Originally Posted by thaminabee

well i am hoping all will go smoothly... my kids are actually excited by the prospect... there is more for them to do there and schooling will be easier...

i am really nervous about this.. as you said uprooting a family is not easy at all... but its a step that we have to take... fingers crossed it will be easy... i know it wont be but i can still hope..

like i said before... the only thing that has held us back is the housing situation... we have been looking into moving back for nearly three years but couldn't find any help or advice on what we should do..

Originally Posted by dunroving

There have been some fly-on-the-wall documentaries lately on how difficult it is to live in the London area if you are relying on housing benefits. As house prices and rental prices have increased, housing benefit doesn't cover rent.

Originally Posted by thaminabee

Hi all....
I have been working and living in the middle east with my husband and kids for five years now... the life is really hard and we have become homesick... we are all British so have no problem with returning.. the main issue I am facing is housing???

how would I be able to sort out housing when I'm not there. now I know there are websites but they also come with the price tags as internet properties do... any advice people on what I could do...

i would really love to relocate back there in July to have time for registering schools and so forth... i was previously living in east London and would like to be there or on the borders lines...

any advice would be greatly appreciated... thanks

Originally Posted by dave2003

Going off topic a little on the subject of renting in the U.K. I was horrified by the fees associated with home or apartment rentals charged by letting agencies or realtors.

One agency I contacted wanted 80 pounds for the first reference check, and 50 pounds for subsequent checks. Should my references have not been to their satisfaction, the fees were non-refundable. In addition this agency charged the renter a monthly maintenance fee on top of the rent due.
I checked around a few other rental / realtor agencies and found much the same thing. And it is all quite legal.

Forty five years ago I was student in London, and at that time, if my memory serves me right, it was illegal for letting agencies to charge a renter a fee. How things have changed.

I will be returning home permanently by the end of this year, and will probably rent until I can find somewhere to buy. But I am damned if I am going to pay letting agency fees.

The Daily Telegraph ran this article on the subject.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/p...f-control.html

Originally Posted by Sally Redux

So you left the country for five years and now every member of the government is supposed to snap to attention sorting out your benefits?

Originally Posted by HartleyHare

As suggested above, search for properties on Rightmove or Zoopla to give you an indication of price. Also, we rent our UK home out and apart from the first months rent we also require a deposit of 1.5 time the monthly rent. Our lettings agents will require a credit check, reference and proof of ability to pay the rent.

In order to be eligible for Housing Benefit (or any benefits) you will firstly have to pass the "Habitual Residence" test as you have been living outside of the UK - I don't know how long this process takes though. You will definitely need to return with enough money to tide you over until you're eligible to claim any benefits.

Housing benefit will only be paid if you meet certain criteria and there is also a cap on the maximum amount that will be paid.

As you mentioned previously living in the East London area, I've attached a link to Newham council to give you and idea of the way that HB is calculated. Please note how the amount of bedrooms influence how much HB will be paid - if your children meet the criteria regarding age/sex, HB will be based on them sharing a bedroom. There is nothing to stop you renting a larger house, just that HB may not cover your rent and you would need to make up the balance.

http://www.newham.gov.uk/Pages/Servi...ngAllowanceLHA

Originally Posted by dave2003

Going off topic a little on the subject of renting in the U.K. I was horrified by the fees associated with home or apartment rentals charged by letting agencies or realtors.

One agency I contacted wanted 80 pounds for the first reference check, and 50 pounds for subsequent checks. Should my references have not been to their satisfaction, the fees were non-refundable. In addition this agency charged the renter a monthly maintenance fee on top of the rent due.
I checked around a few other rental / realtor agencies and found much the same thing. And it is all quite legal.

Forty five years ago I was student in London, and at that time, if my memory serves me right, it was illegal for letting agencies to charge a renter a fee. How things have changed.

I will be returning home permanently by the end of this year, and will probably rent until I can find somewhere to buy. But I am damned if I am going to pay letting agency fees.

The Daily Telegraph ran this article on the subject.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/p...f-control.html

Originally Posted by SanDiegogirl

You have only been out of the country for 5 years.....it has not changed much in that time. What don't you know about living in the UK?

Originally Posted by Editha

I agree. I have the impression that it is a particular problem in London, but maybe not so much elsewhere. I've been renting out our house in Devon and the agent I'm using does not charge tenants fees. There are proposals to change the law and I hope the campaigners succeed in doing so.

Originally Posted by thaminabee

thanks for that... i do want to rent... do you know anything about getting help with the rent from the government... being outside for 5 years i don't have any clue if i am entitled or if i have to be there for a period of time before i can apply... London's rent prices aren't exactly cheap!!

Originally Posted by thaminabee

I'm sorry but I didn't say that I wanted benefits... if you had read through the posts.. I was talking about housing and what options I have.... as for the government helping.. I wanted advice as anyone who is confused and lost would require.. sorry if that puts you out but then don't respond..
I didn't force you to have an input!!

Originally Posted by old.sparkles

Reads to me that you were asking about benefits - housing benefit (assistance with rent)

Originally Posted by thaminabee

sorry that I made it sound that way... its housing in general that I was inquiring about

I have never rented private.. like I stated before I have only been in housing association so I was asking really if anyone could give any advice about looking for housing

oh and I did state that but it was conversation in general. I heard that many of the laws had been changed.

Originally Posted by old.sparkles

As you've found, there are a few sites on the internet for renting in the UK - Rightmove, Zoopla and primelocation I think are the main ones. There's also the possibility of finding private lets through Gumtree, freeads and local papers.

Citizens Advice have guides to renting but I cannot get the site to open (not sure why, main site is here - www.adviceguide.org.uk)

Obviously where you rent will affect how much you pay