Wealthy Council Tenants could lose homes

[tina_h75]

I can see both sides because I have been there. Growing up I lived in a 3 bedroom council house with my mom, dad, brother and nan. It was the house that my nan moved into when she married my grandad as it was his family home prior to that. We moved out into our own home when I was 11 and my nan had lived there for about 50 years by then, but rather then stay there on her own she took up the offer of a 1 bed flat and was more then happy.

fast forward to present times, I had been struggling to find somewhere to live and ended up cramped in at mil's house with husband, 2 young children and another on the way. I had to find somewhere to live and had been on the waiting list for a council house for a few years and was not getting anywhere because there are simply not enough houses to go round.

I was told by the housing that I would need to be declared homeless and go into emergency housing into whatever property became available as I would not get anything else. Now, I am far from being a snob but there is no way that I was going to move my 2 young children and another weeks from being born, into a top floor flat or into a dangerous area where we would not be safe because someone would not give up their house due to the fact they had spent money tiling the kitchen or whatever.

I am not going to get into the " I pay my taxes so I deserve it " debate right now because its going off track, but yes, I worked all my adult life and have paid thousands to this government as has my husband. Circumstances change rapidly, often through no fault of your own which is what happened to us and in times like this, I think a less selfish attitude should be taken. If you have the means to support yourself comfortably then please do so, because there are so many people out there who would love to do that but quite simply can't.

 

[lesleyann]

Ive lived in council houses with my parents and now private rent, while private renting we will never be able to affored to save a deposit to buy a house because by the time the rent and bills are paid we are left with about £300 inlcuding tax credits extra, just under £200 every month goes on petrol so oh can get to work leaving £100 for shopping. When #2 come along we will have to move despite #2 hopfully being a home birth, and bringing my son home to his first home here.. We al build up memorys everywhere but without winning the lottery or a inheritance there is no way we can own. By moving to a 3bed our rent will jump from £500 a month to around the £700 mark but oh's wages will still be the same and the council tax will go up. My mum in a 3bed council house pays something like £65 a week.

 

[xolily]

What if some people moved in when they were poor and then got rich? Why should they be turfed out of their home? What about those who have spent a lot of money on doing the place up, nicely tiled bathrooms and what not then to be asked to leave? Some people like to settle in the one house

Tonnes of people abuse the system anyway. What about those who have kids just to get a house? Wouldn't you be a bit miffed if you were turfed out of your home just to house someone like that?

(No disrespect to those who need it for valid reasons) but not everyone is like that.

Haha. If you think it works that someone pops out a baby and gets handed a flat then you read too many tabloids. I have a baby, the 3 of us live in one cramped bedroom at BF's dad's house and yet we'd have at least a 2 year wait. Don't believe everything you read.

And yes these families or even single mums who are squashed in with family or friends, with nowhere else to go need these houses!!! I know people like to settle in one place, but council housing, in my opinion should NOT be that permanent. It should be a stop gap for those who really need it, for the period until their on their feet, at which a time people should be gracious enough to realise other people need it more and MOVE THEMSELVES!!!! If they don't then yes their ungrateful asses should be tossed out!!!

Maybe you're right. I shouldn't believe everything I read.

Not everyone can afford to move out of council housing though they might be looked at to be fairly wealthy in comparison to others. Take my Dad for example, he works tonnes of overtime and lives in a council house. So others may say well he's fairly well off because he has plenty in savings, but that money is supporting me through uni, fees, accommodation, living money, the lot. By the time he's paid his bills and what not, he hasn't got much left. But yet because of his income he'd be considered fairly comfortable just because someone is earning a fair amount does not in anyway mean they can afford private, to get a mortgage or afford to move on.

I get the whole 100k thing but you don't know what bills they're having to pay. How do you know their not funding their kids through university or private school or something? In which case they may not be able to afford to move on.

i'm sorry but IMO if your dad can afford to fund you through uni, he shouldn't be living in a council property. if i was living in a council property i could afford to do loads of stuff, but i don't and so i can't. why is it fair that your dad has his rent subsidised and lots of us don't? it isn't.

 

[smokey]

What annoys me is that when I went to look to buy a new build flat on the keyworker scheme, I couldn't because I couldn't afford the massive repayments, to rent a small one bed flat which was lovely but TINY was £900 per month.
I t overlooked the council housing 3 storey, 3 bed townhouses with en suite bathrooms that council tenants could rent for £30 per week.

