To take a bigger council house than we need?

[isthisunreasonable]

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?

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.
a) Good job you're not then.
b) The OP, along with many, many people in social housing are in work, but don't let your prejudices get in the way of having a dig, will you.

My neighbour did not like her staircase, she wanted a pine one, the council built it for her. She wanted french windows in her garden, they built it for her, she wanted stripped floor boards, the council came and did it for her

2 words.

Bull
Shit

That might be what she told you but no council in the country would fund french windows, stripped floors and a new stair case! When I lived in a council house I spent 18 months with a massive hole in the window frame and the frame literally hanging by a thread!

DSM, it's not fair that you have to pay loads of money for a shitty insecure tenancy while paying someone else's mortgage. It's really, really not fair and a horrible system and of course you are right to be angry about it. But aiming your anger at ordinary, working class families who are fortunate enough to pay fair rents for a secure home is not reasonable, it's spiteful and jealous. Campaign for more social housing, for stricter laws and limits on private landlords yes - but trying to make other people's lives worse won't make yours better.

This is a discussion on a forum. Asking me to stop discussing my points and run for local council is absurd. We are all here to discuss. If you don't like it, don't participate.

And I am not whining, nor moaning, about fairness, I am asking the OP to explain why she genuinely believes it is fair that HA houses are given on an indefinite basis, and not reassessed every few years?

I guess one reason would be that people might continue to have children so they could stay where they are/not work etc.

"It would help your argument no end if you stopped making things up."

Bogeyface: You are actually accusing me of lying.

You think that helps your argument, whatever that is?

DSM I agree we need more affordable housing it's unfair . We were private renting 8 yrs ago a mouldy freezing house and all my kids clothes went mouldy and they were constantly ill took us a 5 yr wait on the list to be offered an HA home. 5 yrs we lived with mould which the landlord would do nothing about and the cost of the rent was a joke.

How is she not entitled to it Creighton?

She has followed the rules, the housing officer has ok'd it, no rules have been broken.

She is only not entitled in your head, not in reality! And if she didnt swap would the other couple give up their house? No, they would stay and the house would be housing 2 people in stead of 5.

Ha! Whose life am I making worse? I have stated numerous times that I think the OP should take the house, and fair play to her.

However, on the bigger subject a discussion has arisen about whether or not it is fair, which I don't think it is.

I used to get tax credits. The amount I got seemed unfair, simply because I had a child, in comparison to friends earning similar amounts. I don't think that was very fair. I still took the TC though.

There is a difference between having a rational, adult conversation about something and telling others they are wrong. Some people here are having difficulty differentiating between the two.

No Pure am saying that what you said is bullshit. Whether it is your neighbour or you that is lying, I dont know, but someone is!

Bogey, that's awful!

Our current HA are fabulous and are so quite to fix things if I call. We had someone out to fix the back door lock and he borrowed the loo and noticed the back of the seat was cracked (one of the kids dropped it too hard the week before and I hadn't got round to replacing it) He went and got one out the van and replaced it for us!

Perhaps the poster who said about the lady getting the french doors and replaced staircase is misinformed? Or maybe she was disabled and these were small adaptations that would make her life easier, level access to back garden, new staircase for a stairlift etc?

DawnDonna, we do not NEED the 4 bed house because we want to have more children. We would have the children if we had a 4 bed house though.

Many councils do give grants. My neighbour did not like her staircase, she wanted a pine one, the council built it for her. She wanted french windows in her garden, they built it for her, she wanted stripped floor boards, the council came and did it for her. You absolutely must find out if the HA could fund the renovations, after all, it is their house, and their interest to keep it nice.
The give grants for specific things. They don't give grants for their own properties. This is complete and utter rubbish. Your neighbour, if she owned her own property and it was a period property, would have got a grant for insulation, damp proofing and roofing.
As an ex councillor and chair of a housing committee, she's talking shite.

Incidentally, my neighbour is now looking to downsize, as rent will go up £14 per week due to under occupancy. She has a 3 bed with a dining room, that in our area is classified as a 4 bed. It is just her and her 19 year old son, and they are looking for a 2 bed.

