council houses and waiting times

[babyjan]

Oh wow highhopes, that sounds terrible!

Did the council offer to move you because of those reasons?

 

[kbwebb]

Stoke council. We were band b for overcrowding living at my mums. On the list for 11 months, but to get this house we've had to move to the middle of nowhere as there were no houses near my mums. We were told about the house November time, given the keys February (they had to fix rising damp on the ground floor) but since being given the keys we've had mouldy kitchen cupboards, a leaking front door, leaking concrete thingy around the door (the white surround thing? ) leaking toilet, broken boiler, too big skirting to open the back door - fire hazard. And the gas meter had £1000 debt! Even the gas company can't explain that one because the last people with a gas account was the council while they fixed the house! So they left us with their debt!!

 

[kbwebb]

We still haven't moved in because of all the work that needs doing. The garden had been turned over, but there had been rubbish on the ground so this had been turned over into the soil.. Df mentioned it and said see there's a chip shop fork sticking out of the soil as were other things. They literally moved the fork and left all the other derby in the soil then said 'we moved the fork like you asked' our child can't play in a garden that has all sorts in the soil, and no fencing to separate the back garden from the front of the house, so when we move in we've got to pay for all new fencing to stop her going in the road. You'd think those with children would at least get fencing put in as a safety measure. I hope others councils are better than this one.

 

[smileyfaces]

Omg kbwebb that sounds awful!

 

[kbwebb]

I know it's sad really, we complained and the manager came out and was very arsey with my df and when he mentioned the cupboards the manager said he didn't see what was wrong with them. Df said they were black and the manager wouldn't like it if it was his house so why should we have them? The manager replied well it isn't my house so it isn't my problem. There's other problems too but they're just the main ones really, we're lucky we're living with my mum because if we had our own house and our tenancy was ending we would be living in the council house while it wasn't safe! The front door was leaking that much there was a puddle in the living room, when we rang about it while there were storms it took three days for them to fix it, even though they were aware of it leaking ey had tried to use sealant to fix it in the first place. We had to cancel our carpets being fitted because of this, luckily didn't get fined for cancelling. Sorry to go off on a rant lol!

 

[smileyfaces]

That is disgusting!!! How can they get away with treating people like that?!

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Our council were dire with repairs. Loved council house cheapness but hated neighbours and shoddy repairs

 

[salamander91]

Cheshire east. I can't remember band, either b or c. We were offered a flat after 2 months but it wasn't appropriate so had to reject it. We were offered our current flat 1 month after that so totally 3 months. We were very lucky.

 

[tinkerbelle93]

We were living in Peterborough when we tried getting on the list. I was 4 months pregnant and we were living at my OH's parents. They have a 4-bedroom house and there were eight of us, nine including our unborn baby. Me and DH were sharing a single box bedroom with no space for a baby but we were still told band 3 and around a 2 year wait to get a one bed flat, and were just advised to private rent. In the end I found a job in the town where my mum and dad live and we moved in with them, plenty of space there, and DH put up with the long drive to his work. Then we saved up until LO was one and got a part buy part rent three-bedroom house. I'm just glad that option was available to us. Private renting was too expensive for us but we couldn't get a lot lent to us for a full mortgage so it worked out nicely.

 

[violet chase]

Hi all sorry to dive in but I'm just curious as to why I'm allowed to bid on a 3 bedroom house (usually only 2) and why one 3 bedroom on a street and not the other 3 bedroom on the same street!!!! ( if that makes sense) I hate the fact I'm stuck at my dads because he owns a "3" bedroom house the box room is just that it's tiny so I'm having to share a bedroom with my son! I'm band 3 out of 4 Don't get me wrong I'm not demanding but they're saying I'm not going to get a house for a long time while I'm living with my dad unless he kicks me out which obviously he won't!!

 

[smileyfaces]

Do you have children sharing the box room too?

 

[violet chase]

No it's wall to wall with junk!

 

[QueenMummyToBe]

We have a house with longhurst housing group through lincoln council & have lived here over 3 years now.. it is a new build house but it is tiny 2 bed and we have a major mould issue due to poor ventilation.. we had a delightful inspector tell us to throw our belongings away to improve the issue but with 3 children of various ages they come with a lot of stuff that you cant just throw away!!

We are on the home swapper website but we don't have many matches and we have had two people let us down already so I am starting to give up hope and to be rehoused direct from the council can take 6-10 years as we have a roof over our heads regardless of the over crowding. They are starting to build new council homes (slowly) in my area, you bid on them and they interview potential tenants rather than the houses going to the first to bid etc.

I live in hope that hubby will get his promotion at work and we can then private rent but it will be over a third more than what we are paying now xx

 

[summer rain]

Queen mummy to be we are in a similar situation so I totally feel your pain, but with 5 kids in a three bed. It's true it's massive for a three bed but it is getting overcrowded and my youngest will have to permanently be in with us as there is no more space in the other bedrooms. We also had problems with mould that they tried to blame on us airing laundry indoors, something which we have no choice but to do as the housing association have banned drying laundry on the balcony because it looks 'unsightly', there is no space for a dryer and besides which the mould problem was caused by a leak in the bathroom that was in turn caused by poor repair work by their contractors and which they took over a year to fully repair. Thankfully the mould problem has mainly resolved now but they were meant to replace all the skirting boards and other woodwork in the bathroom because it was so badly damaged and they never have. We have also been let down by various homeswappers, some people are not serious and see it as a bit of fun to go around viewing houses. Xx

 

[lhancock90]

I did a year and then gave up and we rented.

 

[vaniilla]

I have 0 idea how it works but I've just looked on a site from our local council and found this https://www.homesearchbathnes.org.uk/NovaWeb/Infrastructure/ViewLibraryDocument.aspx?ObjectID=515

 

[stephx]

Just looked on my north somerset bidding site and we are number 3 on a house and number 1 on a flat . Not going to bid as we are housed but thats taken since Dec 2009 to get to the top of the list!

 

[babyjan]

Wouldn't they invite you for a viewing in that case steph? Or is this from a while ago?

 

[stephx]

No, only if I actually bid on the property. Unless you bid you won't be considered.

 

[summer rain]

That's cool that your site tells you what position you would be if you bidded, in East London it only tells you what position you are in after you bid and even then it's not always accurate xx