Private renting and landlords not allowing children

[Lulu_Laroo]

Me & oh are privately renting, can't afford a mortgage at the moment, and don't even get me started with council housing!
The thing is, we live in a second floor flat with no lifts and can see the stairs becoming an issue with a pushchair etc.

We are looking at trying to find a house, but all places we've looked at say they don't allow children. I'm basically looking for some hope, if anyone has overcome this problem let me know! We really don't want to stay here (there is also a mould problem) but are really having trouble finding somewhere that will:

1) Allow children

2) Allow housing benefits

...because I lost my job right before I found out I was pregnant and therefore we are claiming housing benefits at the moment. Such a nightmare!

 

[Constantstar]

I live on the third floor with no lifts! Dreading it lol

 

[xshauna_bazx]

I am in a similar situation with the mould and plus my landlord is an arsehole. Have a look on rightmove.com xxx

 

[KellyHook]

when i was pregnant with brooke we were living in a private rented flat 2nd floor and we wernt allowed children... so we had to find another place to live.... i should of joined the housing register with the council, but didnt.. worst mistake i made!! we ended up living with OH mum and it was a nightmare so we borrowed money and got in debt to get another house, thank god we did as brooke came early and i had her 1 week after moving in to our new house!!

have you spoke to the council? as its not your fault your going to have to leave as the landlord doesnt except children so he is making you homeless and its the councils job to re-house you.. but if your council is anything like mine, they are rubbish!

 

[amandapanda]

I feel for you, it really is hard - I am now in council (and also have a mould problem!) but when I was in private I resorted to not telling them I was on benefits - they make so many pre-judgements about you and 90% just have a blanket rule that they won't take DSS as they call it - so discriminatory! I always made sure I had enough money upfront to pay for the bond and a month or 2 rent, then I was covered till my housing benefit came through. It really is a nightmare though xx

 

[purplehippy]

My ex lied to get the bungalow that he and my daughter live in - sometimes it just works out that way.

If you look in the local papers at the ads section, you'll often find individual house/flat ads, some even say dss welcome. If one of you is working, the no-dss ones can sometimes allow you to rent, it's just that there's often a bigger liability risk if the tenants are always in the property and a landlord explained to me once that it shoots their insurance up.

 

[Lulu_Laroo]

KellyHook I haven't spoken to the council - we only recently registered on the housing list. I don't think we have any chance of getting a council property at all. Thanks for all your help, we're going to keep looking and keep our fingers crossed!

 

[Vicxzy]

We rent & our landlady is fine about it, im not sure how it woudlve worked with benefits though? I also am a landlady (long story!) & I do accept kids/ pets but not DSS.
Main reason being our letting agent wouldn't deal with DSS as they said they've had lots of problems with houses being trashed & no comeback as if somebody doesnt work even if they take them to court for the damage they end up paying back 50p a week or something x

 

[ShadowWolf]

If you find a house you like its always worth ringing and explaining your situation, my tenancy agreement says no pets and no childeren but we have both with the landlords permission

Good luck.

xx

 

[emmaandamyleigh]

it also depends on landlords insurance on the house aswell but yeah your best asking a landlord direct my landlord advertised his in the paper and estate agents and sed no pets and no children but a friend give me his number and i phoned him up he sed he would accept dss and i didnt need to pay rent in andvance or bond but he also sed that hed take what ever the council will pay so hes getting 103pound a week an doesnt want anymore it suppose to be 450 amonth but he also allowed me to mve in with amy and also knows ive got another one on the way and he sed its fine its better to approach a landlord than going thru the estate agents some landlords often put posters in windows of empty houses too to advertise

 

[megsmeadow]

We currently rent the property I own and my letting agent previously didn't accept anyone on benefits however he now does with a guarantor in place too. We had a huge problem with the previous tenants saying they had lost their jobs and were applying for housing benefit but they never paid anything and the agent applied to the council directly. The stole and damaged what little furniture was there and left the carpets with all sorts of ash on them, disconnecting the smoke detectors too. That said, we will accept anyone on benefits in the future with good references and a guarantor, these people are not the norm. Definately speak to an agent or directly to the landlord and explain your situation. Good luck!

 

[emmaandamyleigh]

you do get some really bad tenants either on housing benifit or working no matter what or where you go my landlord sed they previously had a bad tenant they were always arguing coausing chaos built things in the flat with out permission and ruin the walls so he had to pay for a plaster to come in music playing every night and stuff he glad thatthey moved out and didnt get anyone else he said to me do you actually tay upstair as im very quiet and doesnt here amy apart from if shes in her walker he owns the shop down stairs the only thing i find is that it is a struggle up the stairs with pushchair but its easly resolved i put amy in her cot with some toys while i nip downstairs to get any bags and her pushchair and bring them up she happily sit there and wait if im going to the shop i do leave her here obv shop is below us i do leave the door unlocked while i pop out thats just incase upstairs has a fire i also put baby monitors on so i can here what shes upto while im in the shop but i most times i go to the shop when shes sleeping i als bought a small and lighter pushchair atm ill ust be the same when baby comes put them both up stairs then take the pushchair i knw its a few trips up the stairs but its the only way i can do it as the local council are pains lol i like it here even though its only a 2 bedroom flat im sure its big enuff for two girls in one room it is small

 

[Lulu_Laroo]

Thanks all. We've been renting for over a year and have been good tenants and always paid rent on time etc, so we have good references. OH's dad also acted as a guarantor for us for this place, and I'm sure he will again so I'm hoping that would put up our chances of finding somewhere.