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.

[Olga79]

Average weekly rent £60

www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-rents-lettings-and-tenancies

Table 702 if you want to see how it varies across the country. It goes up to 2012-2013

[Patrickstarisabadbellend]

Bloody hell what district are you in? Is that for a 3 bed roomed house?

[Patrickstarisabadbellend]

I also live in the Northwest and my 3 bed roomed is £105 per week. New 3 beds have been built in the area and they are going for £120 per week.

[KneeQuestion]

I have rented privately and now I live in a housing association property. I have also lived in a council property [when there was more of a distinction between council/HA-now many councils housing stock is managed by HAs]

I have had people moan at me about my having a social housing property while they are in private rentals, but all of them were at some point in the same situation I was when I got my first council tenancy, just they didn't want to lower themselves to the depths I had to, eg, living in a horrible hostel for a time and having little choice over where I ended up and living in flats on estates that most people wouldn't walk through if you paid them. They also had access to the funds to get into private rental, which at that time I didn't. They chose private rental.

I know the criteria is much narrower now and I can understand people feeling pissed that they can't get on a housing list.

I am very lucky in that now, after years of living in some real dumps, I live in a nice house on a nice road, which you wouldn't know is a social housing property unless I told you.

I can understand people being envious of that, but it wasn't easy by any means to get to this point.

If I rented my house privately, it would cost around £1000 per month more than what I pay. Private rents being so high is the real issue [as well as not enough social housing]

Also IME, lots of people think that social housing = free. Many seem to think only people on benefits live in social housing, which is of course not true at all.

[Patrickstarisabadbellend]

I live in a village just outside of Chester. The rents go higher the closer you get to the city and nicer parts if the area.

[whyhasmyheadgonenumb]

I rent an ex council house off a private landlord. He probably bought it for £15k and I pay £600 a month to live it in. I am a single parent with 2 young DC but because I work I was told I stand no chance of getting a council property so renting privately is my only option. I envy my landlord!! The house is probably worth £140k ish and I bet he has no mortgage on it.

[IfNotNowThenWhen]

No, they aren't just for single mums! Soo many misconceptions about social housing it's unreal. People think if you are a single parent that gives you priority. It doesn't. My sister said I couldn't apply for housing if I was working. Rubbish. Also, housing associations can be more selective, and really want working tenants. In many areas, councils hold back a percentage of housing stock for people with a local connection, with the longest time on the list. I checked the lettings data, and a nice house in my area would take about 5 years to get, as a non priority, but locally connected person. ( probably longer in the south east I realise).
It is always worth registering for housing, particularly with HA, and many of these offer part buy places to working people. Obviously we should all be campaigning for an end to the sell off, and more social housing, but don't assume only people with serious problems can ever get housed. Do some research first.

[whyhasmyheadgonenumb]

That's what the benefits advisor told me, she said there's no way you will get a council property because you can afford to rent privately so will be way down the list.

[IfNotNowThenWhen]

She was a benefits advisor though, not a housing officer. Also, people will try to fob you off, but in most places they can't stop you registering on the list.

[Patrickstarisabadbellend]

I got my Ha home and both my partner and I worked. We are from the area though which helped.

[Becca19962014]

In my area the council house passes down through families. There is no check done on finances so that's how someone could find themselves in a professional job and living in a council house.

The estates that were built were all sold off and are now very very expensive sought after places, despite causing near riots when being built in the 70s.

I think it depends on your expectations really regarding envy. Personally I don't envy anyone in council accommodation at all. Yes they have secure tenancies but that's about it. I've no chance for longer term housing (I have a tenancy of a few months) and am on the list but am frightened of living in the single council flats alone and disabled, I know people who live in them at the moment and it's awful.

[KneeQuestion]

£300 per month? I highly doubt it's that low

Sounds feasible to me.

I live in London and my monthly rent is below £500. I know of someone who lives up north somewhere, his monthly rent is a bit over £300 for a similar property size as mine.

some body posted about 2 teachers they know, one of whom is in a council house, how does that situation arise?

Quite easily really.

