Did you know that in Britain, every 2 minutes, someone faces losing their home?
At this special time of year, peoples focus is rightly on spending quality time with their loved ones, but many people also focus on spending too much cash on Christmas parties and presents.
Come January, statistics show that many people will face the grim reality of being made homeless, whether it’s losing their own home or facing being evicted by their landlord, due to not having kept up with their rental payments.
It is important that in the run up to Christmas, we help our tenants to understand the importance of prioritising their rent and other household bills, of living within their means and not overspending so that come January, they can keep a roof over their families heads!
Our landlords often feel backed into a corner by a tenant who has fallen behind with their rent. They tell us that they have families too, and they simply cannot afford to stand the cost of a non-paying tenant.
I’m sure we all agree that Christmas is a very special time of year, a time where we all want to spend time with our family and friends, and try our very best to make memories that will last a lifetime.
It’s a time to eat alot, drink alot and be merry, but with more and more families struggling to make ends meet, we have put together a few, simple tips to hopefully help people avoid falling into the financial abyss come January 1st:
1. Prioritise your bills – pay your rent first, then your council tax so your family have a roof over their heads
2. Seek help from your local council or Citizens Advice Bureau if you feel unable to cope
3. Communicate and be 100% honest with your landlord or letting agent, they may be able to help if they understand
4. Focus on finding an affordable solution and look forward positively to the future
The majority of landlords are decent hard-working people themselves, and all they want are good, long-term settled tenants, who are taking care of their property and can afford to pay the rent.
So, if you are struggling to make ends meet at the moment, we highly recommend that you speak with your landlord or your letting agent, and work together to find a way through this difficult financial time.
We can speak from experience when we say that facing eviction from your home, or lengthy court battles over unpaid rent is extremely unpleasant, not to mention costly for all concerned, and should always be seen as a last resort.
With all that said, we sincerely hope that you can enjoy Christmas with your family and friends, and have a fabulous New Year!
