I've decided to post this in the Homelessness section, despite there being several issues at once and I need your advice, but mods, feel free to move this to a different section if necessary.

My situation:

- Just about to become 50

- Have lived in a terrible and dodgy guest house for 2.5 years. It wasn't dodgy and terrible when I went there

- When I went there I had a job and a single room. Now I've been on the dole for some time (on and off) and I am forced to share a room with other people.

- New people and new staff have come through the years and they have brought... how can I say.. dirtbags! Dodgy and abusive gits, people with a hefty criminal record, etc.

- The owners are the same but have given up on patrolling the place. They only come every now and again.

- Over the months I've been verbally abused by both staff and guests, mainly because I'm not in their circle of booze and drugs and what have you. This afternoon I was threatened by a fellow guest for petty reasons. I managed to speak to the owners. One of them says he'll do what he can but I can't trust him anymore.

- I'm struggle to find a job and leaving the place immediately is not an option. Virtually no landlord would rent to a 50yo unemployed, at least not in my area. So, in other owrds, I'm stuck here.

- Part of the staff (the dodgy ones) hate me and they told me straight in my face that they'll do what they can to convince the landlords to kick me out (I have no formal rental contract. I pay month to month) and I think they are very close to their goal.

So my questions are:

1) In the immediate what can I do? I was thinking of calling the police but what can they do? And the landlords have already hinted that if I call the police, my future at the place is at stake.

2) If they do kick me out, can I receive help as homeless? I'm on benefits, but I have some savings (under £6k).

Please I beg you not to think I'm just an intentional bum. I was in IT circa 10-15 years ago but my career is finished and I have nowhere to go. Thanks for reading.

Hi

Are you sure this is a Guest House? sounds more like a Hostel

Did you decide to move into a Guest House yourself or were you placed there?

You are in a difficult situation especially if you cannot easily move elsewhere.

Now I am going to mention the Police and they Council, with both of these you insist that you wish to remain anonymous.

Contact the Police to arrange a meeting the your local community officer at a suitable venue and explain what is going on in the Guest House and insist that you want to remain anonymous due to the threats made against you.

The Council ask to speak to the department that deals with Guest Houses and make a formal complaint to them and that it should also be passed to the anti social behaviour team and again that you wish to remain anonymous due to the threats.

Look up all the different Housing Associations / Council Housing in your area and get a Housing Application filled in for each one as this gets you added to there housing list and at least you are on there waiting lists for housing (yes it can take some time to even get an offer) make sure if you move to inform them as most will annually review if you want to remain on list and if no response from you then removed from list so this is important.

This PDF may be of use:

Incident Log-with form fields -----.pdf

It is also worth contacting Shelter, either a personal visit or call to the nearest office, or using their online chat service: https://www.shelter.org.uk/

I have found spareroom to be quite useful for locating lodgings and lodgers. Have used it to source a lodger in the past, and I was quite happy to accept HB from the right applicant. There are avenues that you can explore, so don't give up hope of finding somewhere decent even if it means looking in different areas of the country.

Hi

 

Are you sure this is a Guest House? sounds more like a Hostel

It was a proper guest house; now it looks like a halfway house, but legally this is not a social hostel. They are on booking.com and a few other portals.

Did you decide to move into a Guest House yourself or were you placed there?

I decided it myself. I was working back then and it was at a stone's throw from work

You are in a difficult situation especially if you cannot easily move elsewhere.

 

Now I am going to mention the Police and they Council, with both of these you insist that you wish to remain anonymous.

 

Contact the Police to arrange a meeting the your local community officer at a suitable venue and explain what is going on in the Guest House and insist that you want to remain anonymous due to the threats made against you.

 

The Council ask to speak to the department that deals with Guest Houses and make a formal complaint to them and that it should also be passed to the anti social behaviour team and again that you wish to remain anonymous due to the threats.

 

Look up all the different Housing Associations / Council Housing in your area and get a Housing Application filled in for each one as this gets you added to there housing list and at least you are on there waiting lists for housing (yes it can take some time to even get an offer) make sure if you move to inform them as most will annually review if you want to remain on list and if no response from you then removed from list so this is important.

 

This PDF may be of use:

 

[ATTACH]72205[/ATTACH]

Thanks.

It is also worth contacting Shelter, either a personal visit or call to the nearest office, or using their online chat service:

Shelter have told me they can only deal me if and when I am evicted, and also they said that, prospectively, they wouldn't consider it as a proper eviction as there's no rental contract. The CAB in my area is pretty much useless.

Hi

 

 

 

This PDF may be of use:

 

[ATTACH]72205[/ATTACH]

Hi Stu007,

have you got an excel spreadsheet copy of this pdf? It's very difficult for me to edit. Thanks.

Hi charles1975

Its in PDF Format only.

Could I ask what issue your having with the PDF?

Hi charles1975

 

Its in PDF Format only.

 

Could I ask what issue your having with the PDF?

I find it difficult to fill it and edit.

I'll make a spreadsheet version myself.