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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Temporary accommodation refusal.

284 replies

Toomanybrokentarts · 27/02/2018 21:18

I've been living in temporary accommodation for two years now with my two dcs, as the house I lived in before was privately let and the landlord wanted the property back.
Today I have been offered another temporary flat on the 19th floor of a tower block, as again the property I am in is private but let to the council to rent out for temporary accommodation as the flats are being demolished.
Now the council have a duty to house me so have no choice but to find me suitable accommodation, however is this place suitable & am I able to refuse it?

I know there are people who are worse off than me and I shouldn't really complain as I have a roof over my head
But I just can't live that high up, what's pissing me off the most is that my housing officer found a more suitable property two weeks ago, she secured it for me went on holiday and left instructions for a colleague to call me in to sign the tenancy, which she didn't do so I ended up losing out on that flat.
So does anyone know if I refuse it would they still have a duty of care towards me?

OP posts:
Original poster
Toomanybrokentarts · 28/02/2018 12:49

Well yes they do get to choose Eliza they get to research the property and are able to view it and decline it if it doesn't suit them.
I've also given very good and valid reasons as to why i dont want to live there.

OP posts:
Eliza9917 · 28/02/2018 12:51

No they don't, they have to take what they can afford. Don't you think they all wang a 3 bed with garden, drive & garage?

They would be no one living in flats if everyone could have what they wanted.

Eliza9917 · 28/02/2018 12:51

*want

Original poster
Toomanybrokentarts · 28/02/2018 12:54

Tawdrylocalbrouhaha I really don't want my son's in London especially for they're teenage years, London is a hotbed of crime the opportunities for education and work are not enough to keep me here. The area in which I live is one of the worst for gangs and teen deaths, more so within the minority group my son's are in.

OP posts:
LimonViola · 28/02/2018 12:54

I'm confused as to why the council have a "duty" to house you, but not other people who have to leave a privately rented place and find another? What am I missing?

TheMShip · 28/02/2018 12:59

OP, if your long term plan is to get out of London, why not now? Maybe there's a chance you can get a swap to a nice terrace or semi house up north. I know it means disrupting the school year, but maybe this is a blessing in disguise.

Tawdrylocalbrouhaha · 28/02/2018 13:01

Fair enough OP - just research any area you might move to very thoroughly, because moving away from London is a lot easier than moving back.

Maybe Bexley or somewhere like that might work?

Original poster
Toomanybrokentarts · 28/02/2018 13:01

Of course they take what they can afford and not everyone wants to live in a house.
With social housing I have no rights to say where I want to live, I've already been moved 10 miles away from where I was previously living. If i was to rent privately I could move back there and that would be my choice.
I have no problem at with living in a flat there are more than enough open spaces for my children to play in while not at home, however I don't want to live on the 19th floor for reasons I have already given, most people wouldn't wether they could afford it or not.

OP posts:
Bexter801 · 28/02/2018 13:02

I was in the exact same situation as you a year ago,living in temporary accommodation,with my child,and was offered a flat in a huge tower block(the highest floor),was told if I refused,the council had no duty of care to me,as I was making myself intentionally homeless. Everyone said what's wrong with tower block,silly to refuse,you won't get another offer. In any case,I felt so strongly about it,I wrote a letter explaining why this wasn't suitable for us,with a supporting letter from my gp. The council said it wasn't enough of a reason to refuse,and I could still take the tower block flat. No!,I'm not forcing myself and child to spend EVERY day somewhere,where I strongly felt wasn't suitable,so I kept writing,ringing,emailing,saying this(now living in a gorgeous 2 bed flat on ground floor)

Original poster
Toomanybrokentarts · 28/02/2018 13:05

There are varying reasons lemon all of which are quite complex.
I had to move through no fault of my own and went about it in the correct way staying until I was legally allowed to do so, as another pp said, if I had moved out before the baliffs came to take back the property I would have then been classed as making myself intentionally homeless and the council would have no duty of care towards me.

OP posts:
TitaniasCloset · 28/02/2018 13:08

I couldn't live in a high rise, I'm scared of heights and get vertigo. It would freak me out especially with young kids.

