Stuck in the ‘renting’ spiral

After confirming that my landlord was renewing my lease before Christmas, he has had a change of heart, so here I am again, looking for somewhere to live. I have lived here for several years now and had no complaints, so after the lease extension was granted, I was surprised, to say the least. Oh well, it’s his unit, so I need to comply with his wishes.

It seems, however, that there is a shortage of accommodation in Tassie at the moment. How was I to know that every Uni student in the state was also looking? How was I to know that rents have gone so high now that they want two-thirds of my income? I was struggling on half. How was I to know that every time I went to a viewing, I would be one of at least thirty people. How was I to know that even in outer area places, where I could travel a bit but still be reasonably close to my doctor etc. , that there was very little to offer and rents in those places had increased also. Needless to say, I have been feeling a little sorry for myself. Then I got a phone call telling me about some homeless women around my age. They are in another state but have had it much tougher than me. Thankfully they have both got accommodation now, but I felt guilty that I was complaining. Still, I need a place to live.

Renting. It is hard. If you are on your own, over sixty and female, like me, do you look in areas that you know would be safer than others? If you are on a pension, although it is steady income, you are not looked upon favourably. You can apply for government housing and pray it is in a safe environment. Of course, there is a waiting list several years long. You can try to live in the middle of nowhere if there is something available and affordable and pray that you don’t need your doctor in a hurry. Yes renting is hard.

Is it just as hard for the young? I think perhaps it is. I think they have different problems, but problems all the same. A real estate agent told me that an owner would usually take a couple with no children who both worked, over a couple with children. A family home wasn’t necessarily rented to a family, and although most families have a pet, that made it even harder to rent. So what are renters supposed to do? Sometimes circumstances make renting the only option. No wonder, so many of the younger generation stay at home longer with their parents. Of course, that’s not an option for me.

So I will keep searching the “for rent” ads, and I will continue to turn up with the other thirty or forty hopefuls and hope I am successful before I am kicked out of my present abode. I will get a little despondent and then remember the two ladies in the other state and all the young people and families doing the same as me. I will close my eyes and wish very hard that we all find somewhere to live and that the landlord will be a decent human being. I will continue to put my name on all the housing lists and hope that one day soon I will find my “forever home”.

Have you found yourself in a similar situation as Fran?  Let us know your story in the comments below.

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