I have just received two letters from a solicitor acting for the freeholder of the flat. We are currently in arrears on the ground rent on our flat. It isn't a huge amount, £250. Unfortunately I have been off work due to disability for the last two years. First letter was dated 23rd March. It demanded payment of the account in full within 7 days. They also added £180 in admin fees for the landlord and a further £120 in legal fees for the solicitor. Second letter was dated 1st April. It says they have choice but to issue proceedings as they have not heard from us. They have added a further £69 bringing the total due to £619. They have now also contacted our mortgage lender as well. We only received both letters today. The reason being is that we collect our post from the local sorting office every few days. (We have had issues with post going missing in the building previously) This has caused a huge amount of distress and I wanted to figure out where I stood and the best course of action. I'm a little bit perturbed that they think they can issue a demand for full payment within 7 days of the date of the letter when that covers Easter. Should I contact the landlord on Monday or the solicitor? Some notes. We don't seem to have received any "final demand" or similar from the landlord. Also, the letter of the 23rd of March includes a latest statement dated the 22nd of March. We haven't received that from the landlord. The last contact from the landlord was an application for payment dated 27th November 2015 Looking back over things we had a "final reminder" dated October 2015.

Hi all, My landlord agreed to break my tenancy early, at roughly the 6 month mark into a 12 month tenancy (which had no break clause to begin with). So it was completely in their power to decide on end dates for the tenancy. I also agreed to pay any re-letting fees. I have finally received the following communication from the lettings agent today. So it seems like the lettings agent is attempting to pull a quick one on me, and charge me an extra weeks worth of rent (roughly £200) when I am not even occupying the flat. In addition to this, they want to charge me £300 for the re-letting fees (which they said would be deducted from the deposit). Is this reasonable? I know I agreed to pay this, but if it is an absurd amount, perhaps asking them for a breakdown of the costs might help? What are my rights in this situation? Many thanks fellow CAGers. EDIT: Also forgot to ask - when am I allowed to cancel my standing order with the bank? My next payment is due on the 3rd of the next month, and I obviously won't be staying for the whole period...

Hello I would like to get some advice please. Me and my partner are both are on IVA and on year 2. 2.5 years ago we decided to rent out a property and our contract expires end of March 2016 , idealy we would like to move out of the flat asap to a house as its small and a lot of condensation the letting agency advised us of 2 months notice period – which was fine (last date 31st April). The letting agency found someone to move in end of March (what we originally wanted) and asked if we can leave early- which we accepted. Now the problem we are having is every property that we express interest seems to go quick or the letting agency are awkward in terms of timings for viewings another challenge we have is the checks that the lettings do me and my partner are on IVA this will flag up and they may require a guarantor, which unfortunately we don’t have bcause a lot of our family’s are on benefits and elderly. We are looking at private landlords and not a lot are coming by because some are too big or too small. Both of us work, I work full time and she works part time (no kids), combined wage of nearly 30k a year and I fear that by end of March we may become homeless. I spoke to SHELTER on Sunday to discuss this and they weren’t as helpful as I thought as they kept stating that I should not have accepted the early leave until I found a place, but what they couldn’t understand is that I will be in same position by April anyway and no landlord would be willing to wait for 2 months, so my search for new property would fall in to April anyway. Because I have got factors which I got no control over, where do I stand. I guess im looking for someone to offer me advise to speak to Council maybe? Please help

Just after some advice, we live in a new-ish build which of course was built in a week or so and using cheap materials means that the ventilation is awful in bathrooms with no windows. We use the fans every time we have a shower but the mould still grew. Add to the fact there's 2 en suites in this little flat. Long story short, the LL has told us we need to move out as work will take around 2 months. Our tenancy is 6 months until January and we're just wondering where we stand in terms of finding a new place. What if we can't find a place within the time they serve the 2 months notice (I hear 2 months written by the LL is the usual way) Thank you.

