0:00:02 > 0:00:03Once a nation of homeowners,
0:00:03 > 0:00:07there are now over 11 million people renting in Britain.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11And most of this rent is going to private landlords.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14The truth is, we buy property for one reason
0:00:14 > 0:00:17and one reason only, and that's to make money.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21But many landlords have no idea what life is really like
0:00:21 > 0:00:22for their tenants.
0:00:22 > 0:00:23When you walk in the house,
0:00:23 > 0:00:27first thing you can smell is the mould from this room.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29For a pensioner to sleep in these kinds of conditions,
0:00:29 > 0:00:31I think it's just disgusting.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35This episode follows two landlords...
0:00:35 > 0:00:38- Bye.- ..as they step out of their lives...
0:00:38 > 0:00:40This is like a little holiday.
0:00:40 > 0:00:45..and into the homes of tenants, who feel they're stuck renting forever.
0:00:45 > 0:00:50I never imagined at the age of 64 that I'd be in this position.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52My wage is £1,000 a month.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Near enough half that goes on rent.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56People like us haven't got a choice.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59This is life. This is what it is for us.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02And when the reality of their tenants' lives has hit home...
0:01:02 > 0:01:04This is getting really stressful.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09- 51p.- That literally is the last of the money.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12..they will decide if they could and should
0:01:12 > 0:01:13do anything to change it.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15Oh, my God.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19If I don't help right now, she's going to be there forever.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26The best thing about being a landlord, I think,
0:01:26 > 0:01:31is that once you've got a certain size of portfolio,
0:01:31 > 0:01:34that can generate income whilst you sleep.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40Landlord Nick lives in the New Forest with his family.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43We like the simple stuff, really.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46We like to spend time together as a family.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49My daughter Annabella loves to pick blackberries
0:01:49 > 0:01:53and we'll often just go for a walk and take a picnic.
0:01:53 > 0:01:58Fundamentally, we're simple, outdoorsy, family people.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03As the base for their simple family life,
0:02:03 > 0:02:06Nick has chosen this four-bed detached house,
0:02:06 > 0:02:08with ten acres of land,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11where his wife Sarah runs her stud farm with 13 horses.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15This is Candy, she's Annabella's pony.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19Annabella and Thea absolutely love her.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23Their free range approach extends to every part of their lives.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25Food is really important to us.
0:02:25 > 0:02:30Being vegan, we try and go for things which have been grown
0:02:30 > 0:02:33without chemicals, organic, if we can.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35Who wants their yummy scrums?
0:02:35 > 0:02:37Me!
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Nick has created an office in the grounds of his estate
0:02:40 > 0:02:43in order to maximise time with his family.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45This is lovely, darling, thank you.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48If I had to be in a place of work between nine and five,
0:02:48 > 0:02:52I would find that very difficult, and I'd find it very stifling.
0:02:52 > 0:02:53Cheers.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56Nick's property empire extends across the UK,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59with hotels, as well as residential lettings.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03The hotel business turns over about £50 million a year.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07Our buy-to-let portfolio generates about £30,000 per month.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12One of my biggest values is freedom.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14So, doing what I want to do, when I want to do it...
0:03:14 > 0:03:17I started having helicopter lessons last year.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21It is quite an efficient way of getting around the country.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24For me to get to some of our furthest hotels takes a whole day,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27whereas this allows me to get there in the day
0:03:27 > 0:03:29and be back home to put the kids to bed.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34Nick's way of life now
0:03:34 > 0:03:37is far removed from his upbringing on a council estate
0:03:37 > 0:03:39in Barnsley, South Yorkshire.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Property's definitely been my way out of living
0:03:41 > 0:03:44in the way we lived when we were growing up.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48It's definitely been my exit from that lifestyle.
0:03:48 > 0:03:49Hummus.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51Yummy.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53I bought my first house at 19.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55- Happy Tuesday!- Cheers!
0:03:55 > 0:04:00I didn't focus on trying to amass 51 buy-to-lets and 18 hotels,
0:04:00 > 0:04:01I just bought one property,
0:04:01 > 0:04:03and I added value to it, and then I sold it.
0:04:03 > 0:04:08And that stepping stone, that hard work, has brought me to this place.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12It's not about what you have or what you don't have,
0:04:12 > 0:04:17it's about working hard, it's about finding value, adding value.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19And I think anyone can do it.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26Nick is about to return to his roots and move with his family
0:04:26 > 0:04:29into one of the rental properties he owns in Barnsley.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32- What do you want for tea? Do you want chips and gravy?- Yeah.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36- Cool.- It's home to 27-year-old Carl, his wife Kerry,
0:04:36 > 0:04:37and their two daughters.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40Is all we're having chicken dippers as well, or is it just for Chloe?
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Give two to Holly, just in case.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Kerry is a stay at home mum, while Carl works at Tesco's.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50My wage is £1,000 a month
0:04:50 > 0:04:54and £475 on that goes on rent, so near enough half.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57- Sit up properly.- Every penny we get goes on living.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00There's no savings, there's no back-up plan.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06It makes me a bit upset, but I've got to do what I have to do.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10The only way to live is by not being able to save.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15Carl and Kerry moved into the house 14 months ago.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18It took us quite a while to find a three-bedroomed house,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20because there's that many people renting now.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22When we came to look at this house,
0:05:22 > 0:05:24it only just came out on the market that day,
0:05:24 > 0:05:26and they already had six viewings.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29It were freshly decorated, brand-new kitchen fitted,
0:05:29 > 0:05:31the carpets hadn't even been walked on.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34I thought, I can't let this go, I've got to get it.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38But, after they moved in, Carl started to find problems.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41So, with this window, that's locked.
0:05:41 > 0:05:42You can actually get your fingers in.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44So, from the outside, you can push it in.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46It's a security problem.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48This is Holly's bedroom, this is my oldest daughter.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51In winter time up here, it is freezing.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54There's some remnants of the damp from the winter
0:05:54 > 0:05:56that caused all this corner to be black.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59This is the only storage we have in the whole house.
0:05:59 > 0:06:00And also, this is where our gas meter is,
0:06:00 > 0:06:02cos we're on prepayment meters.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04The gas meter's actually down in that bottom corner.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07There's baby seats in there, kids' bikes.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09There's a lawnmower, there's ladders, chairs.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11We have to take all that out,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14make ourselves a little path and get down into the meter
0:06:14 > 0:06:15where that bag is at the back.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18We have to do it once a week, something like that.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21All right? Let's go.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Carl grew up in a neighbouring village,
0:06:25 > 0:06:27in a house owned by his parents.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30When I was living with Mum and Dad and I was growing up, I thought,
0:06:30 > 0:06:32it's cushty this, I can get used to this.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34But it's nothing like that.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36Go and get it, then.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39Back then, it were a lot, lot easier to get a mortgage.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43Houses were cheaper and you didn't have to have 5% deposit.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45It's a different generation.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49It does worry me, cos there's nothing for my kids.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53No savings, there's no house for 'em, there's nothing.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56Worrying Carl further is the length of the tenancy agreement
0:06:56 > 0:07:00on their home, which is only given to them for 12 months at a time.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05We don't feel secure, cos after 12 months,
0:07:05 > 0:07:08the landlord can turn around and go, "Right, I'm selling up, it's time to leave."
0:07:08 > 0:07:10So, what do we do then?
0:07:11 > 0:07:13Despite the insecurity,
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Carl has invested time and money in the house and garden.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21When I moved in, it were an absolute dump site.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25I grew the grass myself, I tidied up all the bottom area,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28just to make it a safe little play area for the kids.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31What I say is, it's not my house, it's my home.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33It's never going to be my house.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35Never going to own it.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37- Never going to own a house... - HE SIGHS
0:07:47 > 0:07:50We've stayed in so many different places all over the world,
0:07:50 > 0:07:54very basic, you know, through to quite luxury.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57This, for us, is another amazing adventure
0:07:57 > 0:08:02that we can go on and make family memories with.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04Nick and Sarah are packing for the unknown.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08There's a few things that we definitely must have with us.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10One is my food processor.
