Wealthy Council Tenants could lose homes

[Pramaholic86]

Once you're on the council, you're safe for life. No-one is going to decide to not renew your tenancy, increase your rent according to Market trends, allow you to pay only what you can afford, etc !

I live in a Housing Association property and I'm very grateful for the security I have as I can't foresee my tenancy being revoked unless I become an unsociable tenant or I don't pay my rent.
However I must point out that every year my rent and service charge increases. This year the combined increase was 10% on last years charge. As far as I am aware rents and service charge increases are limited by law and this applies to private rents too.
I would love it if the HA only charged what they thought I could afford but if that was the case I'd be paying a lot less!

As a private tenant, if you can't pay your rent, you'd more than likely be kicked out at the end of your contract and the money reclaimed via small claims, as a council tenant that's not likely to happen. I'm not saying you should be, but that's what I mean about security, you'll never be made homeless? On the borough I work on, if you fall in to rent arrears, you pay back what you can until the amount is recovered.

I don't think people on 100k should be allowed to stay in their homes. That's abuse of the system surely? Individual cases need to be taken in to account, ie elderly but able bodied 'normal' families shouldn't be allowed, IMO.
If someone is earning 100k they should have to pay the average private rent. Although if I was on 100k I'd definately be buying!
They may 'their homes' but for example, me and my OH moved out of our last home because with LO we couldn't afford the rent (with me part time) I have lots of memories, particularly getting my BFP, going in to labour, bringing baby home However, we had to move because we couldn't afford it, and someone who can afford it will move in.
Sad but that's life!
Because unless you own a property, it's never yours!

 

[LankyDoodle]

Council housing is not intended as a home for life! I think people are confusing council housing with an owner occupied property!

 

[angelic_one]

This is a contentious issue!
I agree that people who earn over £100k a year shouldn't be living in a council house - if I earned that much I'd be buying a house for sure. But what if it's not an individual but a mum, dad and two grown-up sons who earn £100k between them? Should they be turfed out?
I think the best option is for the government to overhaul the private renting system. There should be longer tenancies (Europe tends to have 5 year tenancies) so private renters have more security. Too many landlords are lining their own pockets by holding private renters to ransom - perhaps there should be a high tax rate for those who rent out properties unless they show they are willing to house low income families?

I definitely agree with this, also landlords should be made to be more reasonable about people wanting to make minor alterations to their house so they feel like it's more of a home and they won't get charged for the re-plastering of a whole wall just for hanging up a picture! It's sometimes as if landlords use the deposit to get extra money out of the tenants, and very rarely does it actually go back into the house. Private renting being made more attractive would definitely help... as pointed out on here several times, why would someone move from their council house even if they didn't need it anymore, just to pay more for less security??

 

[TwilightAgain]

One of the things I struggle with understanding is why should the people who can be bothered to earn a living have to pay a ton of rent for a private house whereas some lazy buggers just choose to live in council house without the intention of finding a job. I never understand why the ones who choose to work are potentially worse off in the long run!

 

[Pramaholic86]

This is a contentious issue!
I agree that people who earn over £100k a year shouldn't be living in a council house - if I earned that much I'd be buying a house for sure. But what if it's not an individual but a mum, dad and two grown-up sons who earn £100k between them? Should they be turfed out?
I think the best option is for the government to overhaul the private renting system. There should be longer tenancies (Europe tends to have 5 year tenancies) so private renters have more security. Too many landlords are lining their own pockets by holding private renters to ransom - perhaps there should be a high tax rate for those who rent out properties unless they show they are willing to house low income families?

I definitely agree with this, also landlords should be made to be more reasonable about people wanting to make minor alterations to their house so they feel like it's more of a home and they won't get charged for the re-plastering of a whole wall just for hanging up a picture! It's sometimes as if landlords use the deposit to get extra money out of the tenants, and very rarely does it actually go back into the house. Private renting being made more attractive would definitely help... as pointed out on here several times, why would someone move from their council house even if they didn't need it anymore, just to pay more for less security??

