Does anyone know how getting a council house works?-'

[Miaoriely2017]

I have been renting my house through a housing association for 6 years ..I've been on the council list 6 years but never bidded on anything.
5 weeks ago a nice house became available so I expressed my interest.
Friday I recieved a text message inviting me to a open viewing on Wednesday.
How many other people normally attend viewings and how do they decide who gets the house?
I don't want to get too excited

Yep some vile cunts here today.

I hope you can sort this out OP. Caring for someone with dementia is a heart wrenching task.

Be careful OP as you might only get a certain number of 'refusals' before they remove you from the list.

Op normally in most areas it would work this way:
You get a viewing, say on a monday.
Decide you like it, get a date for sign up. That's usually quite quick if nothing still needs doing to make it habitable. The monday following your sign up you will be expected to pay rent on the new property, and hand the keys in for the old one. They should help you fill in forms for a change of address for hb to the new address.

So if you looked at it today for example, like it, sign your new tenancy agreement on thursday and get keys, you have to move out of your current home asap and be in the new one next monday, with forms sent to hb and ready to pay your share of rent.

Tbh, op will be freeing up a home, not occupying 2 so stick will be the same, I don't see the problem.

And council/ha know how the process works beetween themselves so usually don't bother enforcing the 4 weeks notice, unlike private.

I rent HA and it is no different to council properties where i am. My rent is dearer than a council property but my sister rents from another HA ahd her rent is the same as council.

When i moved into my property i went to view it and had to decide basically then and there whether i wanted it or not. Then i was given a date to sign the tenancy. There is usually an overlap so you could be paying rent on both properties.

I don't get why some people feel the need to be so spiteful to someone they don't know who's full story they don't know! Some of you people need to get a grip and stop bitching at someone for a situation that she can't control!!

my house is housing association but it was originally a council house the housing association took over all the stock about ten years ago to dd to the confusion we have some smaller different housing associations, and we have to bid for all the houses through the same system,if you dont get this house can you not look to doing a swap.

In my borough, the majority of social housing is provided by housing associations. One of the qualifying factors for accessing housing from the HA I rent from, is that the total income of the household needs to be under £70K. What "proper job" do you recommend that I go and get to pass that threshold, Fuckyduck? I currently work full time with about 10 years of experience in the public and third sector and have an MSc.

Good luck OP with your viewing. Shelter are a good resource for understanding the process.

From what I know you pay from move in date, do you have to give a months notice on your current place? Everywhere is different my area has no council houses they are given through housing association so does this one not have a HA? Or is it HA with lower rent?

Good luck Op , and again everywhere is different but in my area you can refuse 2 but if you refuse a third your off the list.

similar here regrouted, plus housing is fairly plentiful and there are no long waiting lists but then we dont all live in London...

You may be able to have two concurrent housing benefit claims for 28 days so that you can give notice to your current property. Ask the council person who does your paperwork with you, they will know.
As long as you move in to the new property immediately you can have the two claims.

To those who are sniping about the op getting a council house - not every area is like the south east! Some areas don't have housing shortages in the same way and the op is doing nothing wrong.

I'm in the north east and I very much doubt it's anywhere near as bad as London.
I've just recently decorated and carpeted my house so if I did take this other house,the new tenant would be getting a nice place.
When I first moved in it was a total shell.

When I was moved from temporary homeless council accommodation and into my HA flat I was given a two week overlap on housing benefits arranged by the HA as like above I had to sign the next day, but yet give two weeks notice to the council. Talk to them about it.

BTW, I'd LOVE to swap to a council property rather than HA as the rent I pay is £150 more for the same sized property from the council. Not all HA properties are cheap as people assume.

Adalind do you work in housing? I've never heard of hb being paid for two properties for one person before? Genuinely interested. In my borough it gets transferred straight away as if someone then moved into the empty house and was on hb they'd be paying three lots for two properties.

Either that or the person moving will be left will a bill for full rent on the empty property for the full time they technically occupy it.

Miaoriely take your carpet etc with you, they likely won't leave it for the next people. Some HAs are more lax than council but mist strip properties bare so they're not responsible for whatever has been left by the previous tenant.

Housing associations do all sorts of rental products, not just social housing.

If you'd been allocated social housing you'd generally be taken off the housing register

That said, there are many parts of the country where social housing isn't in high demand at all- in many areas social and market rents are similar.

Jeez FuckyDuck the OP moving from HA to LA property makes no difference in the availability of social housing in the area...

OP - hope you have had some helpful advice on viewing and fingers crossed you like the property!

Does anyone know if this council prop will have been painted etc
I know more than likely will be all cream but that would be better than random colours all over
All I'm worried about is how I'm going to decorate /carpet quick to move in (if I like it anyway

Social housing comes unpainted and Uncarpeted. However it may already be painted a nice colour and it the council had to replaster or paint over i.e. Graffiti before you move in they will likely paint it white.

You can request housing benefit on two homes for up to 4 weeks. This is to cover the notice period and is paid on the old property you've left empty. I'd recommend moving into the new place as soon as possible because you will be charged rent from the date you sign the tenancy agreement but you can only be paid hb once you have moved in.

Unfortunately it's anyone's guess what condition it's in. I hope all goes well.

Miaoriely2017, I'm also in the North East and last month, I moved from a H.A. house (3 bed for just me and my DS, to a 2 bed) to another, run by the same Housing Association. They started the tenancy from a week after I signed for it. I moved in 2 weeks after that. I requested an overlap, so I got Housing Benefit and Council tax benefit for 2 properties simultaneously for 3 weeks. The Housing Association were happy for me to leave the flooring and blinds I had to put in in my old house, but I've had to put flooring in here too. It's not decorated to my taste, but it's absolutely fine and livable, until I choose to re-decorate. Hope this is helpful.

OP the HA will void the property before new tenants move in, so all your carpets etc will be disposed of. Best take them with you. Your new home will have been similarly voided and thoroughly cleaned, any updating carried out, painted a neutral colour etc. There won't be carpets.

If you're in the NE you may be renting from the same council as me - if you are, they do furniture packages for a few pounds extra a week on your rent (covered by HB) which can include carpets as well as white goods, sofas, beds, wardrobes, even pans and rugs. Do ask your housing officer.

Good luck!