Offered council house in a not very good area?

I work in the advice sector and this is absolutely not my experience of it. I am also a HA tenant myself and my HA and the other 5 county wide ones offer assured tenancies after 12 months probation. So I'm not sure what HA policies you're referring to.

I know it would cost money that you can I'll afford, but could one of you stay at a nearby Travelodge/Premier Inn to see what it's like there at different times?

It's really difficult to get a private rented house. We tried for years but on paper there's always someone better. We both work full time and have never defaulted but if someone earns more or such like they get picked first and there's usually upwards of 50 people for the same house (according to our local estate agents) Private rentals are a nightmare to get contrary to popular belief.

We have applied for so many houses through various letting agents and the landlord always chooses other people and I do believe it's because I work part time.

There's a difference between "believing" it to be the case and it actually being the case though!!!

May I ask your rough monthly income as a couple? I work pt but still rent privately.

If you need it then take it then see if you can swap or find a better private place.

Councilista who doesn’t want council house in bad area which is probably bad because it’s full of other councilistas is peak mumsnet

I'm so confused about all of this.

The kids are all under 4 so not at school yet.

So you fled DV last year but you have a partner and (2 or 3) pre-school children with your current partner? Or with your ex?

Even with OH working full time we would never pass any tenant reference checks due to me working part time.

This isn't true at all. As long as you can prove you can cover the rent then it doesn't matter. People pass credit checks and rent as single occupants so the fact there is two of you working is definitely not an issue.

Or are you applying for the council house on your own so it doesn't affect your UC?

And insecure unhappy people can apparently be arseholes.

As other post dependant on wether u would be removed from housing list do you think it might be worth a try even though the house is not in a great area ,would you be able to introduce yourself to the people each side to get an idea of who they are . Having decent neighbours either side can make all the difference also depending on personal circumstances (long shot)would you be able to councl housei swap i dontl know if that is applicable to new tenants and if all fails move back to renting privately ,I know none of the options are perfect and it's really hard when there is no best option best of luck

I hope today’s visit goes well, OP, and you feel comfortable enough to say yes to this offer.

OP, the law is changing with regards to renters rights so you will soon not even be able to offer rent up front (and landlords won't be able to request it). I'm not saying that will make referencing any smoother but that specific aspect will no longer be an option for landlords.

Beggars can apparently be choosers.

Right?! Why so much outrage, like people should just accept a property that's completely unsuitable and get on their knees and be grateful 🙄

It's a tough one, I'm in social housing and I did refuse a property before I was offered the one I'm in now. It wasn't a nice area and I didn't get a nice vibe from if, if that's me being picky or 'ungrateful' then so be it. I didn't want my kids to have to live there. Thankfully not long after that I was offered somewhere not far from where we already lived so still a nice area, kids didn't have to move schools etc. Where I am though you can refuse 3 properties before you're off the list. In your shoes, if you're off the list if you refuse this one, I'd be inclined to just take it and as others have said, see it as a stepping stone.

You’d be mad not to take it with the positives you’ve given

Housing association are not for profit organisations, they are usually more expensive than council housing.

Let’s try to be kind and see that others have different perspectives, all of which are important to them.
Take the house OP and you can move on from there if needs be.

Most HA don’t offer secure tenancies now. There are usually conditions and if the house becomes under occupied you have to downsize.

Not shocked at some of the comments. This is mumsnet….people should be grateful for being offered a council house even if it means moving your dc to a rough school in a rough area, even if the house is a shit hole….we should be grateful 😬.

OP, does moving there mean you will have to move dc to a new school? If not I would be tempted to take it, see how it goes, you can always do a house swap? Or you can look for private rent. I know several people who are not working full time that have managed to get a private rental.

A lot of housing association houses are now closer in price to private rent. People on here seem to think HA rent is half the price to private, this is no longer true. Mine is around £700 for a 2 and a half bed house, I say half as dd2’s room is the size of a cupboard, can barely fit a bed in. We have lived here a long time so our rent is pretty low compared to other HA houses in the area.

However after the probation it will likely be a secure tenancy which you will never get with private rent.

You have to weigh up the pros and cons. If you're unhappy where you are living, full-time employment would be easier to find, your children would be closer to friends and you'd all be closer to family - does that outweigh the cons? Of course living in a rubbish area isn't ideal but once you start living there, in a year's time you could apply to move to a better area. You have to think long-term here, not short-term. If moving to this property gives you a better chance of being able to move in the future, then take it. In my area (not London) you wouldn't be able to private rent a 1 bedroomed flat for £950!! You might get a studio flat, for that price!!

It seems that you need to take this property and think of it as a 3 or 4 year plan max. You'll be able to work full time and build up a savings pot and move to private rental in a more safe or desirable area or even buy hopefully.

It's a short term solution to accept the house or you're stuck if you're off the waiting list for refusal. Sometimes we have choices that both bring negatives but think of this as a long game and not short game, you'll be able to access family and friends support AND build yourself up financially with full time work.