0:08:10 > 0:08:11We make everything with it.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14We have smoothies, I make hummus...
0:08:14 > 0:08:17If we go anywhere in the world, this comes with us.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19- Come on, Beagle. Honey... - Come on, dog, dog.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21- Honey, come. - And they're about to find out
0:08:21 > 0:08:23where in the world they're going.
0:08:26 > 0:08:27Let's have a look.
0:08:29 > 0:08:30Cudworth.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32Cud-arth, we used to call it.
0:08:32 > 0:08:33Do you know that?
0:08:33 > 0:08:35I do know that. I bought it at auction, it was cheap.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37I hadn't seen it before the auction,
0:08:37 > 0:08:40it just seemed a really good bargain on the night.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Cudworth is on the outskirts of Barnsley
0:08:44 > 0:08:47and a 200-mile drive from Nick's New Forest home.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51I'm quite excited. This is like a little holiday.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53Shall we sing a little song?
0:08:53 > 0:08:56# We're going on an adventure, do, do, do...
0:08:56 > 0:08:58Da, da...
0:08:58 > 0:08:59# Do, do, do, do, do... #
0:09:05 > 0:09:07I feel a bit nervous, me.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10It's a stranger, isn't it? Coming into your house.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12- Er...- Sleeping in my bed.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14Sleeping in our bed, yeah.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16It's weird.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21I hope he understands and he sees that we look after the house.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24And we're a young family that needs a home.
0:09:32 > 0:09:33- Hi, Thomas!- Hiya.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36Nick's son, Thomas, lives in Yorkshire with his mum,
0:09:36 > 0:09:38and he's joining them for the week.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41- Look who's here! - Hello, super Thomas!
0:09:41 > 0:09:43- THOMAS:- Hiya.
0:09:43 > 0:09:44- You OK?- Yeah.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48It's been over seven years since Nick
0:09:48 > 0:09:50has set foot in any of his rentals,
0:09:50 > 0:09:54having delegated all the management to his lettings agency.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56This is the house we own here.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59We bought 11 properties in that development.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02And this big block of flats, there's 32 in that,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05- and we bought the whole thing. - All of this?- All of that, yeah.- Ha!
0:10:07 > 0:10:10I used to consider these houses to be like dream houses.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14I always remember thinking, when I grew up,
0:10:14 > 0:10:16I wanted to live in a house as big as that
0:10:16 > 0:10:19and it's probably a third of the size of ours now.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23While Nick and his family are living in their home,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26Carl's family will be staying in serviced accommodation
0:10:26 > 0:10:28on the other side of Barnsley.
0:10:28 > 0:10:29Oh, wow!
0:10:29 > 0:10:31Look at this!
0:10:34 > 0:10:36There's a cellar.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38- CARL LAUGHS - Now, this is storage.
0:10:38 > 0:10:39It is, yeah.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41- CARL LAUGHS - We'll swap houses.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45This place is beautiful. It's massive.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48We get to live the high life this week and they get to live our life.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50CARL LAUGHS
0:10:52 > 0:10:54We're right into the heart of where I grew up now.
0:10:54 > 0:10:59At the time, it was one of the most deprived parts of Barnsley.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01It still probably is,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04although there's been quite a lot of investment there.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11House prices in Barnsley have risen by over 4% in the past year,
0:11:11 > 0:11:13while wages remain below national average.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19- So, this is the road. I remember it. - Yep.- And it's the one on the end.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26- Come on, doggie.- This is our new house, Annabella, look.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29Oh, wow!
0:11:29 > 0:11:30This looks nice.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33Oh, they've really made it into their...
0:11:33 > 0:11:35Oh, they have really made it their home, haven't they?
0:11:35 > 0:11:36Come on then, doggies.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38Do you want to look at the garden?
0:11:38 > 0:11:39- Ah!- Yes!
0:11:39 > 0:11:42It's obviously a lot smaller than we're used to.
0:11:42 > 0:11:43- Yeah.- Less grass.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Oh, wow! Look at this for you!
0:11:47 > 0:11:49Oh, my goodness.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Look at this girly bedroom!
0:11:52 > 0:11:54It's really sweet, isn't it?
0:11:54 > 0:11:57And then this would be our room.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00- There's not a lot of storage, is there?- No.
0:12:01 > 0:12:02There's a letter.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04"Welcome to our home.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07"Here are a few things to help make your stay smoother.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10"You will notice some gaffer tape on the front room window.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13"I put this on when we leave the house for added security.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16"I have left a roll of tape next to the window,
0:12:16 > 0:12:18"in case it loses its stickiness."
0:12:18 > 0:12:20Gaffer tape for security?
0:12:21 > 0:12:24That's odd. "We have a few damp issues in the girls' bedrooms,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27"but this should not be a problem now that it's summertime.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29"If you use Holly's room,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32"you might just want to move the bed away from the wall."
0:12:32 > 0:12:34OK.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36This is not sounding as good as I first thought.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38SHE LAUGHS
0:12:39 > 0:12:42There's a little bit of something up in this corner, babe.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44That's probably a bit of pointing on the outside.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48- Yeah.- Can I come in here, baby? - Yeah.
0:12:48 > 0:12:49Oh, there, look.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52I think that's more condensation
0:12:52 > 0:12:54that creates mould from the inside,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57because there's no ventilation on the windows.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59Let's take it off and have a look.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04That's definitely an invitation for someone
0:13:04 > 0:13:06that is determined to get in the house.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09This is not going to do anything for that at all.
0:13:09 > 0:13:10I understand why they've used it,
0:13:10 > 0:13:12but it's not going to do any good at all.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14I certainly wouldn't be happy with that.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18There's some coins in here. Oh, and some cash.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22"Our budget is £21.25, daily.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25"This covers food, fuel, gas, electric, and any activities.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28"We have organised a bank holiday barbecue on Sunday
0:13:28 > 0:13:30"with a couple of friends and neighbours." Brilliant.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32- Yeah.- "I hope you don't mind hosting,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34"we just did not want to cancel on them."
0:13:34 > 0:13:36- That'll be great.- That's exactly what we would do at home.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38Yeah. How much is gas and electricity per day?
0:13:38 > 0:13:40I don't know. Is it on a meter here?
0:13:40 > 0:13:42I'm not sure. We can find that.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44- CHILD CRIES IN BACKGROUND - Yeah, yeah.
0:13:47 > 0:13:48Babe?
0:13:48 > 0:13:51- Yeah.- You're only allowed to get beans and bread.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53What about butter?
0:13:53 > 0:13:55Or...?
0:13:55 > 0:13:57I'll work it out. OK?
0:13:57 > 0:14:01It's lunchtime, and before they can do a big weekly shop,
0:14:01 > 0:14:03Nick needs to find some fast food on a budget.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05- You're going to add up, yeah?- Yeah.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07DOOR BUZZER
0:14:07 > 0:14:09See if you can find the cheapest bread.
0:14:11 > 0:14:12We need soft white.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15That looks like it's the cheapest, yeah?
0:14:15 > 0:14:17- Three for...- Three for...
0:14:17 > 0:14:19..£1.39. How much is that per can?
0:14:19 > 0:14:22£1.39 divided by three.
0:14:22 > 0:14:23That's 46p each.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26So, they are definitely the cheapest.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28I'm not at all used to this kind of shopping.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31I think the last time I went round a supermarket, looked at prices,
0:14:31 > 0:14:34did this kind of thing, is 15, 20 years ago.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37It's been so long, I've kind of forgotten how to do it really.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40- Daddy?- Yeah?
0:14:40 > 0:14:41Fidget spinners are £7.99.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44Fidget spinners are £7.99.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46Do you think the budget will allow that?
0:14:46 > 0:14:49The budget will allow that, cos it's buy one, get one free.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Yeah, it definitely won't.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53- It what?- It definitely won't.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Why not? The budget... What?
0:14:56 > 0:15:00The budget won't allow us to buy a fidget spinner for £7.99.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06- Yeah?- The budget tells us what to do and buy?
0:15:06 > 0:15:08We can't buy a fidget spinner for £7.99
0:15:08 > 0:15:11when we've got a tight budget like we have.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14So, you're basically saying...
