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Housing problems, again.

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Ok will try explain this as best I can, sorry its probs going to be a long one.

I have been living in a student house since sept, It's not uni provided accommodation, it's a seperate company, anyway when I signed the contract at the beginning of the year, they did not give a specific date of when the tenancy ends (I assumed it would be after graduation or just before (July-ish)), After emailing the accommodation place a month ago asking for a date which I need to leave, they replied a week ago saying I need to be out within two weeks (June 21st) :shocking: Are they allowed to do that? Only give me two weeks notice? Is it different rules for student housing?

I did have somewhere to move into after the student house, but it wasn't supposed to be so soon, the house I was meant to move into isn't ready yet and I don't have the money yet to afford to pay them rent even if it was ready, (I'm putting in a claim for JSA, but takes couple of weeks and I don't have an address to give them, what do I say? Do I tell them I'm homeless? Or soon to be? I don't know how it works) and I need to apply for Local Housing Allowance as I can't afford the rent and its private rented but its the only choice I have so I don't end up homeless again. I don't have anywhere else to move into in the meantime, am I gonna have to go down the hostel route again until this house is ready?

Just wondering if anyone knows if there is anything that can be done? It's really stressing me out! Is there any way of persuading the student accommodation place of allowing me to stay a bit longer? Although I can't pay them any more money as I have literally nothing, I have around £14 to my name which is quite tragic it's almost funny! because a huge chunk of bills was just paid (which is stupid aswell because the payment is going into July when I'm not even going to be there!)

This should have been sorted a long time ago if I wasn't so stupid, I should have found out sooner when I needed to move out. There's sooo much to sort out it's really getting me down, I'm throwing most of my possessions away because I know that I'm not going to find somewhere within a week! What will happen if I don't move my stuff? Will they throw it all away? I have nowhere to take it all so what will happen to it. I'm really stuck :(
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Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well, I'm not totally sure I can be very helpful, but ALL of my university houses had tenancies that ended just after the end of term and WELL before when graduation would have been for that year. Obviously students can do a lot of damage and having a month or two to sort out the house or even redecorate it is normal.

    Your current landlord may allow you to stay, but they will expect you to pay.

    Are there any friends or family you can stay with in the interim?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    if you signed a contract with the housing people, the notice agreement period will be on there and if its not two weeks they can't actually kick you out...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I get that they need to time to sort the houses out and stuff and that's fine, but the thing that annoyed me is they didn't tell me a specific date I had to be out, they didn't even mention which month! On the contract it doesn't say when it ends, It gives the dates which I pay my rent and doesn't say what date it goes upto. It doesn't even mention anything about notice agreement or whatever it is.

    I don't have anyone else I can stay with, had this trouble last year before the student house.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Seems odd there's no end of tenancy date in the contract. I take it there's no mention of notice period either? I would point this out to the company and ask if there's any way you can stay on a bit longer until your new house is ready. Otherwise I think the standard procedure would be for you to give 1 months notice and the landlord 2 months notice before moving out. Might also be worth speaking to your uni accommodation dept to see whether they could put you up or store your things until your new place is ready. Shelter are also pretty good with advising on tenancy issues, so if you have no joy with your agent or uni it might be worth taking your contract to them to have a look through.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    There should have been an end date in the contract. If there wasn't one then really my view is that it is a periodic tenancy, which means that they have to give you at least two months notice to leave. The problem is, of course, that you will be liable for the rent during the notice period, which may be a problem given your finances, although you can claim for LHA from the day your course officially ends.

    If you decide to hang around they can't kick you out without a court order, of course. But the court fees will be added to the debt (although that's easily sorted with a Debt Relief Order!)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Oh what a mess. I don't think I'll stick around for court fees, will be too much hassle and I wouldn't even know where to start. What about crisis loans from JC? Anybody know if you can apply for those while a claim for JSA is going through? I still need to apply for LHA but dont have an address to give them yet.
    Too much to think about :crying: you'd think I'd be familiar with this situation by now but I don't even know what to do, thick.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    In theory you can apply, but the whole crisis loan thing is being wound down now (LAs will take over, but the funding isn't ring-fenced, you know where this is going...)

