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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To wonder why councils strip properties back before re-letting them

98 replies

witchofzog · 01/03/2018 10:08

I work with vulnerable people in their homes. Many of whom live in council properties. Time and time again people move into homes with bare flooring when there were decent carpets in place before, or move into another property leaving behind decent floor coverings, just to find out later from their old neighbours that the council ripped them out before the new tenant moved in.

I understand the health and safety issues with possible infestations in carpets etc, but I think people should at least have the option of keeping the existing floor coverings providing they sign a disclaimer first. Why do councils do this? It must cost so much money too to pay someone to take out floor coverings and dispose of them in multiple properties. And it costs a lot to carpet a whole home which many people can't afford when they first move into a property.

OP posts:

SuperLoudPoppingAction · 01/03/2018 10:52

I asked to keep carpets in my council property. They were in ok condition and I had a carpet shampoo-er. I needed to carpet one that had been left bare, and could just about afford to do this.

When I left, I was told to pull up all carpets and laminate (had installed laminate in hallway as it had bare floor when I moved in.

It was so difficult as a non-driver.

So it's not just that future tenants are deprived of perfectly good carpets, but tenants leaving who probably aren't rolling in money who have to do the ripping up and disposal.

Tippz · 01/03/2018 10:55

YANBU.

I have known people live in a council property for 20-30 years, and treat the house as their own. One couple I used to know - in the space of eighteen months - put a lovely new bathroom in, new doors (internal,) and a nice new kitchen. Also new carpets.

He died, about a year after they replaced all this, and she moved into a little bungalow about a year after his death.

The council came in and ripped the whole lot out and put regulation council junk in. Naff flush doors, basic bog standard kitchen and bathroom, and all the 2 year old carpets ripped out.

Stupid.

Never known why they do it.

Vitalogy · 01/03/2018 11:03

I agree OP, such a waste.

dementedpixie · 01/03/2018 11:11

My sister recently moved into a council property and all the flooring was taken up apart from lino in the kitchen and bathroom which was ripped anyway. As she had no money she had to apply to the welfare fund to get carpets and white goods. She got a paint grant too as the walls had dodgy wallpaper/ paint on them and had to be stripped/ repainted. She had to move as her private rental was getting sold and then her partner died suddenly leaving no money or will

ThisLittleKitty · 01/03/2018 11:13

That said, everybody I know in council property (london and South East) had flooring when they moved in. I know in London the place was even redone before they moved in, walls repainted, new oven and so on.

Not in my experience or anyone's I know. I live in London and have moved twice, one recently, and there was no flooring at all and certainly not a new oven! My sister moved six years ago and the house she viewed had laminate throughout and nice carpets she asked to keep it and was told she could yet it was all ripped out when it came to moving in.

ThisLittleKitty · 01/03/2018 11:18

There was some very odd old Lino in one of the bedrooms though. First time I've ever seen Lino in a bedroom! Wouldn't have minded if they ripped that up.

CavoliRiscaldati · 01/03/2018 11:20

ThisLittleKitty
it seems my friends are lucky. The ones with the nicer place are in Central London, the others around Clapham, Croydon, one in Bromley, and no one had bare floor. Some had properties repainted before they moved in, others just had the money so had to do it themselves.

Again, there's a ridiculous lottery. Some people bought ex-council and had to spend a fortune to redo the place because they weren't maintain, others have great place in very expensive area of London.

ThisLittleKitty · 01/03/2018 11:23

Were they new builds by any chance? I think they only do that in new build properties.

Original poster

witchofzog · 01/03/2018 11:25

It seems like housing associations are better than councils when it comes to this by some of the posts on here

OP posts:

CavoliRiscaldati · 01/03/2018 11:29

No, no new built. You can imagine the uproar from the local residents if new built had suddenly popped up for council tenants in a fairly expensive area of London.

Tinty · 01/03/2018 11:37

starlight You are probably correct about the permission, I was told that he had permission but he may not have. It does seem such a waste. But on the other hand the council would probably have to replace conservatories when they get old and broken and they don't have the money to spend on them I expect.

starlightafar · 01/03/2018 12:17

Housing associations have bought out a lot of council houses. However they also have stock within non-council areas, so houses are often in a better area than council. Being private organisations often the upkeep and maintenance are better as well. Regarding right to buy this is transferred when exchanging from HA to council however the other way round only applies if the HA bought the stock before the tenant moved in.
The council need to give everyone the same basic opportunities and to leave some with more facilities with others could be argued to be unfair.

LongtimeLurkerNowPokemonHunter · 01/03/2018 12:18

Just sold my house to the council.