Both very well put!

 

[chel27]

Council housing is not intended as a home for life! I think people are confusing council housing with an owner occupied property!

I couldnt disagree more!!!! I have lived in council accomadation for about 9 years now and My partner works part time and I have 3 children, one of which has disabilities.
I was tempoary for 2 years and then made "permanent" meaning I have security and for as long as I pay my rent, which I do every week I am entitled to live here.
Im sorry but if I went into private renting I wouldnt afford and have no security plus we need addaptions for our home so can you still say I shouldnt class this as my home for life?? your theory doesnt work IMO.

 

[angelic_one]

Council housing is not intended as a home for life! I think people are confusing council housing with an owner occupied property!

I couldnt disagree more!!!! I have lived in council accomadation for about 9 years now and My partner works part time and I have 3 children, one of which has disabilities.
I was tempoary for 2 years and then made "permanent" meaning I have security and for as long as I pay my rent, which I do every week I am entitled to live here.
Im sorry but if I went into private renting I wouldnt afford and have no security plus we need addaptions for our home so can you still say I shouldnt class this as my home for life?? your theory doesnt work IMO.

In my opinion when a disability is involved it becomes a very different matter. Your family is the sort of family who these houses SHOULD be available for, and yes for life unless you suddenly started earning 100k a year and could afford a house and to do the adaptations yourself and even better than the council could..

But many many people in council houses are very comfortable indeed and these people shouldn't stay in these houses at the expense of people in desperate need (such as, for example, a family like your own) just because they have a few memories there.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Its never going to be fair however it is looked at.

 

[Abz1982]

Hmm, I do think its a good thing, however, what if the people have bad credit or cannot find a private property that including bills they can afford?

We earn 45k a year before tax combined and live in a council property - we have debts we are paying off and such bad credit that we will not pass a credit check. The monthly rent for a 2 bed property here is £750+, then you ad CT £140, bills £190 - its only just less than my monthly wage, bearing in mind we then have to pay child care costs, and debts and other things. It would mean that if one of us was to lose our jobs, we would basically default on everything as we have no savings due to having debts.
We also live in one of the shittiest areas of Aberdeen......so its not like we are having a whale of a time.

I agree though that when 1 person is in a 2/3 + bed that they should be moved. That happens a lot here - single people are given 2/3 bed properties in the least desirable areas as they deem it better to have someone in them paying rent than have them sitting empty.

 

[angelic_one]

Its never going to be fair however it is looked at.

Yeah I agree. There's too many different sides/experiences, and different people have different views on what council housing is in the first place.

To PP, my boyfriend has seriously bad credit, we're just having a guarantor or paying a few months up front out of my overdraft. although I do understand not everyone has the 2nd option.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

I dont think of much chance my OH ever earning 100k a year anyway and I wont be working for now so we shouldn't need to worry lol x

 

[strawberry19]

i think its a great idea imo there are far too many people living in council accommodation that can clearly afford to buy or private rent i look around my area and most have brand spanking new cars parked outside or even several cars parked outside! one of my mums friends and her partner go on holidays every couple of months for 2 weeks at a time because they can afford too... id love to be able to go away for a week on holiday but cannot afford it. ive lived in council housing with my mum and eventually she got so fed up with the neighbours that she moved on into private rent and me & my partner also did the same we are now in a very small flat at £480 a month living off a £1400 wage between us... when you count it council tax, water, gas and electric and everything else it really doesnt leave us with alot left! i havent applied for the council yet as im waiting until the baby is here as ive been told we will get no help until he is but im not counting my luck on getting anywhere with the council anytime soon we will only get extra points because we are on a second floor and have no access to a garden but thats it if we move to a privte rented house we will loose all the points and be at the bottom of the list again... i hate renting privately i hate not having security especially with us being such low wage earners if our landlord decided to turn around and sell this place we would be stuffed we wouldt have anywhere to go we cant afford to save so we dont another thing annoys me is they seem to prioritise it all wrong someone we know who is pregnant and cant even support herself got her mum to write a letter to the council saying she was kicking her out.. when she wasnt i might add and that their wasnt enough room in their house for her daughter and her daughters baby.. load of rubbish they have a spare room for the baby which theyve set up for when the baby stays with them :doh: and the council gave her a brand new 2 bedroom house within a month!!!! its not right some people are getting things handed it onto a plate when they dont deserve it this girl doesnt work she cant support herself let alone a house! and another of my friends if having a battle with the council because her landlord is selling the house she is living in with her 2 kids and the council wouldnt help her even though they have proff she will be homeless.. doesnt seem right and shes had to get the local mp involved .. she is now getting help but it goes to show they have their priorities all wrong

