Council House Envy - it's a real thing

[LuisSuarezTeeth]

To be fair, I thought I'd only seen it on MN. I've now experienced it in three different scenarios and it's depressing.

Never mind all the misconceptions about "free housing", "subsidised rents" and all that. People who live in council houses seem to be the envy of the rental community with an automatic black mark against them because of the way they might have secured their tenancy.

[taxi4ballet]

Well, there would be a few million more council houses around if the government hadn't sold so many of them below market-value to the people living in them - who then waited a few years and sold them at a tidy profit.

I can't help wondering how many ex-council houses are now owned by landlords and rented out privately...

[pointythings]

LimBeeHoon this 100 times. The rental market in the UK has been left unregulated for far, far too long, and both major political parties are guilty of this.

And council housing should never have been sold off to buy votes - thanks, Maggie!

Ultimately this is down to the government not wanting to provide affordable secure housing to everyone.

Luis my friend waited 8 years - lots of sympathy to you too, so glad you got your house.

[catsmother]

Generally speaking envy's always seen as a negative and futile emotion but when it comes to one of the most basic necessities - a decent and secure home - it's completely understandable that people who'll never be able to afford their own home want the next best thing which is a secure tenancy and affordable rent.

That doesn't mean that those who have a council tenancy don't deserve them ... but neither does it mean that those who don't are less deserving either. And that's the problem - there simply aren't enough council properties for all those who genuinely need and deserve them (stating the bloody obvious). Small wonder that people living (often) in pretty desperate, unpleasant and stressful situations look at others who, on the face of it, and perhaps quite literally, have pretty much identical circumstances (e.g. no. of family members, income, job etc) who've been "fortunate" enough to secure a council property and feel very envious as a result. Not so much "why should they have that?" but more "why can't I have that as well?"

When it comes down to it, it is of course "the system" people are railing against, but unfortunately, it's human nature - for some/many (?) - when you're so desperate to start feeling resentful of individuals you know who seem "luckier" than you are. I'm sorry OP if you've experienced resentment targeted at you personally because it's not people like you that others in insecure and disproportionately expensive private renting should be raging at, but the government.

[Trills]

Because that's what envy is. You envy someone who has something that you wish you had. Envy is for the person possessing the thing, not for the person causing it.

I can envy someone with fantastic hair. It doesn't mean I hate them, or that I am blaming them rather than blaming my genes or my disinclination to go to an expensive hairdresser.

[redshifter]

Not all HA properties are 80% market rent. My niece is in one, built about 4 years ago and is more like 40%.
My good friend is a teacher rents her flat privately. Her friend, also a teacher at the same school, lives next door but pays less than half the rent than her to HA. There isna fair bit of difference in their disposable income. And their is a couple in their block who are HA tenants, where the husband is a fairly well paid solicitor. Surely anyone in this situation would feel a bit envious. Wouldn't they?

[WooWooOwl]

Why not direct the anger at landlords of private rentals??

Because like private tenants, they are operating in a private rental market, and they do not have the same financial ability as a council or housing association to keep their costs low.

They didn't go out and steal council houses, they bought property that was on the market.

The envy might be aimed at the council/ha tenants, but the blame isn't aimed at them, it's aimed at government.

[LimBeeHoon]

The envy of a lower rent and secure tenancy is perfectly reasonable. Of course it is, who wouldn't want that? But the reality is it's not so pleasant to find yourself in the cosy situation that ha/coucil rentals provide for. There is nothing about that that is worth envying. This is exactly why people should be angry at the private rental market rather than envious of those that have obtained council/ha properties.

[GaryShitpeas]

Yes it is

I know someone who is absolutely hateful about council tenants as she lives in private rented and is bitter about it. Thinks they should pay more rent and get thrown out if they earn decent money

How about private rents should be more affordable???!! Talk about back to front thinking

And why not wish private tenants were treated better? not that council tenants should have it worse to make them as shittily off as some private renters (hope that made sense, I'm tired. And have had wine)

[LimBeeHoon]

woo I'm sure there would be no envy if you knew what went on behind closed doors. There is no need to envy. Change should be made in far higher ages. Begrudging certain tentants for what they have/don't have is futile.

