Housing

Buying a house

• More than 66 % of the total population in the UK own their home.
• Mortgage is a special loan from a bank or building society, which is paid back, with interest, over a long period of time, usually 25 years.
  Some banks can also give information about Islamic ( Sharia) mortgages
• If you wish to buy a home, usually the first place to start is an estate agent. In Scotland the process is different and you should go first to a solicitor.
  

  Local estate agents in your desired area to find out what is available and ask to be put on their mailing list. Encourage them to ring you when suitable properties become available. The internet is also a useful tool, but estate agents don’t always keep their websites completely up to date.
  Once you are convinced you have found the property you want, ring the estate agent and make an offer. If the property has been on the market for some time, or if there is work that needs to be done, you could try offering below the asking price.

  If the offer is accepted, ask for the property to be taken off the market. This will minimise the danger of being galumphed, which is when someone comes along and makes a higher offer which the estate agent is legally obliged to pass on to the seller. (If you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, Your first offer must be subject to contract so that you can withdraw if there are reasons why you cannot complete the purchase. you are not legally bound to proceed with the purchase at this point. In Scotland, if your offer is accepted, it is legally binding so you need to have the property valued before you make your offer.)

  Now you will need to arrange your mortgage and appoint a solicitor or a conveyancer to carry out the necessary legal work. Shop around for the best mortgage deal by going to an independent mortgage broker. Once your mortgage application is submitted, the lender will carry out credit checks and you will normally be told within 24 hours whether or not your application has been accepted.
  

  Then phone several for an estimate of costs before making a final decision.
  Before your lender finally agrees to a mortgage, a valuation will be needed to establish that the property is worth the asking price. Your lender will carryout these survey. You will have to pay a fee for this survey. These are done by a surveyor.
  In Scotland the survey is carried out before an offer is made, to help people decide how much they want to bid for the property.
  The solicitor will carry out legal checks and provide the legal agreements necessary for you to buy the property.

  Rented accommodation

  It is possible to rent accommodation from
  

  • the local authorities ( the council)

  Most local authorities (or councils) provide housing. This is often called ‘council housing’. In Northern Ireland social housing is provided by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive . In Scotland you can find information on social housing at www.sfha.com.

  Everyone is entitled to apply for council accommodation. To apply you must put your name on the council register or list. This is available from the housing department at the local authority. You are then assessed according to your needs. This is done through a system of points. You get more points if you have priority needs, for example if you are homeless and have children or chronic ill health.
  

  • Housing associations
    
  
  Housing associations are independent not-for-profit organisations which provide housing for rent. In some areas they have taken over the administration of local authority housing. They also run schemes called shared ownershipwhich help people buy part of a house or flat if they cannot afford to buy all of it at once.
  
  • Private property owners called landlords.
  
  Many people rent houses or flats privately, from landlords. Information about private accommodation can be found In local newspapers, notice boards, estate agents and letting agents.
  

  Tenancy agreement
  
  When you rent a house or flat privately you sign a tenancy agreement, or lease. This explains the conditions or ’rules’ you must follow while renting the property. The agreement also contains a list of any furniture or fittings if or fittings in the property. This is called inventory

  Your tenancy agreement will be for a fixed period of time, often six months. After this time the tenancy can be ended or, if both tenant and landlord agree, renewed. If you end the tenancy before the fixed time, you usually have to pay the rent for the agreed full period of the tenancy.

  A landlord cannot force a tenant to leave. If a landlord wishes a tenant to leave they must follow the correct procedures. These vary according to the type of tenancy. It is a criminal offence for a landlord to use threats or violence against a tenant or to force them to leave without an order from court.

  Deposit and Rent
  A tenant will be asked to give the landlord a deposit at the beginning of his or her tenancy. This is to cover the cost of any damage. It is usually equal to one month’s rent. The landlord must return this money to the tenant at the end of his or her tenancy, unless the tenant caused damage to the property.

  Your rent is fixed with your landlord at the beginning of the tenancy.
  Your rent is fixed with your land lord at the beginning of the tenancy. The land lord cannot raise the rent without your consent.

  It is unlawful for a landlord to discriminate against someone looking for accommodation because of their sex, race, nationality, or ethnic group, or because they are disabled ,unless the landlord or a close relative of the landlord is sharing the accommodation.

  If you are homeless or have problems with your landlord, relevant help can be found from the following:
  

  • The housing department of the local authority will give advice on homelessness and on Housing Benefit as well as deal with problems you may have in council-owned property
  • The Citizens Advice Bureau will give advice on all types of Housing problems. There may also be a housing advice centre in your neighbourhood
  • Shelter is a housing charity which runs a 24-hour helpline on 0808 800 4444, or visit