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Need to Find Non Lettings Agent Tenancy

Started by deannatrois, August 21, 2012, 04:39:48 PM

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deannatrois

I live in Gravesend, Kent and am having problems finding a 3 bed house to rent.  I have lived in Gravesend for 18 months, have a reasonable credit report (no defaults), never defaulted on the rent but in spite of visiting every lettings agency in the area (I honestly have) none will take me on because I am a carer and do receive LHA.  I have no possibility of getting a guarantor.

I moved to Gravesend from the West Midlands, where I was a council tenant for 20 years.  I only moved because I have a super intelligent son with special needs but the education system there was in the dark ages.  He was going to leave school with 2 GCSE's if he was lucky so I moved to Kent, did some private tutoring, the schools are better and now we are expecting to hear he's got 10 GCSE's. But I had to give up my council property to do this.

However, I had to take a private rental property with a slightly iffy Landlord (the sort who thinks the law is what he wants it to be).  He won't do repairs. Thinks quiet enjoyment is something that doesn't apply to a rental property (constantly insisting on visiting)  I had a bathroom with two taps that didn't work, walls so damp the plaster was paste, waste pipes that leaked, marked lino over concrete that was more like rubble than something solid etc.  He said it was fine.  I put in a new very tastefully done bathroom. I have also insulated the roof space in the bedrooms I can get at.

But he's now trying to get me to sign a two year lease. He's broken every agreement we've ever made about repairs etc (I am expected to repair damp in my other son's bedroom, insulate it and replaster it), which I told him I couldn't do. 

So I am trying to find another property.  He has said a few times that if I don't sign a two year lease he will evict me.  I think that's silly as I have never been behind in the rent etc but its what he's saying.  Its a risk.

But how do I find a property when Letting Agencies won't even take me on?  I've tried GumTree (very few properties but they do happen occasionally), Loot etc, but a bit stressed in case I find myself on the streets with two children.  The local council won't help, I've asked for Environmental health to come round (they say it'll be months) and housing say they will consider I've made myself voluntarily homeless because I won't sign the two year tenancy agreement.