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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think its a disgrace that Cameron is going to stop lifetime council tenancies

685 replies

sparklesandglitterxx · 17/12/2015 09:09

and think that that is NOT the solution to the housing crisis?

the solution as far as i can see it is, lots and lots more council houses need to be built, regulation in private renting needs to be improved, and GENUINELY affordable houses to buy for those on low wages that wish to or are able to buy

fed up of seeing the great things about Britain being chipped away. Why punish renters? The whole Tory attitude towards council housing being a last resort for the destitute disgusts me. council housing needs to be brought back to what it was originally meant for...which is a decent secure home for anyone who wants one. i live on a council estate which is a mix of council, HA and bought. People stay here, they build lives here, generally it is a lovely community. i have never been happier or more settled anywhere i have lived, I have done well in my life and been able to have a big family. my children are happy and thriving at school and have lots of friends. My point is if these changes go through, they will end up DESTROYING communities like ours and so many others. The Tories just seem to want everyone either paying their landlord mates every penny they earn or pushing up house prices by buying. But not everyone wants to buy, and more importantly not everyone CAN buy, (I have friends on good money who are still priced out the market) and hardly anyone would actually CHOOSE to be in insecure, expensive private rented !! I also think that if more people are in secure housing, it will help peoples mental health (hence cutting costs in mental health services), it will improve childrens chances in life, as they wont have to keep moving schools and away from friends etc, it will encourage people to better themselves, it will cut the HB bill, and also with people spending less on their rent they will have more to spend in the economy, thus boosting it!

I also suspect it wont end here....while it will be for new tenants only to start with, i would imagine it will end up being everyone in council / HA

OP posts:
redstrawberry10 · 19/12/2015 15:45

we need more housing. period. social, private, all of it.

HelenaDove · 19/12/2015 17:06

Even if a social housing tenant did suddenly command a higher wage its not just the wage that would need to be taken into account its how secure the job is

Because there is no such thing as job security now.

The same ones moaning about how ppl should give up their tenancies are also the same ones who say tax credits should be abolished as they stop people from working extra hours because they would lose their credits.

And they will be saying the same thing about working tenants very soon.......that they dont want to work extra hours or take a pay rise in case they lose their house.

Thats how fucking crazy its got .....a pay rise could lose someone their home.

DeoGratias · 19/12/2015 17:35

I don't think that's crazy at all. Scare state resources should be there for those in dire need only.

IfNotNowThenWhenever · 19/12/2015 17:49

Of course every council and HA tenant believes they're entitled to remain in "their" property

No. I believe it am entitled to stay in my home.

teacherwith2kids · 19/12/2015 17:55

But IfNot, I am not entitled to stay in my home if my job takes me elsewhere, or if we can no longer pay for it, or if our circumstances change and we no longer need or can pay for a family house. As I said much earlier in the thread, I have lived in this house for 7 years - 2 years longer than I have ever lived anywhere in my entire 45+ year life - and we are just starting to discuss the downsizing we will need to do when the DCs leave home, which is within the next 5-7 years.

A review at the end of each secure tenancy period of 5 years - and a move towards similarly long tenancies in the private sector, to reduce the 'cliff-edge' factor - as well as a flexibility in moving people to accommodation that best meets their needs at any given point in their life - would much better 'mirror' the way that private renters and owners manage their housing needs throughout their lives.

ginorwine · 19/12/2015 17:56

But if not now , the view of some is that it is a social resource to be used to benefit people accordng to need .
Not everyone needs or should be entiked to a resource .
I don't know your situation , but resources do have to be managed effectively .

teacherwith2kids · 19/12/2015 17:57

(And, as DeoGratuias says, would be a more efficient way of using scarce state resources. It is a bit like a hospital patient demanding that they must stay in 'their' bed, where they have been through a significant period of illness, even though someone else now has more need of it, and the patient's needs can now much better be met through a care home or support at home)

ginorwine · 19/12/2015 18:00

Also if not
My friend who had a mortgage has lost her home as can't afford it - this is reality for people .she had to move . Sadly that's life - are you different to her .
Do you not think it's fair for public resources to be reviewed .?

HelenaDove · 19/12/2015 18:10

Well if you really want things to be the same for everyone then how about home owners being COMPELLED to have gas safety checks done just like tenants have to.

Like you just said yourself ginorwine ...are you different??!!!