Definitely take the swap - it sounds like a wonderful opportunity for you! You are not doing anything wrong, and you don't need to feel guilty.

I know that there aren't enough council/HA houses to go around, but honestly that problem is not of your making but due to thirty years of failed housing policy, none of which you are responsible for. If I got offered a council house I would bite their fucking hand off for it; everyone, including you, should have secure shelter for themselves and their family. If you've found a way to do it, then all speed.

What's unfair isn't that some people have decent housing, it's that many people have rubbish housing. Kicking people out of decent housing isn't going to solve the problem of rubbish private rents.

Dsm.

You aren't in social housing cos you haven't ever applied! "It's not fair"...put yourself on the list, be prepared to take a place smaller than ideal or that needs work. How can it not be fair when you have never been on the housing list? Be proactive on your own behalf instead of moaning.

Your neighbour must have an exceptionally generous council, PQ. I have never heard of a council who changes staircases, strips wooden floor boards and installs French windows at the whim of individual tenants. They do do blanket upgrades like installing double glazing throughout an estate. They also give redecoration grants to new tenants if the previous tenant has left a property in a terrible state (in earlier years the council would have done the redoration) but no such grants are given if the property is left in reasonable order.

Creighton - Er no, I am not showing off at all. Showing off about a a council house that is run down and need massive work doing to it, really?

I know the rules as I called the council right away to check before my partner and I discuss whether or not we would accept the swap and before the other couple came to view ours.

I posted her for some opinions on whether people thought if it was the right thing to do morally and perhaps hoped for some alternative suggestions from others in social housing. I wasn't posting her to ask if I could move into the house if I wanted to, if that makes sense.

The HA system is fair what isnt fair is that there is not enough houses to go around. HA houses are not a stop gap they are a home for life for your average working family, sadly the vast majority are in run down areas they are certainly not something to envy, anyone can apply and wait their turn. I live in a 2 bed end terrace, good sized, large garden etc but very rural nowhere near friends and family, no shops etc. All attempts for us at a mutual exchange have failed unsupringly, our only option would be to move into a private let, pay more than double the rent we pay now for a tiny flat and live in fear of eviction every month so instead we choose security over happiness, i would love to be in a position to own our own home elsewhere but that is not going to happen.

op of course you must take this house.

It is disgusting the bitterness/sniping that the op is on the receiving end of here. This is mumsnet at its absolute worst.

What kind of society do we live in where a woman is made to feel that a home with a room for each of her children is something she shouldn't or is an unimaginable luxury?

If anyone has any spare anger, please direct it at

1. the council who think it is acceptable for three children to be crammed into one bedroom for FOUR YEARS
2. The Thatcher government who introduced right to buy and forbade councils from building new housing stock. Plus governments of both stripes who've allowed this madness to continue
3. Successive governments who have failed to introduce rent caps/tenant's rights in the private sector.
4. NIMBYs who have protested against housing developments whilst getting rich off the back of their own house price going up and up.
5. Property speculators and buy to let cowboys who drove prices up in the last boom.

Some people on this thread ought to be ashamed.

Hold on quint - your neighbour has a 19 year old and he qualifies as part of her household? Seriously?!

There is something bloody wrong there. Surely he is a grown adult who can look after himself.

I lived in 1 bed tower block council, was small but fine, was on 4th floor. Saved deposit bought £90k 3 bedroom house. Sold that for £250k, 15 years later. Bought £500k house.

Thank you council tower block for helping me get on the property ladder I wouldn't be in my current home without that start. Rent was £32 per week. It was 15 years ago though!

The council has done a massive amount of work on the entire estate the last 10 years. They have swapped all the doors, they have replaced all the windows (proper timber windows), provided loft insulation to all the houses, they maintain all the hedges, around here it seems to me they do pretty much everything in terms of house maintenance.

Could it be that different areas have different rules?

DSM if I had the choice of a secure tenancy paying £370 pcm, privately paying £1200 pcm or paying a £250,000 mortgage on identical properties in would stay in the cheapest and most secure as would many people.