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.

Well, let’s start with those who have first.

I really don’t see how someone who has a family house or a nice flat in their own country should be housed by the council here.

It’s a lifestyle choice, not hardship.

Look after ourselves our kids grandkids this country won't.. no wonder people milk it.
The poor get poorer while the rich get richer.

Thatcher gave the working classes the opportunity to become home owners by selling social housing at hugely discounted prices.The longer your tenancy the bigger the discount, resulting in mortgages that were cheaper than social rents. This was part of her master plan to break the miners union. When people in social housing went out on strike the Government picked up the tab for their rent but no such safety net existed for those with mortgages. The rest is history. Tory governments have NEVER done anything beneficial for working people unless there was a greater benefit for themselves. Nothing has changed 😒

It's very similar in my area but then it isn't a particularly desirable area and is definitely a far cry from e.g London.

I moved from a private rental to SH at the start of last year and pay the exact same rent.

Some really despicable scenarios being explained on this thread. I gave up after page 1.

You should be reported to the council and made to relinquish it.

In London a home can only be passed on once.

It IS unfair. Just read some of the posts!

It is very common.I know of couple who had one in Wimbledon....retired on their savings to Isle of Wight. Their son took it on, he was a well paid professional.It is wrong.

But it’s been taken back by the council

Good, but doesn’t change the fact she is still obviously corrupt.

@Imanexcellentdrivercharliebabbit here in Norfolk i think you're find it can only be passed down once, my neabours wife passed away and because it was in her name only, it passed to her husband and can't be Past on no more, his son was thinking of moving in with his father to claim the house when his dad passed away, but was told that he couldn't.

English immigrants in Spain do this all the time!

If you know someone is doing that, report them, as they will be abusing the NHS and not paying taxes in Spain..

Where is ‘here’? I’m London based and this is not the case in my borough.

You can where I live
as long as an immediate relative has lived with you for more than 12 months and the tennancy not been passed on before you can do this

Someone claimed this for the Kings Cross Development claiming it was affordable housing. I had to show the statistics that there are plenty of traditional social housing lets in the Kings Cross Redevelopment.

I doubt it more likely she's a Labour MP

Good

You can't do that anymore. You have one change to tenancy only. I was living with my mum a few years ago and the council would not add me to the tenancy as they classed my dad dying as the one change

How about people who have been given leave to remain. Are given Social Housing. Never live in the house.
And get full Housing Benefit.

Then sub let it to one or more of their friends who are here illegally, or overstayers on short term ,low skill work or student visas.
Or use the place as a business address to run a fake or dodgy business. Think pop up Vape shops and short lived take aways.

Before l am flamed for being racist. I can testify that this does actually happen where l live. On a regular basis.

Or alternatively they use the flat as an unofficial Airbnb for overseas visitors from their country of origin. They also take long holidays, over a year and more in their country of origin.

You know the country where it was so dangerous to live in.
They had to flee for their lives

When Housing Associations are told about these practises by other genuine tenants.. They will say that the tenant in question is doing nothing wrong.

This means they couldn't care less because the rent is being paid. And that is all that matters and they care about.

You can always check with the electoral register to see who is supposed to be living at a certain address.

I have lived on my particular small HA estate for nearly 40 years..And believe me. I have seen many instances of these sort of activities.

No one claimed there was no social housing in the development. Just noting that affordable housing encompasses social housing, part ownership and intermediate rent housing

Renting out an English property whilst living in Spain doesn’t equal using NHS services since they are living in Spain.

I have lived on my particular small HA estate for nearly 40 years..And believe me. I have seen many instances of these sort of activities.

Have you reported any of them?

My daughter has a rented a 4 bedroom 'social housing' property in Plymouth for some years but now wants to downsize and the obvious thing to do was to see if she could pass it on to her daughter/son-in-law who have 3 children but apparently it is absolutely NOT possible to 'keep' a property in 'the family' so you really might need to revise your plans?! 🙄