0:15:14 > 0:15:16We can only limit to a thing.
0:15:16 > 0:15:17This is how much money I've got.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20- And when it's gone, that's it. There's no more.- Right.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24- You're not used to this, are you? - No.- What are you used to?
0:15:24 > 0:15:26What happens when this money's gone, normally?
0:15:26 > 0:15:30You've got your card and then you can put it in the cash machine.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32You've got your card and you get it in the cash machine,
0:15:32 > 0:15:35but some people can't do that. So, we're living on this.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38OK? We're living on this much money till we leave this house, OK?
0:15:38 > 0:15:42- Yeah.- So we can't buy fidget spinners and things like that.
0:15:42 > 0:15:43- Yeah?- Right.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45- OK.- OK?
0:15:47 > 0:15:48DOOR BUZZER
0:15:48 > 0:15:49I wish I'd brought my own money now.
0:15:53 > 0:15:54100 miles away,
0:15:54 > 0:15:56another property investor is about to find out
0:15:56 > 0:15:59what it's like to live as a tenant.
0:15:59 > 0:16:00I am a landlady.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03I'm not sure I always think of myself in that light,
0:16:03 > 0:16:06because a lot of it is delegated out to other people.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08OK, a light switch there.
0:16:08 > 0:16:09So, let's put sockets in the corners.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12With her husband, Andy, 50-year-old Yvonne
0:16:12 > 0:16:15owns a multi-million pound property portfolio.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18We have a limited company that's a letting agency,
0:16:18 > 0:16:20we have a limited company that's a development company.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23We have an electrical installation and contracting business...
0:16:23 > 0:16:25- Yeah.- ..we have a coaching business...- Yeah.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27They're all something to do with property.
0:16:27 > 0:16:28Apart from the gym.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31If Andy and I were incapacitated tomorrow,
0:16:31 > 0:16:32then we would have plenty of money coming in
0:16:32 > 0:16:34and we wouldn't have to worry
0:16:34 > 0:16:35about how we were paying for anything.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37What do you spend money on?
0:16:37 > 0:16:39- Houses.- Houses?
0:16:39 > 0:16:41- YVONNE LAUGHS - Definitely houses!
0:16:41 > 0:16:46Yvonne and Andy recently renovated this 22-roomed Victorian mansion
0:16:46 > 0:16:50in Peterborough, where they now live with their two children.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52Here's how we call the kids for lunch.
0:16:52 > 0:16:53GONG
0:16:53 > 0:16:55- YVONNE LAUGHS - It's a bit loud, isn't it?
0:16:55 > 0:16:57You can get lost easily,
0:16:57 > 0:16:59or at least, you can get children lost easily.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01- Dinner is served.- Grab your...
0:17:01 > 0:17:02Come and sit down, then.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04We've got eight bedrooms,
0:17:04 > 0:17:06four of which have en suite bathrooms.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10it's got two cloakrooms downstairs, so, seven toilets...
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Not my idea of cleaning fun, but that's why we have the cleaners.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15So, this is the main bedroom.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20And you can see this, really quite a nice size.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23Bit of seating area, as well and it's got a fabulous balcony.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26I can sit out there with my cup of tea, writing my book, or reading,
0:17:26 > 0:17:28whatever I'm doing. We've got a lovely bathroom in here.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31It's that sort of ancient, modern look, if you like.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34By the time I'd done four bathrooms, we had to do something different.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38It's not my ideal home, it's not where I will live forever,
0:17:38 > 0:17:42because I prefer something that's a little bit more modern.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45I like to, you know, try things out.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48Yvonne's latest venture
0:17:48 > 0:17:52is to build five detached houses in her back garden,
0:17:52 > 0:17:54one of which is for her mum.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57- Whoops.- OK.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59So, this is going to be the lounge.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02- Yes.- And then you've got great big, trifold doors here,
0:18:02 > 0:18:03out into the garden.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06And then this side here will be your dining area.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08- Right. - SHE LAUGHS
0:18:10 > 0:18:12As her property empire has grown,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15Yvonne has delegated all the management of her rentals.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19She doesn't know that for the next week,
0:18:19 > 0:18:21she'll be swapping her eight-bed mansion
0:18:21 > 0:18:25for the attic room in this shared house, home to pensioner Jill.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28What I wanted to do was make this my bedroom area.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30I've purchased these...
0:18:30 > 0:18:33The table, to try and make it into a dining area.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36That's my lounge area.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38And then the kitchen. Surprisingly,
0:18:38 > 0:18:41I've actually cooked a full Sunday dinner up here.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Along with Jill, there are five others in the house,
0:18:45 > 0:18:49mainly young professionals, who rent the rooms out individually.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51I never imagined,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54at the age of 64 that I'd be in this position,
0:18:54 > 0:18:56or this would be my life now.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58After getting divorced,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Jill moved to Norway to be close to her son and grandchildren.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03Hi.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07But, after two years, she decided to move back to Peterborough.
0:19:07 > 0:19:08I love you, too, Ben.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12When I moved back here to the UK...
0:19:14 > 0:19:16..I went to the council.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18They said I'd made myself voluntarily homeless
0:19:18 > 0:19:21by coming over here without somewhere to live.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23So they wouldn't put me on the list.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27Jill turned to the private sector,
0:19:27 > 0:19:31where she could afford the £475 a month rent for a room
0:19:31 > 0:19:32in this shared house.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37I must admit, I wasn't sure if it was something I wanted,
0:19:37 > 0:19:38cos I like my privacy.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42But it seemed the only place that I could get.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Initially, I thought it was only going to be temporary,
0:19:45 > 0:19:46but I've now been here four years.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51It's not just living in a room that Jill struggles with.
0:19:53 > 0:19:54This is the garden.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56It's a bit of an eyesore.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59If that was nice, I'd be out here much more often,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02and I would invite friends and family.
0:20:03 > 0:20:08Instead, Jill has to do all her entertaining in her room.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Well, sit on the bed, do what you want.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14When I was younger, she used to have, like, her own house,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16and she had everything, a car and stuff.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19She'd always have people round, she was very sociable.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21Pop it in a little bag with some water.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Now that she's gotten a bit older,
0:20:23 > 0:20:27and especially living up two flights of stairs, it's hard for her.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31Jill has been diagnosed with piriformis,
0:20:31 > 0:20:35a condition linked to the sciatic nerve and causing pain in her legs.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Going up and down the stairs is not good for her,
0:20:39 > 0:20:42and if she has to take pills to stop the pain so that she can come down
0:20:42 > 0:20:44the stairs, that's not really good for her health.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47I just wish I didn't live two storeys up.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51I never envisaged having any leg problems, at all.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Property websites report that the number of over 65s
0:20:56 > 0:21:00requesting house shares has risen by more than 600%
0:21:00 > 0:21:02since 2010.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06I feel my options are limited, actually.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11I don't want to spend the rest of my life here.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16- TEXT MESSAGE ALERT - Oh, got a text.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19Let's see where we're going.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22Ooh, right. We did a big renovate on this.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24There were certainly six rooms in there,
0:21:24 > 0:21:26downstairs, lounge...
0:21:26 > 0:21:29That's all I can remember, really. Yeah.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33When Yvonne stays in her room,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Jill will be staying in a holiday apartment nearby.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39I'm excited, going to this new place.
0:21:39 > 0:21:44I'm assuming there might be a sofa, a settee or something, to sit on.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48With any luck, I won't have any stairs to go up and down.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50And to have a bath would be wonderful.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56I don't think I've ever met any of the tenants
0:21:56 > 0:21:58that have gone into this house at all.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00At least, I don't think I have.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02It's going to be an experience, I think.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04Definitely.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10Oh, this is nice.
0:22:10 > 0:22:11Ah...
0:22:11 > 0:22:13Heaven.
0:22:13 > 0:22:14A bath.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Oh, I've got separate rooms, haven't I?
0:22:17 > 0:22:20And I'm on one level, so it's going to be easier on my leg.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23Feels more like a home...already.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Right.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Ooh. Oh, gosh.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35There's a good little table, I recognise that one.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39And our old television, I seem to remember that as well, from one of our houses.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41Ah, out into the garden.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44I think it needs a bit of weeding, doesn't it?
