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

[EnviousEvie]

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?

I sort of agree BUT you could say it about so many things from rents to free school meals. Alot of people seem to get more out of the system than they should BUT some people really need those things so its hard to stop people taking advantage without causing real suffering to others.
Whenever I have a moment of jealousy I just try to remind myself that it could be alot worse for us.

Isn't the 'market rate' just what the private landlords choose to charge? In which case doesn't this just mean that greedy landlords are pricing those with low and mid incomes out of the housing market?
Also, doesn't the fact that housing benefit reflects these over inflated prices and can be used to pay for private sector accommodation mean that these landlords are taking a lot of money from the public purse into their own pockets? Wouldn't more reasonably priced social housing mean that instead of this public money going to landlords in the private sector, it would go back into the public purse. Isn't that a better solution?

Opinion- your area may be different than ours, here in the SW there are plenty of 1 beds, at least 5 come up each week on the bidding list and often no one puts their names down for them, my grandad has been offered a 1 bed but they can not force him to take it, yes he has lived there most of his life but its not 'his' house and he can't even look after it (he's not fit enough to clean a 4 bed house and he is not fit enough to keep the garden up together), the house is in the middle of nowhere, he would be better off nearer people/shops ect..
4 bed houses rarely come up here (probably one a year) so there are a lot of large families waiting.

YANBU to feel it's unfair, because it isn't. Fucking right to buy scheme, restricting LAs from investing in new housing stock, removal of tenants' rights and artificially inflated housing values have created this situation. Started with Thatcher and continued all the way through to Brown. Cunts.

I don't begrudge anybody their security of tenure, though. Unless they could happily afford a mortgage then good luck to them. I'd have given my right little finger for a council tenancy last year!

I didn't say anyone should be automatically get social housing. It should be based on need and ability to buy.

Substitute class for low income if you want to be pedantic.

A huge proportion of the county can't pay the market rate. Therefore it must be overinflated and unfair IMO.

"Isn't the 'market rate' just what the private landlords choose to charge? In which case doesn't this just mean that greedy landlords are pricing those with low and mid incomes out of the housing market?"

not everyone that rents a house is a blood thirsty landlord! alot of people rent to HA and then the HA rent to tenants at a lower rate, alot of people rent out and only just about cover their costs

If I chose to rent my house out, even with market rate I would only get just above my mortgage payment

I am not denying there are shit landlords, but I think rents are created by economic force not some shylock esque evil landlords

landlords have no obligation to low income families! why should they? should every business cut their margins becuase people dont have much money?

Agree entirely with opinionatedmum, the 'market rate' isn't a reflection of peoples incomes or what is affordable to the majority of people in this country, it's just what landlords choose to charge for their properties.

I am in the same situation as the op - my private rental which is an ex-council house costs in excess of £1K per month whilst my neighbour pays £400 for the same house!

In addition she has a secure tenancy and a reliable landlord - I have just been given 5 weeks to move (the LA served our S21 when we moved in so apparently they dont have to give us 2 months) and our house has numerous problems which my LL has refused to fix (door handles that lock you in bedrooms so have had to be removed, lights/sockets that dont work, exposed wiring in the bathroom and we had no heating or hot water all winter).

Unfortunately no other LA will rent to us as my DH is just out of hospital and we are claiming HB until December when he will be fit to go back to work.

I have been on our housing list for 5 years and still havent been offered anything so looks like the homeless unit for us

Around here there are loads of elderly folk living in 3/4 bedroom houses and most of the council stock was sold off. They have no money to build any more apparently so I'm not sure what the short-term solution is.

I know that they are no longer offering lifetime tenancies and some properties are going to have rents increased to up to 80% of the market value which will hopefully encourage those tenenats who no longer "need" a council property to move on when they can but neither of these things are going to help NOW.

"landlords have no obligation to low income families! why should they? should every business cut their margins becuase people dont have much money?"

That's why we need council/housing association homes to meet the needs of low income people.

Oh don't get me started on this subject...well if you must. We own on a mortgage we can afford, so leave me out of this but I see a number of people either struggling to afford their mortgage, or paying astronomical private rents from which they will not escape. I also see people we know (usually through inherited wealth) who own a number of properties and make a fortune through little effort. The whole situation is wrong. The taxation system, mainly trust law, capital gains and inheritance needs reexamining, and public spending on social housing increased. Until this happens best place to be for those on the cusp of being able to own is as you OP say in council housing. What a mess.

yaimee and opinionated

you are naive in the extreme

I wasn't really trying to say that all landlords are evil, just that they set the market rate. And I agree, they have no obligation to low income families, they are business people. Which is why the system is wrong, because it allows people who are out for their own personal gain to dictate the market rate for a necessity such as housing.

noone says we dont need HA. but if HA raised the rent marginally for the people than can afford more, they could then rent to more people that do need it, and use the savings to build some appropriate accomadation for elderly tenants that dont need their 3 bedders

OPs neighbour I am sure could afford the pay more rent, and there are millions like her

yamee I think economic forces dictate the market rate

Wouldn't say I was naive, just that I don't share your views.

landlords have no obligation to low income families! why should they? should every business cut their margins becuase people dont have much money?

The housing market isn't the same as every other business, because housing is a necessity.

sorry navie was a but rude

but housing is just as essential as food, water, even clothes I dare say!