Someone I know was housed by the council as a single parent, she wasn't working at that time [child was very young], she then went on to do her A-levels, go to uni, then did her PGCE. she continued to live in her council flat while teaching. She did buy her own place eventually, but she lived in an area with fairly low house prices, so was able to save up for a deposit and get a mortgage within 2-3 years [I think it was about that long]. If someone was living in London, or a similarly priced [property prices] city, then I can see why it may take longer, or not be as doable.

[whyhasmyheadgonenumb]

Hmmm, worth investigating!! I never questioned her. Thanks

[Benchmark]

I work with a guy who was unemployed for a while and started off as an intern in a london based company on a low wage. He was given a council house to live in with his son prior to the internship (understandable) The mother had the child 50% of the time.
He has since been promoted twice and earns 36k a year, his new partner is also a high earner. His rent is so low he is saving 1000 a month and is planning to buy his house at a 40% discount through right to buy, then sell at a profit 5 years later and use that money to reinvest. He goes on far more holidays than anyone I work with and actually buys 10 extra days holiday a year because he doesn't need the money. I completely understand why young families (or anyone for that matter) struggling with private rents who actually NEED the help feel envious, it's utterly ridiculous and unfair.

[LST]

I have a 2 bed. Good size. New bathroom and kitchen and a massive garden, I pay £325. We have spent about the 5k on it ourselves since we moved in 3 years ago.

[crispandfruity]

I think the real scandal is that money that could be invested in social housing is being spent on housing benefit to line the pockets of private landlords. Many of whom are dilettante BTLers who are essentially using tax payers money to ensure that they have a comfortable pension.

[itsonlysubterfuge]

If you are entitled to housing benefit, aren't you also entitled to Local Housing Allowance? I know that my husband and I are entitled to both. I don't know why someone would choose to live in a council house vs. a private house (assuming you would be entitled to both benefits).

[LST]

You can decorate and pretty much know you can live in your council house for life. that's why..

[Becca19962014]

In my area local connections are essential that's the first question asked, how long you have lived in the area you want to apply for and details of working in that area, the level starts at 5 years. If there are none you can apply but are extremely unlikely to ever get anywhere. Likewise if you are on you own even with local connections.

I've the maximum points single person is allowed and was told, by housing officer, it would take 10+ years for me to get somewhere because of being on my own and unable to climb stairs, despite being third on the list.

There are special schemes for people in work, but that's only to help them purchase their own homes, they include people who have other benefits on top of salary in that criteria. I really don't see how it can work practically, I did ask them out of interest but they really didn't understand my concerns (namely how could someone on a low salary manage to pay a mortgage as you don't get help towards that in terms of housing benefit and it is possible to work and get housing benefit - it's doable apparently and I don't know what I'm on about. Sounds really stupid to me though!)

[gamerchick]

It amazes me that no matter how many threads in this topic there are some will link social housing to low incomes/benefits. I'm just waiting for subsidised rents to crop up now

[DaisyFlowerChain]

I've only seen the envy of council houses on MN, never in real life. In real life, nobody seems to want to admit to having one and ex council houses don't seem to be the same value as other similar properties and take longer to be sold.

BTL are no different to any other business, some are in it for the profit, some simply as they need to event elsewhere for work etc but want to keep their home to return too. If the rent is being paid from benefits, then it's not the landlords fault. The person renting either is unemployed or living beyond their means. It's amazing how many people expect one wage to support two adults and numerous children and come across as very entitled when it comes to property etc. Benefits pay for lots of things, food, TV etc but nobody accuses those firms of profiting.

The bedroom tax made sense but expecting people to move out if their wages increase wouldn't work. People already decline extra hours as they would lose benefits so would just do the same to keep their property. The more they earn the more tax they pay, that's what we should be encouraging.

[expatinscotland]

You get LHA for private rent and housing benefit for council/ HA properties.

[LST]

It's laughable gamerchick

[KneeQuestion]

I don't know why someone would choose to live in a council house vs. a private house

What LST said.

Private house = you are at the whim of your landlord far more than you would be in a social housing property.

Mainly though, from a long term perspective, you won't always be eligible for housing benefit, so when you are working again, in a council home you will have much less rent to pay.