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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be pissed off with being offered a council FLAT instead of a HOUSE?

999 replies

OMFFG · 16/02/2012 10:46

We have 4 DCs, youngest 16 months and they think this is suitable!! The flat is 3 bedrooms and on the 2nd floor of a small tower block and has balconies which I would be pretty worried one of the DCs may fall out of.

This is my worst frigging nightmare. We have been 'homeless' for almost 2 years and the council have housed us in temporary accommodation (private rented) which we have to pay market value for (£875 per month) even though we did not choose it and it's a complete shit hole. We could not leave as we would lose our priority on the council bidding list. We lost our house when DH was made redundant and could not afford to pay £1200+ to privately rent.

Now after all this they have offered us a fucking flat. I am furious because every week until last week, there were only offering 3 bed houses but we would always be 3/4 on the list. Now that a flat was offered, less people have bid on it so we got to the top of the list. I did not even bid on it, the council did. Apparently they can bid on 'our behalf' as we are homeless and if we refuse this flat, we will be taken off the housing list. How the hell will we cope in a flat???

The rent is 'only' £380 a month but a house would only be £20 a month more.

AIBU to tell them to stuff it up their arses?

OP posts:
muminthecity · 16/02/2012 11:08

YABRidiculous.

How do you think the rest of us council tenants manage in our blocks of flats with our balconies? Why should you get special treatment? Many of us were in temporary accommodation a lot longer than you were, I wonder what would have happened if we'd all demanded nice little houses instead? Hmm

diddl · 16/02/2012 11:09

"diddl are you sure that the OP is paying the £875? "

Well I´m only going by what is in the OP.

What´s with the Hmm?

BupcakesandCunting · 16/02/2012 11:09

"See Bupcakes, it is actually helpful to read the OP before flaming everyone else for their valid resposes...."

Yeah but my point still stands: £380 might be cheap for you or I but not for everyone.

EauDeLaPoisson · 16/02/2012 11:10

Seriously? ANYONE would find £380 a month for housing anything other than bargainous?

LilacWaltz · 16/02/2012 11:10

Hunty! You could manage the stairs?? From previous posts I didn't think you could?

My 3 bed lovely HA house will be vacant soon... Lovely garden,village location... It's usually a family from the flats that gets relocated here

Kayano · 16/02/2012 11:10

What the hell is
Cheap then? Free?! That IS cheap for a 3 bed!

Blobbybobs · 16/02/2012 11:11

You could use the money you are saving on the rent to decorate and end up with a lovely home. From your OP it doesn't sound like you have much choice. Good luck.

WorraLiberty · 16/02/2012 11:11

Bupcakes

£380 is not cheap for everyone...you're right.

But it's obviously cheaper for the OP because she's currently paying £875 per month to live in a 'shit hole' she doesn't like.

BupcakesandCunting · 16/02/2012 11:12

It IS cheap when you compare it to private market rates BUT it still makes the same hole in your income as a mortgage would for someone on average wage. If you're only bringing in £700 a month say, £380 is a fair chunk of it. It's relative.

rainbowinthesky · 16/02/2012 11:12

I'd hold out for a house with a swimming pool. I mean, how the hell are you supposed to manage without one? Hmm

Original poster
OMFFG · 16/02/2012 11:12

We are officially homeless. As our council does not house people in B&B's as the waiting time would be too long, they have a contract with a letting agent to house people in private houses. They charge the LHA amount which for a 3 bed is £875 a month as they presume most people would get it all paid on HB I suppose. We don't as DH works. We could not choose where we went and it was an absolute shithole, filthy and with lots of repairs which have not been done. We have been holding on thinking we would get a cheaper house which we could make nice only to get offered this.

OP posts:
EauDeLaPoisson · 16/02/2012 11:13

Im sure if you were only bringing in £700 a month you would then get housing benefit to make it even cheaper.

Slartybartfast · 16/02/2012 11:13

the poitn is what is the location like,
we were offered 2 houses, the smaller of the two being in a far nicer location, better schools,
the bigger house on a sink estate. bad schools.

a relief to leave the area.

corygal · 16/02/2012 11:13

Did you know there are 23 people working minimum wage to pay to house you and your four kids?

Those 23 people don't have roomy, subsidised flats with balconies.

rainbowinthesky · 16/02/2012 11:13

I am guessing there are not many people with 4 kids who pay £380 or under for their accomodation.