[LimBeeHoon]

Places, not ages

[GaryShitpeas]

Btw I live in a council house. And the circumstances that led me to end up there I wouldn't wish on anyone

And while I love my house the fact is it's not mine. And never will be.

I'd far rather buy but it's never gonna happen for me

[LimBeeHoon]

gary that does make sense

[redshifter]

I can't help wondering how many ex-council houses are now owned by landlords and rented out privately..

Quite a lot I would think.
The council house I lived in as a child and which my mother still lives in, is on a council 'estate' of 23 houses. Lovely houses, desirablenroad and area. Only 2 are still council owned, 6 are owner occupied, the other 15 are private rentals, mostly rented to families that would have got council housing in the past but now have most of their rent paid for by the council. This rent pays the landlords mortgages on them. I know this because one of my good friends who I grew up with on the estate now owns 10 of them.
It's crazy.

[ashtrayheart]

Yes I would love a council house! Privately rent and can't even go on the list now as we don't meet criteria.

[AmIthatHot]

I would love to qualify for a council house, but I never have. My parents have been on the list for nearly 50 years and have never got near the top of the list.

I do remember, in the 90s, trying to buy a house and being outbid by many who had sold their council houses for obscene profit, and seriously outbidding me and ExH, who had never been lucky enough to get a council house.

I am not ashamed to say that I envied them

[Wantsunshine]

Of course people have council house envy when one person is paying a quarter of the monthly rent than the person next door who is privately renting and can't even paint a wall.

[SugarMouse1]

I think people who have one they don't need (ie Bob Crow), are total selfish cunts, tbh, and should have them taken off them.

Same with those on benefits who have baby after baby, then demand a bigger house because they are overcrowded? Wtf? They caused their own situation.

[LuisSuarezTeeth]

Hmm, lots of food for thought here.

In today's news, mortgages cost £1300 les than renting pa.

When I was a kid, coming from the "council estate" marked you as different for ever. It almost seems as if it still does, but now for different reasons.

[Patrickstarisabadbellend]

The shit I got when I was awarded my HA home 12 years ago was shocking. Obviously people in my area knew a house was coming into the market so some people got their hopes up.

I was awarded it and the day we viewed it people were still looking in the windows and trying to speak to my housing officer. It was shocking.

I got abyss when I went to the shop because I had "stolen" a home the assistant wanted. It was ridiculous. I'm a local too!

I love my house even though it's crumbling around me and my Ha spends naff all on it.

[Pipbin]

I think part of the envy comes from people not understanding that you still have to pay rent. Many think that council houses are free.

I live in a privately owned 1930s estate. It is a very desirable estate in my town and houses sell within a week here.
I own my house but the neighbours either side and the two opposite are council houses. I'm not envious as I know that eventually I will own my house outright, where at my neighbours will always pay rent.
I think I would be a bit envious though if one of them uses their right to buy and bought it for less than I bought mine for.

[greeneggsandjam]

I disagree Pipbin, People know you pay rent in a council house, you just pay an awful lot less than if you were renting privately. If you live in a council house and earn £20,000 a year or £50,000 a year you will still pay the same amount of rent.

Living in a private rented place takes up a lot more of your income.

[Frontier]

Around here, a lot of ex-council house purchased under right to buy are now being privately let.

The council house tenants have someone (reasonably) reliable to call when something needs fixing, their houses are properly maintained, they've recently had new windows and doors etc, they have security of tenure and lower rents than people living next door, in the same style house that's privately owned and (often) badly maintained.

Yep, I'd be jealous too.

[Frontier]

Sorry, that's not to say I would be horrible to my neighbours, I hope not, but I would feel the injustice of it.

[Patrickstarisabadbellend]

Council properties need maintaining in the same way as private lets.
It's the house that has had the windows, not the tenant.

Councils need to take care of their stock.

[StillFrigginRexManningDay]

Where I am council housing is dependent on wages/benefits, ie you earn under an amount to apply for a council house. I was lucky enough to get one.
Part of my area had a revamp during the boom years and became a bit of a desirable place to live making the schools very economically mixed. And then the recession hit.
There was and still is a high rate of unemployment and many houses were repoed by the banks. The school gate is horrible now with snide remarks people thinking we pay E20 a week or some ridiculous amount.