ETA The last house me and my OH rented was left pristine as I'm a bit of a clean freak, we ended up losing £1500 deposit for a stain on the bedroom carpet, the landlord decided that he wanted all new carpeting on the upstairs and the actual stairs. That was £1000 per month for a two bed house with a tiny second bedroom that the landlord was using to store his disgusting furniture and our two cats had to live in a shed because he didn't want any pets in there (fair enough) but wanted an extra £1000 deposit 'in case one of them got in and caused damage'

I hate renting privately, I'd love to be in a council place and do it up how I wanted for £7 a week!!!

Wow what council is it round your way with those sort of prices? we are on the cheap end of council renting at £125 a week plus £40 a week comunal charge

 

[smokey]

What if some people moved in when they were poor and then got rich? Why should they be turfed out of their home? What about those who have spent a lot of money on doing the place up, nicely tiled bathrooms and what not then to be asked to leave? Some people like to settle in the one house

Tonnes of people abuse the system anyway. What about those who have kids just to get a house? Wouldn't you be a bit miffed if you were turfed out of your home just to house someone like that?

(No disrespect to those who need it for valid reasons) but not everyone is like that.

Haha. If you think it works that someone pops out a baby and gets handed a flat then you read too many tabloids. I have a baby, the 3 of us live in one cramped bedroom at BF's dad's house and yet we'd have at least a 2 year wait. Don't believe everything you read.

And yes these families or even single mums who are squashed in with family or friends, with nowhere else to go need these houses!!! I know people like to settle in one place, but council housing, in my opinion should NOT be that permanent. It should be a stop gap for those who really need it, for the period until their on their feet, at which a time people should be gracious enough to realise other people need it more and MOVE THEMSELVES!!!! If they don't then yes their ungrateful asses should be tossed out!!!

Maybe you're right. I shouldn't believe everything I read.

Not everyone can afford to move out of council housing though they might be looked at to be fairly wealthy in comparison to others. Take my Dad for example, he works tonnes of overtime and lives in a council house. So others may say well he's fairly well off because he has plenty in savings, but that money is supporting me through uni, fees, accommodation, living money, the lot. By the time he's paid his bills and what not, he hasn't got much left. But yet because of his income he'd be considered fairly comfortable just because someone is earning a fair amount does not in anyway mean they can afford private, to get a mortgage or afford to move on.

I get the whole 100k thing but you don't know what bills they're having to pay. How do you know their not funding their kids through university or private school or something? In which case they may not be able to afford to move on.

i'm sorry but IMO if your dad can afford to fund you through uni, he shouldn't be living in a council property. if i was living in a council property i could afford to do loads of stuff, but i don't and so i can't. why is it fair that your dad has his rent subsidised and lots of us don't? it isn't.

So because he wants to support his children he should move out and rent privately and then still not be able to support them?
Maybe he can afford to support them because he works hard.

Why has this all suddenly become "if I cant get somthing why should you"

 

[Pramaholic86]

What annoys me is that when I went to look to buy a new build flat on the keyworker scheme, I couldn't because I couldn't afford the massive repayments, to rent a small one bed flat which was lovely but TINY was £900 per month.
I t overlooked the council housing 3 storey, 3 bed townhouses with en suite bathrooms that council tenants could rent for £30 per week.

ETA The last house me and my OH rented was left pristine as I'm a bit of a clean freak, we ended up losing £1500 deposit for a stain on the bedroom carpet, the landlord decided that he wanted all new carpeting on the upstairs and the actual stairs. That was £1000 per month for a two bed house with a tiny second bedroom that the landlord was using to store his disgusting furniture and our two cats had to live in a shed because he didn't want any pets in there (fair enough) but wanted an extra £1000 deposit 'in case one of them got in and caused damage'

I hate renting privately, I'd love to be in a council place and do it up how I wanted for £7 a week!!!

Wow what council is it round your way with those sort of prices? we are on the cheap end of council renting at £125 a week plus £40 a week comunal charge

That was a Barret homes new build estate in Kent.

 

[Pessimistic]

I thought it wasn't 'a home for life' as on the terms and conditions it states the first year you are not secure and they do like 6 checks on you. Maybe I've read it wrong. Not sure what happens after a year.

 

[angelic_one]

What if some people moved in when they were poor and then got rich? Why should they be turfed out of their home? What about those who have spent a lot of money on doing the place up, nicely tiled bathrooms and what not then to be asked to leave? Some people like to settle in the one house

Tonnes of people abuse the system anyway. What about those who have kids just to get a house? Wouldn't you be a bit miffed if you were turfed out of your home just to house someone like that?

(No disrespect to those who need it for valid reasons) but not everyone is like that.