Eldest daughter is just about to move out of a house she rents with three friends in London- it's rented and managed by one of the bigger London agents. They are all listed on the tenancy agreement. She's been there several years and the tenancy agreement has been extended etc. There is provision in the contract to move out mid tenancy, subject to a charge, and various conditions, including finding a replacement tenant. She's been made aware of the Right to Rent legislation which appears to apply from 1st Feb by the agent. Now, she's planning to move before 1st Feb, and they have a new tenant lined up and approved by the agency / landlord.. However, she's being told that the other three tenants (who are also within contract) have to have the Right to Rent check done- at a not inconsiderable charge - and that she's likely to have to bear the cost of this. As I understand it, the legislation applies to new tenancies. I would also have thought that said managing agent would have all the documents already on file to satisfy the legislation, taken as part of the screening and reference procedure when they moved in... She's also been told that the fee to change tenant is £50 more than it says in the contract that she signed.. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

My partner and I live in a 1 bed flat in a house conversion. Our bedroom is above the kitchen/living area of the problem tenants below us. For about 2 years we have been complaining to the landlords about the noise from these tenants. They run a loud extractor fan at all hours of the day and night, bang doors and cupboards, shout at each other and their kids. Now they have a crying baby!! The walls are paper thin to the point where the heating cannot keep the room warm at all. The landlords have written them multiple "warning" letters and had one meeting with them, where they agreed to keep the noise down. This didn't happen. We kept complaining so there was a meeting between us and these tenants, which they denied making the noises. Again it didn't change. I then wrote a formal complaint, in which they reply was saying we are now alleging the noises are happening, even though in the past we have provided recordings of their noise! They also said if we agree to have the landlords come around and do a sound test (which involved one person in our room and one below shouting and banging doors). It clearly to them failed. They have now organised their building contractors to come around to investigate further - but their solution was a bead of silicone around the skirting boards?? This is yet to happen but will not solve the issue. Are we within our rights now to start formally telling the landlords that we are withholding rent payments until this problem is fixed?? It's reached a point where my partner now sleeps on the couch in our living area because the noise is just too much. The other issue is parts of our flat and the building are i believe not up to fire safety standard. By the way the landlords own the entire building. When we first moved in the building inspector and the boss builder did an inspection. The large window in our bedroom needed to be replaced - it was classed as a fire escape and should remain completely open to roll out of. But it just keeps shutting. The builder was told to replace it. Also our front door should have a furry seal around the edge, but didn't and again, should have been installed. To this day, 2 and a half years later, they have still not been corrected. Are the landlords in breach of our contract and fire safety standards?? Could we ask for a rent reduction perhaps?? And should we seek some form of legal advice?? We are at a loss here - the landlords do nothing and the only time you really here from them is to do with rent payments. We are contracted until mid 2107, and couldn't afford to move now, unless the landlords gave us our full deposit back before we moved out - not going to happen! If anyone has any sort of advice, it would be greatly appreciated. Or any more elaboration about anything i have written, please leave a post. THANK YOU!!!!

I have a terraced house with a lease that is 999 years old in July this year I received a ground rent demand with additional admin charges totalling £198 I panicked and wasn't sure what to do I thought the extra admin charge was ludicrous and wrote back to them but receive no reply since then I have received additional ground rent demands and on 9 December received a letter from a firm of solicitors Landau and cohen demanding an extra £180 (£150 plus Vat) the ground rent demand is for the period 1/4/11-1/4/2015 which is £6 with fees added on top the bill now stands at £384 the letter is threatening possession of the property I am trying to get a copy of the lease from my solicitor or the land registry company Any help or advice is greatly appreciated

Hi, A very good friend of mine is to help me out by renting a room from me and living with me to help with the garden, house etc. He also cooks meals etc due to my disability. My health is much improved, I still have to be careful to avoid a relapse. He is in full time work and I do not claim benefits. However occasionally he does get a small top up of UC when his wages are very low. Therefore I think I may need a formal template since he has just left his bedsit?? I do not know.