0:22:44 > 0:22:46Plastic bags and pipework here.
0:22:48 > 0:22:49Hmm.
0:22:53 > 0:22:58Yvonne's home for the next few days will be room number six.
0:22:58 > 0:22:59Got two, three and four.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03Ooh, this is a cute little staircase.
0:23:03 > 0:23:04Oh, goodness.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Ooh...
0:23:06 > 0:23:07Something to grab hold of.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Goodness.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14That's a bit tight, isn't it?
0:23:14 > 0:23:15YVONNE PANTS
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Right, five and six.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19- YVONNE STRAINS - Right.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Got there. So... OK.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26Oh, wow.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28Oh, this is cute.
0:23:28 > 0:23:29Look at this.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31"Home," it says. That's beautiful.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33Oh, wow. And it's...
0:23:33 > 0:23:35Lovely bed.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Erm...
0:23:38 > 0:23:39There we go. Oh, wow.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41It's a bit warm up here, though.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43May need to open the window and...
0:23:43 > 0:23:45I guess on the top floor, it is quite warm, isn't it?
0:23:45 > 0:23:49It reminds me of a hotel room that I would stay in,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52sometimes, if you don't go to the standard hotels,
0:23:52 > 0:23:55and you're out in the middle of the countryside,
0:23:55 > 0:23:58there's a little B&B type of thing, a bit quirky.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02It's much closer to that than it would be my home.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04That really is very different.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06There's not a lot of space,
0:24:06 > 0:24:09erm, not a lot of light coming in that's natural.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11I mean, I've got my balcony,
0:24:11 > 0:24:13so I can't really compare this to where I live now.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19"Welcome to my room, and I hope you will feel at home here.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22"I spend most of my time cooking, eating and watching TV
0:24:22 > 0:24:25"in my bedroom and don't use the communal areas much,
0:24:25 > 0:24:26"because of the stairs.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29"I live on a budget of £93.16 a week,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32"which is £13.31 per day."
0:24:34 > 0:24:36Goodness me, £13.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39Well, I could spend that several times a day if I wasn't careful.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41That's not very much, really.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45DOG BARKS IN BACKGROUND
0:24:45 > 0:24:50In Barnsley, Sarah is returning from doing a big food shop for the week.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53- How did you get on? - Yeah, really good.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Have you got money left?
0:24:55 > 0:24:57- I do.- There's no way you've got money left.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59I have money left.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01This is going to keep us going for ages.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03Show me how much you spent.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05- There's a £20 note there... - No way.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07Yeah, we've got about 25 quid left.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09Oh, well done. Well done.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11What's the most expensive thing on here?
0:25:11 > 0:25:14Sauvignon blanc, £3.89?
0:25:14 > 0:25:16You got coconut oil?
0:25:16 > 0:25:18- I did.- You got two of them?
0:25:18 > 0:25:21- No, I only got one.- Well, they charged you for two.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23No, they haven't, you tease!
0:25:23 > 0:25:24They have.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27It's two at £2.49.
0:25:27 > 0:25:28Oh, my God, they have!
0:25:29 > 0:25:32We'll have to go back to the shop and get our £2.49 back.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35I wouldn't have even noticed that, ordinarily.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37If we weren't on such a budget, I would never check that.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44- Mummy... - On the other side of Barnsley,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Carl and Kerry are wondering how their landlords are getting on.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49I bet when they first turned up and saw the budget,
0:25:49 > 0:25:52I bet he thought, "Oh, this is going to be easy."
0:25:52 > 0:25:54But then you've got to realise we've got two kids,
0:25:54 > 0:25:56and obviously the house to keep up,
0:25:56 > 0:25:58and the gas and electric is the main thing out of that budget,
0:25:58 > 0:26:00the gas and electric. That's when you've got to think,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03I've got to hold £10 back, just in case the electric goes,
0:26:03 > 0:26:05or the gas goes.
0:26:05 > 0:26:06It happens to us a few times,
0:26:06 > 0:26:08when it comes to the end of the month before I get paid from work.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10It's not as easy as what you think.
0:26:16 > 0:26:17YVONNE PANTS
0:26:20 > 0:26:21OK.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26That's a bit tight with all those bags.
0:26:26 > 0:26:27In Peterborough,
0:26:27 > 0:26:32Yvonne is finding the practicalities of her food shop a challenge.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34A lot of stairs for a lot of bags,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37so I guess if you're buying lots of things at a time,
0:26:37 > 0:26:39that's hard work, isn't it? So...
0:26:39 > 0:26:41Ah, yes, I'll need a sit down after this.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44No wonder she doesn't go up and downstairs.
0:26:44 > 0:26:49Glass of cold water, cool down and then that's my evening,
0:26:49 > 0:26:51I guess I'm not going back downstairs again!
0:26:53 > 0:26:56This takes me back a few years, because....
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Having something, I suppose this size,
0:26:59 > 0:27:04and in a house like this, where I don't know the people,
0:27:04 > 0:27:09then the only time I've really done that was when I was 20,
0:27:09 > 0:27:1221 and I moved away from home.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Would I like to live here at my age?
0:27:16 > 0:27:17Probably not,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20but it's not something that really crosses my mind now,
0:27:20 > 0:27:24because I've tried hard, by having property,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27to make sure that I'm not in the position
0:27:27 > 0:27:30where that's going to be, erm, the scenario.
0:27:30 > 0:27:31DOG BARKS IN BACKGROUND
0:27:40 > 0:27:42It's so hot up here.
0:27:42 > 0:27:43After a night in her room,
0:27:43 > 0:27:47Yvonne is keen to know who else she is sharing her house with.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55- Hello.- Hiya...- Hi, I'm Yvonne, so...
0:27:55 > 0:27:58- I'm Roslyn.- Roslyn?- Yeah. - Nice to meet you.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01- So, have you been here a while? - I've been here for a month now.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03Have you? OK, so you're quite new in.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06- And your room works out? It's...? - Well...
0:28:06 > 0:28:09- It's a bit small?- It's a bit small, but that's how the things are,
0:28:09 > 0:28:12- you know?- Would it be OK for me to have a look at your room and...?
0:28:12 > 0:28:15- Of course you can, any time. - OK.- Sure.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18Oh, OK. That pretty much is, is it.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20- Yeah.- So it's quite small. Gosh, it really does finish
0:28:20 > 0:28:22at the end of the bed, doesn't it?
0:28:22 > 0:28:24- And...- It does.- ..you've got a built-in cupboard there.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26Pretty much for me, as a single person,
0:28:26 > 0:28:28- the room does serve the purpose.- OK.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30Would you always look for a room in an HMO,
0:28:30 > 0:28:32or have you considered having a flat?
0:28:32 > 0:28:34The rent for a flat would be too high...
0:28:34 > 0:28:36- OK.- You know, renting out a...
0:28:36 > 0:28:38Yeah. So it's about the cost?
0:28:38 > 0:28:40It's about... For me, it's about the cost.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42When I look at my salary, I can't afford to, you know,
0:28:42 > 0:28:44- spend 500 quid on a flat.- No.
0:28:46 > 0:28:51There are strict rules about, er, how small rooms can be.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53The Government has stipulated they all need to be
0:28:53 > 0:28:576.52 metres squared or above. We stick to seven metres squared,
0:28:57 > 0:29:00and so it really is on the limits of the smallest size of room
0:29:00 > 0:29:03that we would provide as accommodation.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05It's not ideal, is it?
0:29:05 > 0:29:07It's not enough, really, for people to live in.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12I want it now!
0:29:12 > 0:29:15That's not how you get things, by asking like that.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18In Yorkshire, Nick and Sarah are also finding
0:29:18 > 0:29:21that it's not just the budget that is restricted.
0:29:21 > 0:29:26Where we live, there's a sense of space everywhere, in the house,
0:29:26 > 0:29:29outside the house.
0:29:29 > 0:29:33Whereas here, you know, you've got neighbours immediately opposite,
0:29:33 > 0:29:35both sides and immediately behind.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37So there's a feeling of...
