To apply for a council house?

[canidothis15]

Hi

First of all, I own a property in an area of the country I used to live in and I left quite suddenly due to a bereavement. I didn't really feel up to selling it to be honest.

Now I have been talking to friends and some seem quite convinced I could apply for a council house (I work full time) as some houses are actually quite difficult to house people in due to the area being a bit rough.

The problem is that I have pets and so private lets aren't ideal and I am in a flat right now so that's not ideal either.

I would obviously pay full market rent. WIBU to apply for a council house or would the council laugh themselves stupid? My job is pretty well paid and I do obviously have a house.

Thanks.

I would add that I think the op and her family would be ideal tenants instead of having whole areas where the only people living there have very serious social problems

I know two homeowners who in the past 12 months got council houses. One waited six weeks the other about 12 weeks.

They were both high priority, one because she was being subjected to domestic abuse. The other was classed as homeless because her Dh kicked her out, she rented privately for a bit but then the LL served notice.

they have a 'homes available now' section in my council and these are presumably hard to let homes and you dont even have to be on the council list to register an interest they are first come first served so if you saw a house you liked the look of and you phoned up you could in theory be offered it there and then.

In my area you could be offered a difficult to let property in a matter of weeks even in low priority. Whether the HA would accept your pets is another matter.

Provided that the OP is honest about her situation, I don't see how it's in any way wrong or immoral for her to apply for council housing.

Given that council houses are generally offered based on how much applicants need it, it's not like she'll be taking a property from someone who needs it more.

Realistically though, she's not going to be in a priority group, so unless she lives somewhere with a surplus of council housing or a bunch of hard to let properties it's not likely she'll get a council house anytime soon.

You see, I tend to base opinions on ONS data and Housing Association annual void reports and things like that, but you 'have moved around the country more than most' and are taking your personal views of the areas you have happened to live in as some sort of verifiable norm that applies across the board.

As I just said on another thread, the plural of anecdote is not data.

We have an empty homes problem in this country, and we have a social housing supply problem as well. This is why Local Authorities have Empty Homes Officers, to turn the former into the latter.

Nobody is saying that the OP will stroll into a nice new build in a good area, all everyone has said is that it is reasonable to apply and indeed if you are not fussy about where you like, there are vacant properties dotted around the country for those prepared to live in them.

I don't see how believing that is such problem for you.

It's surprising who can get council houses. My BIL and his family have been given a lovely house in a south east town that's notorious for its long waiting lists. Both him and partner have good jobs, and could afford a private rental or to buy eventually. I honestly have no idea how they got so lucky!

It is a pain in the ass to be a private tenant, yes. We had to move this year and it took forever to find a place that would allow both DS and the cat. However, you have the stability of owning a property, something that many of us will never have. So even if you can't get a council house, count your blessings.

By all means apply, you are entitled to that much.

But I think wanting a council house when you're raking in rent from owning another property is low.

but you 'have moved around the country more than most' and are taking your personal views of the areas you have happened to live in as some sort of verifiable norm that applies across the board.

You don't however know what I was doing or what my job was at that time.

As pp has said. Yes in some areas the OP maybe eligible. However this doesn't necessarily make it morally right.

I was intending this to be informative rather than discussion based, but why would it be morally wrong to live in a house no one else wants, and pay rent for it?

Hypothetically, of course!

As others have said upthread, you can apply and see what happens.

Im sure that it's very different in different parts of the country, depending in the local demand for housing, and of course, employment opportunities.

I have friends who bought a property in a very remote part of the country, seriously remote, not just 'not on a bus route' remote. It was a bit of a wreck, which they planned to do up. They did some of the work themselves, only to discover that some very serious work was required. On the builder's recommendation, they applied for a temporary council house and were offered a few to choose from, for six months while their's was fixed. The house they rented fir six months had been empty for years, and has not had any tenants since they left it.

With no employment prospects anywhere near, there is little demand for housing.

Hope things go well for you. What can you loose by asking?

As pp has said. Yes in some areas the OP maybe eligible. However this doesn't necessarily make it morally right.

That statement implies it's morally wrong. Personally I struggle to see what's morally wrong with living in and paying rent on a council house near my mum that's been empty for years even if you do own another house in a different area.