This is a continuation to the thread that was previously closed entitled Letting Agent not pretected tenants deposits (M&W). We were wondering if there are people out there who are still owed money by Lucy Sly and Jon Clements? We are a landlord and at this time, they are not returning the entire deposit to our tenant and several months rent has not being passed to us therefore they owe us over £7000. We have spoken to the police, action fraud and have advised lawyers. Are there landlords in similar situations? We are going to visit Jon's Office in St. Leonards next week. Has anyone been there?

Let us imagine.I hear many things. In my day,when you bought a house you did it up over time and that was that. Looked for a cheap house perhaps a little run down and bought it. Then spent many years saving a little and spending on your home. But i hear whispers,ok cannot be proved and i have not the time to delve to deep. Many landlords may have contacts and when a cheap house comes up puff,it is bought as quick as that. The first time buyers have no chance.Does this happen,perhaps you can tell me. I am not in a big town but i spoke to one landlord who had one hundred properties. And another who together with a few others connected to estate agents had 400 properties. Rents for some of these properties make me laugh,and because these are so high i have heard some landlords get ripped off,take anybody who says they will pay the rent. Instead of lowering it a touch and getting decent tenants. When finally many weeks later and the house is wrecked,just brush it off. Has many properties so perhaps expected. And if what i have heard is true,word gets passed round and the same happens again. And one is doing this over and over again.Now this part i can not understand at all. Maybe he is just stupid. So many will hopefully read between the lines of this short thread and say what you think of modern day living. And first time buyers and landlords in general.And tenants and rents that many must find it is hard to pay. And if first time buyers who deserve their chance in their local towns and cities are losing out through underhand practices this should be sorted by some sort of law,or changes to how houses are sold.Do you think this is reasonable. What can be done. Something seems to be building. Do you know strange things that are going on in your town,city. I will be very interested on what you will say i hope of your experiences in your place you call home. If renting for six months perhaps.You never know. Some places i believe in France have 10 year leases.At least you would feel secure. And am i imaging how run down the outside of many tenanted properties are. Inside maybe ok,or maybe not. But outsides that many you see are clearly not maintained. Not the gardens the properties themselves. Do councils have to check these out when let. Have a team to check this ,the property is in fair shape for letting out. Independant people.And teams. Things need improving. But that is my view,and expect some reaction. I feel some thumping at the door. Come on in and introduce yourself.

Wondered if anyone has experience of this. My daughter rents a studio flat through an Estate Agent and has decided to move into a larger flat with her sister through the same agent. They have someone new for the studio flat and have set a date for 5 December for her to move. They have now e mailed to say that the new client for the studio cannot move in till 22 December so my daughter must pay 2 rents from 5 to 22 Dec - £227. The new person was prepared to move in earlier but just seems to have changed her plans. Does this sound fair that we have to pay 2 rents? Would appreciate any advice. Many thanks.

Hi, I recently moved out of a room I was renting in a shared flat. I gave what I thought was supposed to be one months notice about a week before my contract ended. After giving my notice my landlord informed me that it was supposed to be two months notice and I would have to pay rent until they found a replacement tenant for the second moth. I then told the landlord that I would stay for the two months. He said that I can't stay two months as he wouldn't be able to find a new tenant that close to Christmas. After I emailed him telling I would be staying for the months if there's a chance I would have to pay for it anyway he replied saying I was messing him around and I should move out immediately. After this I phoned him and we agreed that I would move out in two weeks. It has now been 10 days since I moved out. I have emailed him several times about my deposit and still haven't had any reply. Where do I stand with this? My contract does say that I should give two months notice but then he said I couldn't live there for the two months and to move out immediately. Is it worth using the ADR of the deposit protection scheme or should I just accept that I won't get my full deposit back? Thanks.

My son rents out a property via an estate agent, despite repeated requests they are not releasing the rent. They have held this cash for 22 days now, blaming everything from money laundering to slow bacs payments. What can he do to make them pay the rent into his account.

