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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Renting in school catchment area temporarily

202 replies

3weeksuntilwine · 08/03/2018 20:48

I’m prepared to be told I’m unreasonable and potentially planning something illegal...

We live on the catchment boundary of a really good primary school and my DD is due to start reception in September 2019. We are currently looking at houses and hoping to move a couple of miles to get into the catchment completely but there’s nothing on the market at the moment and we haven’t sold our house. I’m aware the application process will start in autumn.

Would it be unreasonable to rent a flat for a few months in the catchment area from September 18 and use the rental address on the application? The dodgy bit is that we would continue to live where we are now. My crazy thought is that we’d have a short term lease and if we still haven’t sold/moved then stay in current house until something comes up...(so keep the rental for a few months only)

I know this sounds crazy but we also have two younger kids who would be going to school a couple of years later. If we didn’t get into this school, we would have to consider a fee paying school for the eldest as other schools locally aren’t great. The big cost outlay now would be far cheaper than sending all three to private school.

Am I considering a fraudulent act?
Has anyone done anything similar?
If the majority agree this is an ok plan, are there any flaws in it?
Tia

OP posts:
RoseWhiteTips · 08/03/2018 21:06

It is good to see the majority view so far is that this woman is thinking about cheating the system. Such a selfish attitude.

NordicNobody · 08/03/2018 21:06

I should add too that she rented the house for over a year to make it believable. Not sure a short term lease would fool anyone.

altiara · 08/03/2018 21:06

Our local authority says if you’re renting you have to have a 12 month contract and pretending to split up and one parent lives with the child and the other doesn’t won’t work either as they will investigate everywhere you pay council tax. Places have been taken away in our local authority for this.

RedSkyAtNight · 08/03/2018 21:07

It's now March.
Primary admissions close in January.
You have plenty of time to "move properly" - it doesn't sound like this is even a stop gap because your house hasn't sold, it sounds like you don't really have any intention of moving.

Have you even looked at your local schools? Hard to imagine an infants school that is so bad that you "have to" pay for a private school.

GreenTulips · 08/03/2018 21:09

you could temporarily separate from your husband

I have seen plenty of people do this too .... claiming benifits as well

altiara · 08/03/2018 21:09

You could rent in catchment for a year and rent your house out while you’re looking for somewhere to buy.

QueenDramaLlama · 08/03/2018 21:10

Going against the grain, if you plan to move to the area anyway and this is just a temporary position until you do then YANBU.
If you are moving to the area then yes you should apply for the local school. It makes sense.

thethoughtfox · 08/03/2018 21:10

You will be asked to bring a council tax letter or child tax / benefit letter with your address on it - for this exact reason.

Original poster
3weeksuntilwine · 08/03/2018 21:11

RedSkyAtNight how did you summise that we have no intention of moving?

OP posts:
Viviennemary · 08/03/2018 21:11

Of course this is breaking the rules. Plenty of people do it but you need to think of the consequences if you get caught. And the chances are somebody will report you especially if you don't even move into your rented accommodation. It's everyone for themselves these days.

DonaldWeasley · 08/03/2018 21:13

You have until January 15th next year to find somewhere to buy. Also nothing to stop you doing a short term rental while you look for somewhere to buy if you actually do sell your house.

thethoughtfox · 08/03/2018 21:14

We also had to provide 2 utility bills and were told they would be checking out all the information on us.

MerryShitmas · 08/03/2018 21:14

Because you've got basically an entire year to sell and apply properly but you've just decided that you'll commit fraud to get a place instead 3weeks ? That's my guess anyway.

Original poster
3weeksuntilwine · 08/03/2018 21:14

Interesting point made by poster up thread about those who apply for faith schools and attend church to get the vicar’s golden letter!

I appreciate both are unsavory but fake church attending is probably much more common yet not seen as fraudulent. Interesting.

OP posts:
MerryShitmas · 08/03/2018 21:17

Who says it's not seen as fraudulent? Everyone I know takes a dim view (myself included). I also take a dim view of those who attend church for a few months just to have a church wedding. Or who have a christening when they don't believe in god but just want presents and a party.
But this is a thread where you're asking if you're committing fraud and being U. People are telling you that you are (and some disagree) I'm not sure why different types of fraud are now relevant.
If you're looking for a way to justify it to yourself OP just go ahead and do it. Be it on your own head if your DD misses out on her first term or year at school because you can't get her a place last minute.

Original poster
3weeksuntilwine · 08/03/2018 21:18

MerryShitmas We need to find a buyer and find a house and move in in next 10 months in a slow moving market... I was just contemplating the ‘what ifs’, that’s all.

OP posts:
Kokapetl · 08/03/2018 21:19

If you are sure you will move into the catchment area soon anyway then sort of not unreasonable. You probably would need to actually move into the rented property, as others have said. The 12 months is clearly wrong as others have said, we moved into our house two weeks before the application deadline, although both the new and old house are in catchment.

LanaorAna2 · 08/03/2018 21:20

I know someone who did this for their 3 DCs but the school sent people round to check they were actually living in the tiny flat they rented next to the school. They got away with it.

Fia256 · 08/03/2018 21:20

I really doubt you'd get away with it OP, and would say it wouldn't be worth risking

We are in the catchment of a very very popular, ofsted outstanding primary school. People try to get in who live miles away and houses sell much quicker than average because people are desperate to be in catchment for it. Because of this, the council is super wise to what goes on. You have to have rented for 12 months before the closing date (January) of applications, so anyone trying it in our area for 2019 starters would already have needed to be in for the last 2 months already!! And for mortgages it's 3 months before the closing date.

Every single year without fail, one or two places open up last minute from people who've been rumbled with lying about addresses/renting out another house etc.

The best of it is, my dc go there, and from speaking to other parents at different schools, I honestly don't think it's much better than the ones that aren't as popular!

Original poster
3weeksuntilwine · 08/03/2018 21:23

I’m not trying to justify anything to myself. I just raised a hypothetical question. As we are intending to move there anyway, I genuinely wondered if this would still be seen as fraud. You seem to think I’m set out to scam the system for some reason and lie about my intentions.

Given the consensus opinion and the useful info from some posters about how applications are reviewed, I obviously wouldn’t contemplate this now.

And my fraud comparison was just a remark as it genuinely interested me. FWIW, I too take a dim view of non Christians marrying in churches and christening their kids too.

OP posts:
LunaTheCat · 08/03/2018 21:23

Hmm. You are worried about the children’s school and what they may be learning there and who with....in the meantime you are teaching them another lesson .... that it is OK to cheat and that money will allow you to do that...Not Good.

IHaveBrilloHair · 08/03/2018 21:24

It's not illegal, it might be immoral, depending on your morals.
Think about what might happen if you get get caught.

applesandpears56 · 08/03/2018 21:25

This reply has been deleted

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IHaveBrilloHair · 08/03/2018 21:26

Oh, and in your circumstances I'd do it.

applesandpears56 · 08/03/2018 21:27

It is illegal - it’s fraud
There’s no two ways about it