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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To take a bigger council house than we need?

999 replies

isthisunreasonable · 15/01/2013 10:11

Have namechanged for this as it's pretty obvious who I am if you know me...

We currently have a two bedroom house (3 children) and we can fir just about but it's a squeeze. We are "entitled" (cringe) to a 3 bed house but it's likely to be 4-5 yrs by the time we would be offered one so placed our details on the Housing Association's "mutual exchange" site. We have also said we are happy to take a 2 bedroom house with separate dining room to use as the 3rd bedroom.

Have been contact by someone via our housing association's "mutual exchange" list. They have a large 4 bed house with a dining room and massive garden and they want to downsize (older couple all kids left home) and would like our house.

Given that is is bigger than we actually need . Part of me thinks it should go to a family with 5/6 kids but part of me thinks this couple are looking for a mutual exchange to downsize to a 2 bed house, what's the chance of them fining such a large family in a 2 bed house that they want.

It would be fabulous for us of course, lots of space for everyone, kids could have their own bedrooms and a nice big garden to play and we wouldn't have to move again when we have more children (planning another 1 or 2 in next 5 years perhaps).

Would we be unreasonable to accept it?

OP posts:
orangepudding · 15/01/2013 12:50

Chunderella I'm surprised at how your rent is. I live in a commuter town (20 mins by train to London). A three bed council house within 10 mins walk to train station and town centre shopping and in catchment for an outstanding primary school in £85 per week. The same house (there is a long road with identical council and ex council houses) cost £1200 for private rental! A much bigger decrepancy between ha and private.

SouthernComforts · 15/01/2013 12:50

Go for it OP.

Matildaduck · 15/01/2013 12:51

Compo i think her guilt is that she queue jumping.

orangepudding · 15/01/2013 12:54

That £1200 PCM

CecilyP · 15/01/2013 12:55

I would go for it OP, but the final say might be with the HA. A friend with 3 children wanted to swap her 3 bedroom flat for a 4 bedroom house just occupied by an elderly widower, but the council vetoed the swap - probably thinking longer term that both parties would be underoccupied.

creighton · 15/01/2013 12:57

she isn't queue jumping, she is trying to move into a 'category' that she shouldn't be in i.e. the 5 bed category. if a family of 8 needs that house, they should get it not the op's family.

DSM · 15/01/2013 12:59

matilda stop being a victim? Hmm I'm not a victim?! Ha!

Chunder said that she lives where she does to be close to family. As do I. That doesn't make either of us a 'victim'!

creighton · 15/01/2013 12:59

it's a shame that the council isn't doing it's job properly. they should be approaching underoccupying families and offering them new homes with a cash bonus/incentive and then they can dispose of houses to the correct families.

Mumsyblouse · 15/01/2013 13:00

To me, the biggest difference between HA and private, which would make me cling to HA in your shoes, is security of tenancy. In the private sector (which I rent in), you can be asked to leave with a couple of months notice, or a landlord may not resign a 6/12 month contract. I know it's been said 1000 times on MN, but this is so destabilising and stressful for a family and doesn't encourage you to spend money/time on home improvements.

OP, surely you know you are going to take it, handwringing aside?

Original poster
isthisunreasonable · 15/01/2013 13:04

Creighton, the point is that the older couple want our house specifically because it is near to their son and grandchildren and that is it disabled adapted (partly). If we do not take the house they may just stay there in their big house and we may stay here in our small 2 bed with 3 kids. It is not the case that either we take it or it is put back into the "system" to be handed to a larger family in dire need of it, if that makes sense. I hadn't thought of that before and did think of it as we were "queue jumping" but a previous poster pointed out that older people are exempt from the new "bedroom tax" for under occupying their properties, so they will just stay there if we don't swap with them.

BlueBiscuit - Lots of people can afford to buy but choose not to, lots of people would prefer to rent than buy. We have a secure HA tenancy, we can't afford the private rent around here but we would be quite likely to be able to afford a mortgage if we wanted to, but we don't want to buy a property, we are happy with what we have and very grateful for it. Not owning a home doesn't mean we shouldn't have more children anyway. I obviously wouldn't have more children unless the house we were in was big enough for them all, that was my point when I listed why this 4 bed house would be so great for us, we would be able to have another 1-2 children in the future without the need to move.

OP posts:
aufaniae · 15/01/2013 13:04

People are quite rightly upset that ordinary hardworking families are having to make decisions like not having more children because they can't afford the room.

However it saddens me greatly to see people taking the illogical step that because they can't have that choice, neither should the OP.

The problem here is high rents, and a lack of affordable housing. Why are people not demanding something be done about that rather than having a go at the OP?

I'm very disappointed in the last government or this one (fat chance!) for not starting a program of building social housing.

