Could I do a freedom of information request to the council for this information?

[Glitterinmykeyboard]

I’d like to know how many 4 bedroom properties they have (council housing) and how many of them are under occupied.

I know they’ll have the information on how many properties they have but would they keep information on under occupancy?

They might not even have the figures if residents aren't claiming housing benefit etc.
How would they know?

They may not know re under occupancy but yes you can submit the request.

@SuperLoudPoppingAction, yes I thought that but also thought they should have some information about who is living in their properties? They must have information about how many people they are housing and could that be drilled down to individual homes 🤔

Why are you asking OP?

I’ve just passed by three year anniversary waiting for a home! I was speaking to the housing lady when I phoned up to renew (you have to call on your anniversary each year!) and she said I was very near the top but it wouldn’t be anytime soon.

I asked her how many 4 beds the council have and she couldn’t tell me. I’d like to know for my own information really.

They will easily be able to tell you how many 4 beds they have but not how many are underoccupying. This is because they will only definitely know the occupants at the time of letting and are unlikely to know who is still in occupation. The only thing you might get is how many tenants currently living in 4 beds are on the transfer list with priority due to under occupation.

Can I ask why you want to know? It's a hell of a lot of work for people to run around getting this information if it's just for curiosity and I can't think what else it could be.
Whoever ends up servicing this Freedom of Information request will be dragged away from their actual job to do this, at the expense of council tax payers in your area.

Also, does your council still own the housing stock in your area? Many don't.

If they don’t know who is living in their houses what’s stopping people from subletting?

Our council owns their housing stock. No HA. We still have a little cardboard registration certificate you have to send off each year and get stamped to say you are on the register.

No bidding system. They call you if a house becomes available.

Even knowing how many 4 beds there are doesn't mean that any of them will become available soon. That's impossible to guess.
IME there are very few 4 beds in social housing. Perhaps less than 10% of the stock, usually even less. Also people with 4 beds rarely give them up and tend to be the mutual exchangers as they have a valuable house to swop.

The tenant will be known but not how many of the other household members are still living there. Children tend to grow up and move away, then the bedrooms are used for visiting grandchildren etc. The council won't know individual circumstances after a few years.

@sluj, it’s more for my own mind tbh. If they tell me they have 10 houses I know there’s no way in the world I’m going to get one. If they tell me they have 200 I’d be a bit more hopeful!

Not allowed to do house exchanges into our area. You have to have lived here 4 years just to get on the housing list. Tenants can do them within the same council but that would only be like for like

Social tenancies allow mutual exchanges as a right, unless you have an unusual shorthold or starter tenancy. If you are already a social housing tenant, check your tenancy then have a look at www.homeswapper.co.uk for a mutual exchange. You might be luckier there.

They will definitely know how many 4 beds they have, she was just not bothered to look.

They will know how many 4 beds they have, but it won't be a huge number. They should know who the occupants are, but there will be some underoccupied, but there is little or anything that can be done. Many are older and therefore not subject to the bedroom tax. (If applicable)

How will councils know if people leave or new partners etc start living there?

Because usually part of the tenancy agreement is that you have to tell them.

How often do they check up though? I live in a two bed council house, my next door neighbour currently has her daughter, daughters husband and their two kids and another daughter that lives there on and off and herself of cour we pretty sure the council don't know.

Because usually part of the tenancy agreement is that you have to tell them.

Only if they are a party to the tenancy.

There are very few rules about new partners, children, relatives etc moving in. You don't even need to tell them about a lodger (note that a lodger is not a subtenant, which would require permission).

You could simply look up the information on the Statistical Data Return (used to be called NROSH+) if you are in England. It will also give you the housing association numbers. An FOI the the council will only give you the number that the council owns. Many Councils no longer direct own stock and in any case all LA in England will have additional social or Affordable housing owned by Registered Providers.

Also be mindful that there may be underoccupied properties where the resident has a life time tenancy and therefore if they are paying the bedroom tax they are entitled to underoccupied for as long as they like. I am not sure the numbers of under occupied houses is going to give you any comfort as to the length of wait.

People can be listed as household occupants, quite important if people want to then exercise any rights to succession. The older generation especially it is often only Mr on the tenancy agreement, Mrs is named as a household occupant.

Of course people move others in without saying anything, but HA's do have a pretty good idea of who lives where.