Urgent Advice - rental problems

justamummy

Desperately need some advice quickly but will try to be as concise as I can. Moved into rental property in March, paid deposit and one months rent. Set up standing order with estate agent. Checked that the rent went out during April and May, which it did but didn't realise that it was bouncing back as the Landlady had given the wrong account details to the estate agent. She has only now noticed and at first seemed very reasonable. As we didn't realise the rent was bouncing, it's not there now.

She is now demanding three months rent not including this month by July. We missed April and May so don't know where she gets three from. I've three kids to think about and another on the way (experiencing complications). All I can see right now is that I'm out on the streets with 3 kids and pregnant with nowhere to go and no way out as I just cant come up with that kind of money in a month. Is there any way I can get a deposit from somewhere? My partner is working but I claim JA. What the heck do I do now?

blahblah06

How is the money not there now? Did it not bounce back to your account? How could u not notice this?

justamummy

Yes, I should have noticed. I have my own bank account, my DP has his where his wages go into each week. I was living down the country until this month and was using my account to pay for that house. His account was for this house. We are each with a different bank and I find that my bank is easier to keep a track of and download statements which I have done religiously. I just didn't keep a closer eye on his account which I should have done in retrospect.

Keeping two houses going was a huge strain, living apart when pregnant extremely stressful and further stressed by complications. My car decided to treat me to a huge bill too (without a car my DP couldn't get to work) but it's not really an excuse though. I made a mistake and now I need to know how to fix it. I'm not thinking straight, upset, terrified and have bad stomach cramps which I should get checked but I need to get this house business sorted out first.

Action Plan so far is to consolidate accounts to my bank so that I can track things better.

Diarmuid

You are still not being clear. The money was bouncing so that means two months rent should still be in your (or your DP) account. Is that true?

justamummy

Unfortunately not. I honestly don't know how we (a) managed to overlook the money going back into the account or (b) how we managed to spend so much. We had some huge bills which needed to be paid which is probably where the money went. I feel so damn stupid for getting myself into this mess.

Just going over my own bank account and I think I can manage 700 by the beginning of July. Leaves us on beans and toast but needs must. Has to be done.

ShadowHearth

Diarmuid wrote: »

You are still not being clear. The money was bouncing so that means two months rent should still be in your (or your DP) account. Is that true?

Agree. If money were bouncing back to dp account, it means it's still should be there.

Or you or dp decided to chance it and spent money, but it backfired and you got to pay all rent now.

Sorry, but you, op, are not being very clear here.

Edit: while I was typing you replied.

I can't see much you can do, as it was your own foult by not checking that. Best thing to do is to talk to landlady and make some sort of deal. That you will pay rent in bits. If you payed 600 rent, say you will pay 900. Until you will be clear for those months.


Communication is the key.

justamummy

It might look like we were chancing it and got caught but we weren't. We were just bloody stupid and there's no excuse for it either. I figure I can find half the money. I just need to find the other half. I can beat myself up for my stupidity later but in the meantime I must sort this out for my kids sake.

justamummy

Yes, it's our fault for not checking more closely. Goes both ways though as our landlady should have checked more closely too. Two wrongs don't make a right. I'll get my DP to talk to the landlady and hope she is going to be more reasonable than she sounded the last time.

Edited to add: Roll on next March as there have been nothing but problems with this house from the beginning.

Diarmuid

Agree with the poster above. Talk with your landlord and agree to a schedule for paying the 2 months you missed. Propose spreading it across 4 months or something like that. And make a budget. If you can spend a months rent in a month without realising it, your finances are not under control.

Plazaman

What has turned the landlady from being reasonable to being demanding, after all it was her fault. Regardless presumably you signed a rent/lease agreement going in so theres your start date and presumably you have a rent book and the receipt for Deposit and March rent. Your outgoings on bank statement will chow April and May which are the problems months.

Keep communications open with landlady. When you or partner are talking to her,
don't be narky, weepy or arguementative but ensure she knows that you will pay her all monies owed for example offer to pay a higher weekly rent to cover the arrears and then revert to monthly payments (landlords think everyone is out to gip them as it does go both ways). Ideally if you could get a credit union or bank loan to pay her off altogther rather than worrying unnessessarily about being thrown out.

Also check with MABS or Community Welfare Officer for any supports.

justamummy

Plazaman, my thoughts exactly. My DP spoke to her on the phone about 2pm and then she sent a text just after 3pm giving us until 25th July to clear all of it. She also said that we owe 3 months rent, not 2.

Agree totally that our finances were out of control. Two houses, two banks just does not work. Time to get my control freak back and take complete control of the finances.

We don't have a rent book. Have a receipt for deposit and March's rent. Also have a bin full of her builders rubbish which we have to dispose of. A shed full of junk which she was getting rid of. A front door key that doesn't work unless you jiggle it for about 5 minutes. A porch door which is hanging off. Cupboard doors which are broken in the sitting room. A smoke alarm which is part of the alarm system that needs fixing as it's constantly beeping and she hasn't done that either. A lawn mower with a broken flex to cut the lawn. Now the back door key isn't working properly either. I hate this house.

Ray Palmer

Easy mistake for both parties to make. You should be able to come to some agreement but try to pay as much as you can in bulk first off. LL can not really kick you out quickly but it is also reasonable to expect somebody to get angry about about it too.

You really should be quite apologetic about not noticing even though she is equally to blame for not noticing.

justamummy

Ray, yes it was TOO easy to make the mistake. LL is blaming the estate agent. I just wish she was as apologetic about fixing all the faults in the house which she hasn't done. I had a very bad feeling about this place from the beginning, wish I had of followed my instincts. I've never been one to owe money like this before. I don't have credit cards and I usually watch my bank account like a hawk and have never been in the red.

Edited to add: off to see CWO now. fx

justamummy

No luck with CWO as my partner is working. My DP is better off dealing with the LL as I get too emotional. If we have no luck with her and she refuses a payment plan would there be a way for us to leave and rent elsewhere? At the end of the day I can't end up homeless so this would have to be an absolute last resort and not something I'd consider lightly, please don't think bad of me for thinking it. I'm getting desperate.

I've not given up trying to find a solution yet. Emailed threshold and got the number for SVdP but it looks like I'm running out of options.

Edited to add: What would be my best options given a worst case scenario?

CiaranC

Whats a DP?

justamummy

dear partner - sorry it's something used on boards elsewhere

ShadowHearth

Lol I tried to decode it aswell, but no luck. It was obvious that is a second half, but newer heard DP.

Sorry for offtopic.

justamummy

Yeah sorry, I usually post on a different board altogether about all things babies lol. Hormones definately not helping atm either. I just get a really bad feeling about this LL, I did from the get go but can't do much about that now. Having browsed through some of the topics here it's pretty obvious that at the end of the contract (presuming the rent is paid up in full too) that our deposit isn't going to be returned to us.

My partner was a plumber before having to take a desk job and she expected him to do a plumbing job for her for nothing. Didn't ask, just told him what she wanted done. He wouldn't ordinarily mind or have a problem with it and is usually the type to help out anyone in trouble without giving it a second thought. Her attitude was jaw dropping which is why I don't expect much from her but we'll see.

John Mason

CiaranC wrote: »

Whats a DP?

"Darling Partner" or other such rubbish

justamummy

irishbird wrote: »

"Darling Partner" or other such rubbish

Lol. Blame it on the baby brain. Need to get used to the lingo on here I'm afraid. I've only started using any kind of boards this year so still have a lot to learn.