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?

Wow this thread is a real eye opener. I didn't realise how awful some MNetters are.

And how goddam sound and lovely the rest of you are.

Well here I am in my HA house, of which I pay for all the decorating myself (don't be ridiculous, the poster who said grants were available for french windows etc).

I hope you're happy in your new home OP.

They do get to keep their assets, but if they are not of sound mind, or very ill/frail, any property they have may be either put in trust, or sold to not incur expenses such as council tax and bills. No point letting a house be empty. The funds/trust will be kept until they pass away.

There you go everybody, what lisad123everybodydancenow says. How shitty.
I am really sorry to hear that, I hope your DP is getting the treatment he needs and makes a good recovery and that somehow, it all works out.

LisaD, thats grim. I hope you get yourself sorted, and that your husband recovers.

I have more sympathy (and respect) for a family that struggles and desperately need a home, than for people who cling to their entitlement to climb the HA ladder even if they dont need it, nor are entitled.

lisa's situation is dreadful, Cereal. But it has fuck all to do with the OP.

Please don't try and make some kind of political capital out of it, because it leaves a nasty taste.

FFS Pure - so "the enemy" are those who dare to live in affordable housing?

I give up.

lisa I'm sorry but it's not that the HA system is open to abuse - it's the entire housing market that's fucked.

*dizzyzebra, white people didn't live under apartheid, they enjoyed it using it to abuse the blacks in south africa. the bloody ignorant arrogance of you.

what terrible things did the whites do to the blacks over 50 years? you ignorant brute.*

LMFAO Ok then. Yeah, They're all just lying. Off topic, and i now realise i misunderstood the comment i was replying to - But there was just as much racially motivated attacks on both, from blacks and whites. Educate yourself and go and speak to the people who lived it maybe, Not just one group that you want to believe.

Please point out where i said there was no crimes against the black people?

Back on topic... The problem is high private rent in certain areas. Not low HA/Council.

In my area the rents are about equal, in fact, my rent in my HA house is more than it was in my privately rented house of the same size.

I would go for it, when my Mum died apparently they gave her very large council house (3 beds) which I grew up in to a woman with one child .

Bit odd as my sister had to wait ages for a titchy 2 bed after being made homeless moving out of a private rental.

Yes it does, JenaiMorris because its about the system and who is deserving, and the system is at fault, the Op has said that.

And nothing to do with politics, its been like that for decades.

As an aside, I find it quite amusing that a zebra can't tell the difference between black and white - no wonder you're dizzy.

lisa, it's the whole housing market because private rentals are extortionate and house prices are extortionate and years ago the government in their wisdom decided to sell off council housing stock and not replenish it.

It's a mess.

Social rents are also no longer "tiny" we pay more for the HA house we have here than we would pay for a much nicer private rental in another area of the country. This house is probably 60 years old at least and has been paid for at least twice over by the rental income over that period. There is no good reason for the rent to be so much higher just because houses sell for more in this area .

Rent goes up a lot each year, I think they were talking of equalizing the rent between private and HA properties. Erm well wtf is the point of HA then if the rent will be the same? Apart from the fact I would resent paying to a HA landlord less than paying off some fortunate buggers mortgage for them.

Dizzy - new HA tenants are paying very close to private rents in my LA. Almost overnight.

I had a HA flat a while ago but didn't have Right to Buy - that was reserved for tenants who'd moved into their homes before the council handed them over. I think it depends on where you live.

lisa are you on the housing list? are you bidding? anyone can do that?

David cameron ought to read this thread

so he can see how the dire housing situation in this country is affecting nearly everyone

like he would give a shit

LisaD

That seems so wrong to me.