    I was meaning that you can claim LHA for your current property!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hey there hmmm7,

    Sorry to hear about the dilemma you are in at the moment. *hug*

    Has there been any changes since you last posted?

    I agree with Arctic Roll that your tenancy sounds like a periodic tenancy if there was no end date and that you could apply for LHA at your current address.

    However, have you spoken to your current landlord about the situation you are in? They may be willing to let you stay where you are until your new place is ready for you to move in (and not necessarily for the full 2 months notice they should give you).

    This does mean paying rent where you currently live until the move, but as above, as you can apply for LHA now. Then when you move to your new place you can apply for LHA there.

    As for which address to use for JSA - you can use your current address to apply for JSA when you course ends as then inform them of any change of address when you next sign on.

    This page on the DirectGov website may help - http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/BeginnersGuideToBenefits/DG_4016267

    Hope this helps.

    :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Have been to see the uni accommodation place to ask if there's any chance I can stay, they said they do allow people to stay over the summer but only if they can pay up front, i mentioned about LHA but they said they don't take weekly payment only in advance which is a bit stupid really.
    so it's looking like I'm moving on Thursday just don't know where to, am going to try council but I never have any luck with them I dont know what's goingto happen
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    There should have been an end date in the contract. If there wasn't one then really my view is that it is a periodic tenancy, which means that they have to give you at least two months notice to leave. The problem is, of course, that you will be liable for the rent during the notice period, which may be a problem given your finances, although you can claim for LHA from the day your course officially ends.

    If you decide to hang around they can't kick you out without a court order, of course. But the court fees will be added to the debt (although that's easily sorted with a Debt Relief Order!)

    Completely agree with the above.

    Private halls are fuckwits.

    Have you tried spareroom.co.uk? Loads of students rent their room out over summer on there.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Good idea thanks, going to have a look on there. Might be one for a couple of weeks with a bit of luck, fingers crossed. At least I have somewhere to move into soon, that's something to look forward to, just gotta keep waiting right? It'll all be okay in the end...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Heya Hmmm7, I've just had a quick flick through the posts on this thread, not much detail though as i'm tired. But I just wanted you to know you're not on your own and I will help in any way I can. Can I ask where abouts in the UK you are? It's just that I know different places offer different kinds of support.

    I had a similar issue and was in your shoes. I was at university in a student house, I moved from one house to another, but over the summer found out I had lost my uni place due to my disability. I was already sofa surfing with friends over summer holidays due to not having a home to go to like many other people. But I now had no where to live after the summer, no where to keep my life;s worth of belongings, and I had already paid a deposit on my new coming house of over £750 of which I couldn't get back after the tenancy and I had to find someone to replace me as I couldn't stay there without student status!! Complicatedness or what!! I had student debts, was nearly over my overdraft, no income what so ever and no one seemed to be helping at all. I was lucky in the fact that I had friends to stay with but moving allllll the time with so much stuff was tiring and energy draining and upsetting. Feeling like a charity case and unwanted and unhelped. There's light at the end of the tunnel though. I finally got my ESA sorted and was able to stay with a few friends a bit more long term. After declaring myself homeless with Cov Council, they said I wasnt a priority despite being disabled and having no family. Whilst having friends who are willing to put you up, they're not interested in helping, they just advise private renting which is too expensive even with housing benefits. It's crazy. I finally got put into a hostel type place, run by a company called the Foyer Federation or something like that. There maybe one in your area? you can stay there until the age of 24. It's not great, but it's better than other options and it's a roof over your head for a bit more long term?? You can also get Crisis loans, food tokens and stuff for food banks and you can get like help towards paying deposits and stuff for housing. But if you have a Foyer in your area and stuff then they help with all that kinda stuff. There's more help than i've reallised out there, you just have to push for it. Don't give up, demand all the help you need otherwise you won't get it. Also, whether you are a christian or not, local churches tend to help out with like food and stuff, they sometimes proved tokens and vouchers and stuff, I know we as a church do. Being part of a local church has kept a roof over my head and there's so much help and support through it. I'm not saying you have to go join a church, i'm just saying it's an option if you get really stuck for food and stuff due to money situations. If I can be of any help at all, please let me know. Even if it's just encouragement, i've moved over 32 times in 11 months, it's tough. But you can get through it, there's hope in it and one day you'll look back and see how far you've come, in a little place of your own :) Stay strong, hang in there. Rach x
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hey hmmm7

