have a family, getting laidoff and landlord doesn't care

[laidfofftenant]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Virginia
My husband is getting laid off and I am a stay at home mom. We are a family of five and I alone can't get a job that can pay for daycare. Jobs are scarce in my husbands area of work. The landlord doesn't care and said we either get someone to sublease or we are SOL. Our rent is $1045.00 and there is only one major employer in this town thats where my husband is getting laid off from, so its highly unlikely we will be able to sublease if before he loses his job next month. What can we do?

 

[Gail in Georgia]

1. You look for a job while dad stays home with the children.

2. Find someone to sublease your rental unit.

Gail

 

[laidfofftenant]

I can't get a job to pay that amount, the rent is too high. As I said there is not too many people who can afford the place

 

[Cvillecpm]

Laid * you are CRAZY * VA has the 4th LOWEST unemployment rate in the COUNTRY * ONE of the adults in the family needs to get a job or BOTH need to get jobs with work schedule so that someone is home with children.

If you husband is unemployed, HE can provide daycare and YOU can get a job....

This is not your landlord's problem OR DRAMA!!

Remembr * Democrats vote on WEDNESDAY in Virginia!!!

 

[commentator]

This hasn't happened yet, I see. When it does, your husband will immediately sign up on his unemployment insurance. This will take several weeks and will be quite a lot less than he was making, but it is some money coming in. He may if this is a plant closing, receive some severance benefits. Diligent job searches for both of you should be on the plans, shared child care arrangments for the both of you. If he is not working and you find a job, even a part time job, he can do the child care.

The man (your landlord) doesn't care. He is not obligated to care. Unless you have some form of subsidized housing, he can demand payment and that you honor your lease. He doesn't have to cut you slack. However, since you do have a month, at least, begin looking diligently for cheaper housing for yourselves, and for someone to sublease. "Not likely" does not mean impossible.

If your husband wants to stay in his "line of work" he may have to relocate to where the jobs in this line of work might be. Else he may realistically have to take something different that pays less, deal with the jobs that are available in your area.

Immediately take the children out of any expensive activities, private schools, lessons, programs. Begin a calculated program of economy before you run out of money, now before the job even ends. Set aside that next month's rent payment, (and utilities, it's big to have the lights and water on!) and then start figuring out how you can live otherwise, by cutting expenses. Cut off your cable. Have a yard sale. Sell anything you can on line. Consider trading down in automobiles. If you have creditors, see if you can re-negotiate your payment schedule. Student loans can be put on hold.Things may not be as desperate as they seem right now.

When people hear that they are losing their jobs, they do what is called "catastrophizing," which means your mind automatically jumps to the worst case scenario, which is of course that you can't pay your rent, can't find a sub-leasor and are dumped out on the street homeless with your kids going hungry. But realistically, this probably will not happen.

Terrible but true, this loss of jobs is happening all over the nation, has been for some time now. Being a stay at home mom is going to be tough to maintain when the wolf is at the door. But for a place that's big enough for three kids and two parents at $1045 a month isn't a real bad deal. Maybe you can swing it on less than you have been making.

 

[Baranov]

Good advice above.

Also, before you paint the wide brush of a greedy landlord, consider that your other creditors, utility company, cable and telephone company will also be expecting payments. Your landlord has no obligation to "care" or subsidize you in any way.

 

[sandyclaus]

Business vs. Personal

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Virginia
My husband is getting laid off and I am a stay at home mom. We are a family of five and I alone can't get a job that can pay for daycare. Jobs are scarce in my husbands area of work. The landlord doesn't care and said we either get someone to sublease or we are SOL. Our rent is $1045.00 and there is only one major employer in this town thats where my husband is getting laid off from, so its highly unlikely we will be able to sublease if before he loses his job next month. What can we do?

Being a LL is a business and renting a property is a business transaction. LLs is entitled to collect rent in consideration for allowing you and your family to occupy his property. Your responsibility as a tenant is to pay the rent owed.

LL has no obligation to operate as a charity or subsidize the rent in any way just because their tenants are either unwilling or unable to pay their rent. When you and your husband signed the lease, you understood that it was your job to pay that rent and that will not change.

As stated above, VA has a low unemployment rate when compared to other states. It may require you & your husband to think out of the box, seeking work outside your local area if needed, to find a job. Until then, you'll either find a way to pay that rent or try and negotiate a payment arrangement. If that doesn't work, you'll find yourself subjected to eviction, so that LL can find someone new who IS able to afford the rent for the house you currently occupy.

 

[FarmerJ]

One industry that seems to almost always be hiring due to staff turnover is employment as direct care staff in group homes where developementally disabled adult men or women live. EVEN in rural areas these homes are around, many of them have overnight awake positions and overnight asleep, as well as 3-11s and 7-3s this is a type of employment that does not go away. Your LL doesnt have to negotiate or be super patient with you when rent is not paid, BUT if you can find employment some LLs will be more tolerant than others when they want to keep the current LL/T relationship going.