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

i think its a great idea imo there are far too many people living in council accommodation that can clearly afford to buy or private rent i look around my area and most have brand spanking new cars parked outside or even several cars parked outside! one of my mums friends and her partner go on holidays every couple of months for 2 weeks at a time because they can afford too... id love to be able to go away for a week on holiday but cannot afford it. ive lived in council housing with my mum and eventually she got so fed up with the neighbours that she moved on into private rent and me & my partner also did the same we are now in a very small flat at £480 a month living off a £1400 wage between us... when you count it council tax, water, gas and electric and everything else it really doesnt leave us with alot left! i havent applied for the council yet as im waiting until the baby is here as ive been told we will get no help until he is but im not counting my luck on getting anywhere with the council anytime soon we will only get extra points because we are on a second floor and have no access to a garden but thats it if we move to a privte rented house we will loose all the points and be at the bottom of the list again... i hate renting privately i hate not having security especially with us being such low wage earners if our landlord decided to turn around and sell this place we would be stuffed we wouldt have anywhere to go we cant afford to save so we dont another thing annoys me is they seem to prioritise it all wrong someone we know who is pregnant and cant even support herself got her mum to write a letter to the council saying she was kicking her out.. when she wasnt i might add and that their wasnt enough room in their house for her daughter and her daughters baby.. load of rubbish they have a spare room for the baby which theyve set up for when the baby stays with them :doh: and the council gave her a brand new 2 bedroom house within a month!!!! its not right some people are getting things handed it onto a plate when they dont deserve it this girl doesnt work she cant support herself let alone a house! and another of my friends if having a battle with the council because her landlord is selling the house she is living in with her 2 kids and the council wouldnt help her even though they have proff she will be homeless.. doesnt seem right and shes had to get the local mp involved .. she is now getting help but it goes to show they have their priorities all wrong

The things with that is though, people spend their money how they like. The lad my partner works with, well his OH is always moaning. They earn the EXACT same but they are always skint because they are in debt and have more outgoings. If I want to save up and buy nice new things then I will. It hardly means we are loaded. We live in a council house and we have loads of nice things and the house is decorated lovely. We saved up for everything for a long time. We are NOT rich!

 

[xxembobxx]

One of the things I struggle with understanding is why should the people who can be bothered to earn a living have to pay a ton of rent for a private house whereas some lazy buggers just choose to live in council house without the intention of finding a job. I never understand why the ones who choose to work are potentially worse off in the long run!

Social housing was designed to provide affordable homes to those who couldn't otherwise afford one. Unfortunately I agree a little with the above poster in that it only seems to help people who won't help themselves. There was a Dispatches or Panorama programme recently about the housing crisis with record numbers of applicants and the lowest stock of housing ever.
They showed an overcrowded family, about 10 people in a 3 bed house. 3 of the kids were 17 or older and had to sleep in the living room. Now why couldn't they all get a job and club together to rent somewhere instead of bemoaning the lack of housing?
There was a pregnant girl who was told she couldn't even put her name on the waiting list as her boyfriend worked and then it showed a couple who were getting kicked out of the girls mums house and they were emergency housed. Neither of them worked sio they got housed.
I think it's a sad reflection of our society that if you never work you will get constant assistance and yet if you try to better yourself you are penalised.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

One of the things I struggle with understanding is why should the people who can be bothered to earn a living have to pay a ton of rent for a private house whereas some lazy buggers just choose to live in council house without the intention of finding a job. I never understand why the ones who choose to work are potentially worse off in the long run!