    Thank you bubbleyberry for sharing your personal experiences and more places to find support/assistance, I hope it gives hmmm7 some hope to hang on in there.

    Any further news since you last posted, hmmm7? Have you moved yet? If so, where did you move to?

    :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hi sorry I've taken so long to reply, haven't been able to get on internet! This is from a friends mobile so hopefully it will work. I did move,but had to move to a hostel with most of my stuff being stored at a friends house for now. The person I was due to move in with decided she didn't want a housemate now, which is fair enough, nothing I can do about that. So still moving around atm, keep sending me different places, still looking for somewhere more permanent, council don't look like they'll be offering anywhere anytime soon, still not a priority so looking at private rent, its just finding someone who will accept LHA. I am desperately trying to get a job too, applying for everything!
    So has been a crazy couple of weeks, but on the plus side... I graduated yesterday, passed my degree :D Now I've just gotta figure out what to do with it! Thanks for all your help :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    hmmm7 wrote: »
    but on the plus side... I graduated yesterday, passed my degree :D:)

    Congratulations!! :D

    Nina x
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Huge congratulations on graduating! :D You must be really pleased.

    Sorry to hear you're still having such a hard time finding somewhere permanent to live and finding a job. Hopefully things will be more settled soon and less stressful.

    Just wondering if you've tried asking your local council for a list of landlords that accept LHA? They normally have one. Apologies if you've done this already.

    :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I have found somewhere :yippe: which is good news but my silly brain is also finding reasons why it's not.

    I'm moving in with a friend of a friend, I haven't met him yet but I've been told he's a nice guy (but you never really know for sure, do you? :chin:) Now I'm just a bit :nervous: because it will just be me and him in this house, will be strange moving in with someone I don't know and even more so because it's a guy I'm moving in with.

    It felt different in my student house because it didn't feel like I was in the way or intruding in someone else's house. It felt like I had a right to be there and this time I feel different. I think it's going to feel really strange but I can't really afford to be picky, but the more I think about it, the more it makes me dread it which sounds really bad.

    Is it normal to be this nervous? Not just nervous but like, absolutely shitting it. I should be happy, not feel like this. Can you live somewhere, with someone when you know you aren't going to feel comfortable? Is this a bad idea? Or should I just shurrup and get on with it? I don't know.
    Damn you brain.
  • **helen****helen** Deactivated Posts: 9,235 Supreme Poster
    hmmm7 wrote: »
    Is it normal to be this nervous? Not just nervous but like, absolutely shitting it. I should be happy, not feel like this. Can you live somewhere, with someone when you know you aren't going to feel comfortable? Is this a bad idea? Or should I just shurrup and get on with it? I don't know.
    Damn you brain.

    I think it's totally normal to feel this nervous when you've had so much upheaval *hug*

    Equally, it's understandable that living with a guy you don't know is raising your anxiety levels and I think it's unusual for someone to absolutely agree to live in a house without meeting the person first. At this stage, do you feel it would be possible to meet him with your mutual friend just to get a sense of what he's like and to get a chance to have an open conversation with him about the way he likes to live in the place and whether or not you need to bring much with you etc...?

    Also, Jo7 was just saying, it would be cool if you maybe have some sort of agreement that there's a trial period? Maybe a month to see how you get on and then if either of you is struggling with the arrangement, you can move on? What do you reckon?