Building social housing would be an investment for the tax payer, it would create jobs, house families, bring down rents for everyone and stop house prices going up so fast. So, very beneficial to ordinary working families (WC & MC).

It wouldn't be such good news for landlords or property companies though.

Who's side are this government on? ... Let me see. Well if we were concerned about providing affordable housing we could maybe to something really simple for a start, like requiring developers to provide a percentage of affordable housing in every new development. Oh no wait ... we did do that. Except this government have removed that requirement.

Those of you who think it's unfair that the OP can have a decent home, why aren't you rallying against the high rents? Or trying to get this government to do something positive about it, which will help you too?

Wouldn't it be better of more people had decent, appropriate housing, and the ability to chose to extend their families - not fewer?!

We're in a period of recession. The HB bill is huge (and much of it given to working families as despite working, their wages are too meagre to afford the rent). What a waste of money! We should be supporting the extension of council housing (so the money comes back to the tax payer to use elsewhere) not encouraging the transfer of money via HB to private landlords.

happyinherts · 15/01/2013 13:05

OP - you are definitely not being unreasonable

The people you are considering swapping with are presumably selective so if you didnt swap with them its unlikely their property would be on the market for a larger family from the housing list to take advantage of.

A 4 bedroomed property is designed for a family like yours. I don't know whether you have a mix of boys and girls but 3 children should qualify for a 4 bed house in due course.

Take no notice of jealousies or quibbles about rent / payments. That is what the house was built for - young families - if you are paying full rent, good on you. You have absolutely nothing to feel guilt about. I'm sure you will take pride in your house and love it and be a positive benefit to your neighbourhood rather than some families I can think of that play the system into council / HA properties, do not work (out of choice) and turn estates into ghettos.

You go for it if it is at all possible. You deserve it and you may not get the opportunity again. Furthermore the children deserve it

Chunderella · 15/01/2013 13:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DSM · 15/01/2013 13:06

But.. you can't afford a bigger house? You can only afford a bigger house if its subsidised by HA.

Original poster
isthisunreasonable · 15/01/2013 13:06

Mumsyblouse, We are not 100% sure yet. The other couple are coming to have a look at ours tomorrow but they have seen lots of photos and know the area so it's very likely that they will say yes. We have arranged to go and view theirs at the weekend, although we love it just from the photos and so we are really just going to look round and get excited! Grin

OP posts:
aufaniae · 15/01/2013 13:08

isthisunreasonable you should go for it (assuming you like it once you've seen it!)

I hope you enjoy your new home :)

TroublesomeEx · 15/01/2013 13:08

I still think you should take it.

Original poster
isthisunreasonable · 15/01/2013 13:09

DSM - But I am in social housing, I have a social housing tenancy that has no expiry date and our HA are find with us moving to a larger house. Do you think we should all give up HA tenancy to make a point to the government that hard working families without HA tenancies think it's unfair that some people get social housing and some don't?

OP posts:
PureQuintessence · 15/01/2013 13:09

If I was a housing officer, I would move OP and her family OUT of social housing, and move the elderly couple into their two bed.

If OP told me "no dont, as we plan to have two more kids" I would possibly be gobsmacked.

I think the biggest problem in housing is that tenants are given infinite tenancies rather than assessed 5-10 years down the line.

But I guess, if this was so, nobody in social housing would ever go out and work, as they might have to start paying private rent. Hmm

LadyBeagleEyes · 15/01/2013 13:09

I agree word for word with aufaniae.

DSM · 15/01/2013 13:10

Chunder well, thats the dream Wink

Obviously not, but I can't move from the city I live in. I can't get on a HA list as I have no reason to (and yes, I hear that everyone can but I would presumably be very low priority) and I can't afford more children on our current earnings.

But.. some people are staying on the HA list that they once needed so they don't 'have to pay higher rent'.

That, is unfair. We could all take turns. Say everyone gets 3 years in a HA house. That way, I could save enough for a deposit to buy my own house. Obviously this doesn't work in practice but you see my point.

Original poster
isthisunreasonable · 15/01/2013 13:10

Aufaniae - I cannot think of any reason why we would say no to it, even with all the work needing doing it's so worth it. The older couple been living there just using the downstairs mostly, so everything needs stripping, cleaning, painting, re plastering, new carpets, etc etc and the jungle of a garden needs clearing but it will be worth the time and effort.

OP posts:
DSM · 15/01/2013 13:11

OP do you not think it is unfair?

Original poster
isthisunreasonable · 15/01/2013 13:11

So what's your point DSM, should I leave my HA so that you could have it?

OP posts:
PureQuintessence · 15/01/2013 13:12

Aufania, I would be very happy to take part in such a rally.

I also think I shall get on to my local councils website and see if I can apply for work as a housing officer. Grin

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