0:29:37 > 0:29:40of being a bit more hemmed in, I guess.
0:29:40 > 0:29:42You know, this is the kind of house that I grew up in,
0:29:42 > 0:29:44so I'm kind of used to it,
0:29:44 > 0:29:47but I've grown used to having so much more space now.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52Right, can you just...? Can you take the kids out of here?
0:29:52 > 0:29:55Listen, this is getting really stressful.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57CHILD CRIES
0:29:57 > 0:30:00Oh dear. All hell's breaking loose.
0:30:00 > 0:30:01SHE LAUGHS
0:30:03 > 0:30:05You love to play in the dirt, don't you?
0:30:07 > 0:30:09If I was here now, forever,
0:30:09 > 0:30:12I probably would start to feel a little bit claustrophobic.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15We're a big believer in vision boards
0:30:15 > 0:30:17and creating the life that you want.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21I live by the phrase "What the mind can conceive, you can believe
0:30:21 > 0:30:23"and achieve," and I really, really believe that.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26I've just always...
0:30:26 > 0:30:30known that I'm going to live somewhere with lots of space
0:30:30 > 0:30:33around me, and I'm just going to make that happen.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36Everyone makes a choice every step of the way.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39What education they get, what...
0:30:39 > 0:30:42car they buy, what mobile phone they get,
0:30:42 > 0:30:45you know, what pasta they buy.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48If you don't like your life, change it.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50There's always a choice.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52There's always a choice.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01Come on, Belly-boo. Shall I carry you?
0:31:01 > 0:31:02CARL STRAINS
0:31:03 > 0:31:06Thomas looks snuggly in there, doesn't he?
0:31:06 > 0:31:07Yeah!
0:31:07 > 0:31:10I love you. You sleep tight, darling.
0:31:12 > 0:31:16As Nick, Sarah and the kids settle in for the night,
0:31:16 > 0:31:18Carl continues with his usual routine
0:31:18 > 0:31:20and is clocking off work at midnight,
0:31:20 > 0:31:22following a nine-hour day.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27I don't get much choice with what times I work.
0:31:27 > 0:31:28It's set hours.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32Erm, same hours every day, every week.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36When I get home, Kerry's sometimes awake,
0:31:36 > 0:31:38but the girls are definitely in bed.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40But my eldest, if she's at school,
0:31:40 > 0:31:42I don't see her, probably, till the weekend.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46It's tough, yeah.
0:31:46 > 0:31:47Er... It's tough on her, as well.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04In Peterborough, Yvonne's family are keen to find out
0:32:04 > 0:32:06how she's getting on in a shared house.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08- Hello!- Hello, Mummy!
0:32:08 > 0:32:09Oh, so good to see you!
0:32:09 > 0:32:12- Hello.- So good to see you. - You all right?- Hi, mwah.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16As Andy managed the renovation of the building,
0:32:16 > 0:32:18he was present when the first tenants moved in.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20I haven't been here for a while.
0:32:20 > 0:32:21Yeah.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23Look at this.
0:32:23 > 0:32:24You like?
0:32:24 > 0:32:26- Meh...- Lovely, isn't it?
0:32:26 > 0:32:30So how long is it since you've been in the room?
0:32:30 > 0:32:33Here, probably a couple of years, I guess.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35- Oh, right. OK.- I mean, we've had the house
0:32:35 > 0:32:36- just under five years...- Have we?
0:32:36 > 0:32:39..spent about three months renovating, probably...
0:32:39 > 0:32:41I said about five or six, I couldn't remember.
0:32:41 > 0:32:42This is Jill's room, I think,
0:32:42 > 0:32:46and she's been here four-and-a-half years, probably.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48Wow, that's a long time, gosh.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51- There's a fan.- Thanks, darling, I need my fan.
0:32:53 > 0:32:54Is it hot in our house, as well?
0:32:54 > 0:32:57- It's boiling up here. - Relatively. Relatively cool.- Yeah.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59I'm going to grab a chair or something.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01Yeah, grab a chair. So, are you guys hungry?
0:33:01 > 0:33:04- Yes.- Yes.- Starving! - ANDY LAUGHS
0:33:04 > 0:33:06I was trying to work out what on earth I could cook,
0:33:06 > 0:33:08and so I found some pizzas, is that OK?
0:33:08 > 0:33:10We'll have to make them downstairs,
0:33:10 > 0:33:13I don't think pizza's going to fit in the microwave.
0:33:13 > 0:33:14Two pizzas.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17Let's go. It's a bit cooler downstairs.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22Half a mile away,
0:33:22 > 0:33:25Jill is enjoying the benefits of living on the ground floor.
0:33:27 > 0:33:28My legs have...
0:33:28 > 0:33:29They're just fantastic.
0:33:29 > 0:33:34Because I'm not dragged down with this pain all the time,
0:33:34 > 0:33:36I feel like I'm smiling more, as well.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39And I'm happier in myself.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44I didn't realise it was such a big issue until I came here
0:33:44 > 0:33:46and I'm...pottering about.
0:33:46 > 0:33:47I'm loving it.
0:33:52 > 0:33:53Oops!
0:33:53 > 0:33:55That was close. But try again.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57Well recovered, that girl.
0:33:59 > 0:34:01Cheers, guys! Here's to, er...
0:34:01 > 0:34:05- life in the real world. - YVONNE LAUGHS
0:34:06 > 0:34:08This is a small room.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11- A small room? - Yeah, a very small room.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14How would you feel living here if this was your...kind of house?
0:34:14 > 0:34:16How would you feel about that?
0:34:16 > 0:34:18- Too small.- It's too small, is it?
0:34:19 > 0:34:21So tell me about Jill, then?
0:34:21 > 0:34:25She's been here all that time, right from the beginning.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27Why...? What's her situation?
0:34:27 > 0:34:30- She's a little bit older. - A little bit older, OK.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32- So tell me...?- She's retired, really.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36- OK, is she...?- She's reached sort of retirement age.- Oh, OK.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42- Mwah. Love you, boo.- Love you.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44- See you later.- Bye, Dad. Bye, hon. Right.
0:34:44 > 0:34:45Bye.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48I didn't know Jill was retirement age.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52Because I'm not involved on a day-to-day basis,
0:34:52 > 0:34:56it's out of my mind a lot of the time.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00I might have a panic if I'm looking at a lot of empty rooms,
0:35:00 > 0:35:03then I'm looking at it from a business perspective.
0:35:03 > 0:35:04I don't spend a lot of time thinking
0:35:04 > 0:35:06about the people that are staying here.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10It's a bit of a mixture where I want to help people,
0:35:10 > 0:35:13and then I'm a landlord as well.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15Should I be in the landlord business
0:35:15 > 0:35:16if I'm not cut out for the day-to-day?
0:35:17 > 0:35:20If I wasn't in the landlord business,
0:35:20 > 0:35:25there would be potentially 127 extra people who aren't living in
0:35:25 > 0:35:27properties right now. Where would they be?
0:35:40 > 0:35:42- Barbecue.- There is a bit of dog poo down here.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44OK, I'll get it.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47In Barnsley, Carl's friends and neighbours are arriving
0:35:47 > 0:35:50for the barbecue Nick and Sarah are hosting.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53- Hiya. I'm Lisa. - Lisa, nice to meet you.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56They've brought food and drink, which is great.
0:35:56 > 0:35:57It's lovely of them to do that.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01So, yeah, we're going to have loads of food, actually.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06Does everyone know each other round here?
0:36:06 > 0:36:07The majority of us, yeah.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09- Yeah?- Even if we're not friends,
0:36:09 > 0:36:13we all know who lives on the street and whose kids are whose.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16Yeah. It is very similar to how I grew up,
0:36:16 > 0:36:18like everybody knew each other and, like you said,
0:36:18 > 0:36:20even if you weren't best of friends,
0:36:20 > 0:36:22everyone kind of looked after each other's kids
0:36:22 > 0:36:23and helped each other out.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26- It's nice.- And do you rent?
0:36:26 > 0:36:29- Do you mind me asking?- The property we're in now, we're renting.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31You don't plan to move from there?