    As much as you need to find somewhere to live, there's a sense that if this really isn't right for you, then you'll be looking for something else as quickly as you've moved in...so maybe just taking the pressure off a bit and having the chance to move in with a bit more knowledge of what to expect will help - the unknown is often the most scary part...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I met him this morning. He does seem nice, and we had a chat I was still freaking out, but I guess I'm always like that when I meet anyone new, it did help to have my friend there as I had no idea what to say and she talks too much :lol:

    Good idea about the trial period, I mentioned this to him and he said he hasn't got a proper tenancy agreement anyway so he said I could just leave at any time, as long as I let him know obviously and not just disappear.

    Will just have to see how it goes, I'm not going to move all of my stuff in, just staying there for a while and see what happens. At least then I will have a proper address to be able to apply for jobs instead of being NFA because it's even more impossible to get one without an address. I wanna be a student again :( things were simpler.

    I guess I'll never be totally comfortable unless I was living alone, and that doesn't look like it's going to happen anytime soon.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Who am I kidding? I'm not going to move in with someone I don't know. I know I'm just saying this because I feel crap and things seem worse, but it's not going to work. I'm scared of my own shadow let alone trust someone who I know nothing about.
    I just want a break, its never ending, have been fighting for the right to have somewhere proper to live for over a year now, nearly two actually and still nothing.
    Ive been fighting all my life, just give me a freaking break! I dont know how much longer I can keep it up, I physically cannot do it anymore I cant see a way out Im tired of it all :(
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    What I would suggest is asking both your friend and the person you may be living together with if they'd like to meet you in a public place, maybe once or twice, just so you could judge for yourself whether or not you would like to do it? Maybe you could use Facebook - dare I say it - to do some research about him?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Now the council are saying that I must have intentionally made myself homeless which they say entitles me to nothing because I had the option not to be? Idiots, why would anyone intentionally make themselves homeless?! So until I can prove otherwise then I get no help, seriously considering getting out of this dump but wouldn't know where I would go.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I expect (based on gut feeling rather than law) that the council could see your leaving your old place with no provision for future accommodation to have been making yourself homeless. You ask why would anyone do that, but a number of people do just that, with the aim of collecting themselves a place in a house - queue bumping, if you like. Not saying that you are doing that, just that it's not as implausible as you think.

    To be perfectly frank, a lot of students these days end up going back to wherever they were before studies. What about your parents and family / friends?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It's crazy that people would do that, although I do realise there needs to be rules but it just seems a little silly, for my council it's near enough impossible to get any sort of priority for housing unless you have kids or have serious health issues, trying to get it sorted now though by applying AGAIN and starting from the beginning, will just have less priority so will be a long wait. I don't speak to my family so that's not an option and have stayed with a couple of friends over the past couple of years, they have helped me so much but it can only go so far.

    I need a good rant/brain spew before my brain pops inside my head, sorry I just need to try make sense of it.

    I do realise there are options for me, I'm just too stupid to figure it out. I don't know where to start and I've just sort of had enough of it all, moving from place to place not knowing where I'm going to be, I'm tired of it, I don't want to keep moving. At the minute things are moving really slow, have been waiting for JSA to come through for the past four weeks, had to ring them today to see whats happening with it, they said it shouldn't have taken this long to get it sorted. This means I've had no money at all for over four weeks and I still have none, they said they can't do anything about that until my JSA comes through so I just have to wait.

    I just don't know what to do next, I'm still looking for somewhere and I know I'm not going to find somewhere permanent right now, but somewhere were I would feel safe would be nice. But I don't think I will feel safe, this sounds bonkers but I actually feel safer when I'm alone and walking around with nowhere to go, because I don't have to face people or talk to anyone, I don't have to worry about being around people because there's nobody around. I would rather be alone and have nowhere to go than go through anymore crap, I don't know how to get over that and just be okay around anyone, probably sounds stupid, but I am stupid.

