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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be envious that my neighbour lives in a council house........

304 replies

EnviousEvie · 28/09/2011 10:04

and pays £600 a month less than me for the exact same bloody house (her's is nicer inside) next door to mine?

Difference is hers is a council house, mine is a private rental. The owner of mine bought it from the council and now rents it out while he lives in a 4 bed detached house in a nicer part of town. We pay £950 a month, neighbour pays council £350 a month (3 bed terrace). We had to move here after selling our house last year because DH lost his job and we needed to release the small amount of equity we had to pay the bills we were behind on because we were terrified of being in debt. Our rent is now £150 a month higher than our mortgage was.

We struggle every bloody month and live on 'value' food. We are not entitled to housing benefit (DH now working again after a year, I work part time - 3DCs). Neighbour's DH is an accountant so she can afford not to work at all. That £600 would make a massive difference in our lives but we have not got a chance in hell of getting a council house. There are over 5000 people on the waiting list in my area. We are on the list but have been told that it could be over 5 years before we have a chance. Love my neighbour to bits but can't help feeling pissed off about it!

AIBU to think that this is bloody unfair?

OP posts:
madmomma · 28/09/2011 21:02

crazynanna I don't want to boast but I got posts deleted on the very first thread I ever posted on

booyhoo · 28/09/2011 21:06

Grin @ crazynanna and madmomma. your usernames compliment each other!

lesley33 · 28/09/2011 21:24

I wish where I lived had 1 bedroom council/HA properties. When I joined the council list I was told it would be at least 5 years before I got any offer - I was in horrible shared housing. I met my OH and we bought a small house, so never got an offer.

But most single/couples I know who are in council/HA housing are in 2 or 3 bedroom properties because there are very few 1 bedroom. Most would be happy to have 1 bedroom and pay less rent. So you couldn't move elderly from houses to 1 bedroom places, because my council/HA haven't built them here.

The private sector where I live is flooded with 1 bedroom flats to rent - mainly city centre conversions. And rents are very high.

norriscoleforpm · 28/09/2011 21:26

Well I am clearly the devils spawn. We bought our council house in 2004, for £37K less than the market price. Yes, it's gone up a lot since then, yes, we couldn't have possibly bought one in the city in which we live without that opportunity and actually, our road, which was half council and half private at one point is now almost exclusively private now. I would have no qualms about renting it out for twice our mortgage if we ever moved and wanted/needed to hang on to it. On the other side of the argument, I was recently out of work for a few months. Dh works part time so we were on a very small income, Did we get any help with our mortgage? er, no. Had we still be council our rent would have been paid, our council tax would have been lowered. I am not suggesting that the tax payer should help us buy our house but on the other some people who get social housing and simply live on HB forever in a lovely house like ours, have no incentive to get off their arses and make the effort to better themselves. If we had still been 'council tenants' would i have actually made an effort to get a job to hang on to what we have worked for? I think not. The whole right to buy was an actualy boon to those who use it responsibly. Sorry but that's my point of view.

5inthebed · 28/09/2011 21:27

Oh yeah, well Im rubber , you're glue, what ever you say bounces off me and sticks on you......so ner

crazynanna · 28/09/2011 21:28

Booyhoo madmooma is my PFB Grin

crazynanna · 28/09/2011 21:29

madmomma Grin

crazynanna · 28/09/2011 21:31

Oh lord I have Bovine on the brain!
Madmomma not Madmooma
I seriously was not calling you a mad cow! Blush

OpinionatedMum · 28/09/2011 21:34

norriscole this thread deteriorated from intelligent debate into name calling several pages ago. Read the thread you c*. Wink

booyhoo · 28/09/2011 21:36
Grin
mumblechum1 · 28/09/2011 21:38

This thread is too long to read! But going on the OP, I have a question;

what the a.f. is an accountant doing renting a council house? I thought they were supposed to be for people who can't afford their own house"

And it's all Maggie's fault, ultimately.

ReindeerBollocks · 28/09/2011 21:40

Norris, people aren't getting at you. Some people use Council housing as a way to get onto the ladder, which the RtB scheme was set up for, but they then rent this at extortionate prices, which is the issue, as it puts inflated pressure on all general private rents. This system has been going on for many years, and that is part of the problem. That is not using the system responsibly that's abusing it. Plus those who become out of work and who have a mortgage can seek financial help from the Job Centre, even with one partner on a low income.

