Re: How Do I Rent Apartment During Marital Separation?

Re: How Do I Rent Apartment During Marital Separation? by CCRider (CA) on March 25, 2015 @21:35

First of all, co-signers do not have access to your rental. They are like getting a line of credit from the bank. That's all they are. If he's not listed as a tenant, he has none of the rights of a tenant. He is not given a key, and has no right to be on the property, even.

How old are you? Are you 55 or older? If so, start getting on waiting lists for 55+ subsidized apartments. Your income will probably be enough. If where you live in CA, even the subsidized units are too high, then look at moving farther away.

Look for cities and counties that have an open Section 8 waiting list and get on them.

Even if you aren't 55, you can get on the waiting lists for family subsidized housing units.

I am in my second subsidized 55+ place. I had to move from the SF Bay Area, but I'm still in CA. They're well maintained. They're all over the state. What often happens, is a big management company buys old properties in downtown areas, and they refurbish them and then rent to low-income. So, services and grocery stores are usually within walking distances, and/or they're on bus lines, etc.

The qualifications to get into the subsidized properties is usually a maximum income limit allowed, then they want you to make 2x the monthly rent, and there are usually several different types of subsidized apartments in these buildings - so different rent levels. Often, they're just 30% of your income.

You will also qualify for Medi-Cal, probably.

Also, CA is a community property state, so if there was any property accumulated during your marriage, half of it is yours.

Oh, and in CA, landlords can't discriminate based on your source of income. So, if it's just your SSDI, or a combination of SSDI and alimony, as long as the amount is enough, they can't deny you based on the income being alimony and disability. They may require a copy of a settlement agreement. In that case, you would not need him to co-sign either. Same for getting into subsidized housing.

If you're willing to move to lower cost of living areas in CA, the wait lists aren't too long. Some are just a few months.

Best wishes.

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Re: How Do I Rent Apartment During Marital Separation? by OP Anon (CA) on March 25, 2015 @22:57	[ Reply ]

Thank you for the reply! I did not know that co-signers did not also get legal access to a unit. THANK you for telling me that. I know that LL's are not supposed to discriminate income in CA, but when I look on Los Angeles Craigslist, I see requirements like "last 3 pay stubs", "must be employed for last 6 months" or "no work-at-home", "must be employed" or "students/professionals only", etc... It seems disabled are excluded from applying to these listings. I am under 55 and don't think I would qualify for any public need-based assistance...at least not until my money "ran out", which would be some time. I'd rather find a way to earn money that fits with my disabilities. About the community property: Once we get lawyers to draft a final divorce settlement for court, I will get alimony for a minimum of 2 years, but possibly longer due to my disability (around 3k/month), plus the maintenance period during separation/negotiation. We've already split the liquid money from the joint accounts a year ago... the bulk of community property. This and my savings is enough for me to live in Los Angeles for a little over a year, not including moving and legal expenses. That would probably be enough to live for multiple years or nearly enough to buy a whole house outright in some rural states. I don't know many cheap/rural areas in CA, as it is not my home state (hence not having anyone nearby to co-sign for be, besides H).

Re: How Do I Rent Apartment During Marital Separation? by Anonymous on March 25, 2015 @23:40	[ Reply ]

I don't mean to pry in any way, but is your home state less expensive, and therefore perhaps an option to consider? If you are comfortable working on the computer at home for five or six hours a day (or more if you want), there are a lot of options that offer a decent hourly wage ($20 to $60/ hr., depending on experience). You seem to be a good writer and organize your thoughts very well, so that's one avenue you might consider. There are many niches you could teach yourself to do if you're determined (I speak from experience): technical writing, grant writing, copywriting, SEO content, press releases and other marketing docs, etc. Transcriptionists can make $17 to $20 from home, as can resume writers. Many call centers (insurance companies and others) will let you work from home. They supply the phone line and route the calls to you, allow you to work a flexible schedule, and provide benefits. You can also teach yourself programming (Ruby is a great language for home-based programmers, and pays well), but unless you've programmed before, the learning curve would probably be steep. I would also highly recommend the book "Making a Living without a Job" by Barbara Winter. Good luck to you.

Re: How Do I Rent Apartment During Marital Separation? by Anonymous on March 26, 2015 @01:18	[ Reply ]

You are detached from reality.

Re: How Do I Rent Apartment During Marital Separation?

And...

Re: How Do I Rent Apartment During Marital Separation? by Anonymous on March 26, 2015 @16:51	[ Reply ]

Thank you for the book & vocation recommendations. I've been giving thought into ways I could earn money from home. Unfortunately my home state is in the opposite corner of the country, an area where rents & cost-of-living are nearly as high as SoCal. Also I'd have to spend several extra thousand moving my stuff there, and flying back-and-forth for court hearings during divorce proceedings. I have not lived in my home state in 10 years, and am more-or-less estranged from most family and the regional weather/customs. There would not be much to gain by such a move. CCRider's advice to look at other areas in CA might be the better way to go for now.

Re: How Do I Rent Apartment During Marital Separation?

Re: How Do I Rent Apartment During Marital Separation? by CCRider (CA) on March 26, 2015 @00:01	[ Reply ]

I have a friend on a waiting list for low-income 55+ in Santa Clara, CA, and I know she has an IRA with $50,000 in it. Not all places require that you don't have assets, just that you are low income. Most of CA is actually rural. CA is a huge state with many affordable areas. I love the north coast, for instance, which is where I live. Check out the Humboldt Craigslist. You can find studios in Eureka, for instance for around $500/month. Just get on Craigslist and put in your max rent and see what pops up. Then try another Craigslist and do the same thing. This is what I did. Anyway, good luck to you.

Oh, and those ads aren't legal by CCRider (CA) on March 26, 2015 @00:04	[ Reply ]

No matter what their ads say, they have to take you regardless of your source of income - or rather, they can't deny you based on that. You could file a complaint with the Dept of Fair Employment and Housing.

Re: Oh, and those ads aren't legal

True, but it would be fun to flag them all on CL

Re: How Do I Rent Apartment During Marital Separation? - Landlord Forum thread 332627