To some extent, but 'economic forces' aren't some mystical force that has appeared from no where, are they?
They are a cycle, which is fed by the private sector.

I don't know what you'll make of my situation but I really wish I wasn't in it...more than anything I wish my children were not experiencing this also.

A few years ago I was moved into emergency, self contained (but temporary accommodation) with my 4 children. It was supported housing for victims of domestic violence. We could only stay there for up to 2 years and when we were served with a Section 21 notice we fell back (cap in hand) to being the local Council's responsibility once again. They forced me to take a private rental due to almost zero social housing for larger families in Surrey. The property cost *£1200 4 weekly and was paid for by HB.

*properties like this are now commanding £1400+ per month in the current rental market. If we had to let similar again the shortfall in rent would be massive and we are only on Benefits. No assets or other sources of income.

After 2 years in that private rental we find ourselves back in the situation of having been once again served another S21 notice. We have 4 weeks left on that notice and have yet again fallen back to the Council for help. They can't currently find us anything. I have several chronic health problems including mental health issues which was being inflamed by the stress. No family here at all and I'm just beside myself.

I've been on the social housing list since 2007 and have bid for over 40 properties in the last year. With so many others in need and so many on the housing waiting list...it's like playing the lottery. In excess of 200 people/families apply for each property through the new Choice Based Lettings scheme in place here.

I just don't know what will happen to us but we so desperately need to put down roots and become settled. That seems like some far off dream at present! Right now I just feel so scared!

Shelter haven't been able to help us. There are no local case workers due to funding being pulled their end. In desperation I have gone to my MP to ask for help but nothing has come of that as yet.

I don't begrudge anyone a roof over their head at all but if you have a HA or Council house, you are very, very lucky!

I think its a nightmare of a "system". People like blobchob are struggling unfairly and then I'm a bit like the OP - I'm in an ex-council house as is about half my street. And the other half are living better in most situations! One person who is living in her council place has a BMW. I suspect they got the council house when life was tough but she's certainly not in "need" in the same way now.

Similarly a several bought their house for peanuts under right to buy, so have nice cars, nice gardens, nice furniture carpets and we are struggling on one low (25 grand) but not low enough to get help income!

I have a coucil house, I was very lucky to be offered it last year.Before that, we lived in a council flat which had no garden, had a huge ant infestation (they lived in the interior walls) and two of the three bedrooms had damp in them. This new house is lovely, huge garden, downstairs wet room and toilt, upstairs toilet and seperate bathroom. The only reason we got this is the fact I have a child with SN. Had I had all "normal" children I woul still be in that grotty flat. We cannot afford to private rent or buy. The cheapest prive rental properties around here in a decent area are from £550 upwards. I currently pay just over £300 a month, which is something we can afford.

I do feel sorry for those who have to private rent as the council wont house them, we would be living close to the breadline if we had to pay that much a month.

I have very stong opinions on those elderly people who live in three bedroom houses by themselves, especially in towns/cities that have available properties for them.

Blobchob, completely feel for you, I'm in a fairly similar situation at the moment and am really struggling too.
I really hope you find somewhere soon for you and your children to settle down.

The property cost *£1200 4 weekly and was paid for by HB.

Just wanted to pick up on this, I made a point earlier which this illustrates really well.
If there were more social housing, then this £1200 a month would have gone back into the public purse, instead, this public money has gone straight into the pocket of a private landlord. Why should this be the case? Private businesses making money from the public purse in this manner is disgusting.
Obviously I'm not criticising Blobchob, but I am criticising a system which allows this to happen when we are supposed to be struggling as a country, why are we pouring money into the pockets of private individuals?

Thanks for your supportive comments :) I just wanted to add that I am one of those folks that would dearly love to return to work. As a lone parent I couldn't even earn the money to cover my rent in a private rental. I can't tell you how pathetic that makes one feel! Sometimes...the only way out seems through considering prostitution or suicide...but I can't bring myself to do either due to actually being a half decent person and not having the courage to do the latter...so hanging onto hope it is!

where are these £1200 a week flats? I just dont get it, I live in outer West London and houses are £1300PM!

blob its a horrible situaton you are in, and I hope that sooner or later you do get a house and can settle down, hand on in there and for gods sake dont kill yourself x

FWIW I see you as very deserving of HA, I get annoyed wth a system that undercharges some and puts some old biddy in a 3 bed hourse!

I'm in a HA bungalow.

I was lucky!!! enough to live next door to a woman whos son was a nasty piece of work and made my life hell for a year, the police got me moved to the top of the lists as it was unsafe for me to live there. The woman lived in a 3 bedroom council house on her own, I got moved from my 3 bed private let into a 2 bed as my boy and girl are under 5. How is that fair? I got uprooted from my home and she gets to live there happily.

My bungalow was disgusting when I moved in, it took alot of money to get it up to a liveable standard, all the deposit from my old private let so now I have nothing. I can swap now and thought it would be easy to swap being a bungalow but I live on a rough estate and have electric storage heaters, no one wants it so I'm stuck here now with DC3 on the way.

We get housing benefit top up, even on our low rent. DH earns just above minimum wage and I don't work (childcare too much)

I never wanted to be in this position, I make the best of what I can. I would love to own my own home or rent privately but there is no way on earth I could in the foreseeable future.

Not everyones sat in council houses laughing!