Plus why the insinutation that all those in Council housing who haven't bought are claiming HB who can't be arsed to ever work? - some very narrow minded views you appear to be holding there.

ReindeerBollocks · 28/09/2011 21:41

I called MN a cunt a few weeks back and didn't get deleted.

Either Im super special or super ignored Confused

usualsuspect · 28/09/2011 21:58

Plenty of people who live in council houses work and pay their rent ,why do people think they are all a bunch of freeloading scroungers?

actually I hate the thought of housing benefit going towards paying a LL mortgage,I would much rather it went to the local authority to be invested in more social housing

madmomma · 28/09/2011 22:01

That's just showing off Reindeer. My c-bombs obviously carry more weight than yours cos I'm from Salford

crazy - I am a mad old cow so the cap fits Grin

PeachyWhoCannotType · 28/09/2011 22:05

Quite US, as I said earlier dad still works pushing 70.

but you're right norris I shall get off my arse; obviously Dh working adn studying and me being a carer is way out of order

But i don;t have any issue with those who sued their RTB- my issue is with a Government (each of them) who didn;t repalce the houses that were sold

PeachyWhoCannotType · 28/09/2011 22:07

(Mum and Dad din't buy becuase when Dad was self employed in the arly eighties his partner pissed off abroad leaving my aprents with £10k worth of debt; Dad can't drive, eyesight, so the nbuilding business was fucked. Since then mother has been terrified of any debt whatsoever including a mortgage. Theyw ill need HB one day but only due to the disappearing pension fiasco mentioned earlier)

PeachyWhoCannotType · 28/09/2011 22:09

I don't know why i am defending myself, I don;t have a LA House LMAO.

Bizarre Peachy strikes again!

Sevenfold · 28/09/2011 22:15

weird, yet again you can make digs at sn parents/posters = post stands.
did at poster = post deleted, even if poster is a knob

missymarmite · 28/09/2011 22:21

coccyx Wed 28-Sep-11 10:19:10

"no council rents are too low, hence private rental seems too high.
thats life."

BOLLOX! Council rents have been set at a rate of inflation, much more inline with average incomes, whereas private property has inflated much, much faster and higher. I don't even EARN £900 a month working full time. If it wasn't for the reasonable cost of my council flat, DS and I would probably be living on an illegal caravan park, because that could be all we could afford.

PeachyWhoCannotType · 28/09/2011 22:27

Actually there was a program on the radio, I suspect Radio 4, about rentals and the way HB is changing they are expecting many of the lowest income people not to be able toa fford council hosuing as the way those prices are set is also changing and tehre will be a significant disparity in some areas, eg cities

So you know, welcome to the shanty town and all that. Disabled? carer? elderly? unemployed but really trying without success? here's your sheet of corrugated now fuck off.

notlettingthefearshow · 28/09/2011 22:29

Oh I do feel for you - that sounds frustrating and I would be jealous too!

I'm also pretty jealous of people (many many my age) lucky enough to have had the money to buy a house at the right time and then made 100 grand on on it. Only just first got my house with husband at age 35! Still, very happy to have it now.

missymarmite · 28/09/2011 22:30

Quite, Peachy. Welcome to the brave new world of modern civilised Britain.

Sevenfold · 28/09/2011 22:46

i fee a bit green about people who actually will one day own their own home.
that could have been me,

DoubleLifeIsALifeHalved · 28/09/2011 22:47

Am loving the hardy mnetters replies, one day I want to be one of you stand-up-for-yourselves-and-even-make-a-quip-about-it posters (that's the true envy!).

Unfortunately I am not and am at the start of trying to get help as my life has fallen apart... Been told I should be on the housing register but from this thread doesn't sound like it's going to help me much, you see I thought it meant I might be able to get somewhere to live :( am too ill to do all this weird bidding & stuff, can't cope with anything at the moment, even the dla forms are defeating me.

I am so so envious of people in council houses, but not jealous at all. Am more envious of people who are not disabled & in debt & abusive ex & a baby & no support & awful work which is making health deteriorate... F@ck I am definitely jealous of those people!

And no, if you were my Neighbour you wouldnt know any of my problems, not visible unless you looking v closely for the cracks, so if I ever get any help at all, I'll have people saying I shouldn't have help...

Its sad we've gone back to the 'deserving poor' & 'the undeserving poor'