Basically I signed (with a friend) a lease for a 2 bed property in London through a well known letting agent. The Landlord had agreed etc, I paid a £500 deposit, had references checked from my current landlord and employer. Everything was approved, then we ring up today to ask about signing the real contract and were told the landlord was pulling out because apparently he/she found damp and is selling the property. (My guess is he/she found someone willing to pay higher outside of the letting agent), can't know for sure. This obviously leaves me and my friend in a sticky situation because we have both given our notice in that we are leaving our current property. We were due to move in around 2 weeks time. The landlord has no reason to believe we won't pay/will be bad tenants, the property had 5 offers (in one day) and he/she chose us. Any legal recourse here? Temporary accommodation/landlord or letting agent has to provide a similar property at the rate agreed etc? To say I'm frustrated is an understatement.....we spend around 3 months looking for the place we signed for. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Hi all, Looking for a little help. My daughter recently found a suitable property to rent so signed up with the estate agents and decided t rent the flat, which was sold to her as £450 including water and electric (I was present when she was told this) they took a deposit of £200 plus the signing on fee and she was told that there would be an initial £100 charge towards electric and water which she would get back when she informed them of who the gas supplier would be and confirmed she had informed the council regarding her council tax. Her moving date got moved forwards by 2 weeks and then 2 hours before collecting the keys she was told that her flat was still not ready but she could move into another flat for 2 weeks whilst she waited. my daughter then went to sign the direct debit agreement but could not sign for the actual flat as the one she wanted was not ready. At this time she signed for the £550 on the understanding that the £100 would be refunded by the estate agents as above. on moving into the flat she has now found out that the rent is £550 per month including water and gas (not electric as previously stated) as the £100 extra was per month to go "Towards the gas and water bill" I found this excessive as it is only a 1 bedroom flat and this was not what we were initially told. I have spoken to the landlord and informed him of the mistake by the letting agency and he has agreed to refund any monies being held by the estate agents. (he has actually told the estate agents this with me present when I wen to complain) The estate agents are now withholding the money which the landlord has stated could be returned and are being awkward by saying this must be authorised by the managing director who works at the branch but has not answered his personal mobile phone for 3 days. the advert with the estate agents is showing £450 per month but another agency is showing the same property for £550 per month. Where do I stand regarding getting my money back, including my signing on fee and deposits (£1360 in total) and the 2 months rent, as my daughter only signed up with the agency because of this certain apartment. Had she known the proper price of the flat she would not have been able to look at it due to the costs. We have incurred removal costs and taken days off work due to the lies we have been told and I am out of pocket due to the misinformation given to us. the Landlord of the property has been great and understands our situation and is blaming the estate agents totally for this error. Many thanks mbloomers

I like going out to markets.Having a look around. Listening to what people are saying. The banter ,the friendship,feel the atmosphere of the market.The massive variety of goods. A special place. I have noticed in our local market some are struggling. In fact a few are leaving in trouble,owing rent etc. Some have done moonlight flits.Perhaps to scared or embarrassed to face things and certain people. After trying so hard. Perhaps many are just scraping through not making much at all for the graft they put in.And hours worked. So if you are a market trader or know a market trader in your town or city how are things going. Do you think the pound shops,the low cost supermarkets that sell everything that have arrived in the last few years have affected you.Do you think anything lately has affected you. Is your rent fair or do you feel to steep. Choking any hope of profit for you. Did you have a dream that came true. Or did your dream turn into a nightmare for you. Do you think your rent is to high.For the space you have. Are you tied into a long contract,years perhaps. And after a short time you realise it is not going to work and can not get out of the situation. What help and advice was given to you.Before you signed papers,contract,rent agreement ,things like that. If someone before you has tried the same products and failed are you told this may not be a good idea. Maybe you are doing well. Good on you if you are. How are the people next to you doing. Do you feel like changing what you are selling but not able to because of rules. Are you being chased for rent by the market manager. Dreading the day off the week he or she comes round. How do they try to help you if you have found yourself in this situation. He or she obviously knows what is going on. Do you know anybody who has fled,overnight after trying so hard. Just wondering what is going on in your market.In your town or city. Is your market busy or have things gone quiet for the last year or two. What do you think caused things to go quiet. What would you like to change in your market. To help you perhaps.Advertising more,improvements to the market,painting,appearance anything you can think off. Is your market thriving,booming. What do you think made this happen.And why.What caused the upturn. Help others with your experiances Have the Bailiffs ever been in your market to a stressed,worried trader and possessed everything. The dream of being a entrepreneur gone. How has it affected your household,are you in trouble but keeping quiet,just holding on by your fingertips. Do you think if your rents are to high it is time for you to group together and say enough,give us a chance. A united front. Just wondering that is all. Wondering how something that has been in Great Britain so long is doing. From the people that matter the Traders.. If you are a customer of the markets,feel free to pop in and have your say. Without your support the Traders would really be in trouble. Get in there and support them.Feel the atmosphere,check things out. If you are outside looking in a link for you to have your say.Only takes a minute or two. http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/register.php 2.14AM Time to fly. Bye for now Tawnyowl.