Pristine for sale. Decent carpets and vinyl throught...ripped up, yet I had to leave it!

Such a waste

chocorabbit · 01/03/2018 21:07

Not only (about 10 years ago) had the council stripped any flooring, the bathtub was burnt and they refused to replace it, the box containing all the bathroom plumbing in our bedroom was was broken and they blamed us for braking it when we complained, they charged us for the 2 months during which they hadn't given us fob keys so we couldn't move to start repairs and move furniture and we still had to pay full rent. Also, all the walls were covered in grease, even the bedrooms and we had to do many coats of paint. DH was earning very little and he got into at least £5000 of dept for a property that was not ours.

And of course we still had the usual people assuming that we must have got a "free" flat with all our monthly bills paid, furniture bought by benefits etc.

Now we are thankfully in a much better position.

starlightafar · 03/03/2018 23:24

Wow choco 5 grand for plumbing and a bathtub is hefty. And why were you charged before you got access?

HelenaDove · 03/03/2018 23:54

Bluelady One of our neighbours died last spring the family had a couple of weeks to clear ......................flat stood empty after that for ten months........HA.

Ellybellyboo · 04/03/2018 00:21

My grandmother moved out of her council OAP sheltered bungalow and we had to rip up all the carpets. They were only a couple of years old, neutral colour and in perfect condition.

The new tennant was expected to pay to replace it all herself.

My parents were able to store the carpet so when my grandmother found out who was moving in, my Dad just put them all back down.

Such a waste of time and effort all round really.

Bofster37 · 04/03/2018 00:34

"Someone I knew had a father in law who passed away and they had to take down the conservatory which he had had added to his property"

This really happened? If you have the money to add a conservatory you shouldn't really be in a council house?

Oswin · 04/03/2018 00:35

My council block is being knocked down in a few years. Even though it will be being knocked down I have to remove any changes and paint it back to white. Or they will fine me. When I moved in they had ripped out the previous tenants flooring and wallpaper. I wish they left it to me. They didn't even do it properly. Left thousands of holes. Painted over it with a weird greasy paint. And left chunks of wallpaper that they just painted over. So I had a wall with unsanded holey bits and chunks of painted wallpaper. Bloody stupid.

MotherforkingShirtballs · 04/03/2018 00:56

This really happened? If you have the money to add a conservatory you shouldn't really be in a council house?

Maybe he saved up? Maybe he got a lump sum from a company pension? Maybe he had an unexpected small inheritance or lottery win? Maybe he wanted somewhere warm to sit and read his paper so his adult children paid for it to be added? What business is it of yours?

You don't have to be in poverty to live in a council/HA property and many tenants, at least where I live, are in full time work.

T1M2N3T4 · 04/03/2018 05:32

My brother bought a brand new carpet for his living room in a HA flat- and lived there 6ish months. When he moved my dad took the carpet, measured and cut it and used it on his staircase as his was threadbare.the scraps came in handy for other things. So not always the council/HA

Frouby · 04/03/2018 06:13

We were offered a HA house 3 years ago. When I came to view the carpets were almost new. They asked me if I wanted them leaving in. I had to sign a form with a list of gifted items which included the carpets and shed.

So some HA will do it but I think it depends on the condition of the carpets. Mine are neutral, clean and well fitted. A woman I knew down the road was leaving and had to remove all carpets. But they weren't the best. And a bit dog smelly. And it was same HA.

salsmum · 04/03/2018 06:21

Because our H.A. house of 20 odd years has been adapted for my disabled DD we have no right to move or if we exchange we can only do so for another adapted property (even though my DD now lives independently I suppose it's because if we purchased our home it would deplete the adapted properties ( fair point) but when my NDN passed away they ripped out all her adaptions to make it into a standard home and then housed a family in it without a disabled person in the house hold....

salsmum · 04/03/2018 06:22

Sorry meant to say we have no right to buy.

MayhapsIAm · 04/03/2018 06:55

There is no choice here and if you are fortunate enough to get a council/HA house they are stripped bare.

I know of a couple of families who SS then used the fact that there were no carpets to claim they weren't prioritising their children - floor coverings are expensive, even if you buy off cuts and try and fit them yourself (which would be fine in a bedroom, less so on the stairs).

Some of these tenants are incredibly vulnerable. If I ran the world councils/HA would offer 'extras' such as the choice to leave carpets (sign a disclaimer) or to have the house carpeted with a nominal rent increase to pay for it. But then in my world they'd also offer decorating and gardening services as well. Would keep their houses in better repair, create work and mean people who can't afford to redo their house and garden can. But I don't rule the world

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