How to afford to rent when you're a single mum?

[ziggie]

:wave:

I'm asking this for my sister... She's currently living with our mum, but it isn't working out. :(
But we all don't see any other option, as the cost of rent is so high!
How do all of the single mum's out there survive? Is there a huge waiting list for government housing? How much rent per week do you pay?

Thanks in advance :).

[the_queen]

Hi Ziggalicious :wave: :p


There are (in my view) a couple of options. Apart from living with family (which is great when it works, and absolutely awful when it doesn't) she could :
* research where rent is cheaper and move there. This is a scary option though, especially if the move is to somewhere where she doesn't know anyone. I moved back to my home town, I pay $140 a week for a 3 bedroom home with 2 living areas, a separate office, and a big shed out the back. $140 per week is towards the high end of rental costs in this town. But it is in the country, I'm 2.5 hours from a capital city and the shops don't open on saturday afternoons here :dizzy: But my parents are half an hour away, my sister lives here, my aunty, my cousins, etc etc. So I have a big support system here.

* another option is to investigate Community Housing. "Government housing" isn't what it used to be - she could put her name down for a Housing Trust place but unless she is actually homeless at the moment (ie sleeping rough) and disabled, she probably won't get a place for years and years. BUT Community Housing is different. Basically the (previous) government farmed out subsidised housing to private organisations. I used to rent a place in Adelaide through "Women's Housing Inc.", they provide housing for women escaping domestic violence. The rent is charged as a percentage of my income. I paid $110 for a 2-bedroom flat, and that was "ceiling rent" ie the most they could charge (I get child support so my income is "large" :rolleyes:) There are Community Housing organisations through most of the large churches, there's ones for teen mums, for gay youth, for the disabled and their carers, etc etc.

http://www.chfa.com.au/

* another option is to live in a share house. Again, it is great when it works but awful when it doesn't - but perhaps another single mum would be willing to do this with her? Say a 4 bedroom house is $380 per week, that's $190 each, that's more doable than $380 by herself. They can babysit for each other, bills are cheaper, they can shop together so buy in bulk and it ends up cheaper, the kids have someone to play with, etc etc. It's an option, if she knows anyone who would be willing.


:hugs: Hope she works something out soon - it's an awful feeling to not have a permanent and stable home, I know exactly what she's going through and it's not nice at all.

[MummaBear03]

The cost of rent is very high, and it's the rent that took away my dream of being a SAHM :( despite what people think about how we could all stay home if we gave up other things, I had nothing to give up, didn't drink, didn't smoke, didn't have car repayments, didn't have a computer/internet, no pay tv, nothing extra that could be given up, it was purely the cost of rent that stopped me from being a SAHM.

Can she put her name on the department of housing list? Also it's good to write a letter saying she's got until whatever date to move out and has nowhere to go from there, chances are if she applies for places to rent she'll be turned down anyway, I was turned down heaps.

It is hard, and each week I run out of money and fuel, but the rent is covered, bills are paid, there's food on the table, and there's enough fuel in the car that we can get to the hospital in an emergency. There's no savings though, but that's my fault too as now I do have pay tv and internet, and that money could be going to savings.

[tyler's mum]

Im lucky i got my dep of housing house about 9 months ago rent is cheap. Has your sister out her name down with sep of housing:confused: I was lucky at how fast i got my place i put my name down when tyler was 2 weeks old. I pay $176 a fornite rent

[Kachow]

I realy sypmathise with single parents having to find suitable acommodation for them and their children.

When I was a single parents of 2 kids, I found it hard to even get an application looked at because I was a single mother. With the price of rent atm, its forcing single parents to move to places lower income areas.

I think the realestate companys need to have a good lok at themselves and realize single parents need a fair go. They are the same as any other family on the planet only there is only one parent. We all love our kids the same and want the best for them.

If I had a rental property, I would only look at single parents to rent it.

It just makes me so mad :banghead:

I wish your sister the best of luck.

[MummaBear03]

What gets me is that as a single parent, I struggle just as much as a 2 parent family on a single income, yet they have more chance of getting rentals than single parents do :confused:

[Ana Gram]

I had friends move in. I could have done it on my own but it would have been a struggle. If I had to move somewhere else on my own, I would find it very difficult to find somewhere suitable for Ruby (no carpet) in my area. The rent on my house is $260, with housemates that takes it down to $130.

[OneBabyBoy]

Hi Ziggie
There have been a few threads about this kind of thing. In one previous one someone suggested that it's a good idea for someone else to co-sign a lease. As a single parent your sister would be extremely lucky to get approved for a lease. However if a friend or family member (working full time) could co-sign it would help alot. She would need to then prove to centrelink that she's paying all the rent (probably stat dec but check with c/link) to still be eligible for all teh rent assistance she deserves.
The department of housing will pay the bond and (I think) the first 1 or 2 weeks in advance. There are some conditions but if she's on SPP she'd very likely be eligible. So that helps.
It is possible to get advances on centrelink of up to $500 so this could help with the cost of removal, gettign electricity, phone etc connected.
As for the actual rent she'll just have to do some research. Perhaps live in an area she's not too crash hot on. I didn't intially like my area but now I feel comfortable here. Luckily there's no real pressing time restraints (like eviction etc) so she could really take her time, get the paper each saturday, go around looking and checking out different areas, and hopefully find a place and someone to cosign the lease.
HTH :goodvibes:

[ziggie]

Thanks so much for your replies :hugs:.

