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.

To note - affordable housing in the King’s Cross development includes some shared ownership and “intermediate rent” properties. Dolphin Living is one of the partners for this and their (general) criteria for intermediate rent is as follows:

What is Intermediate Rent?
Intermediate Rent is designed to:

• Help people live closer to their work and communities
• Provide affordable, good-quality homes for working Londoners
• Offer an alternative for those who find full private rents unaffordable

Who can apply?

• Working individuals
• Households who don’t own a property
• Households with incomes of less than £90,000 per year
• Those who can afford the rent without relying on housing benefit

I couldn’t see a KX place on their website at the moment but the ones currently advertised expect tenants to have lived/worked in the relevant borough for at least a year before applying. ETA and the ones I saw specified an income of £75k - not sure if that was min or
max!

Why can’t you find out of someone has property abroad? There is a Land Registry or the equivalent everywhere?

And why is it fair that someone who has property abroad has also social housing here, ahead of many who were born here and don’t have any properties anywhere?

What racist speculation?

Have you reported it?

The whole set up is not fair. People need housing and my heart goes out to young families wanting somewhere they can afford to raise a family. For all kinds of reasons mentioned above there is so much abuse of Local Authority tenancies and those who support tenancy for life even if the tenant owns other properties are very short sighted. I know a family where a couple bought their council house when it first became possible. Many years passed and the family left home and the tenant was widowed. She needed to go into care, she could not afford repairs to her property. The family were so indignant that she was expected to fund her care by selling the house whereas if she had not bought it care would have been free (minus any savings).
An old person who has lived in a council property all her life can be disadvantaged by having bought it.

Not by you.

I consider the allegation that someone “came here to have her children on the NHS” to be racist speculation. YMMV.

No, I haven’t reported it, because I doubt it’s blatant enough to be deleted.

@SheilaFentiman
Where is the racism in this thread?

There is a Land Registry or the equivalent everywhere?

of course there isn’t.

Asked and answered.

Have you checked?

Exactly. Should I be allowed to tip up in, say, Provence and say I’ve got no home in Provence when I have a perfectly good house here?

By this logic I could travel the world and get houses in as many countries as I liked (which as far as I can see some people do).

Affordable rent doesn’t come with the right to buy either

@Vintlet how wrong you have it with this development is a good example of the complete lack of understanding the British public have about social housing

Have you?

One post which you should have reported. I have already quoted the post claiming that this story is only of interest because Fatima Bio is black and foreign. I think the interest centres on her being First Lady of Sierra Leone.
I think there would be even more interest if Melania Trump had a council flat here in case it didn't work out with her and Donald.

Of course there is, there just isn’t the will to check.

Easier to build up every single square inch of land.

Yes.

The person in question who could leave the house due to anxiety didnt seem to have a problem getting to Mexico 😅

In 2026? I very much doubt it, certainly given waiting lists in the UK.

My understanding is that there are criteria now in the UK about needing to have a longer standing link to the local area before even going on a list. I imagine every country has its own rules. And just tipping up to live in most countries isn’t possible anyway - even more so post Brexit.

I know, and I think all or almost all properties here are now affordable rent rather than social rent. Which I personally think is better; for someone in dire straights, the rent will still be covered by housing, but for someone working it's not much less than private rent or a mortgage, which may make people less inclined to hog social housing if they no longer need it. There's also no possibility of purchasing the property and the tenancy's reviewed every few years so you shouldn't see single people in four bed houses anymore.

The type of property most people here seem to be criticising where tenants have a house for life at drastically reduced rent, which they can buy or pass on, is never built here now, and only available on older, less desirable properties. I think the new model is much fairer, and I'm surprised the rest of the country is still building the old style council houses.

I am sure there is shared ownership at Kings Cross but there is also traditional social housing ( no doubt run by HAs)

Ok, you have the will don’t you?

here’s a name Ardit hoxha. Check if he has any properties abroad please

FromAI
AI Overview

Yes, there is traditional social housing included in the King’s Cross redevelopment. While the massive 67-acre project is heavily known for its luxury apartments and commercial offices, the masterplan integrates hundreds of social rented and affordable homes alongside private residences. 1, 2, 3]
The provision of traditional social housing within the primary King's Cross development includes:
Saxon Court: This development, completed in 2013, delivered 63 social rented apartments built directly by the King's Cross Central Limited Partnership (KCCLP). 1, 2]
Rubicon Court: Another residential plot managed by the One Housing Group that contains social rented and affordable apartments. 1, 2, 3]
Roseberry Mansions: Alongside affordable shared ownership homes, this building features apartments designed for older individuals to live independently while having access to on-site care and support services. 1]
Ongoing Expansions
The social housing footprint continues to grow in the immediate area. Camden Council, in partnership with developers like Ballymore, has greenlit further large-scale mixed-use schemes at adjacent sites like Camley Street and Cedar Way, which are set to deliver over 100 new social rented homes. 1, 2, 3]

Land registration in Sierra Leone is managed primarily by the Office of Administrator and Registrar General (OARG) and the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning. The OARG handles deeds, conveyances, and legal property transfers.

This is Sierra Leone, for example.

@Vintlet if you think a post should be reported, please do so.

I’m still waiting for the quotes from posters defending Fatima Bio’s ongoing tenancy. As you haven’t quoted any, I’m assuming there are none, let alone more than one.

@Backedoffhackedoff . You are being disingenuous suggesting that Kings Cross has no social housing. Sure there is shared ownership etc but also traditional social housing properties.

That’s irrelevant- why would I search the Sierra Leone land register for Ardit hoxha?

we have to check the whole world, don’t we?