Hi I'll break it down as I have a few queries. SITUATION On 3/12/2013 I signed a Subject to Contract form at the letting agents, and paid the deposit, first months rent etc before moving in on 6th January 2014 on a 6 month AST. at the end it then rolled onto a periodic rental, which I then signed up for 12 months fixed contract in December 2014. I received a leaflet called "What is the Tenancy Deposit Scheme" and in my tenancy contract it says "It is protected by the following scheme - The Dispute Service www.tds.gb.com" I do not hold any further information on the deposit. 3-4 weeks ago, the letting agents telephoned me saying I needed to come in to sign up again, and that my landlady is increasing my rent (about 9% per month extra) I explained that as I was looking to buy my first home, I cannot commit to a new 6/12 month tenancy. He said that I had to sign up, and I explained that last year I had been on a periodic contract for 6 months, before renewing for a further 12 months, and my landlady had previously had no problem with this. He then called me back after speaking to my landlady and informed me that she was not happy with this as her financial situation had changed, and she cannot rely on me giving 1 months notice on a periodic tenancy. I explained very politely that I had already given my reason why I am not committing, and he became very pushy saying that house sales take on average 12 weeks to complete, so if I was to start looking in February, then I would be able to move out after the 6 months AST expires in early June. (Ok, no one tells me what to do!) I briefly explained that I'm a first time buyer, and there are plenty of houses in the area with no forward chain, so the sale could be a lot quicker. He then said that if I don't sign up then I would not have much choice, and finding another property for a short-term let whilst waiting for my house purchase to go through would be very difficult, as most agents sign for a minimum of 6 months. I panicked (all bravado went out the window) and offered to give my landlady 2 months notice to quit if she let me stay on a periodic tenancy, and I also agreed to the rent increase. He has phoned me twice, asking me to confirm this. I returned his call after his first voicemail, confirming this with his colleague, and when he called me again and left another message asking me to confirm, I didn't bother returning his call as I was pretty fed up with him by now. Question 1. I emailed the letting agents to ask about the deposit, and they said that they hold a copy of the certificate - would I like to see it? Is this a breach of any law by not automatically providing it to me? TDS website says it cannot find any record of my deposit using the information I provide - name, postcode, deposit amount. Question 2. Even though I have verbally accepted the rent increase, should I receive proper and legal notification of rent increase, before I pay the higher amount in December? Question 3. As I agreed verbally to provide 2 months notice to quit when I go onto a periodic rental tenancy, to avoid my landlady serving me a Section 21, do I have to do this by law? Question 4. My copy of the initial 6 month AST has not been signed by the Landlord/Agent - should it have been? From memory, I think they signed the copy they kept (they had printed off 2 copies, as opposed to giving me a photocopy of the original one). Question 2 and 3 relate to that I really did panic, as I don't want to have to move out for maybe 2 months before moving into the place I hope to buy, as I'm worried how the mortgage lender will view this in terms of credit scoring, making sure I'm on the electoral roll etc. If I do have to commit to the rent increase, and 2 months NTQ then fair enough, I've learnt my lesson for agreeing anything under pressure. It's since I've tried to locate my deposit, that alarm bells are ringing. It took my landlady 6 months last year to replace broken fence panels, which really peeved my neighbours off. They understood it wasn't my fault and that I had chased it up 3 times. When the fence was finally replaced, it was a 3 foot wire one provided by the council (the landlady had bought an ex local authority house conversion flat). Why it took so long, I have no idea. We were all laughing when it was fitted, as had we of known, we would've spent £20 purchasing it ourselves, rather than waiting for the council maintenance department to fit it. The tenant downstairs is a local authority tenant and asked me to contact my landlady as the guttering at the back of the property is leaking badly every time it rains. This was 3.5 weeks ago, and we've heard nothing. Any information is greatly appreciated. Thank you

