Help needed to stay in Sydenham...

[Leese]

Hello all

Since I'm new to the forum I hate my first post to be a want, but I'm looking for somewhere to live in Sydenham. I wonder if anyone can help, because I find myself in a bit of a rubbish situation.

I have lived up on Bishopsthorpe for the last 3.5 years and sadly my landlord has decided to sell the flat so I have to leave *sniffs*. I love the area and I'm really keen to stay if possible. The problem I have is I'm not currently working - you might have seen me bimbling around the high street or going round Mayow Park on my crutches - I am on disability benefits temporarily. This is creating a bit of an issue. A huge one.

I am a very reliable tenant and can provide excellent references from Property World on the high street. My rent is currently covered in full by LHA and I can manage some extra on top so I'm looking to pay up to about 950 and once I've had some rehabilitation for my injury/condition, which should be within the next 4 months, all being well, I hope to be going back to work. I'm also preferably looking for ground floor, because of my disability. I have a deposit ready and can pay several months' rent up front if necessary. Finances are not the issue - my status is.

I have had my two months' notice from said landlord, the clock is ticking and the forces are not with me...

Can anyone help, or point me in the direction of someone who can? Do you know anyone letting a flat who might be willing to consider me? Naturally, none of the agents along the high street (apart from the lovely chaps at PW, who, knowing I am a very reliable and conscientious tenant are trying their hardest to find me something else before time runs out) will touch me with someone else's bargepole :-/

I love it here and I so don't want to leave - I would be so grateful for any help.

Many thanks,

Lisa

[dickp]

Spareroom.com / easyroomate.com search for local people renting out rooms in house shares. Advertisers specify whether or not they accept dss , how many people in property and their biogs including age. Realistically you'll be sharing with one other. Minimum let time also searchable if you're looking for a stopgap place.

[Leese]

Unfortunately sharing isn't really an option due to the disability stuff - I do need my own place, but thank you for the suggestion.

I'm hoping that perhaps someone might know an amenable landlord, or be looking to let their flat out (or know of someone who is) to someone who'll religiously pay the rent on time and take exceptionally good care of it

L

[Leese]

Still haven't found anywhere. Can anyone recommend any avenues I might try locally? Lettings agents are no good to me because I'm getting housing benefit and they won't accept me. I'm scouring Gumtree every day for private rentals but can't find anything in Sydenham at all - nobody seems to be advertising anywhere :-/ Am I missing something?

[marymck]

Have you spoken with the Council? I know they have waiting lists, but you're about to be homeless and you're currently disabled.

You seem to me to meet the criteria for help from SHIP ...

https://www.lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/ ... eless.aspx

[Leese]

I have, although they haven't been very helpful. I need to get back to them on Monday; I spoke to them twice on the phone last week and two separate people said they would send me the forms, but I haven't received anything. I had held off for a couple of days because I thought I had a potential down in Meadowview through my current agent, but I saw it yesterday and although I desperately tried to make it work in my head, it just wasn't suitable, access wise (12 very steep steps up to it).

I would far rather find somewhere locally who would be willing to accept me than end up in council B&B, which I suspect is the alternative, if they offer me anything at all.

The annoying thing is I've never been late with my rent, ever; I'm not a stereotypical 'DSS tenant', I'm not doing the 'benefits as a lifestyle choice and pocketing the HB money' thing and yet I'm being tarred with that brush. I just want somewhere to live Preferably in this end of Sydenham, because I really like it here; everything is so accessible for me.

[marymck]

Have you spoken with your ward councillors? You could ask Chris Best for her advice/help.

Quadrant do a shared ownership scheme, but you need to be on the council waiting list and have approx £4000 for deposit/legal fees, I believe. You should have no problem at least getting on the council waiting list. Even if nothing comes of it, it's worth doing, as being on the list may open other doors for you.

[Leese]

I can't do shared ownership sadly - I'm not working because of my disability/medical condition; I'm on ESA, which is why nobody will accept me. Unfortunately that also disqualifies me from owning because I won't be able to get a mortgage. I just need a landlord who'll be willing to rent to me - the prejudice against benefit claimants is just horrendous, I've never seen anything like it. Nobody will take into account the fact that I'm a model tenant with good references who's never been late with her rent; the rules say 'no DSS', so I'm outta luck. Literally none of the agents on the high street will accept me, apart from Property World, because that's who I'm renting through at the moment and they trust me - but they don't have anything suitable.

I'm trying really hard to get on the list. I don't know why they haven't sent me the forms. Two separate people said they would and they just didn't bother. One other person said I needed to 'present myself' at Eros house, but that's only for people who are going to be made homeless within 28 days, which I'm not because I'm still on my notice period.

[marymck]

Do try the ward councillors. Chris posts on here, so she may read this anyway, or you could PM her.

These are the e-mail addresses for your three ward councillors.

cllr_chris.best@lewisham.gov.uk

cllr_marion.nisbet@lewisham.gov.uk

cllr_liam.curran@lewisham.gov.uk

I think making you wait till you enter the 28 day period is crazy and achieves nothing but causing you stress. Who could possibly want things to come to a crisis?

[dickp]

Although you've ruled it out, I'm going to return to the issue of house-shares. You're probably now at the stage now where beggars can't be choosers, if you'll excuse the phrase, if the alternative is an even worse B&B.

There are 10 properties on spareroom.com right now covering Sydenham and the surrounding area that claim to have disabled access. True, all say "No DSS", but that maybe up for negotiation if you explain your situation.

The room below is petty big - and I'm guessing it has lift access. I reckon it's in the block near the Sydenham Sava centre. The owner will also consider short-term lets, if you need somewhere to tide you over until you find somewhere more permanent. It's got a live-in 32-year old female landlord, which means the person you'd be living with is the person that would be able to say "yes" or "no" to whether they'd be willing waive the "no DSS" rule.

http://www.spareroom.co.uk/flatshare/fl ... ode%3Dlist&

[Leese]

I'm 42 years old and disabled. Trust me, I can not do a houseshare.

I do appreciate the suggestion but it just not an option for me I'm afraid. I need my own place. I'm perfectly capable of paying for my own place - I'm entitled to the LHA rate for a 2-bedroomed flat so I can have a carer in overnight if necessary, so my budget is probably higher than many working peoples', even. I just can not find anyone to accept me, purely because I claim benefits and am not working because of my medical condition. It is not a financial issue of not being able to afford it and needing to downgrade to a houseshare; it is a prejudice issue in that many landlords/almost all lettings agents will *not* accept tenants on benefits and tar everyone with the same brush, whether they're choosing a 'benefits lifestyle' and keeping hold of their housing benefit and not paying the rent, or honest people like me who pay their rent on time and just need somewhere to live.

Please, if you know anyone who can help, someone who is letting a flat in the area, a letting agent who may be willing to bend the 'rules' for me, please point them in the direction of this thread and ask them to contact me.

Thank you for the councillors details - I'm not sure exactly what they do or how they can help, can anyone enlighten me?

[marymck]

Thank you for the councillors details - I'm not sure exactly what they do or how they can help, can anyone enlighten me?

If you contact the Councillors, I'm sure they can enlighten you. If you don't get help from the current ones, try the candidates too. Their duties include ...

effectively represent the interests of their Ward and of individual constituents;
respond to constituents' enquiries and representations, fairly and impartially;

Nothing to be lost by asking