    I am still looking for jobs, applying, hearing nothing back, or hearing that I've been unsuccessful, I just need something! Anything! I'm just flipping fed up! I hate going in the Jobcentre because they treat you like shit, they just treat you like an inconvenience and talk down to you, it's not as if I want to be unemployed!, I wouldn't go in there at all if I wasn't desperate. Everytime I go in there, I come out feeling really crap, today I was sat there staring into space, actually feeling like I wanted to throw myself out of the nearest window, probably not a normal way to think.

    I'm going to be totally shit even just getting a job, because I am so crap with people. I don't know how to be around people, what to say, what not to say, how to behave and it's driving me mad. If I was an employer I wouldn't want to hire me because I'm just no good at all. It's really something I need to work on but I don't know how!

    What I would really love, would be to get out of this place. I know moving somewhere new won't make everything perfect but it would at least mean I wasn't threatened constantly and always looking over my shoulder. I hate being here because there's just so much shit. I just don't know how possible that would be to just leave, I don't know whether I would be entitled to help from somewhere I haven't lived? I know that to get help from council anywhere I would need to have a local connection to the area to have any sort of hope of finding somewhere to live but would that be the same if I was homeless? Can you move somewhere totally new if your homeless or do you just have to stick where you are? I don't freaking know, I don't know anything.

    I just feel tiny and alone in this massive world and I don't know how to live. I can't make sense of it, it's too hard and I'm too thick.

    Sorry for going on, just needed to get it out of my head, hasn't made things any clearer though :crazyeyes
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hey hmm7,

    *hug*

    Sorry ranting didn't clear things up for you as you thought it would.

    As Mist says, the council's rules are there to stop people cheating the system, but as a result it often means that people like yourself are left in the lurch. :(

    Did you definitely decide not to stay with that friend of a friend? If it's still an option maybe you could try it for a month or so and if it doesn't work out you can move out? Maybe it won't be as bad as you think. For example, does the friend work and if so you won't be in their company 24/7; you'll have some space of your own.

    Finding a place on your own that you can afford is going to be tough so it may be that you have to pluck up the courage to move in with someone you don't know. Saying that I can see that this might be easier if it was a girl as there won't be as much awkwardness. Do you think you'd be more open to that?

    From previous posts I'm aware that going back to your family's place isn't an option. Have you tried spareroom.co.uk as picolo suggested? Do you think that would be an option?

    Thinking of you and hoping that something comes up soon *hug*
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Have been looking on spareroom and also gumtree to see if there are any, have contacted a few aswell but they've replied saying they don't accept benefits, so its just waiting for ones that do. A lot of them also need really big deposits which I don't have and a guarantor(sp?) - no idea, don't even know what that is! I feel stupid.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm sure people aren't allowed to say that they don't accept benefits anymore...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Fiend_85 wrote: »
    I'm sure people aren't allowed to say that they don't accept benefits anymore...

    As in legally, or just not supposed to say that? Surely they would have to agree to it though wouldn't they? Do you think I could I try and tell them they're wrong by using loads of legal mumbo-jumbo? :d
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You'd have to check with AR. But I have a feeling its discrimination.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hey hmmm7, just to let you know about guarantors (not a stupid question at all if you've never come across it). A guarantor is essentially someone that agrees to pay the rent if you can't for whatever reason and it's quite common to be asked for one when you're a student or around that age.

    Not all landlords will ask for one but they may want a reference at least from a previous landlord or from your employer (to vouch that you're a reliable tenant and will be able to make the rent).

    I know you're job hunting at the moment so fingers crossed something comes up soon. Starting any new job is daunting so don't be too hard on yourself, we can all get nervous around new people but there's usually someone you'll click with within the first few days and just take it slowly.

    I imagine you've spoken to Shelter in the past but you might want to give them a call to talk through your options with someone that knows the ins and outs - their number is 0808 800 4444

    Hang in there *hug*
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