Social housing was designed to provide affordable homes to those who couldn't otherwise afford one. Unfortunately I agree a little with the above poster in that it only seems to help people who won't help themselves. There was a Dispatches or Panorama programme recently about the housing crisis with record numbers of applicants and the lowest stock of housing ever.
They showed an overcrowded family, about 10 people in a 3 bed house. 3 of the kids were 17 or older and had to sleep in the living room. Now why couldn't they all get a job and club together to rent somewhere instead of bemoaning the lack of housing?
There was a pregnant girl who was told she couldn't even put her name on the waiting list as her boyfriend worked and then it showed a couple who were getting kicked out of the girls mums house and they were emergency housed. Neither of them worked sio they got housed.
I think it's a sad reflection of our society that if you never work you will get constant assistance and yet if you try to better yourself you are penalised.

I saw that one! It was backward! I didnt really have any sympathy for the lady who had 4 more kids or something since moving in!

 

[xxembobxx]

I saw that one! It was backward! I didnt really have any sympathy for the lady who had 4 more kids or something since moving in!

Me neither! I'm pregnant with our 5th child and we're in a 3 bedroomed property but I'm not even applying for a bigger place. We had already thought of whether we could adjust the bedrooms to accommodate - we would never have another one if it would mean we had to sleep in the living room!

 

[strawberry19]

i think its a great idea imo there are far too many people living in council accommodation that can clearly afford to buy or private rent i look around my area and most have brand spanking new cars parked outside or even several cars parked outside! one of my mums friends and her partner go on holidays every couple of months for 2 weeks at a time because they can afford too... id love to be able to go away for a week on holiday but cannot afford it. ive lived in council housing with my mum and eventually she got so fed up with the neighbours that she moved on into private rent and me & my partner also did the same we are now in a very small flat at £480 a month living off a £1400 wage between us... when you count it council tax, water, gas and electric and everything else it really doesnt leave us with alot left! i havent applied for the council yet as im waiting until the baby is here as ive been told we will get no help until he is but im not counting my luck on getting anywhere with the council anytime soon we will only get extra points because we are on a second floor and have no access to a garden but thats it if we move to a privte rented house we will loose all the points and be at the bottom of the list again... i hate renting privately i hate not having security especially with us being such low wage earners if our landlord decided to turn around and sell this place we would be stuffed we wouldt have anywhere to go we cant afford to save so we dont another thing annoys me is they seem to prioritise it all wrong someone we know who is pregnant and cant even support herself got her mum to write a letter to the council saying she was kicking her out.. when she wasnt i might add and that their wasnt enough room in their house for her daughter and her daughters baby.. load of rubbish they have a spare room for the baby which theyve set up for when the baby stays with them :doh: and the council gave her a brand new 2 bedroom house within a month!!!! its not right some people are getting things handed it onto a plate when they dont deserve it this girl doesnt work she cant support herself let alone a house! and another of my friends if having a battle with the council because her landlord is selling the house she is living in with her 2 kids and the council wouldnt help her even though they have proff she will be homeless.. doesnt seem right and shes had to get the local mp involved .. she is now getting help but it goes to show they have their priorities all wrong

The things with that is though, people spend their money how they like. The lad my partner works with, well his OH is always moaning. They earn the EXACT same but they are always skint because they are in debt and have more outgoings. If I want to save up and buy nice new things then I will. It hardly means we are loaded. We live in a council house and we have loads of nice things and the house is decorated lovely. We saved up for everything for a long time. We are NOT rich!

no i know what you mean but the people im talking about dont have to save to go on holiday etc like we would have to .. if we need anything or want anything we have to save for bloody months and they just go out and buy something straight away they are not in debt they are in very good paying jobs and could easily afford to buy their own house... but i have spoke to them about buying houses etc before and their reply was why would we want to buy a house when we can live in this one do whatever we like to it and pay cheap rent so we can live in luxury... those type of people do not deserve council houses

 

[LankyDoodle]

Council housing is not intended as a home for life! I think people are confusing council housing with an owner occupied property!

