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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder what would happen if every council tenant had their tenancy reviewed

267 replies

BumpowderSneezeonAndSnot · 30/03/2018 19:14

Life time tenant or not. Everyone was reviewed and income taken into account when calculating rents. Would this free up housing stock for those in need?

OP posts:
mrcharlie · 30/03/2018 20:15

Sprinklesinmyelbow

I'm sure I once read that bedroom tax in another form...Council Tax maybe was being considered to ensure the elderly didn't hog large family homes in late in life, wasn't there also talk in penalising those who added to the "curb appeal" decking, patios, BBQ areas etc etc

gamerchick · 30/03/2018 20:16

So in other words you want to means test social housing OP? Or more like want to chuck a hand grenade in and sit back without engaging in your own thread?

Christ people won’t be happy until SH is linked to being on low incomes will they? Hmm

Pay to stay was sacked off as mandatory and rightly so. Maybe the better option would be to regulate private rents in the south, but that would be too much effort wouldn’t it?

Original poster
BumpowderSneezeonAndSnot · 30/03/2018 20:17

Sorry I haven't posted and run. Having a mini crisis here! I have read the posts.

OP posts:
Sprinklesinmyelbow · 30/03/2018 20:17

No? I think you’re confusing bedroom tax with something else

Lifeaback · 30/03/2018 20:18

You’d cause a lot of upset and stress to a whole load of council tenants for no good reason. no good reason? Surely freeing up suitable accomodation for those who actually NEED the extra space is pretty good reason?

HelenaDove · 30/03/2018 20:18

gamerchick theres nothing like a good old bash the tenant thread on a bank holiday.

gamerchick · 30/03/2018 20:21

Aye I know hinny. I’d much rather see a smoking thread though Grin

HelenaDove · 30/03/2018 20:22

HAs are getting quite good at causing upset and stress to tenants........... Last Nov our HA issued a tort notice saying DH had to get rid of his mobility scooter or they would take it and sell/destroy it.

After kicking off on social media i got a visit from them discussing the possibility of them building us a shed for DH to store and charge it in but they did also say the way they went about this initially was still correct as its "policy

IfyouseeRitaMoreno · 30/03/2018 20:26

I live in fear of this happening. This place is my home, where I've brought up DS, made friends and put down roots.

But sure kick me out like I'm subhuman!

mrcharlie · 30/03/2018 20:26

Samewitches - no problems about seperate dads - just that I know she gets the full payment off each father, don't know how it works if both kids have the same dad
Yes, it's gone through as I know the poor bastardised who's renting it. They've asked him to use hi parents address for all mail

IanRushesInadequateFlushes · 30/03/2018 20:26

I think it mostly comes down to one starting question.

  • Do you believe the state should provide secure homes for everyone for life?
  • Do you believe people should provide for themselves and be able to get temporary assistance if needed, or permanent assistance in some cases?

Depending on which of those you answer "yes" to, your stance then goes from there.

TitsalinaBumSquash · 30/03/2018 20:27

Where I am, they've stopped giving lifetime tenancies, I enquirer recently about going back on the housing list as our current HA house is overcrowded and DS1's earth condition is progressing quicker than expected so we're overrun with medical machines and equipment that's all big and noisy and currently he shares a bed with DS2 who is very likely autistic and both need their own space.

I was told that we're more than welcome to re apply and we're 'eligible' for a 5 bed house but would be more realistically put it k a 4 bed house but if we did we'd be given a new tenancy and it would be a standard 5 year one, at the end of the term because of our income we'd be asked to move to private rent or buy a property elsewhere.

We won't be going back on the list, we'll stay in our tiny 2.5 bedroom house, with DS's health so unpredictable I can't have that insecurity and we live on the Southcoast, an average 4 bed house is 450k and every time we save up even a tiny amount for a deposit it gets wiped out on something else essential, on our joint income we should be able to afford a house but it's just not possible, we're not frivolous people either.

The council suggest we swap with someone wanting to downsize but empty nesters and pensioners only want 1 or 2 bed places so we get skipped all together.

IfyouseeRitaMoreno · 30/03/2018 20:30

And what is the relevance of her having 2 kids by 2 dads?

I think the relevance is that she's a slut who's had sex with at least two men and therefore not worthy of our sympathy. Hmm

gamerchick · 30/03/2018 20:32

Do you believe the state should provide secure homes for everyone for life?

What does that even mean? Hmm

IfyouseeRitaMoreno · 30/03/2018 20:32

Do you believe people should provide for themselves and be able to get temporary assistance if needed, or permanent assistance in some cases?

I believe that the low wage / high rent economy we live in makes this impossible for a lot of people.

HelenaDove · 30/03/2018 20:32

YY Rita the misogyny is never far behind the classism.

gamerchick · 30/03/2018 20:32

That’s really shocking Helena they’re gits :(

RunMummyRun68 · 30/03/2018 20:33

lifeaback

Who are these people who need it?

You can be homeless in a b&b with 4 kids and still be a 2 parent family working you know

Who 'needs it' so much?

gamerchick · 30/03/2018 20:35

Has anyone trotted out the ‘free house’ thing yet. That’s always fun Grin

HelenaDove · 30/03/2018 20:35

gamer Thanks

Titsalina EXACTLY its a lot more complicated than a lot of posters here think.

RoderickRules · 30/03/2018 20:35

I think social housing tenants should be sent to some kind of communal living space where they can work for their accommodation.
Or be euthanised.

The houses they occupied should go to honest decent people who can afford to buy a home.

mrcharlie · 30/03/2018 20:37

Wow IfyouseeRitaMoreno
Never said that, and more to the point never implied it either.
She's 34/35 never worked in her life...EVER. The kids are spoilt rotten, Center Parcs, foreign hols always at least 1 monthly girls weekend (Butlins usually) last 2 have been abroad though

As someone who's worked since leaving school and scraped by to buy a house I think I'm entitled to be bitter... Last year was first foreign holiday for us in 10yrs....just managed to pay it off this month!!

IanRushesInadequateFlushes · 30/03/2018 20:37

I am surprised you don't understand it. It's really a simple question.

Should the state provide secure homes for people to live in for life? So that they don't have to be moved, provided they don't abuse the tenancy, and will always have the security of a roof over their heads?

Or do you think that's not the role of the state, and council/HA tenants should be subject to the same fluctuations as market tenants?

Timefortea99 · 30/03/2018 20:37

I know somebody whoearns 85k, her OH is also fully employed. Has a great lifestyle, cocktails at Harvey Nicks, taxis everywhere, lovely cashmere jumpers, central London council flat, under occupied because her kids have moved out. Committed socialist. Can’t see how wrong it is to be earning that money but taking up social housing which a low earning family could live in.

phoebemac · 30/03/2018 20:40

As someone who's worked since leaving school and scraped by to buy a house, I am very glad it hasn't turned me into a bitter envious person like you mrcharlie

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