0:36:31 > 0:36:32- Not any time soon.- No.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35What about Carl and Kerry, what do you think their plans are?
0:36:35 > 0:36:38- Do you know?- In the long run, they're wanting to own.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41- Right.- I think they're finding it a bit hard to save.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44We're in the same situation as Carl and Kerry.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46He works, I don't,
0:36:46 > 0:36:49so we're not exactly flush.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51So it is difficult at times.
0:36:51 > 0:36:52It's hard to save.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55Things come up and need to be dealt with.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57What do Carl and Kerry do?
0:36:57 > 0:37:01- Do they work?- Karl works, he works at Tesco at the minute.
0:37:01 > 0:37:05- Right.- He did have a job as a hairdresser at one point as well...
0:37:05 > 0:37:07- OK.- He's kind of had to give that up.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10Financially, supporting two kids,
0:37:10 > 0:37:13he's had to move away from what he loves, sort of thing.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15I mean, is money a big issue around here?
0:37:15 > 0:37:20Cos, like, I was trying to think back to when I was a kid, and
0:37:20 > 0:37:21we never really had any money,
0:37:21 > 0:37:24but I don't ever remember it being an issue, it just was as it was,
0:37:24 > 0:37:27- kind of thing. - I think you learn to manage.
0:37:27 > 0:37:31- Yeah.- You learn to manage with what you've got.
0:37:31 > 0:37:32Yeah.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40We learned a little bit about Carl,
0:37:40 > 0:37:44it sounds like the job that he does isn't really what he wants to do,
0:37:44 > 0:37:46which I guess...
0:37:47 > 0:37:50You know, for us, that's a little bit alien.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53All of Carl and Kerry's friends seem to be trying to save for their own
0:37:53 > 0:37:57place, trying to get on the property ladder rather than renting, and,
0:37:57 > 0:37:59you know, they all talked about the difficulties of that.
0:37:59 > 0:38:04I got on the property ladder because I saved, and I sacrificed
0:38:04 > 0:38:07other things. I guess it's harder when you've got kids
0:38:07 > 0:38:10and you are kind of a bit more established in life.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12I was kind of, essentially, living on my own,
0:38:12 > 0:38:15so it was a little bit easier to save.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18Prices were quite a bit cheaper back then, you know,
0:38:18 > 0:38:2123 years ago when I bought my first house.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24Now, with these restrictions on getting mortgages,
0:38:24 > 0:38:26I guess it's even more difficult.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33Home ownership in England has fallen to its lowest level for 30 years,
0:38:33 > 0:38:37while the number of people privately renting has steadily risen.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41I'm looking to rent a one-bedroom property,
0:38:41 > 0:38:43preferably ground floor.
0:38:43 > 0:38:48Jill has spent the last four years saving up a deposit of £600
0:38:48 > 0:38:51so she can hopefully rent a flat of her own.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56That's OK, thank you.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58Bye-bye.
0:38:59 > 0:39:03The maximum monthly rent she could afford is £500,
0:39:03 > 0:39:06made up of her pension and housing benefit.
0:39:06 > 0:39:07What is the cheapest you have?
0:39:11 > 0:39:12595 is your cheapest?
0:39:13 > 0:39:16Do you accept people on housing benefit?
0:39:18 > 0:39:22I...don't really need a guarantor, why would I need one?
0:39:29 > 0:39:32- Well, thank you. - Thank you.- Bye.- Bye-bye.
0:39:34 > 0:39:39I feel very frustrated and banging my head on a brick wall,
0:39:39 > 0:39:41because they are all saying the same thing.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44It depends on the guarantor, six months upfront,
0:39:44 > 0:39:46and that is because the landlords insure...
0:39:46 > 0:39:50For insurance purposes against loss of rental.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53SHE MUMBLES
0:40:01 > 0:40:05As housing benefits are now normally paid directly to tenants,
0:40:05 > 0:40:09many landlords are unwilling to take the risk of unpaid rent.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13I'm being prejudiced against.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18There's definitely prejudice there, I don't care what anybody says.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25I started work when I was 16.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27I worked all my life, 45 years in total.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30I've paid into the system,
0:40:30 > 0:40:36and I am struggling to find myself my own home,
0:40:36 > 0:40:39that I can stay in for the rest of my life.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42I never expected it to be this difficult.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58Nick and Sarah have one day left in Barnsley.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00BABY FUSSES
0:41:00 > 0:41:02I know, getting hungry.
0:41:06 > 0:41:0940, 60, 80...
0:41:09 > 0:41:13We've got £9.50 left to last us.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16But we don't have to buy any more food.
0:41:16 > 0:41:21I guess if we were living here, we would, um, put that away.
0:41:21 > 0:41:22We'd save it.
0:41:24 > 0:41:25Mm.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40- No light in here.- I think the electric's tripped.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43Oh, oh, is that what it is?
0:41:43 > 0:41:44Yeah.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52Oh. No, I think maybe we've run out of electric.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56I think the electric's run out.
0:41:56 > 0:41:57Oh!
0:41:59 > 0:42:04The meter's already in debt by £5.64.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07So I'm guessing that if we want to get that back into credit,
0:42:07 > 0:42:10I've got to pay at least £5.64 to get it to zero,
0:42:10 > 0:42:12and then obviously put some money on.
0:42:15 > 0:42:16I should check the gas as well.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19I think the Hoover's in the way.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25How much junk do you need to put in here?
0:42:25 > 0:42:27It's crazy.
0:42:27 > 0:42:28HE HUFFS
0:42:31 > 0:42:36We're on emergency credit and there's 41p left on the gas.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38We've got £9.51.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41I think we'll have to have either gas or electricity.
0:42:43 > 0:42:44Which one do you want?
0:42:46 > 0:42:49I think we'll have to have electricity,
0:42:49 > 0:42:51cos it's the fridge and stuff.
0:42:51 > 0:42:52Yeah, fridge, freezer...
0:42:52 > 0:42:57And the oven's electric, so we can heat stuff up.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00If we'd known that the meters were on a prepayment meter,
0:43:00 > 0:43:02we'd definitely have checked before,
0:43:02 > 0:43:04so I don't think there's anything in the letter... I mean,
0:43:04 > 0:43:07it's not their fault, it is just one of those things, but if we'd known,
0:43:07 > 0:43:10we'd have bought electricity and gas before we bought wine.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13The average is £21.25 daily.
0:43:13 > 0:43:18This covers food, fuel, gas, electricity and any activities.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21So, yeah, what we should have done is actually worked out what the gas
0:43:21 > 0:43:25and electricity was, and took that money out at the start.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27But we just kind of assumed that...
0:43:29 > 0:43:31I feel like I've already wasted enough time on this.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33- I just want to get it sorted. - Yeah, go for it.
0:43:39 > 0:43:42Can live without gas for a short time.
0:43:43 > 0:43:46I mean, if it was in the middle of the winter, it would be really hard,
0:43:46 > 0:43:47because we would... I mean,
0:43:47 > 0:43:50we'd have to borrow some money off someone if it was the middle of the
0:43:50 > 0:43:55winter, cos with the gas off, the heating would be non-existent.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58They are trying to live on one wage which is,
0:43:58 > 0:44:00you know, which is really tough.
0:44:00 > 0:44:02It's really hard. And...
0:44:02 > 0:44:06I-I expect they're constantly having to make choices...
0:44:07 > 0:44:11..between essential things, really.
0:44:13 > 0:44:16That's eight, nine, thank you.
0:44:18 > 0:44:2215, 20, 25.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27- 51p.- 51p left.
0:44:27 > 0:44:31- Yeah.- That literally is the last of the money, so, like,
0:44:31 > 0:44:34there's no room for emergencies now.
0:44:34 > 0:44:36There's no reserves. Yeah, it just makes me feel nervous.
0:44:36 > 0:44:39It makes me feel quite vulnerable to something...
0:44:41 > 0:44:45..that could happen that I can't do anything about, really.
0:44:48 > 0:44:49In Peterborough, it's the night
0:44:49 > 0:44:52before Yvonne will meet her tenant, Jill.
