Rental nightmare in coastal Cornwall (and coastal Devon, IoW)

[No One]

On 20/08/2021 at 12:27, Wight Flight said:

We have a 92 year old couple in the same boat.

Council say there is nothing they can do. Looks like they might need to move to the mainland for their final days.

Unless you are a fucking Afghan the council won't do shit for you

[Wight Flight]

Quite a depressing read, but shows what is going on.

https://m.facebook.com/groups/725506081415166/permalink/856456144986825/?m_entstream_source=feed_mobile&anchor_composer=false

[sleepwello'nights]

1 hour ago, Wight Flight said:

Quite a depressing read, but shows what is going on.

https://m.facebook.com/groups/725506081415166/permalink/856456144986825/?m_entstream_source=feed_mobile&anchor_composer=false

It is depressing. How many Afghan refugees have the  Isle of Wight council officers offered to accept?

[Wight Flight]

12 minutes ago, sleepwello'nights said:

It is depressing. How many Afghan refugees have the  Isle of Wight council officers offered to accept?

None.

Yet.

[eek]

10 hours ago, Wight Flight said:

Quite a depressing read, but shows what is going on.

https://m.facebook.com/groups/725506081415166/permalink/856456144986825/?m_entstream_source=feed_mobile&anchor_composer=false

The sad thing there is that for a lot of people their budget won't get them anything anywhere down south including Portsmouth or Southampton let alone on the island. 

Everyone on that list is well and truly f**ked.

[Frank Hovis]

11 hours ago, sleepwello'nights said:

It is depressing. How many Afghan refugees have the  Isle of Wight council officers offered to accept?

Tbf Cornwall Council doesn't tend to sign up to any of these refugee schemes either, bar maybe a token one family, because there has been such a big social housing problem for decades.

It tends to be the big run down cities that have lots of cheap vacant rentals that take them.

[Noallegiance]

12 hours ago, Wight Flight said:

Quite a depressing read, but shows what is going on.

https://m.facebook.com/groups/725506081415166/permalink/856456144986825/?m_entstream_source=feed_mobile&anchor_composer=false

It's stuff like this that makes me want to buy a big people-carrier just in case.

[eek]

57 minutes ago, Noallegiance said:

It's stuff like this that makes me want to buy a big people-carrier just in case.

Yep - having just revisited that page - the one thing I want to say is don't leave the property you are in until

a) you have moved into your new property 

or

b) a court bailiff arrives with valid paperwork to kick you out

[Wight Flight]

2 hours ago, Noallegiance said:

It's stuff like this that makes me want to buy a big people-carrier just in case.

How would that help?

1 hour ago, eek said:

Yep - having just revisited that page - the one thing I want to say is don't leave the property you are in until

a) you have moved into your new property 

or

b) a court bailiff arrives with valid paperwork to kick you out

The problem with that option is that you would never be able to rent again.

[eek]

8 minutes ago, Wight Flight said:

How would that help?

The problem with that option is that you would never be able to rent again.

Somewhere to live now, versus back of the car...

The simple fact is that were the council being ruthless (as Cornwall are nowadays) leaving your rented property willingly makes your intentionally homeless.

You may not like point b - but it's only at that point does a council actually need to step in and provide any help.

[Wight Flight]

1 minute ago, eek said:

Somewhere to live now, versus back of the car...

The simple fact is that were the council being ruthless (as Cornwall are nowadays) leaving your rented property willingly makes your intentionally homeless.

You may not like point b - but it's only at that point does a council actually need to step in and provide any help.

Normally yes - but how can you live in a minivan without breaking the law? A stealth camper might be an option, but I guess you would need to move every night to avoid being grassed up.

I agree with point b in normal times. But if the council don't have any properties available, they aren't in any position to help no matter what.

[eek]

26 minutes ago, Wight Flight said:

Normally yes - but how can you live in a minivan without breaking the law? A stealth camper might be an option, but I guess you would need to move every night to avoid being grassed up.