Haha. If you think it works that someone pops out a baby and gets handed a flat then you read too many tabloids. I have a baby, the 3 of us live in one cramped bedroom at BF's dad's house and yet we'd have at least a 2 year wait. Don't believe everything you read.

And yes these families or even single mums who are squashed in with family or friends, with nowhere else to go need these houses!!! I know people like to settle in one place, but council housing, in my opinion should NOT be that permanent. It should be a stop gap for those who really need it, for the period until their on their feet, at which a time people should be gracious enough to realise other people need it more and MOVE THEMSELVES!!!! If they don't then yes their ungrateful asses should be tossed out!!!

Maybe you're right. I shouldn't believe everything I read.

Not everyone can afford to move out of council housing though they might be looked at to be fairly wealthy in comparison to others. Take my Dad for example, he works tonnes of overtime and lives in a council house. So others may say well he's fairly well off because he has plenty in savings, but that money is supporting me through uni, fees, accommodation, living money, the lot. By the time he's paid his bills and what not, he hasn't got much left. But yet because of his income he'd be considered fairly comfortable just because someone is earning a fair amount does not in anyway mean they can afford private, to get a mortgage or afford to move on.

I get the whole 100k thing but you don't know what bills they're having to pay. How do you know their not funding their kids through university or private school or something? In which case they may not be able to afford to move on.

i'm sorry but IMO if your dad can afford to fund you through uni, he shouldn't be living in a council property. if i was living in a council property i could afford to do loads of stuff, but i don't and so i can't. why is it fair that your dad has his rent subsidised and lots of us don't? it isn't.

So because he wants to support his children he should move out and rent privately and then still not be able to support them?
Maybe he can afford to support them because he works hard.

Why has this all suddenly become "if I cant get somthing why should you"

Not talking about the specific person in question as that's harsh, but hypothetically yes, he should because there are others who need that house much more!! People living in cramped conditions, people with no space of their own, sleeping on sofas and floors, who should have that house if he can afford to rent privately if only he didn't pay for this.

 

[smokey]

What annoys me is that when I went to look to buy a new build flat on the keyworker scheme, I couldn't because I couldn't afford the massive repayments, to rent a small one bed flat which was lovely but TINY was £900 per month.
I t overlooked the council housing 3 storey, 3 bed townhouses with en suite bathrooms that council tenants could rent for £30 per week.

ETA The last house me and my OH rented was left pristine as I'm a bit of a clean freak, we ended up losing £1500 deposit for a stain on the bedroom carpet, the landlord decided that he wanted all new carpeting on the upstairs and the actual stairs. That was £1000 per month for a two bed house with a tiny second bedroom that the landlord was using to store his disgusting furniture and our two cats had to live in a shed because he didn't want any pets in there (fair enough) but wanted an extra £1000 deposit 'in case one of them got in and caused damage'

I hate renting privately, I'd love to be in a council place and do it up how I wanted for £7 a week!!!

Wow what council is it round your way with those sort of prices? we are on the cheap end of council renting at £125 a week plus £40 a week comunal charge

That was a Barret homes new build estate in Kent.

Our last place was a Barrets new build 1 bed place at £150 a week + £45 a week comunial charge.
Just goes to show the differances in prices with differant councils.

 

[Harveysmum369]

I thought it wasn't 'a home for life' as on the terms and conditions it states the first year you are not secure and they do like 6 checks on you. Maybe I've read it wrong. Not sure what happens after a year.

In the first year you have checks done and you don't have as many rights as a secure tenant...after a year you become a secure tenant.xx

 

[smokey]

What if some people moved in when they were poor and then got rich? Why should they be turfed out of their home? What about those who have spent a lot of money on doing the place up, nicely tiled bathrooms and what not then to be asked to leave? Some people like to settle in the one house

Tonnes of people abuse the system anyway. What about those who have kids just to get a house? Wouldn't you be a bit miffed if you were turfed out of your home just to house someone like that?

(No disrespect to those who need it for valid reasons) but not everyone is like that.

Haha. If you think it works that someone pops out a baby and gets handed a flat then you read too many tabloids. I have a baby, the 3 of us live in one cramped bedroom at BF's dad's house and yet we'd have at least a 2 year wait. Don't believe everything you read.

And yes these families or even single mums who are squashed in with family or friends, with nowhere else to go need these houses!!! I know people like to settle in one place, but council housing, in my opinion should NOT be that permanent. It should be a stop gap for those who really need it, for the period until their on their feet, at which a time people should be gracious enough to realise other people need it more and MOVE THEMSELVES!!!! If they don't then yes their ungrateful asses should be tossed out!!!

Maybe you're right. I shouldn't believe everything I read.