0:44:54 > 0:44:57I was feeling a little bit teary actually this evening,
0:44:57 > 0:44:58just thinking about...
0:45:00 > 0:45:05..even how people perceive landlords and am I doing the right thing?
0:45:05 > 0:45:07How am I doing it, do I need to do it better?
0:45:07 > 0:45:09I'm not doubting what we're doing,
0:45:09 > 0:45:12but just questioning those things, and that's been...
0:45:13 > 0:45:15..that's been challenging.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18Got lots of questions for Jill tomorrow and I want to listen
0:45:18 > 0:45:20to how she gets on in the house
0:45:20 > 0:45:23and what she thinks of the place where she lives,
0:45:23 > 0:45:26and has been her home for 4.5 years.
0:45:36 > 0:45:37I'm looking forward to meeting the landlady.
0:45:39 > 0:45:43I would like to know how she felt in such a confined space,
0:45:43 > 0:45:46because you can feel a bit like you're in prison.
0:45:52 > 0:45:53- Hello!- Hiya!
0:45:53 > 0:45:55You must be Jill?
0:45:55 > 0:45:57- Yvonne.- How nice to see you.
0:45:57 > 0:45:59- Come and have a seat.- Thank you.
0:46:00 > 0:46:02So how has it been for you, living in my room?
0:46:02 > 0:46:06I'm used to quite a lot of space where I live now, um,
0:46:06 > 0:46:08and if that was my house
0:46:08 > 0:46:11and I lived there for a year, at my age,
0:46:11 > 0:46:12I think I would struggle with that.
0:46:12 > 0:46:14If I didn't go out every day...
0:46:14 > 0:46:18- Yeah.- ..I would go stir crazy.- Yeah. - I've got to get out.
0:46:18 > 0:46:19If I had my own place...
0:46:19 > 0:46:21- Yes.- ..I'd be out in the garden.
0:46:21 > 0:46:26I've had so many friends say to me, "When you get your own place,
0:46:26 > 0:46:28- "we'll come and visit you more." - Oh, really?
0:46:28 > 0:46:30Because we are restricted.
0:46:30 > 0:46:31It is at the top of the house.
0:46:31 > 0:46:33I mean, there's a couple of flights of stairs...
0:46:33 > 0:46:34That affects me terribly.
0:46:34 > 0:46:38- Does it?- I've got a leg condition called Piriformis.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41- OK.- And it's all the muscles right into your bones.
0:46:41 > 0:46:45They cause electrical, like currents, and affects your muscles.
0:46:45 > 0:46:49Gosh. Why have you actually chosen to stay in that room for four years?
0:46:49 > 0:46:50It's not actually been through choice.
0:46:50 > 0:46:53- OK.- To be honest, I wanted a flat of my own.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56Just a ground floor flat, but I can't find a place.
0:46:56 > 0:46:59- Yes.- Sometimes they want six months upfront.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02Some do not want housing benefit, retired or not.
0:47:02 > 0:47:06- It's a problem, isn't it? - It gets me down when I'm...- Does it?
0:47:06 > 0:47:09..you know, looking for places and you get knocked back.
0:47:09 > 0:47:11Right. There must be a solution,
0:47:11 > 0:47:14because I wouldn't like to think that you were going to have to be
0:47:14 > 0:47:16in that room for the rest of your life.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19All I want at the end of the day is somewhere to call home.
0:47:21 > 0:47:24- So, take care.- You too.
0:47:24 > 0:47:27After meeting Jill and hearing about those conditions,
0:47:27 > 0:47:30I really can't see for the long-term this would be the right place for
0:47:30 > 0:47:33Jill to be. If my mum was living in the top floor flat,
0:47:33 > 0:47:36I wouldn't want that for her, but as a landlord,
0:47:36 > 0:47:38if I then said, "This room's no longer fit for purpose,"
0:47:38 > 0:47:40where is she going to go?
0:47:40 > 0:47:42I feel like I'm in limbo.
0:47:42 > 0:47:44She does appreciate my situation.
0:47:44 > 0:47:46But at the end of the day, what can she do?
0:47:51 > 0:47:54In Barnsley, it's Nick's opportunity to meet his tenant
0:47:54 > 0:47:56for the first time.
0:47:56 > 0:48:02It's quite strange to be meeting someone whose house we've lived in.
0:48:02 > 0:48:05It's quite a personal thing to open up your home to some complete
0:48:05 > 0:48:07stranger, which is what I am to him.
0:48:07 > 0:48:10I'm as much a stranger to him as he is to me.
0:48:11 > 0:48:13There's a few questions I want to ask him
0:48:13 > 0:48:15about what it's like to live there,
0:48:15 > 0:48:19and I really hope that the things that need fixing in the house
0:48:19 > 0:48:21have not been ignored by us,
0:48:21 > 0:48:23to find they've reported some of those items
0:48:23 > 0:48:24and we've kind of ignored them,
0:48:24 > 0:48:26that would be the worst thing, really.
0:48:28 > 0:48:30Feeling a little bit nervous now.
0:48:32 > 0:48:34I just don't know what to expect.
0:48:34 > 0:48:36I just hope he's on the same wavelength
0:48:36 > 0:48:38and realises that we are a genuine family,
0:48:38 > 0:48:42and we're hoping to turn that house into our long-term home.
0:48:47 > 0:48:48- Hiya.- Hey, Carl.
0:48:48 > 0:48:50- Nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you too.
0:48:50 > 0:48:53- Have a seat.- How's it been going?
0:48:53 > 0:48:56It's been interesting to see what it's like to live there,
0:48:56 > 0:48:59and we've met some of your friends and the neighbours,
0:48:59 > 0:49:01and it seems like a really nice street.
0:49:01 > 0:49:05What's been the best thing about the house and what's been the worst
0:49:05 > 0:49:07- thing?- The best thing is the size of the house and the area.
0:49:07 > 0:49:09Cos I got... I were brought up round there,
0:49:09 > 0:49:11I grew up there as a kid.
0:49:11 > 0:49:13The worst thing is how cold it is in winter.
0:49:13 > 0:49:16- Yeah.- The little one's bedroom, the tiny bedroom,
0:49:16 > 0:49:17that corner near the window were black.
0:49:17 > 0:49:22They came out and they treated the wall and repainted it,
0:49:22 > 0:49:25which is fine, but as soon as it starts raining
0:49:25 > 0:49:26or it's been a bit cold,
0:49:26 > 0:49:27it starts showing again.
0:49:27 > 0:49:31Right. Tell me about the front window, cos the catch is not...
0:49:31 > 0:49:33not fixing into the...
0:49:33 > 0:49:35We noticed that
0:49:35 > 0:49:40a few months back. We didn't realise until I couldn't shut the window one
0:49:40 > 0:49:42- day.- Have you reported that?
0:49:42 > 0:49:45- No.- OK.- I don't want to feel like I'm nagging.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48I don't want to feel like I'm just being nit-picky.
0:49:48 > 0:49:50But you shouldn't feel like you can't report stuff.
0:49:50 > 0:49:53You know, it's perfectly normal for you to report stuff
0:49:53 > 0:49:56and for us to fix it. That's the deal, really.
0:49:56 > 0:49:58The one big issue I have is every 12 months,
0:49:58 > 0:50:01we re-sign and you charge us £70.
0:50:01 > 0:50:05- Do we really?- Yeah, it's a £70 charging fee
0:50:05 > 0:50:07to sign another 12 months.
0:50:07 > 0:50:09I'll check that. I didn't realise it was that much.
0:50:09 > 0:50:12Obviously, there's a certain amount of admin, but that does sound like
0:50:12 > 0:50:15a lot of money for that. Do you feel like you've got any level
0:50:15 > 0:50:17of security renting the house from us?
0:50:17 > 0:50:20No, cos we sign every 12 months.
0:50:20 > 0:50:23After that 12 months, you might decide you want to sell up.
0:50:23 > 0:50:26Do you know why we only give you 12 months?
0:50:26 > 0:50:29- No.- OK, because we're not allowed to.
0:50:29 > 0:50:30If we have a mortgage on the property,
0:50:30 > 0:50:33we're only allowed to give you a 12-month tenancy.
