Aibu to think the council should clean your house before you get the keys?

[Kellyjohnson23]

I'm so sad today,got the keys but it seems totally impossible.
Everywhere is dirty,muck everywhere,the walls are scruffy,the skirting boards and doors are a horrible dirty yellow (that the white has turned into )
I don't have anyone to help me decorate so it's all on me.
I just feel sad

Teacake the comparison people are making is about the attitude some councils have towards their residents - they think it's ok to treat them like second class citizens.

This seems to be more prevalent in areas where Councils still manage housing stock. I work for a HA and although we're a social business, we treat our residents as customers as you would expert from a commercial organisation. Everybody has the right to a decent place to live. You shouldn't be expected to be grateful for sub standard accommodation.

I think the reason private lets are generally cleaner is that the exiting tenant is forced to clean it or lose some of their deposit. That is generally my experience anyway. If there is no financial (or other) penalty for not cleaning it I can imagine a lot of people just don't bother.

Just think if you get on with cleaning it will smell fresh and clean when you move in and like yours in no time. We bought a house that was dirty and messy when we arrived, a few days of bleaching and wiping down all walls, skirting boards, cleaning out cupboards etc and it was fine. Can you borrow a steamer or carpet shampooer? You can paint when you're moved in too. Open all the windows, air it out and use some nice products and it will be fine.

If you clean it yourself it will be to your own personal standard. If you are going to paint. Sugar soap in hot water, then just hot water, dry at least 24 hours then paint. Do ceilings first, walls and gloss last. Better to paint before carpets are installed. You can take your time. If you paid some one to do all this at minimum wage it would cost alot and painters and decorators earn a good wage.

I'd try and look at it like this....you would have deep cleaned and decorated anyway most likely. It's very hard with a child as well though.
I took my private tenancy on with the understanding that it would be cleaned first and that I could decorate it (I'm basically painting everything magnolia so it's ok for the next tenants). I had to find somewhere to live in a huge rush for various reasons and it was absolutely filthy when I moved in. All cupboards inside and out were disgusting, even the tops of the very high cupboards had crumbs stuck onto them, god knows how. Spiders and cobwebs everywhere too, all floors filthy, walls stained. No one has lived here for 7 months so they have had plenty of time to clean it.
I moved just over a week ago. Everything got cleaned immediately and I've finished my sons bedroom and half the living room. It's very difficult as I'm a single working mum to a 2.5 year old, I work 12 hour shifts and I also have to do my studies and do a lot of training online for my new job. Add on to that my health issues and having cracked ribs from my ex beating me 2 days after I moved in and it's been such a struggle. Its still feels like an uphill battle. But, at the end of the day there is no choice other than to crack on and do it. What else is there?
I don't know what my landlord is like but I also feel I have to brace myself for when my tenancy is reviewed in 6 months time because the reality is they could sell or put the rent up etc. Or see how much nicer I've made it and rent it to someone else at a higher price. That will just be another thing I have to face.

Sorry I also forgot to add, I think all properties whether private rented or council should be cleaned at least to a livable standard. Some people are animals.

It you were buying privately you'd have to clean it yourself. Private rental would hopefully be clean but as a premium.

Think how satisfying an achievement it will be when it's all lovely and fresh by your own efforts

I dont think YABU OP. Rented or bought I've always left every place clean and tidy and every place I've ever moved into has been clean and tidy too. Now I'm a landlord (boo hiss) and every tennant I've ever had (bar one) has left the place clean and tidy when they leave (except the oven - no one ever cleans the oven). Then i go in and scrub it again before its re-let.
I think its basic courtesy to treat people the way you'd want to be treated.

Haud heres something positive and yes its my thread.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/2719481-to-think-this-housing-association-is-giving-great-support-to-domestic-abuse-victims

Im well aware there is good and bad on both sides but social housing tenants are generalised like they are one big homogenous mass.

It happens with disabled people too. Ive seen many people encounter the "oh of course we dont mean you" attitude when people go on a rant about disabled people "swinging the lead" after seeing something in the DM.

Harold Shipman and Ian Paterson both abused their positions in the medical profession yet there hasnt been any threads on here generalising about about how people in these professions are all murderers or mutilators.

everybodysang Yes thats exactly what i meant. Its the attitude towards tenants on this thread that im comparing.

Not the fact that a bit of decorating needs to be done.

She shouldn't need to be any more grateful than anybody else who has a roof over their heads
I didn't say that she needed to be grateful at all especially more grateful than anybody else.

I said that she should be THANKFUL seeing as there are a lot of people without roofs over their heads in this country, many of them through no fault of their own.

Trying reading posts properly before commenting

Kelly I see you asked about lino.

If you go to some shops, either B&Q, Homebase, or flooring shops, you'll probably find they have some damaged end rolls of lino that they are selling cheap.

We needed a temporary floor cover as our kitchen had bare, mucky, broken floorboards when we moved in, while we saved for a new kitchen. We got a damaged roll end in B&Q for about £35 (reduced from about £120 IIRC) and as it was wider than our kitchen we just chopped off the damaged bits and rolled it out.

Our kitchen was long, so you'd probably find one much cheaper than that for a small bathroom.

I would've cried with joy if My house looked like yours when I first walked into it a year ago. It was foul! I actually cried for weeks wondering wtf I had done taking it, but had to get over myself because it is a 4 bedroom council house and they are like gold dust around here. Lots and lots of bleach, scrapping, magnolia and white emulsion and spare hours after work have gone into making it a home for me and my children. It's still far from perfect, but it's our home and we are making our mark on it.
I got the lounge, kitchen and bathroom acceptable before anything else. Then the children's rooms. Next, are the hallway and many landings and stairways. My bedroom will be last.
Honestly, count yourself lucky, you have a roof over your head, roll up those sleeves, ask your friends for help and get stuck in.

Not sure if the OP is still here but saw a link on Facebook earlier about wallpaper in Homebase down to 97p per roll in the sale- could be worth a look.

I know what you mean. I was very lucky to be given a council house three years ago. The reason i got it was because my daughter is severely disabled and we needed adaptions made in order for her to be able to live at home and which the landlord of our private rent didn't want (understandably!)
Anyway when we got the keys to our new home, it was so filthy, vomit on the walls, someone had smeared poo everywhere, it was so disgusting and i was 9 months pregnant at the time. We discovered after a couple of days it was also flea and mice infested. Every room was a different colour and was filthy. It is only now starting to come together. Every room has been painted and new flooring and new things three years on and its still not great in some rooms. It has taken so much money to just make it liveable. However, Im grateful for the house but just wish it had of been cleaned as it was so horrible bringing a new born premature baby home to such a complete pit.

*I didn't say that she needed to be grateful at all especially more grateful than anybody else.

said that she should be THANKFUL seeing as there are a lot of people without roofs over their heads in this country, many of them through no fault of their own.*

@PersianCatLady this was your initial post
You should be thankful...full stop.

I think you are just playing with words and you do say that she should be grateful - sorry thankful. Not really a difference.

No one should be thankful, grateful or feel inferior just because they have a roof over there head, I've never heard of such a diabolical syatement, everyone should have a right to have a roof over their heads and heat and water, anyone who says otherwise is frankly absurd to think otherwise!

No one getting a Council/HA house has immediate assured tenancy, they have to prove their worth over a 12 month period, if not bye bye, as s section 8 is served!

It's disheartening yes, but no, the council shouldn't fund the cleaning of it.

Every house I've bought has needed to be cleaned with sugar soap and a tonne of elbow grease. And e wet house I've sold has been spotless but I would still expect that the new owners would clean it. Because it good to feel it's your version of clean.