I agree with point b in normal times. But if the council don't have any properties available, they aren't in any position to help no matter what.

So go back to my initial point - what are you suggesting the people on the Island do when their tenancy agreement runs out?

So far you've said leave immediately even though they have nowhere to go because

39 minutes ago, Wight Flight said:

The problem with that option is that you would never be able to rent again.

and now you are saying they can't wild camp.

The reason why I highlight point b is because in reality that option although unpleasant is the only option those people have. 

Edited September 2, 2021 by eek

[Wight Flight]

15 minutes ago, eek said:

So go back to my initial point - what are you suggesting the people on the Island do when their tenancy agreement runs out?

So far you've said leave immediately even though they have nowhere to go because

and now you are saying they can't wild camp.

The reason why I highlight point b is because in reality that option although unpleasant is the only option those people have. 

We will need to move somewhere else in the country. Or sofa surf if they have enough friends with room.

 

Edited September 2, 2021 by Wight Flight

[Frank Hovis]

44 minutes ago, Wight Flight said:

Normally yes - but how can you live in a minivan without breaking the law? A stealth camper might be an option, but I guess you would need to move every night to avoid being grassed up.

I agree with point b in normal times. But if the council don't have any properties available, they aren't in any position to help no matter what.

 

People live in them for ages even if it is against the law; it only makes the news when the council eventually gets off its arse and moves them on whereupon you get the sob story.

The below is a story of a mother and three children who took up 25 spaces in Coverack car park, right by the very nice beach, for eleven years.

Why pay rent to live in an idyllic seaside location?

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-36077822

 

[spygirl]

16 hours ago, Wight Flight said:

Quite a depressing read, but shows what is going on.

https://m.facebook.com/groups/725506081415166/permalink/856456144986825/?m_entstream_source=feed_mobile&anchor_composer=false

Thats just the way it is,

 I cant help noticing that the majotirry look like single parents andor young couples.

Locally, the similar people tend to have to move to Loftus (~5 miles away) Iir Pickering (~20miles).

If you are young,, low income or needing social hosu8ngign then you have little choice in where you can be housed.

The issue with IOW is that ~20 miles away has a lot of water in the way.

The people saying 'and Ive a dog' are just setting themselves up for failure. Dont have pets until your housing is secure.

 

 

 

[Wight Flight]

17 minutes ago, spygirl said:

Thats just the way it is,

 I cant help noticing that the majotirry look like single parents andor young couples.

Locally, the similar people tend to have to move to Loftus (~5 miles away) Iir Pickering (~20miles).

If you are young,, low income or needing social hosu8ngign then you have little choice in where you can be housed.

The issue with IOW is that ~20 miles away has a lot of water in the way.

The people saying 'and Ive a dog' are just setting themselves up for failure. Dont have pets until your housing is secure.

 

 

 

I am none of those things but will still most likely end up homeless myself next year.

And those that can bid £1200 per month will need to be earning £36k per annum, so not really low paid by Island standards.

Edited September 2, 2021 by Wight Flight

[spygirl]

2 minutes ago, Wight Flight said:

I am all none of those things but will still most likely end up homeless myself next year.

And those that can bid £1200 per month will need to be earning £36k per annum, so not really low paid by Island standards.

But can they bid 1200/m?

What are the IOW LHA levels?

 

[Wight Flight]

8 minutes ago, spygirl said:

But can they bid 1200/m?

What are the IOW LHA levels?

 

Lots seem to be able to. 

LHA is £720 for a three bed. They have no chance. That won't get you a 1 bed flat in most places now.

[eek]

Current rates are

Shared Accommodation Rate: £71.50 per week

One Bedroom Rate: £103.56 per week

Two Bedrooms Rate: £132.33 per week

Three Bedrooms Rate: £166.85 per week

Four Bedrooms Rate: £205.97 per week

Looking at that and current actual rates - its going to be interesting in seeing what Rishi does next year.