Not everyone can afford to move out of council housing though they might be looked at to be fairly wealthy in comparison to others. Take my Dad for example, he works tonnes of overtime and lives in a council house. So others may say well he's fairly well off because he has plenty in savings, but that money is supporting me through uni, fees, accommodation, living money, the lot. By the time he's paid his bills and what not, he hasn't got much left. But yet because of his income he'd be considered fairly comfortable just because someone is earning a fair amount does not in anyway mean they can afford private, to get a mortgage or afford to move on.

I get the whole 100k thing but you don't know what bills they're having to pay. How do you know their not funding their kids through university or private school or something? In which case they may not be able to afford to move on.

i'm sorry but IMO if your dad can afford to fund you through uni, he shouldn't be living in a council property. if i was living in a council property i could afford to do loads of stuff, but i don't and so i can't. why is it fair that your dad has his rent subsidised and lots of us don't? it isn't.

So because he wants to support his children he should move out and rent privately and then still not be able to support them?
Maybe he can afford to support them because he works hard.

Why has this all suddenly become "if I cant get somthing why should you"

Not talking about the specific person in question as that's harsh, but hypothetically yes, he should because there are others who need that house much more!! People living in cramped conditions, people with no space of their own, sleeping on sofas and floors, who should have that house if he can afford to rent privately if only he didn't pay for this.

well you are talking about a specific person because you stated

i'm sorry but IMO if your dad can afford to fund you through uni, he shouldn't be living in a council property

Does that also mean because we are on a joint income of £40k we should move out as well and dont deserve our home?

 

[smokey]

I thought it wasn't 'a home for life' as on the terms and conditions it states the first year you are not secure and they do like 6 checks on you. Maybe I've read it wrong. Not sure what happens after a year.

I think thats only new contract, I think it changed recently as when we took our on 5 years ago we got what is known as a seccured tennancy meaning we can only be asked to move out if non payment or causing trouble so ours is classed as a home for life.
Also after 3 years we have right to buy, we had that in the old place but the 3 years has to start again when we moved

 

[angelic_one]

Yeah it wasn't me that stated that, it was someone else. And it would be horribly rude for me to say that about you and I would never, I barely know anything about your situation. I don't know how far 40k goes in your area. But for me, once my BF is earning 21k as a teacher (fingers crossed he gets a job) I wouldn't even consider filling up a council house, even though I'll be on no or a really low income.

But that's just what my views of council houses are. I passionately believe they should only be for those who are in need. Baring in mind my situation is pretty poor and I can't get a house I shudder to think of those who are in even worse situations than me. Baring in mind I almost had to have my baby in a shared student accommodation, on absolutely no income but unable to claim benefits as I was technically classed as a student, even though I had no loans....and still wouldn't have been given a house! I just hope there isn't someone out there who was in the same situation as me but had no family to turn to, and who didn't have an amazing BF who worked his ass off trying to make his Dad's rundown house somewhere near suitable for a baby.

But that's just me, I'm realising that others see council housing as different to me and think that those in desperate need have no real claim over anyone else.

 

[Pessimistic]

I've just done a bit of reading and the first year (how it works in this area anyway) is shorthold tenency then if they are happy with you after 12 months it switches to a secured tenency as you say can't be asked to move out.

Another thing that is attractive about council houses people find is that you are secure in there. You can't get that with private rent, you can be asked to move out anytime if the landlord decides to sell up or just end the tenency when the contract runs out.
The house we are in now is private rent and landlord is selling up. Was told when we moved in in December this was for people who wanted long-term..

 

[TwilightAgain]

What if some people moved in when they were poor and then got rich? Why should they be turfed out of their home? What about those who have spent a lot of money on doing the place up, nicely tiled bathrooms and what not then to be asked to leave? Some people like to settle in the one house

Tonnes of people abuse the system anyway. What about those who have kids just to get a house? Wouldn't you be a bit miffed if you were turfed out of your home just to house someone like that?

(No disrespect to those who need it for valid reasons) but not everyone is like that.

Haha. If you think it works that someone pops out a baby and gets handed a flat then you read too many tabloids. I have a baby, the 3 of us live in one cramped bedroom at BF's dad's house and yet we'd have at least a 2 year wait. Don't believe everything you read.

And yes these families or even single mums who are squashed in with family or friends, with nowhere else to go need these houses!!! I know people like to settle in one place, but council housing, in my opinion should NOT be that permanent. It should be a stop gap for those who really need it, for the period until their on their feet, at which a time people should be gracious enough to realise other people need it more and MOVE THEMSELVES!!!! If they don't then yes their ungrateful asses should be tossed out!!!

