Offered council house in a not very good area?

@rhinnq TAKE IT!!
You sound like a tough cookie after a rough few years....if it doesn't work out, c'est la vie.....
You never regret what you do - only what you don't - best of luck!!

That,
go and visit…if you can?

It’s a home stop being ungrateful accept it

Then definitely take it! Social housing is like gold dust and at least you will have a secure tenancy. If you bid on it 12 months ago and didn't get it, why do you have doubts now? What's changed?

I have been in a similar situation and I was on the waiting list for a few years.
Where I live, you are allowed 3 offers before returning back to the bottom of the list, so double check with your council/HA
I was offered a flat in a high rise in a high drug use area and then a similar maisonette.
Finally, I was offered a 3 bed semi in a pretty good area 😊
Anyway, what I was going to suggest - if it hasn't been already - is to knock on a few of the neighbours doors and get a feel for who you might be living next door to and asking them if they like the area etc
It's a great ice breaker as well 😊
I just wanted to add that after a few years I started looking for an exchange. It took a long time!
But we eventually moved to a gorgeous new build overlooking fields in one of my area's much sought-after locations.
I felt like I'd won the lottery and was so grateful 🙏 My forever home.
Until the neighbour from hell arrived and moved in next door...
Things were so bad that we - decent, mature people - were forced to move out as, eventually, we used to dread coming 'home'
I doubt we'll ever return to social housing as we left of our own accord.
However, I have virtually no regrets as our mental health was much more important.
We now live in a little end terrace, next to a lovely neighbour.
I think you can be lucky/unlucky wherever you end up.
Is there a possibility you could overlap your current tenancy with the new house? So that if it was horrendous, you'd still have you original house to fall back on 🤔
Some comments on here saying that you're ungrateful/picky have no idea how life can be in the wrong area.
Follow your gut and good luck! Xx

In my area we have 4 rent free weeks a year. We pay our rent monthly so it is adjusted accordingly over 12 months . Hope your visit this eve is positive @rhinnq

Some local authorities divide the annual rent by 50, so tenants get two ‘free’ weeks around Christmas. Similar scheme perhaps.

Why do you get December free??

But have you actually bidded for this property? In our area, and any others I know of, they dont just offer one to anyone, you must put in a bid for a property

Accept it, they’re like gold dust. You can always do a swap later on

I live in a social housing flat and there is an abusive alcoholic living underneath me. its almost as if every tenant is different and we are not one big homogenous mass though thats obvs too much for you to process.

So it's a dangerous area... ok I guess don't take it then. If it is that bad. Im sorry you are in this position. Housing is a mess in this country now.

If I were you I'd take the council place and make it your own. A less desirable area is better than land lord selling up under you and ending up homeless ( see my post above re land Lords selling ) keep to yourselves don't get involved with neighbours.

Its probably not the money its probably the security of council. We were stuck in private and last 3 landlords wanted to sell up, but the council would not put us on waiting list as there are just no houses... apparently... and we were not overcrowded. We ended up being able to buy a tiny flat and this tiny flat means me and dh have no bedroom, could convert loft but have no money to do that currently. Housing stability is so important.

We've never had a problem renting privately and we don't earn much between us. I work pt. Could it be to do with your credit scores?

@WhosThatPokemonItsPikachu the OP has said several times it's a market rent property, not a social rent property. Not all HA properties are let in the same way.
There's a HA near us that has an 'affordable rent' scheme where they let properties on new build estates for around £200pcm less than what they would be private, the maximum stay is five years, tenants have to be working and it's marketed as a way of renting with space to save for a deposit. HAs are non profit organisations, they can and do find ways to generate income to subsidise the social rent properties.

In your shoes I would take it. If it's market rent anyway, you can always give up the house and rent privately once you are working FT and the kids are in school and you will have more support around you.

But definitely investigate whether there have been formal complaints. Removing you from a waiting list for a house which is beside someone with a ream of formal complaints is unreasonable and could I think be challenged. It's not like the council actually own the house. They are not obliged to fill it.

Are you sure about rent? My 5 bed is 550pcm. My neighbours pay £2150 :/

It is absolutely true in some cases.

I moved from private rent to social housing at the start of this year and I pay the exact same amount of rent in my social housing as I did for my private rental.

I don't quite understand what you think the council should do? If you are of working age, with no children, not disabled or classed as vulnerable, then you would be expected to be independent. You are probably able to save by living with your parents.

You could house share perhaps? We always had space for our DC when they moved away for university or work if needed. They then shared until they could afford their own space. I can see my DGC doing the same depending on where they live

Please take it OP. I doubt the area is 100% bad. Every place has some kind and interesting people to make friends with and there are usually people who are trying to make things better - look out for them.

Take it! Presumably you can apply for a transfer after a certain period of time if you end up hating the area.