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Housing - Renting

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SAL

Member since
December 2021

895 posts

Posted Wed April 5, 2023 1:07pmReport post

In brief I was looking to buy somewhere as my current house is too small for my partner and his dogs. Several houses have now fallen through and I'm not sure I can put myself through it again so I'm looking at renting and this brings with it whole load of other other hoops and understanding to work through.

I've not rented for a long time.

Do estate agents ask whether tenants have criminal convictions? If so do they ask what they are for?

How does this work with the PO? He's currently in prison and will be assigned a PO in the same authority as the prison / where he use to live.

I'd be getting a tenancy in my own name and moving their prior to his release but would need to make sure he could be added at some point. Will this be a problem from the PO perspective? Although ideally I'd like to have him added at the start of the agreement.

This feels like a whole other bag of worms I need to unpack and understand. I can't think of the specific question I need, want or might need to ask.

Anyone's experience around the subject would be much appreciated.

Edited Wed April 5, 2023 1:10pm

SAL

Member since
December 2021

895 posts

Posted Wed April 5, 2023 6:16pmReport post

Thanks Lee. I'll talk to the two charities. We were worried the PO would want to know he was authorised to live there? Or that the agents would have issue with someone living there that wasn't on the agreement?

The dogs are what makes it difficult and one of the reasons (along with no having to worry about him being allowed to live in a rental property of not on the agreement) I looked at buying. They aren't small dogs either.

Upset mum

Member since
June 2020

2403 posts

Posted Wed April 5, 2023 6:59pmReport post

Evening SAL

I have been private renting for years, I don't have a deposit to buy and as I work full time the council dont want to know, I have just my name on the tenancy , we have a long way to go before my son gets out but before the knock he was with me but as were my other 2 and they are not on the tenancy agreement, I also have a dog she is an ambull but I just said she was a medium size dog , they accepted that xx

SAL

Member since
December 2021

895 posts

Posted Wed April 5, 2023 7:46pmReport post

Thanks Upset, that's helpful to know about them not needing to be on the tenancy - Gives me a bit of hope.

I feel that I'm experiencing a lot of the logistical headaches most people experience at the beginning of this journey, I'm about to start experiencing.

SAL

Member since
December 2021

895 posts

Posted Wed April 5, 2023 8:25pmReport post

I still have 8 months to go, so in renting timescales I have time. But it's tight for buying something though, even if I could put myself through the process again (2 houses have fallen through now) and it's hard finding something in my budget that we can be reasonably confident will be an approved premise (not near schools or having shared access).

He could come home to mine on release for a while and we could then look for somewhere together (he wants to buy) but he's nervous probation won't let him move and we'll be stuck at my house for 2 years. The person that is kindly looking after his dogs is keen to offload them and is one of the reasons staying at mine is not suitable long term.

It is a relief to know he wouldn't need to be on the tenancy - One less hurdle.

SAL

Member since
December 2021

895 posts

Posted Thu April 6, 2023 7:45amReport post

Yes, I'd be buying in my name and I thought this would be securer in terms of him being able to live with me, but I'm feeling more confident about being able to rent somewhere for us now. Unfortunately there is very little to rent in rhr part of the country we were hoping to be do I've started looking at a different area.

Thanks for the reminder about PACT. He's spoken to them before from prison do I'll ask him to call them to find out about renting, places to avoid and moving whilst on licence.