Maybe you're right. I shouldn't believe everything I read.

Not everyone can afford to move out of council housing though they might be looked at to be fairly wealthy in comparison to others. Take my Dad for example, he works tonnes of overtime and lives in a council house. So others may say well he's fairly well off because he has plenty in savings, but that money is supporting me through uni, fees, accommodation, living money, the lot. By the time he's paid his bills and what not, he hasn't got much left. But yet because of his income he'd be considered fairly comfortable just because someone is earning a fair amount does not in anyway mean they can afford private, to get a mortgage or afford to move on.

I get the whole 100k thing but you don't know what bills they're having to pay. How do you know their not funding their kids through university or private school or something? In which case they may not be able to afford to move on.

i'm sorry but IMO if your dad can afford to fund you through uni, he shouldn't be living in a council property. if i was living in a council property i could afford to do loads of stuff, but i don't and so i can't. why is it fair that your dad has his rent subsidised and lots of us don't? it isn't.

Did you read that post properly? If my Dad was to move into private housing then when his savings was gone (whether on uni or private housing) he would be buggered he won't be doing overtime for the rest of his life! At the moment he would be considered 'comfortable' because he works tonnes of overtime but that means he's working lots of 12 hour shifts. If he were to go into private housing, then within a few years his savings would be gone and his income wouldn't be enough to support a private house, so why should he move out? He might aswell put that money into a better cause - supporting my education!

You can't tell me you'd put the needs of other people in front of your own child(ren)'s?

 

[smokey]

Yeah it wasn't me that stated that, it was someone else. And it would be horribly rude for me to say that about you and I would never, I barely know anything about your situation. I don't know how far 40k goes in your area. But for me, once my BF is earning 21k as a teacher (fingers crossed he gets a job) I wouldn't even consider filling up a council house, even though I'll be on no or a really low income.

But that's just what my views of council houses are. I passionately believe they should only be for those who are in need. Baring in mind my situation is pretty poor and I can't get a house I shudder to think of those who are in even worse situations than me. Baring in mind I almost had to have my baby in a shared student accommodation, on absolutely no income but unable to claim benefits as I was technically classed as a student, even though I had no loans....and still wouldn't have been given a house! I just hope there isn't someone out there who was in the same situation as me but had no family to turn to, and who didn't have an amazing BF who worked his ass off trying to make his Dad's rundown house somewhere near suitable for a baby.

But that's just me, I'm realising that others see council housing as different to me and think that those in desperate need have no real claim over anyone else.

I appolagise, it gets a bit all over the place when you have so many quotes in one post

 

[angelic_one]

haha yeah that's why i started again x

 

[Emma 21]

definately a great idea because of certain people we had to stay holed up in a poky 2 bed flat while we waited for our 3 bed house... we waited 3 yrs for our property and i love it but the wait was ridiculaous. xx

 

[moomoo]

I'd say the fact he can support you through uni would count as a huge luxury that not many could afford. How different is it to spending out on a luxurious car? I know the two are not the same? But money is money, right?

Also if it came to where he couldn't afford to pay his rent then he could claim housing benifit if he is privately renting?

 

[Pramaholic86]

What annoys me is that when I went to look to buy a new build flat on the keyworker scheme, I couldn't because I couldn't afford the massive repayments, to rent a small one bed flat which was lovely but TINY was £900 per month.
I t overlooked the council housing 3 storey, 3 bed townhouses with en suite bathrooms that council tenants could rent for £30 per week.

ETA The last house me and my OH rented was left pristine as I'm a bit of a clean freak, we ended up losing £1500 deposit for a stain on the bedroom carpet, the landlord decided that he wanted all new carpeting on the upstairs and the actual stairs. That was £1000 per month for a two bed house with a tiny second bedroom that the landlord was using to store his disgusting furniture and our two cats had to live in a shed because he didn't want any pets in there (fair enough) but wanted an extra £1000 deposit 'in case one of them got in and caused damage'

I hate renting privately, I'd love to be in a council place and do it up how I wanted for £7 a week!!!

Wow what council is it round your way with those sort of prices? we are on the cheap end of council renting at £125 a week plus £40 a week comunal charge

That was a Barret homes new build estate in Kent.

Our last place was a Barrets new build 1 bed place at £150 a week + £45 a week comunial charge.
Just goes to show the differances in prices with differant councils.

Lucky you, thats cheap!
The sales woman was having a massive rant about it, the difference in cost renting privately vs housing association/council etc saying 10% of new homes go straight there and its usually the larger ones.