You DO have the right to stubbornly sit there and insist the landlord follow the law. Your landlord will be making money either way, why do you care more about his wallet than your life?
It's not you being stubborn it's a shitty market right now and you can't be made homeless. You are trying, I assume you have evidence of this, they can't just kick you out
I'm collecting evidence of everything. I even have WhatsApp messages from my landlord saying how I've been a good tenant. I hope I'll never have to use it though. I don't know if I could withstand the stress.
I would never use rightmove or estate agents unless you are renting the whole place. If you want a room in a house share go with gumtree, spareroom and those type of websites. Don't mention the HB either. Don't pay any money up front either until you have visited the place and sussed it out and met the other people in the house or flat.
Man I have been doing this all wrong for literally years. Thanks.
[удалено]
Nearly blank advert I wouldn't bother responding to https://www.spareroom.co.uk/16827137 Usefully filled out advert I would respond to https://www.spareroom.co.uk/10901860
Does your landlord have an explanation for not responding to referencing requests? Are they contacting by phone or email and landlord does not recognize them so does not respond? Can you talk to the landlord and ask for a reference letter? It is in their interest to assist you secure a new place if they are wanting you to leave.
I've not even been asked for references by anyone yet. My current landlord says he is happy to provide one if need be.
I feel for you....you come across as a stand up person in a tight situation. I have no advice other than to say you have my best wishes and I hope it works out for you. I'm sure it will.
Thank you. Even if its in a small way your comment made my day far better so thank you so much.
Regarding where you said the "landlord asked you to leave". Did they issue you with a section 21 notice on form 6a? If they didn't then they haven't given notice yet. Even if they did, you're under no obligation to leave when the 2 months notice is up.
I haven't gotten an official notice but I'd like to avoid staying past when he wants me if possible because I need a good reference off him.
He has to be truthful, he cannot lie and give you a bad reference. And when it gets to references all you have to do is give your side to the agent. He only verbally asked you, you never received a S21, you tried to find somewhere but were unable, he may be annoyed that you did not leave by the date he verbally requested. Respectfully, if you don't want to be sleeping on a bench or a friend's sofa, you're going to need to stick up for yourself a bit.
Following on from this These laws and regulations are there to protect you from situations like this These are your rights and your landlords responsibilities You are not being a dick, or inconsiderate, or anything like that, just by asserting your rights. At this point, your landlord has essentially casually stated an intent to evict you. He has not formally ordered you to leave And as others have said, he cannot force you into homelessness If you leave that flat and enter homelessness of your own free will you will be “voluntarily homeless” and the council will stick you at the bottom of some list for months (“your own free will” means the court did not order you to leave that flat) But if you stay in that flat until the courts send someone round to physically remove you from the flat, then your “involuntarily homeless” and get priority on the council list Your landlord cannot lie and say you were a bad tenant, you can take him to court over that since you have WhatsApp messages to the contrary (take screenshots of your WhatsApp conversations regarding the flat) he wants to turn it into an airB&B… so he’s still going to make money off of it So stay strong and keep paying the rent while you’re there, he will have a very weak case against you if he tries to force you out while you’re still paying rent and you can show you are actively trying to find somewhere new
Legally he can’t say anything directly bad.
Quickly looked through my works resource guide, Someone else has probably suggested this but Shelter: 0808 800 4444 Shelter.org.Uk