EssentialHummus · 19/12/2015 18:21

Er, sure. On behalf of all homeowners, if any gas safe engineer would like to pop by and check that my appliances are safe, once a year, at no expense to me - come on in!

ginorwine · 19/12/2015 18:27

Helena - happy to .

ginorwine · 19/12/2015 18:31

Exactly teacher !
Public resources need to be evaluated and used appropriately .
How can anyone feel entitled to ignore that fact .
Surley gov depts , councils etc would be criticised by people if they did not manage their resources .
The question is some folks mind is why should a tenancy of a public resource not be reviewed .

HelenaDove · 19/12/2015 18:35

Hummus It IS an expense to many social housing tenants There have been many no shows from gas engineers when working tenants have taken time off work. Several no shows in a row in many cases causing tenants loss of earnings.

AppleSetsSail · 19/12/2015 18:41

Well if you really want things to be the same for everyone then how about home owners being COMPELLED to have gas safety checks done just like tenants have to.

Like you just said yourself ginorwine ...are you different??!!!

You want homeowners to enter into a contract with themselves that requires them to have a gas safety check to protect their own safety?

Brilliant.

EssentialHummus · 19/12/2015 18:43

Sure, councils can be disorganised and waste people's time - but you've pointed to a benefit that council and other tenants have - somebody coming round free of charge to you and checking gas safety - and used it as an example of discrimination against tenants. You've then said that this costs tenants money because of "many no shows" - which is something that affects everyone equally. I'm not convinced.

HelenaDove · 19/12/2015 18:56

It does not affect everyone equally If an engineer comes into your home and fucks up you can choose a different company next time. Tenants cant do that. They HAVE to have the same company back again and in some cases the same engineer because they are the sub contracters.

And what i meant was tenants are compelled by law to have gas safety checks Home owners dont have to and dont face eviction if they refuse. But i guess there is some special type of gas that is present in a home owners house that can never be a danger Hmm

HelenaDove · 19/12/2015 18:58

When i said many no shows i meant where the same tenant is involved. EIGHT no shows in a row is the most i have seen.

EssentialHummus · 19/12/2015 19:09

I think you're aware that you're making a really tenuous point.

Tenants have to have someone round for a free check.

But it's to their benefit.

But there are tons of no shows and people have to get time off work.

That happens to everyone.

But everyone else can choose their own engineer, we have to have the council one.

Frankly, after 8 no-shows, I'd pay the £55 for my own bloody certificate and stick a copy on the door on the day the engineer was due to visit, since I'd presumably be losing that in pay for taking the day off.

what i meant was tenants are compelled by law to have gas safety checks

Yep, and it's to their advantage. Homeowners are advised to but given that it's in owner-occupiers' best interests to keep the gas maintained, this doesn't need regulation. Whereas landlords (inc councils) need the threat of sanction to do this.

AndNowItsSeven · 19/12/2015 19:11

It's not free anyway, the gas check is included in the rental cost. It is no different from a homeowner paying for a monthly service such as Homecare.

DeoGratias · 19/12/2015 19:15

Unfortunately the gas check point by the tenant is just proving to the rest of us the sense of entitlement of some social housing and proving the need for a shake up.

HelenaDove · 19/12/2015 19:16

"Frankly, after 8 no-shows, I'd pay the £55 for my own bloody certificate and stick a copy on the door on the day the engineer was due to visit, since I'd presumably be losing that in pay for taking the day off"

Which means you would have broken the tenancy agreement. It HAS to be their contractor.

HelenaDove · 19/12/2015 19:17

FFS DEO IT IS IN THE TENANCY AGREEMENT TENANTS HAVE TO DO IT.

AyeAmarok · 19/12/2015 19:20

Even if a social housing tenant did suddenly command a higher wage its not just the wage that would need to be taken into account its how secure the job is

Because there is no such thing as job security now.

Eh?

So everyone whose job is not guaranteed for life should be entitled to social housing?

So that would be, well, everyone, then.

HelenaDove · 19/12/2015 19:22

So Deo if one of your employees like your cleaning lady or your gardner couldnt come in for sevreral days in a row due to being COMPELLED by her tenancy agreement to wait in for engineers who dont show you would be ok with that.

Hummus the certificate you would have paid for would be seen as null and void by the HA because it has to be their contracter.

Certain plumbing and heating companies have got contracts with landlords that are worth millions of pounds. Its about money.