My living expenses at present are, I pay £18.00 per week for gas and electricity on a budgeting plan,I am a low energy user. I pay £4.00 per week towards council tax. I pay £7.00 per week water rates I pay £8.00 per week for a budgeting loan I pay £6.00 per week towards soap, wash powder, toilet roll, cleaning materials and so on. Total out goings £43.00. I do not have a TV so I do not have to budget for a licence nor do I have any debt as I rely on the budgeting loan to buy my clothes and cover any household expenses repairs/ replacements etc which gives me roughly £150 every 6 months. I receive £73.10 per week JSA so after taking away my priority expenses I am left with £30.10 per week. I am a single healthy male so not worthy of any extra help, I do not have a invisible partner, a child nor a job on the side. My job centre is a 10 mile round trip which I walk to each week, if I use public transport I will not have any money left to eat for that day. If I have to pay 10% towards my rent, which in my case would be £10.00 (£100.00 per week for a single bedroom flat) then I will be left with £20.00 per week a 33% decrease in my income which would leave me with £2.85 per day to spend on food, drink , job hunting , entertainment.

Hi all, I moved into a property in December, the tenancy agreement states £85 per week, it doesn't state anything about per month or per caldendar month. When I moved in I paid a months rent in advance of £340 and a deposit of £340. I had a note left under my door today out of the blue from the landlord asking to call him, I ring him and he says I owe him money as my rent is per calendar month and that I should be paying him £368 per month, yet he's only mentioned this now, is he trying to pull one? I've been paying £340 every 4 weeks since I moved in. I phoned my local council and even they think I am up to date with my rent in their opinion after asking for some advice but I need to know for sure? He's demanding £140 from me plus an extra £28 per month from now on. Thanks.

Hi Caggers My son has got himself into another mess.... He had a joint tenancy (AST 6 month contract). He was unemployed for a while, we gave him money for his rent which he decided not to use for that purpose. The net result was that he ended up at the end of the tenancy with about 4 months of rent arrears; his flatmate also did not pay for at least the final month. The letting agent has now issued a court claim for the rent arrears and a load of other charges (and is of course withholding the deposit - which we paid). Some problems I have spotted: 1. Can the letting agent sue for the rent arrears - surely only the landlord can do this? 2. No LBA was received prior to the papers from MCOL. 3. The figure in the claim has no breakdown, but appears to include the rent arrears from the joint tenant. 4. My son agreed a payment plan with the agent, and made the first payment on this plan. The claim form states that no plan was put into place (we have an email trail showing it did). The claim was only received today, so we have a few days to respond. Any advice on a suitable response (note my son owes some money - but not the total stated on the claim; he is in a position to pay off the arrears in installments). Many thanks Bacon