Can you ask the council what their policy is? Before you make a decision.

NolongerAnxiousCarer · 28/02/2018 13:22

There are various reasons that a council has a legal duty to house people. I my husband's case he is considered a vulnerable adult due to his mental health problems and as such they are legally required to provide him with suitable accommodation. (The Rethink website has some useful information on this for anyone else in a similar situation) Generally councils don't seem to volunteer this information and you have to fight for it (Not ideal when you are already vulnerable) in my husbands case his CPN had to visit the housing office with him to remind them of their obligation. Not all people who qualify for this are in council accommodation, we moved back into privately rented once we could afford it as the neighbours in both our council properties were awful! But then we are lucky to have been able to afford to do this.

snewsname · 28/02/2018 13:22

Is it a nice flat in an ok area if you look beyond the 19th floor?

Original poster
Toomanybrokentarts · 28/02/2018 13:30

It's in the same area that I'm in now, infact I can see it from my bedroom window. The flat itself is ok, in normal circumstances I wouldn't refuse it.

OP posts:
snewsname · 28/02/2018 13:33

Would the temporary time, so to speak, start again in this new place or would it carry on from the two years you've already had temporary accommodation for? Just trying to gauge how long you are likely to be there for as to whether it's worth trying to "suck it up" for a while.

Kaykay06 · 28/02/2018 13:35

Sounds awful op, I too am in temp Accom although it’s not a flat it’s a house classed loosely as a b&b so basically a shell, being kept here until a council owned temp place is available. It’s horrible I’ve been moved from pillar to post with my 4 kids and they are sick of it too.

We have a duty to house too, landlord came back from abroad and wanted to move back into his house. I wasn’t a single parent when I moved in so now I am I can’t afford another private rental, it’s rubbish. No one wants to be in the homeless system. It’s grim it really is. I can’t even work as we have been moved out of School area and my older boys can’t be in the property without me. Anyway I wouldn’t want a 19 floor high rise, speak to your accommodation officer and explain and try and see if ther is anywhere else you could go. 2 years is a lot to be in temp accommodation. How long did they say it could be until you’re housed?..they have been very vague with me.

I hope things work out for you, x

Beehivesandhoney · 28/02/2018 13:35

I wouldn't want to live on the 19th floor.
I know there are lifts but from experience they often are broken.
So if the lift is broken you are trapped in.

Mind you I have a phobia of lifts!

Johnnycomelately1 · 28/02/2018 13:38

most people wouldn't wether they could afford it or not.

Actually, that's not strictly true. In Hong Kong/Singapore/ most of developed Asia the highest floors command the highest rents. The vertical height makes them quieter plus you get amazing views. (We're in the 12th floor cheap seats).

Original poster
Toomanybrokentarts · 28/02/2018 13:40

I should have been premently house 18moths ago but wasn't, I couldn't even tell you how long I will have to be in the other flat nor can my housing officer.
It could be weeks, months or years.

OP posts:
Original poster
Toomanybrokentarts · 28/02/2018 13:41

We're not in Hong Kong though!

OP posts:
Bexter801 · 28/02/2018 13:51

Really you have 2 options,take it,Or risk it and refuse it.

Johnnycomelately1 · 28/02/2018 13:55

No, but there’s no rational difference between HK view and your view. It’s just perspective. I’d give it a go. I was really against high rise and now I’m like ‘higher the better’.

Bluelady · 28/02/2018 13:57

Christ, I've read this with a dropped jaw. What a nasty, vicious assortment of comments. How would it ever be seen as safe for small children to live on the 19th floor of a tower block where the lift would be out of order half the time and unusable if there was a fire?

Did you all miss Grenfell Towers?

Ruffian · 28/02/2018 14:07

Of course there's a difference between HK and what the OP is being offered, don't be ridiculous. HK high-rise, like their expensive counterparts in London, will be swish apartments for people with the money to afford them. No doubt they'll have proper fire safety measures in place, working lifts, cleaners and maintenance on site, security patrols. Do you really think that's what this council are offering the OP Hmm

Johnnycomelately1 · 28/02/2018 14:10

ruffian most people in HK live in public housing. Why would you think everyone in HK is rich?

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