Council housing eligibility

I’d be really careful with this, as others have said you may struggle to rent with your credit situation and I guess it depends on area but some places there are loads of applicants for each private rental.

Someone I know is on the council list and has been for ages. Currently living with his parents , there are 4 adults, a baby and toddler in a 2 bedroom house which I think is a council house. Again it is probably area dependent but I would make really sure of the exact situation in your area as I think this has the potential to make things worse.

@MakkaPakkasCave the guidance about room sharing actually limits people securing housing, it doesn't mean it will be provided. Eg you could be a family of 7 living in a two bed flat in tower hamlets, and be willing to bid for 3beds, but not actually be allowed to do so because you've been assessed as needing 4. The fact that only a tiny % of social housing properties are 4 bed meaning that there's a miniscule chance one would become available doesn't get taken into account.
So you needn't worry that people who have been less prepared than you 'scrimping' to get on the housing ladder are being handed council properties on a whim. That's just your perception that other people have it easy, it's not actually true.

Are you serious. You own your own home and want a council house. They won't even put you on the list. People are waiting in temporary accommodation for years. You need to get real.

Obviously it depends where you are etc but just so you’re aware my friend was put in temporary accommodation for over a year.

It was a hotel which is nicer than most temporary accommodation, but it was 1 room for her and 2 kids.

She then moved in with her new bf into his 1 bed flat and got pregnant.
Shes still on the council list even though she’s now had the baby and has her 2 kids, as well as her and her bf living in a 1 bed flat.

She’s not been offered a property, even though she’s overcrowded.

Ignore posters that say you’ll be given a bigger house really easily because the housing situation is really crap.

You would be much better staying in your home and joining the list, even though you’d not be a priority.

I personally would look into moving somewhere cheaper, so you can actually have some say on where you go etc too.

I would get an OT assessment on suitability of housing.

Could the house be extended or loft conversion?

I wouldn't leave a house I owned to be at the mercy of a council. Say you do private rent and landlord decides to sell. The council can then put you in a grotty private rent with 3 beds and you'll be left there with no hope of ever getting a council property.

Is there definitely nothing you can do to your place - loft or extension? (Appreciate this costs thousands and wouldn't be an immediate fix).

No harm in joining the list, which anyone can do I think.

Could you look at moving somewhere cheaper where you could get that extra bedroom?

Do not sell and move into rented. You are much better off owning your property!

Firstly, get the debt sorted. Speak to Stepchange and get proper debt advice. We were where you are. Loads of debt, juggling payments, struggling with the mortgage and Stepchange helped. We're 13 years down the line, now have perfect credit, no debt and managed to buy a bigger house in the end.

In the meantime, get a sofa bed in the lounge and do what you need to.

Where is the council going to magic a house from?

It might be an idea to seek out support from debt support agencies / charities etc to go all in on sorting out the debt over the next few years, getting yourself into a better position to sell and purchase somewhere larger (if debt is your biggest barrier right now). It might take time and might be a few years worth of pain, but better than putting yourself into a potential worse situation (selling / renting) or doing nothing at all.

If you have really bad credit you might struggle to find a landlord willing to rent to you. Landlords do credit checks too.
i think you might end up in a worse position.

@OldCottageGreenhouse the housing register isn't a waiting list, it is based on housing need.
The only way that time waiting is taken into account is if two different families applied for a property, both had the same level of housing need/priority, it would be offered to the person whose application was in earliest.

There are thousands of people on social housing registers who have no realistic chance of ever getting a social housing property, because their housing need isn't high enough. If you're considered adequately housed, or mildly overcrowded, you could be registered for fifty years and never be close to securing a property. Newer people coming onto the list but with more urgent need would be offered first.

Sounds tough OP and I agree with a poster who said moving into private renting might be more expensive and less stable.

We have two disabled DS and have spent a lot of time with us sleeping in with them so I sympathise.

I think I'm missing something here - why would you use the proceeds of the sale to pay off debt rather than to buy a 3 bed in a cheaper area with your mortgage ported across?

Check to see if you can get on the list and if your son has an OT, ask for evidence that the house isn't suitable for his needs.

My son is disabled, though we were renting and due to his needs we were able to get the highest priority and were only waiting for a month for our council house. We were able to get a lot of evidence from OT and his consultant.

18 years??? That's crazy. Have you contacted them to check where you are on the list? We were privately renting in a desirable area and got a lovely house within weeks of joining the list. Hopefully you'll get somewhere soon

Depends on your council as to whether or not you could go on the list as you own a house.

This is a great idea, could you buy a 3 bed house in a cheaper area? You could port your existing mortgage across meaning you don't have to apply for a new one if you're not asking for additional funds. We did this when I moved house last year.

You should check your local authorities guidelines as they are all different. You can also apply to other nearby areas if you have close relatives living in them and you are allowed to be on more than one council list at a time.

Our local council does allow homeowners to apply if someone in the household has a disability that is made worse due to their current housing situation.

Also, if there are any other reasons why you need adapted housing ie wet room this would give you a higher priority in our council area.

Then if your children are unable to share a room due to disability this would also place you in a higher band.

It's definitely worth exploring.

Is your room bigger? If yes I would suggest swopping with them, and you an DH get a trundle bed set up in their room to give more space during day

This is terrible advice. The council won't automatically house you after selling your home & you may have to live in temporary accommodation until somewhere can be found for you. Not a risk you can really take with a child who has SEN and is violent to his sibling already - never mind all being cooped up in a B&B together. I understand the situation is frustrating, trust me I'm also frustrated with the lack of available housing options & the fact I don't have a secure tenancy - but you don't make yourself homeless by choice.

That's not true. The council do not 'legally have to give you a bigger property' - there is a finite number of council houses, especially bigger family houses, they can't give what they haven't got and the demand for family houses way outstrips the supply. Also there are no longer necessarily tenancies for life, they can be for 5 years then reviewed and if your circumstances have improved you have to move out. Don't encourage OP to risk her family's security if you don't know the facts.

You don't need a diagnosis to apply, it's based on how much extra support your child needs with their daily activities than a child of the same age with no additional needs. Such as help with dressing, washing, eating, getting from one place to another etc.

Do not sell your home.

It will be seen as deprivation of assets and you won’t get on the council list.

If by chance you do get on it, you’ll be so far down the list that you’ll be paying years of private rent, which is going to be very expensive and you’re still not guaranteed to get a home.

The council list is very long and the homes that are offered are not the best.
The good ones are taken by those whose needs are the greatest.

By all means apply, but don’t rely on it and definitely don’t give up the security of your home by selling it.

For now, I would create a bedroom out of the front room, so your kids have have separate rooms.

Absolutely do this. As a home owner you can only have the number of bedrooms you can afford, even if that means opposite gender children sharing.

As a council tenant they legally have to give you a bigger property to fit your growing family and boys and girls can’t share over a certain age.

Cheap rent, no risk of being kicked out by a fickle landlord and a bigger property than you could afford on the private market - what’s not to love?!

If me and him indoors hadn’t been such mugs saving and scrimping through our 20s and 30s I’d be doing the same. Instead we have a growing family and a tiny property so will have to move to the arse end of nowhere soon and lose our community and support network.