Keeping a UK Council property for life even though you no longer live in the UK

[Vintlet]

This story has just been released
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyxkeny8x6o
It seems so unfair given the lack of social housing in the uk that the First Lady of Sierra Leone expected to be allowed to keep her London social housing property as a pied a terre. Surely we cannot be expected to house the world. No one in authority would have realised given that she was still paying the rent if she hadn’t boasted about keeping it on a radio interview. I wonder how many people keep and sublet uk council properties when they no longer have a right to keep it.

Probably wrong? I’d say so 😲

And that is utterly, utterly wrong. I don’t blame her of course, but the system should not allow it.

No... I never mentioned when offered. I was just highlighting that many people think all social housing tenants are destitute - when that is not always the case.

But it does. And she was told there are no places for her to move to anyway. There are people in need of one bed places that have been waiting for a decade.

I think you should be able to.pass the tenancy to family members on the understanding they live in it and don't sublet at a higher rent.

I don't think you can sublet at all.
I am sure people get offered housing on the understanding that they need to be living in it.

But as lots of pps have noted, as long as the rent is paid, the social housing property is for life and no one will check that the tenant is who they claim to be. The rules defend established tenants and lifetime tenancies, in spite of the urgent need for housing for young families.
as I pointed out in the opening post, this First Lady was not evicted. The local authority persuaded her to relinquish the tenancy somehow. If she hadn’t bragged about keeping it in a public interview, it would still be hers as a pied a terre.
All of the abuses of council houses described are not illegal. Someone can have 10 owned houses and they still have the right to keep their original social housing property.

You're only allowed to do it once.

There are multiple serious problems with the social housing system which is ridiculously unfair, lax and massively abused. No one who has social housing should have any other property and I don't beleive tenancies should be transferred within a family. There are regular cases where people have been granted a social housing property (sometimes more than one i different London Boroughs) which they sublet to pay the mortgage on a home they then buy. Root and branch review and effective policing is needed

That's the reaction people like this cause.

I'm on the fence re 'for life' & 'passing down a tenancy' as I can see both sides if it.

but piss takers like the PP 🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️

Why is social housing policy so lax? when there is a real shortage?

I do believe there should be 5-10 year tenancies which are reviewed.

My mum and dad, for example, still live in a lovely, 4-bed council house, although all their children have grown and left. They have no incentive to leave ot downsize.

There needs to be one passing down of tenancy at least, otherwise you are evicting widows/widowers.

The former council houses where I live are solidly built on huge plots. They literally never appear on the open market because they’re so sought after they sell by word of mouth.

If there were still council houses being built and lots to go round it would make sense to be able to pass it down. The problem is, with a shortage if you did that you would have two classes of people. Those whose parents/grandparents/great grandparents got a council home in the 50s/60s/70s and those that didn't. Essentially creating a whole new form of generational privilege. So it wouldn't be fair.

Agree/how utterly selfish.

Social housing allocation is unfair but no one dares address it. Look at the posters defending this First Lady and her London Council flat. Or those complaining that she is being picked on because she is black and from Sierra Leone and if it was Melania no one would turn a hair if she had a London council flat.

It’s a fucking joke that anyone regardless of race gets to keep a council property when they don’t need it and choose who to pass it to. Take it back the moment someone has money to buy their own or moves on. Give to those who need

In this case surely it would be a joint tenancy so the widow/er would just become s sole tenant. Certainly shouldn’t be able to go to other family members.

Look at the posters defending this First Lady and her London Council flat.

I would LOVE to look at them, but I can’t see them. Could you quote the posters that you think are defending her?

NB - questioning whether this would attract as much news coverage if the woman in question was white, rather than Black, is not defending her.

I am sure that is usually the case.
But you get a single mum with a child, and if they are both still living there years later, then the child can have the tenancy passed to them.
But that child would still have to be living there (is 2 years in most places).

How do you know when someone has the money to buy their own though?;I can understand if someone's income went up because that's already taxed. But saving a deposit or receiving an inheritance would be harder to track.
Alternatively, if you are in a council house but your income goes up maybe you can stay but have to pay a higher rate of tax to fund the building of more homes or services for other people. To balance it out and people could always relocate instead. Or is that too complicated?

This is so depressing….not just what your family is doing, but that you know it’s wrong and yet you’re still going to do it. Whatever happened about thinking of others rather than yourselves?
Social housing should be for those who need it - when you don’t need it any more you should pass it on to someone else in need. How appallingly selfish not to do that.

I don't think it will happen anyway.

@Imanexcellentdrivercharliebabbit …and to think you are a Social Worker too. Shame on you. You must see how families in real need struggle to secure social housing and yet this is your attitude. What a disappointment you are to social workers and those supporting families in need. I bet your clients would be most shocked to hear your selfish attitude.

I think people would feel the same way if she were the first lady of a Scandinavian country. Not sure why you make race the issue here.