Hi I am in need of some urgent advice, I am on a short-hold assured joint tenancy agreement and the tenant I am sharing the property with is a friend (soon not to be) has failed to pay his rent, we are now two months in arrears. All he has paid to date is the deposit, have had numerous promises of will pay it tomorrow or this week and still no further, rent is due on the 23rd of each month. Now I have stumped up and paid is share of the rent to the agent to alleviate any problem with the agent, but what can I do? Ideally I want them out now, I have rented the property for 8 months on a short-hold assured joint tenancy prior to the new tenant moving in after the last moved out due to a job relocation. Even though I can afford the rent and bills of the property solely, I am not prepared to let the other tenant now known as squatter to live rent free. He has also not contributed to any bills either. Any advice would be great. Thanks

Hi, I am writing on behalf of a friend of mime, who has a problematic issue regarding rent. In a nutshell, this is the story: My friend is unemployed and is living alone in a housing association flat ( has been for many years), and is receiving benefits...some for a health issue. She has her rent paid by the council....BUT, she has a friend from overseas who is living there also. The friend is NOT claiming any benefits, but did have a small income from a home based job until a few months ago. That has now stopped. The friend comes and goes over to Ireland every now and again, so is not a permanent resident in the one bed flat. However, the council (who knew about the job she had before), insist she has to pay towards the rent, or my friend will have her housing benefit cut by a large percentage. Now, my friend has told the council all the above and asked HOW she can pay or NEEDS to pay having no income at all and is just a friend visiting for periods. The council have asked for the bank statements of my friend's friend, and proof that she is no longer working at the home based job. Does the council have any right to ask for this? also, do they have any right to demand that a visitor (although a long term one, periodically) pays towards the rent WITHOUT HER HAVING AN INCOME?. The flat is a housing association property and not a council dwelling. Any advice would be gratefully received, as this is rather urgent. Many thanks in advance.

My wife and I are mid fifties, currently in social housing, trying to relocate due to health and family reasons. we are unable to move to another social housing property/area other than via a mutual exchange, (which is proving impossible), as "housing associations will only allocate newly vacated properties to working tenants as is now government policy". ( a quote from a housing association employee ). They see people on benefits as unacceptable tenants and "a source of anti-social behaviour". ( another quote from the same housing association employee ). We are unable to rent privately as estate/letting agents will also not accept tenants who are on benefits. (No DSS), probably for the same reasons, though I can't prove it. I'm on benefits due to disability, claiming. ESA and PIP due to physical and mental health issues. Not sure what options are now available.

In my local paper the council are reminding people that due to the roll out of Universal Credit,and the way it is paid, our rents will go 4 weeks into arrears, they are hoping that people affected pay small amount each week from now until December when UC will be rolled out in my area to offset those arrears. There is an option to have UC paid in advance to cover the change over, this advance will be recovered over a 6 month period. If that's right then I will be £75 short on the first 6 payments of UC if I choose to have the advanced payment, which is quite a large proportion of my benefit IMO. It is though they have taken 4 weeks from the future plonked it into the present and said we dont pay benefit for the future so what we will do is loan you the money to get by, but we want it back before the future has arrived, they will soon clock on that they could take 3 months from the future and borrow us all the shortfall if they rolled out UC payments on a quarterly basis saving the government zillions. IDS I salute your accounting wizardry.

I pay rent monthly but it is worked out on a weekly basis. I am granted 2 x week rent free payments per year. For the financial years 2007 - 2008 and 2013 - 2014 I have been charged 51 weeks rent their response to my questioning as follows... "It is wholly possible that the accounting protocols used would set the weekly rent and then multiply it by 50 or 51 but in the context of your query this doesn’t matter. Your query was inclined towards us making charges that sometimes assume that there is more than 52 weeks in a year and the fact is that there is more than 52 weeks in a year. Ie 365 days in the calendar or 366 in a leap year but 52 weeks multiplied by 7 days equals 364 days. This one or two day disparity will occasionally, every few years, even itself out by there being 53 Mondays in a year." I can't argue that there were 53 Mondays in those years but I do not recall there ever being 371 days in the year. Grateful for any assistance or advice on this matter.