Smithsville · 16/02/2012 11:13

Hands up who was shock by the latest edition of Panarama showing all those thousands of stories of children on benefits falling off council flat balconies and how much of a disgrace it is!

Erm yes...

And looking at those figures, you should be focusing on your £495 saving per month, which is an enormous amount and gives you lots of other opportunities and potential for the future here. But nope, it seems you want the moon on a stick and think the rest of us owe it to give you the best.

I dread to think how many home owners with children live in flats and would love to move somewhere bigger or into a house but simply can't afford it, and are reading this, scratching their heads in bewilderment.

A flat isn't the end of the world. There are down sides to it, but flats are actually pretty family friendly too. And in some ways better...

CardyMow · 16/02/2012 11:14

I just CAN'T believe that there are people who would actually make themselves PROPERLY homeless rather than accept a flat. You can put in for an exchange after 6 months in most areas. You can register on Homeswapper etc.

They WILL kick you out of the house you are in right now too if you don't accept this flat. How will you house your family THEN? And they WILL do that. Because you are housed in the temporary accommodation on the basis that the Council have a 'Duty to house' your family. If you turn down this property, then the Council no longer HAVE a 'duty to house' your family, as they have offered you suitable accommodation. So if they no longer have a 'Duty to house' your family - then they no longer NEED to have you in their temporary accommodation.

OP, you would be doing your dc a MASSIVE disservice if you turn down this flat, and I fail to see how you will afford to rent anywhere privately (As well as finding a deposit of 2 months rent AND a guarantor AND a Private Landlord that will accept Housing Benefit claimants). So you would therefore be on-the streets homeless.

Isn't that just cutting your nose of to spite your face? Turning down this flat is NOT going to get you a house, it's going to make you homeless. PROPERLY homeless.

Good Luck. Hmm

muminthecity · 16/02/2012 11:14

Diddl I think she was suggesting that the OP isn't paying the rent, but is getting it paid for her by housing benefit. A very unfair assumption I think, lots of people assume that council accommodation automatically = people on benefits. Not always the case at all.

BupcakesandCunting · 16/02/2012 11:14

"Im sure if you were only bringing in £700 a month you would then get housing benefit to make it even cheaper."

I used £700 as a number picked from the air.

squeakytoy · 16/02/2012 11:14

So why not find another property at market value then?

WorraLiberty · 16/02/2012 11:15

We have been holding on thinking we would get a cheaper house which we could make nice only to get offered this

After less than 2yrs you expect to be offered a house? Confused

Just take the flat and look into an exchange like most people do.

I don't know what area you live in, but people have to wait 5 or 6yrs here for an actual house (if they get one at all)

fedupofnamechanging · 16/02/2012 11:15

Firstly, I think people are being a bit harsh on the OP. Her husband has not spent years sitting on his arse, refusing to get a job - he lost his job, as many people have in recent times. Presumably he was paying tax up until that point. So, as a tax payer himself, he is entitled to have his family supported properly in his hour of need and that includes suitable housing.

A 3 bedroom flat may or may not be suitable - it depends on gender of the children (it's maybe not reasonable to expect boy and girl to share, depending on age). It needs to be close enough to their schools (especially if they are GCSE age). I would feel sorry for the people living underneath 4 kids, so sound proofing is a concern. Otoh, it might have lovely big rooms and i personally would not miss having no garden, if there were nice parks nearby.

OP, I think you shouldn't reject it out of hand, but go and have a look.

Also, talk to local housing associations - they were a godsend to me, in the past. Perhaps a shared ownership scheme would help you, if either you or dh are working again.

Kayano · 16/02/2012 11:16

It's the same as my mortgage and I only have 2 beds in a council estate Hmm it's her attitude which is annoying as hell. We would all love our dream house but guess
What? If we can't afford it, we don't get it! Should e the same for her. You can't get everything you want
Just because you want it!

Will she even be paying the 380? She said 'they' could have got her a house
For £20 a month more.

OMFFG · 16/02/2012 11:16

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet.

EauDeLaPoisson · 16/02/2012 11:16

Thats as maybe Bupcakes but generally the less you earn the more you get subsidised by other income related benefits. If a home is what you need you imho cant afford to quibble over the frills of it all.