I couldnt disagree more!!!! I have lived in council accomadation for about 9 years now and My partner works part time and I have 3 children, one of which has disabilities.
I was tempoary for 2 years and then made "permanent" meaning I have security and for as long as I pay my rent, which I do every week I am entitled to live here.
Im sorry but if I went into private renting I wouldnt afford and have no security plus we need addaptions for our home so can you still say I shouldnt class this as my home for life?? your theory doesnt work IMO.

It isn't my theory; it's a fact! Social housing was always intended, and should remain, for people who are in dire situations or who have other contributary factors that mean they NEED social housing (which might include someone like you and Tegan's Mama - I don't really know your situation tbh so can't really comment on specific people, I am talking generally).

I just don't know when this society reached a point where people, in general, believe that those in social housing have a right to stay in that housing for life, by virtue of the fact it was their home at one point because they had a need for that help. If your circumstances change (and clearly you are different because you have a disabled child so your circs won't change), you shouldn't be able to, nor expect to, stay in housing that is there for people who have no other option besides a cardboard box/hostel!

 

[cherryglitter]

Council housing is not intended as a home for life! I think people are confusing council housing with an owner occupied property!

I couldnt disagree more!!!! I have lived in council accomadation for about 9 years now and My partner works part time and I have 3 children, one of which has disabilities.
I was tempoary for 2 years and then made "permanent" meaning I have security and for as long as I pay my rent, which I do every week I am entitled to live here.
Im sorry but if I went into private renting I wouldnt afford and have no security plus we need addaptions for our home so can you still say I shouldnt class this as my home for life?? your theory doesnt work IMO.

It isn't my theory; it's a fact! Social housing was always intended, and should remain, for people who are in dire situations or who have other contributary factors that mean they NEED social housing (which might include someone like you and Tegan's Mama - I don't really know your situation tbh so can't really comment on specific people, I am talking generally).

I just don't know when this society reached a point where people, in general, believe that those in social housing have a right to stay in that housing for life, by virtue of the fact it was their home at one point because they had a need for that help. If your circumstances change (and clearly you are different because you have a disabled child so your circs won't change), you shouldn't be able to, nor expect to, stay in housing that is there for people who have no other option besides a cardboard box/hostel!

 

[xolily]

Council housing is not intended as a home for life! I think people are confusing council housing with an owner occupied property!

I couldnt disagree more!!!! I have lived in council accomadation for about 9 years now and My partner works part time and I have 3 children, one of which has disabilities.
I was tempoary for 2 years and then made "permanent" meaning I have security and for as long as I pay my rent, which I do every week I am entitled to live here.
Im sorry but if I went into private renting I wouldnt afford and have no security plus we need addaptions for our home so can you still say I shouldnt class this as my home for life?? your theory doesnt work IMO.

It isn't my theory; it's a fact! Social housing was always intended, and should remain, for people who are in dire situations or who have other contributary factors that mean they NEED social housing (which might include someone like you and Tegan's Mama - I don't really know your situation tbh so can't really comment on specific people, I am talking generally).

I just don't know when this society reached a point where people, in general, believe that those in social housing have a right to stay in that housing for life, by virtue of the fact it was their home at one point because they had a need for that help. If your circumstances change (and clearly you are different because you have a disabled child so your circs won't change), you shouldn't be able to, nor expect to, stay in housing that is there for people who have no other option besides a cardboard box/hostel!

spot on!