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Rented home...

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  • 11-08-2010 1:16pm
    #1
    Celvapan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 53 ✭✭


    Hey All,

    I'm in a sticky position at the moment and would appreciate some advice...

    I was made redundant at the end of July after working for four years. My bf was made redundant a few months ago (we had been living together at the time) but he got a new job in another county and had to move out. I kept the lease on here, as I had a good job and could afford it but now I cant afford it since I have no income. I am actively seeking employment at the moment and have applied for 30-40 jobs, none of which I have gotten anywhere with so far. Got another of a long line of "No thanks" letters this morning. I signed on last week for the first time.

    I am trying to consider my options here...I am living on my own at the moment and I have been told that my rent is too high to qualify for rent suppliment and have been told by the community welfare officer to ask my landlord to reduce the rent. I don't think he will reduce the rent (I think that i have a pretty good deal to start with!) to the rate that the CWO thinks he should...I am meeting the landlord this weekend to discuss. I dont know what to do...

    I have been thinking of moving down to my bf, but he recons that he will be made redundant before christmas again so he wont be staying where he is. Plus if I moved in with him I wouldn't get rent suppliment and I think i would loose my dole after my stamps run out even though we never pooled our incomes and he does not "support" me financially! I dont see why he should since we are not married and his job is not secure either. If I got a job tomorrow I would move to wherever the job is, I have applied all over Ireland and the UK so I am unable to take on a long term lease also and every house i look at wants "professionals only"...I feel like I am in an impossible situation! What would ye do in my situation?


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    #2
    cremeegg
    Registered Users Posts: 286 ✭✭cremeegg


    Celvapan wrote: »
    Hey All,

    I'm in a sticky position at the moment and would appreciate some advice...

    I was made redundant at the end of July after working for four years. My bf was made redundant a few months ago (we had been living together at the time) but he got a new job in another county and had to move out. I kept the lease on here, as I had a good job and could afford it but now I cant afford it since I have no income. I am actively seeking employment at the moment and have applied for 30-40 jobs, none of which I have gotten anywhere with so far. Got another of a long line of "No thanks" letters this morning. I signed on last week for the first time.

    I am trying to consider my options here...I am living on my own at the moment and I have been told that my rent is too high to qualify for rent suppliment and have been told by the community welfare officer to ask my landlord to reduce the rent. I don't think he will reduce the rent (I think that i have a pretty good deal to start with!) to the rate that the CWO thinks he should...I am meeting the landlord this weekend to discuss. I dont know what to do...

    I have been thinking of moving down to my bf, but he recons that he will be made redundant before christmas again so he wont be staying where he is. Plus if I moved in with him I wouldn't get rent suppliment and I think i would loose my dole after my stamps run out even though we never pooled our incomes and he does not "support" me financially! I dont see why he should since we are not married and his job is not secure either. If I got a job tomorrow I would move to wherever the job is, I have applied all over Ireland and the UK so I am unable to take on a long term lease also and every house i look at wants "professionals only"...I feel like I am in an impossible situation! What would ye do in my situation?

    Move in with parents until job lands?? sorry but thats all i got. I hope evrything works out for you.


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    #3
    sean.casaidhe
    Registered Users Posts: 26 ✭sean.casaidhe


    Don't move back home, because then (AFAIK) you'll not be eligible for Rent Allowance. I think the criteria includes that you must be living in private rented accommadation for 6 months.
    Get yourself down to your local council and get on the housing list.
    If the Landlord can't meet you on the rent, give notice and start looking for somewhere within budget and which accepts rent allowance. Hopefully the Landlord will give you your deposit back in full.
    Get yourself down to MABS for money advice too - I know what it's like losing a job and it's not the easiest adjustment to make.


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    #4
    Celvapan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 53 ✭✭Celvapan


    cremeegg wrote: »
    Move in with parents until job lands?? sorry but thats all i got. I hope evrything works out for you.


    I had thought of that, however I am near 30 now and haven't lived at home for the past decade with being college and working...Thanks for advice though, appreciate it :)


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    #5
    MagicMarker
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 32,865 ✭✭✭✭MagicMarker


    Thread title is melodramatic thread title.

    You're renting on your own. Move out and house share or get others to move in with you. There are plenty of rooms around for €300 and even less.


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    #6
    Celvapan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 53 ✭✭Celvapan


    sean.casaidhe wrote: »
    Don't move back home, because then (AFAIK) you'll not be eligible for Rent Allowance. I think the criteria includes that you must be living in private rented accommadation for 6 months.

    Yeah really don't want to move home. Haven't lived there for a decade. Have been in rented accomodation for the past 10 years so I think I should qualify for rent allowance.
    sean.casaidhe wrote: »
    Get yourself down to your local council and get on the housing list.

    Social welfare officer mentioned something about this aswell, but when I said I didnt understand what the list was for he looked at me like I was crazy. I don't think that it was that crazy that I wasn't sure what it was, this is my first time to be in this situation and I have never had to go on the list before...He was quite rude. So I looked into it on the net since he gave me no information, and I see that its allocated on a needs basis so I think families and single parent families would probably be top of the list.

    sean.casaidhe wrote: »
    If the Landlord can't meet you on the rent, give notice and start looking for somewhere within budget and which accepts rent allowance. Hopefully the Landlord will give you your deposit back in full.

    Yeah will speak with the landlord this weekend, my lease is up soon so I think I will get my deposit back. I have been looking at other places, but all of them say leases 6 months, 1 year and "professionals". Are there any ways around signing leases for 6 months or a year? And If i do sign one for 6 months and I have to move out in a months time, am i liable for the other 5 months rent that I wasn't living there?
    sean.casaidhe wrote: »
    Get yourself down to MABS for money advice too
    - I know what it's like losing a job and it's not the easiest adjustment to make.[/QUOTE]

    Thats a good idea, I think I came across their web site. I'll deffo look into that-Thanks
    sean.casaidhe wrote: »
    - I know what it's like losing a job and it's not the easiest adjustment to make.

