Council Flat - is this allowed or will I be breaking rules

[cakemiddletonedeaf]

I’m a council tenant in a two bedroom flat in a good area but extremely run down block and flat.

I don’t expect getting a mortgage and would ideally do a swap but no one wants high rise so I’m staying here.

This flat needs a make over - new floors, doors, wallpaper. I can keep the bathroom and kitchen cupboards but these would need some work too.

I’m expected to get inheritance (from family in another country) + I just got promoted on my job and on track to get promoted again by the end of the year which would then give me the experience and skills to go become an independent contractor and earn a lot more if I choose to + a boyfriend willing to chip in financially (he lives in his own house but has no dependants so some money to spare)

My idea is to:

• get rid of all my furniture - not a lot and everything old, battered and 2nd hand since I moved so many times
• move out to nearby rented accomodation with DD for a few months taking only clothes and devices and personal stuff (again, we dont have a lot of things at all, we are very frugal)
• get the work done in an empty flat at once
• move back in and slowly buy furniture again starting from fridge/cooker/ washing machine and maybe get some credit - pay in instalmments (I usually save and pay full amount outright but again I never bought brand new big ticket items)

My questions are:

1- Would this be allowed under council tenancy regulations? I know I have permission to redecorate the flat, but moving out temporarily while the work is being carried out, is this allowed?
I will not change my name on the utilities on the new address and will probably rent a room on a shared home.

2- Is this a good idea and has anyone done this before? I see on the swap groups, some council properties are so beautiful inside, how do ppl manage to do work and live at the same place is a mystery to me…maybe easier if it is DIY but I will need professionals. And my place is so small, there is no space to move furniture around and live a normal life with me, DD, workmen…plus I WFH too.

Also within the next 2 years, the council will redecorate the block communal areas/replace windows etc so the outside will look better too.

tradesmen will see you coming from a mile OP

move out to nearby rented accomodation with DD for a few months

This is abandoning the property and the council will reclaim it from you if they find out.

Re: inheritance x benefits - something to look into, I had no idea.

oh dear lord

Painting the woodwork is always a neater job if the carpet has been removed first. Seeing as you’re replacing it, I’d remove first, leave the underlay as a dust sheet.

She’s decorating and putting in new flooring, not rebuilding the place!

she’s going. to need to bring o. board
a flooring company
a painter decorate
a plumber for all the new white goods
a carpenter for the new cupboards
and i would guess a leccie too

and a door company

All sounds rather dodgy..

Check your insurance policies as an unoccupied property is higher risk and you may invalidate your insurance if not living there.

Agreed. These flats are for those who need them, and not for turning into luxury pads.

Ffs, she only wants to redecorate and buy some new furniture. Are social housing tenants supposed to put newspaper on their walls and sit on orange boxes?

Don't be daft. She wrote

'move out to nearby rented accomodation with DD for a few months'

doesn't sound like just a bit of decorating.

Don’t be rude. She says exactly what work she intends to do in the OP.

The kind of work you are suggesting could be done while you and DD are away for a couple of weeks

Get rid of the furniture you don’t like or want and put everything else into storage for the duration, shop around for prices, you can get a surprising amount into quite a small unit.
I don’t blame you at all for wanting to get out of the flat while all the work is going on and an air BnB place sounds ideal if finances allow.
It might be better to tell the council you’re having the flooring redone plus decorating but i can’t imagine it would be a problem. Saves them having to do it.
Surely moving out for a few weeks is little different to being away on holiday. I’d tell the council and neighbours you’re staying with friends while you’re having work done.

@cakemiddletonedeaf

Be sure to check on the rules for flooring in your building.

Some buildings don't allow the installation of laminate flooring and you could find yourself having to take it out if you put it in and it's not allowed.

I'm actually having my kitchen/ lounge area/ flooring started tomorrow
Bathroom just finished
You're overthinking
Most things can be done by just moving things around when needed
Get rid of broken unwanted stuff and prepare to live with just the basics
( airfryer and kettle)
Share bedroom and treat as lounge
Flooring should take a couple of days
You just have to prepare for living in chaos for a week
Check your tenancy agreement carefully
If you are in any benefits at all, you must inform UC of your inheritance as it will reduce/ stop your entitlement
Stop and think and do it in stages before you get carried away

Why don't you just get rid of everything you don't need so there is less to move about, sit on camping chairs for a couple of days if need be or absolute worst case book a Travelodge for a night or two

Order the new things for delivery a couple of days after the joiner is booked.

I cannot fathom how you'd need another rental for decorating. You just put everything in the middle of the room a work round like everyone else but if things are going anyway thin it all first.

This!

The OP wants to make the decorating and new flooring easy for herself so if she doesn’t ’have to manage’ and make it harder for herself - I’d say do what your planning OP all sounds great!

Stay, and work around the redecoration. Thats what most people do.😗

It should be fine as you are regularly in contact with the property and paying for it while the work to takes place. No different to being at the property really so long as there are no big delays that keep you away.

I am not sure but have you thought about buying it? I thinknits a bigger right to buy discount on flats then you could do what you like.