0:50:33 > 0:50:36So how much of your income goes on the rent?
0:50:36 > 0:50:3950%. It's not easy.
0:50:39 > 0:50:40Yeah, yeah.
0:50:42 > 0:50:43- EMOTIONAL:- Sorry.
0:50:44 > 0:50:46It's all right, it's OK.
0:50:50 > 0:50:53My kids are wanting something, I can't afford it.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56I want to go abroad, I want to take them places,
0:50:56 > 0:50:58but my main priority is living.
0:50:59 > 0:51:03We have no savings, there's no security.
0:51:04 > 0:51:06I don't own the house,
0:51:06 > 0:51:09so if anything happens to me and Kerry tomorrow,
0:51:09 > 0:51:11our kids have got nothing.
0:51:12 > 0:51:14There's a lot of pressure.
0:51:14 > 0:51:16That's on you, is it? That's...
0:51:16 > 0:51:19Yeah. It's all right.
0:51:19 > 0:51:21- Do you want some water?- Please.
0:51:25 > 0:51:27Thank you.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30No, that's hard, when the pressure's on you
0:51:30 > 0:51:31for, like, three other people.
0:51:34 > 0:51:36- Thank you very much. - Yeah, nice to meet you.
0:51:36 > 0:51:39- Hope to see you again soon. - Take care.- See you later.
0:51:39 > 0:51:41I was a bit surprised about how upset he got,
0:51:41 > 0:51:43but I guess he's like most parents.
0:51:43 > 0:51:45He's wanting to provide for his girls,
0:51:45 > 0:51:47he's wanting to provide for his family,
0:51:47 > 0:51:50and all of that pressure is on him.
0:51:50 > 0:51:53You know, we're not a charity as a business, but I think there's some
0:51:53 > 0:51:55things we can do that will help
0:51:55 > 0:51:57Carl and Kerry and the family in the house,
0:51:57 > 0:51:59so that's something that we'll look at.
0:52:05 > 0:52:10After their time away, the landlords and tenants are going home.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13It's been a nice break, a lovely break.
0:52:13 > 0:52:17I suppose I'll just have to treat it like a holiday and then I won't feel
0:52:17 > 0:52:19saddened by going back.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26- Hello!- Mummy!
0:52:26 > 0:52:30- Oh, we've missed you so much! - Love you.
0:52:31 > 0:52:33I know it's been tiring,
0:52:33 > 0:52:35but I've really enjoyed it and I'm glad we did it.
0:52:35 > 0:52:38It's given me a real appreciation
0:52:38 > 0:52:43for what it's actually like to live on a really tight budget,
0:52:43 > 0:52:45because we are so lucky.
0:52:49 > 0:52:50Kerry.
0:52:51 > 0:52:53Oh, my God.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57- What?- The windows.- Oh, God.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00HE LAUGHS IN DISBELIEF
0:53:00 > 0:53:04Even though Carl and Kerry might buy their own home in the future,
0:53:04 > 0:53:05we'd love to have them as tenants
0:53:05 > 0:53:08for as long as they want to live there.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11We want them to enjoy the property in which they live.
0:53:11 > 0:53:13Wow, no gaffer tape needed now, is there?
0:53:13 > 0:53:17We've renewed all the windows and they've now got ventilation
0:53:17 > 0:53:19in them to help prevent mould.
0:53:19 > 0:53:22Look at that. You can open that one now, Kerry.
0:53:22 > 0:53:26We've also installed some wardrobes to give them some more storage.
0:53:27 > 0:53:29HE LAUGHS EXCITEDLY
0:53:31 > 0:53:32Wow.
0:53:36 > 0:53:38It would take me a full year to save up for that.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46Oh, wow.
0:53:46 > 0:53:48Well, somebody's been busy. This is beautiful.
0:53:50 > 0:53:51Look at this.
0:53:51 > 0:53:55We can have a proper barbecue without walking over everybody.
0:53:55 > 0:53:56What a difference.
0:53:57 > 0:53:59"Thank you so much for letting us stay in your home.
0:53:59 > 0:54:02"I sensed the pressure you were under when you were talking
0:54:02 > 0:54:04"about providing security for your family.
0:54:04 > 0:54:06"I can imagine that this must be very difficult,
0:54:06 > 0:54:08"especially living on a budget that you do.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11"We also recognise that a tenancy renewal fee of £70 every year
0:54:11 > 0:54:13"is a lot of money. With this in mind,
0:54:13 > 0:54:17"we would like to waive this for your next renewal fee.
0:54:17 > 0:54:21"Having you as an ongoing customer makes a lot of sense for us.
0:54:21 > 0:54:23HE CRIES
0:54:23 > 0:54:27This week's given us very much a sense of a lack of control
0:54:27 > 0:54:31and freedom that mainly comes from the lack of budget.
0:54:31 > 0:54:33Wow.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36It was really clear to see what he's trying to do and achieve for his
0:54:36 > 0:54:41kids. Massive pressure to have that constantly, and the things that
0:54:41 > 0:54:44we've done will hopefully relieve that pressure.
0:54:44 > 0:54:46"The back garden has been turfed..."
0:54:51 > 0:54:54- Wow.- It sure has.
0:54:55 > 0:54:56That's amazing.
0:54:58 > 0:55:01- We weren't expecting this much, were we?- No.
0:55:04 > 0:55:05A note.
0:55:07 > 0:55:12"Dear Jill, thank you so much for letting me stay in your lovely room.
0:55:12 > 0:55:15"I was shocked to find that not only had you been in your room for over
0:55:15 > 0:55:19"four years, but that you're also going to have to stay there unless
0:55:19 > 0:55:21"other suitable accommodation can be found.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23"When I came back from my shopping trip,
0:55:23 > 0:55:25"I really struggled with the stairs,
0:55:25 > 0:55:27"so I can see how this is hard for you
0:55:27 > 0:55:32"with your hip problems and how this is going to get worse over time.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35"Andy and I will spend some time with you over the next few months
0:55:35 > 0:55:39"to see if there is anything on the market that is suitable
0:55:39 > 0:55:43"and where the agency and landlord will accept benefits tenants.
0:55:43 > 0:55:44"If that is not going to work,
0:55:44 > 0:55:49"then we will buy a suitable place for you to rent from us...
0:55:51 > 0:55:54"..that is going to suit your needs
0:55:54 > 0:55:58"and where the rent is manageable for you."
0:56:00 > 0:56:03"Very best wishes, Yvonne."
0:56:05 > 0:56:07I was not expecting this.
0:56:08 > 0:56:10What a lovely thing to do.
0:56:13 > 0:56:17This experience really has made a big impact.
0:56:17 > 0:56:19It opened my eyes to say, "Wow,
0:56:19 > 0:56:23"people are getting stuck in accommodation that is not suitable."
0:56:23 > 0:56:25That's not acceptable, not in Britain.
0:56:26 > 0:56:28On the fringes, we know there are problems,
0:56:28 > 0:56:31but this has highlighted it for me.
0:56:31 > 0:56:33These people not only are just...
0:56:33 > 0:56:37They are there needing different accommodation, they're in my houses.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40I really can't solve the housing crisis,
0:56:40 > 0:56:44but at least in this situation I can help one person.
0:56:44 > 0:56:47I feel like I've got a future now.
0:56:47 > 0:56:51Something to look forward to, something to work for.
0:56:51 > 0:56:53To aim for.
0:56:53 > 0:56:55I can't wait.
0:56:56 > 0:56:58HE CHUCKLES
0:56:58 > 0:57:00Look at the new grass.
0:57:00 > 0:57:01It's big.
0:57:03 > 0:57:05- Happy?- Yeah.
0:57:05 > 0:57:08I feel like I'm walking on clouds at the moment.
0:57:08 > 0:57:11The things that have been done is just unreal.
0:57:11 > 0:57:13It just feels like the landlord's on my side.
0:57:16 > 0:57:17That's how it feels.
0:57:18 > 0:57:22And he's not there just to make money out of me,
0:57:22 > 0:57:24he's here to back me up as well.