Queenie, I'll go & have a squizz at your link :thumbsup:.

It must just be heartbreaking... I feel for all you single mums from the bottom of my heart. It was hard enough for Damien & I to get our hands on a rental... We're very lucky.

Mum & Deb pay $245 p/w where they are, and that's cheap. I was having a look, and you'd be hard pressed to find anything under $200p/w. There's no way she'd be able to afford that. Neither would my mum, for that matter.

I'll just keep my fingers crossed that we think of something, before they kill each other! :p

[OneBabyBoy]

and you'd be hard pressed to find anything under $200p/w. There's no way she'd be able to afford that. Neither would my mum, for that matter.


Is your sister on the single parent pension (SPP) ? If she is then she can afford $200 a week rent.
She might think she can't but she definitely can. She might have to make sacrafices, but we all do that, single or not.

[Shanaynay]

The wait list for govt housing here is 7 years.

If she has no massive loans or credit card bills, she *should* be able to afford around $200 pw in rent getting the C/L payments. But it is still hard. Actually most weeks it's damn near impossible because stuff crops up such as kids needing new shoes etc...

She might have to move areas, perhaps out to a regional area, away from the city.
Or maybe she could find another mum to share the rent with.
It's so hard, I hope she gets on her feet soon.

[ziggie]

Yeah, she is. I have no idea what she gets though.
Thanks for saying 200p/w is manageable OBB -
To be honest, I haven't done any figures, I'm just going by what my sister said herself about what she can & can't afford.

As for sacrifices... I'm not sure what she's think of that :p;). But if she's not willing to give up some luxuries, then she can stop complaining to me about her current living arrangements!

I might have another look at some rental lists online.


ETA Thanks Phinny xx

[OneBabyBoy]

I wasn't meaning to suggest she doesn't know what she can and can't afford. I meant it from a "yes it's scary but you can do it" point of view IYKWIM.
When I look at my financial situation on paper it honestly terrifys me and does seem near impossible but once you're out there doing it, you just do it IYKWIM. You survive and she'll be able to do it too :thumbsup:

[Little Gorilla]

It's shame there isn't like a register for single parents so they could maybe meet up with other single parents and source out shared housing.

It could be a great support system for parents doing it on there own, whilst still offering them some independence and not having to move back with mum and dad.

[Noah_and_Elijah]

I'm looking at places atm and the absolute most that I can afford to spend on rent is $200 p/w but the area that I'm looking, it gives me quite a nice 2 bedroom house for that kind of money so I'm lucky!

I just budget well and seem to make things work. I refuse to share with anyone because I like having my own space so that makes it a little more difficult.

If your sister doesn't mind sharing though, there was a story on Today Tonight about a week ago about a new website database for single parents and they can meet up and find housing together or something along those lines.

Maybe get her to check out their website, it may have some useful info. :thumbsup:

[rjsmummy]

Other than finding another cheaper area, I unfortunately can't provide much more advise. I moved interstate, away from all family and friends to "start again" - it is at times lonely and not ideal but on the whole, I do love the lifestyle here.

http://www.space4.com.au/ is a website for single parents looking for share accommodation etc. Whilst you do have to pay to contact other members, it's free to browse.

Good luck!

[kyiethree]

being on the spp i was living in private housing while waiting for a housing commission i was paying 210 a week i could afford it but its hard to have much left to pay other bills and food but 18 months later i heard i have a house back in ipswich i took it of course its not the best back you have to make do with what you got and this area is ok

[tyler's mum]

I was told the waiting on housing commission would be about 5 to 7 yrs. I was lucky i got one when i did ive been here about 9 months or so. So i waited less then 2 years. When my friend who has 4 kids waited 4 yrs so i guess it just depends when one comes up.

I was paying $165 rent before i got this place my sister lived in the granny flat out the back that was $85 a week (rent was $250)

[GraceUnhearing]

this is my problem at the moment
i cant stay here anymore

but rent is 260 a week!
its insane!

[SmileyBJ]

Thankfully I was lucky enough to find a small 2 bedroom cottage for very cheap rent... I also work from home which saves alot of money on transport, uniforms etc... and when bub comes along I won't need to pay for childcare either...

[lovingmotheract]

i will pm you about gov housing and the in's and outs.

[Issey]

i pay $225 p/w mortgage + $1300 rates p/a

no credit cards, no car loan or anything and work part-time 21hours p/w so i can live what i consider quite well. i pay $80 p/w childcare.

i know other single mums paying more weekly expenses than i do and work part-time as well. if you are not working i would imagine it would be more difficult. is finding a job an option :confused: sometimes finding a job is a necessity, well it is for me.

[sandy cheeks]

Just wanted to let you know I've been on housing list since 2003 I'm now paying 230 a week rent just went up but rent *** wont go up anymore.
Its a struggle but can be done I just have to go without and search around for specials Ive had friends tel department that there homeless ect just to get into housing.
It can be really diffucult to get a rental I only got this place because my parents no the owner id been for at least 45 places and kept getting knocked back can be really depressing hope she finds somewhere