If he allows LHA rates to be increased it's going to add £bns to the housing benefit bill and while that would help the people in that facebook forum it won't help those who actual pay their rent out of their hard earned money. 

Edited September 2, 2021 by eek

[Wight Flight]

11 minutes ago, eek said:

Current rates are

Shared Accommodation Rate: £71.50 per week

One Bedroom Rate: £103.56 per week

Two Bedrooms Rate: £132.33 per week

Three Bedrooms Rate: £166.85 per week

Four Bedrooms Rate: £205.97 per week

Looking at that and current actual rates - its going to be interesting in seeing what Rishi does next year.

If he allows LHA rates to be increased it's going to add £bns to the housing benefit bill and while that would help the people in that facebook forum it won't help those who actual pay their rent out of their hard earned money. 

A lot of the people on that group aren't on benefits. They are just normal working bods like myself.

If LHA rates go up, all of us not on benefits lose twice over.

[eek]

23 minutes ago, Wight Flight said:

A lot of the people on that group aren't on benefits. They are just normal working bods like myself.

If LHA rates go up, all of us not on benefits lose twice over.

Yep and based on what you've told us about the Isle of Wight rental market, LHA are going to increase a lot unless someone blocks them increasing next April.

[Bobthebuilder]

1 minute ago, eek said:

Yep and based on what you've told us about the Isle of Wight rental market, LHA are going to increase a lot unless someone blocks them increasing next April.

I used to live in a LHA in east London, the house prices and rents went through the roof when the rich started moving in. The LHA rent was to treble over a two-year period, fine if you are on bennies, unfortunately I was not so, had to move.

[gibbon]

21 hours ago, eek said:

Somewhere to live now, versus back of the car...

The simple fact is that were the council being ruthless (as Cornwall are nowadays) leaving your rented property willingly makes your intentionally homeless.

You may not like point b - but it's only at that point does a council actually need to step in and provide any help.

I doubt the council will help a single male. I know a single female who was on incapacity benefit, got evicted and council stuck her in one of those shared houses full of degenerate scum ran by Mr Patel. She was on the housing list and imagine had a decent amount of points, still took years before the council gave her a proper flat in an area which wasn't full of feral scum.

If you got kids and/or a rapefugee you got a chance though.

 

 

[gibbon]

On 01/09/2021 at 21:55, Wight Flight said:

Quite a depressing read, but shows what is going on.

https://m.facebook.com/groups/725506081415166/permalink/856456144986825/?m_entstream_source=feed_mobile&anchor_composer=false

Very quick look at that and shooting from the hip, but having a look at a few of the profiles and i'm guessing most on their are in receipt of housing benefit and are just being outbid by people with jobs? Landlords cashing in as people want to move and live somewhere which isn't a fucking hell hole like a lot of our large cities now. A working couple with a combined income of £70k-£80k aren't going to blink and paying £1k+ a month for a small house. Just a room in a shared house round here will set you back £600+ p/m. 

[eek]

33 minutes ago, gibbon said:

Very quick look at that and shooting from the hip, but having a look at a few of the profiles and i'm guessing most on their are in receipt of housing benefit and are just being outbid by people with jobs? Landlords cashing in as people want to move and live somewhere which isn't a fucking hell hole like a lot of our large cities now. A working couple with a combined income of £70k-£80k aren't going to blink and paying £1k+ a month for a small house. Just a room in a shared house round here will set you back £600+ p/m. 

@Wight Flight pointed out above that a lot of these people are not on benefits - although some clearly are.

The issue is that local wages are low and the demands are coming from newcomers with remote jobs that pay well beyond the local average salary and airbnb / holiday rentals that are vastly more profitable when you can change for a week more than you make in a month (or multiple months) rent.

It's the reason I'm watching that market so closely as something is going to have to give and the end results are going to be fascinating to watch (from a distance). Were I local and renting I would be scared completely because there is no easy fix here. 

Edited September 3, 2021 by eek