    Yeah its tough being laid off, and I'm trying to remain optimistic but its very difficult in the current economic climate. Its a tough market out there and after applying to and getting refused from 40ish jobs, I can see that I could be looking at Social Welfare for alot longer than I had anticipated...


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    #7
    Celvapan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 53 ✭✭Celvapan


    MagicMarker wrote: »
    Thread title is melodramatic thread title.


    Sorry you think that but that wasn't the way it was intended...


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    #8
    Graces7
    Registered Users Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    Have a word with your local Citizens' Advice office; they are often more clued up than anyone else..... Good luck... And be positive with your landlord, not apologetic ;) we had our rent reduced here to fit in with the RA limits by a substantial amount.


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    #9
    Celvapan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 53 ✭✭Celvapan


    Graces7 wrote: »
    Have a word with your local Citizens' Advice office; they are often more clued up than anyone else..... Good luck... And be positive with your landlord, not apologetic ;) we had our rent reduced here to fit in with the RA limits by a substantial amount.


    Thanks Graces7 :) Appreciate it.


    Does anyone know what the difference is between the rates for "single person in shared accomodation" and "single person"?? I am living on my own but I think that my SWO gave me the "single person in shared accomodation" rate...My rent is more in line with "single person" allowance and wouldnt have to get it reduced by much to fit in there. I pay €500 a month now and according to below link the rate is €468 for "single person"??

    http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/social-welfare/social-welfare-payments/supplementary-welfare-schemes/rent_supplement


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    #10
    ricman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,559 ✭✭✭ricman


    For 468 you could rent a large flat in that area,a single person does not require a house .maybe you could rent a 1bed apartment for 460.


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    #11
    Celvapan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 53 ✭✭Celvapan


    ricman wrote: »
    For 468 you could rent a large flat in that area,a single person does not require a house .maybe you could rent a 1bed apartment for 460.

    Yeah I know that a single person does not need a house. I spoke with the CWO yesterday again and I am not entitled to 460 a month, I am entitled to 390 a month. Now the fun begins seeing as there are no 1 bed apts where I live!!


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    #12
    MagicMarker
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 32,865 ✭✭✭✭MagicMarker


    So share.


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    #13
    ricman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,559 ✭✭✭ricman


    Well you could rent a large flat for 390 euro.
    OR team up with someone and rent a 2bed apartment.


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    #14
    Celvapan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 53 ✭✭Celvapan


    MagicMarker wrote: »
    So share.

    There is one sharing place where I live and he wont accept RA...I think I'll have to move out of this town.


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    #15
    ricman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,559 ✭✭✭ricman


    put ad in local paper,wanted room for rent,x rent per week.
    its possible you might rent room under rent allowance,in a private house, under the rent a room scheme.ITS tax free ,my friend rents 1 room in a house,hes the only tenant.The landlord lives there.Look for room for rent daft.ie, buyandsell.net etc
    There must be older people,living alone ,who might be willing to rent 1 room.


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    #16
    Celvapan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 53 ✭✭Celvapan


    ricman wrote: »
    put ad in local paper,wanted room for rent,x rent per week.
    its possible you might rent room under rent allowance,in a private house, under the rent a room scheme.ITS tax free ,my friend rents 1 room in a house,hes the only tenant.The landlord lives there.Look for room for rent daft.ie, buyandsell.net etc
    There must be older people,living alone ,who might be willing to rent 1 room.

    Thanks ricman, i'll give that a shot. I live in a really rural place but its worth a try. I'm waiting on my landlord to get back to me about dropping the rent here aswell. He's on holidays abroad at the moment and not sure when he's back.

    Does anyone know if you can claim RA back to the date you were unemployed? I can't get my landlord to prove that I live here and pay him rent until after he gets back from holidays...I paid the rent for this month earlier this week yet was made redundant July 31st. I was hoping to be able to get some of that back or I wont be long running out of cash...


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    #17
    MIRMIR82
    Registered Users Posts: 658 ✭✭✭MIRMIR82


    Celvapan wrote: »
    Thanks Graces7 :) Appreciate it.


    Does anyone know what the difference is between the rates for "single person in shared accomodation" and "single person"?? I am living on my own but I think that my SWO gave me the "single person in shared accomodation" rate...My rent is more in line with "single person" allowance and wouldnt have to get it reduced by much to fit in there. I pay €500 a month now and according to below link the rate is €468 for "single person"??

    http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/social-welfare/social-welfare-payments/supplementary-welfare-schemes/rent_supplement

    Clearly you are not "single person in shared accomodation" as you live on your own so you should be considered as "single person" - so why not ask your landlord to say the rent is 468euro and pay the difference yourself then


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    #18
    Celvapan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 53 ✭✭Celvapan


    MIRMIR82 wrote: »
    Clearly you are not "single person in shared accomodation" as you live on your own so you should be considered as "single person" - so why not ask your landlord to say the rent is 468euro and pay the difference yourself then


    Yeah I spoke with the CWO yesterday and the rate for "single person" where i live is €390. I thought that it was €468 but that is for the County and not the town that I live in. I rang my landlord but was unable to speak to him yesterday as he is on holidays abroad...I emailed him and am awaiting his response but I'm not optimistic that he will be back any time soon. If I am to qualify for RA allowance my rent is not allowed to be above €390 so even if I could pay the difference, which I can't, I wouldnt qualify for RA unless the rent is lower.


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