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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think there ought to be a rule that social housing tenants can’t own other residential properties?

242 replies

Mightymucks · 10/04/2018 20:11

A friend of mine and her DH were extremely poor about 7 years ago and she was pregnant. She managed to get an absolutely beautiful HA house for absolutely peanuts. Which is absolutely brilliant, exactly what social housing is for.

The thing is, her circumstances have REALLY changed since then. Her DP has gone from being in a dead end minimum wage job to an extremely good job which pays well. Off the back of that they bought one house and let it out. She’s now inherited some money so they’ve bought another house outright and are looking to buy a third, all to be let out.

I’m really shocked by this, they could easily live in one of the houses and still be paying down the mortgage on the other two as a nest egg if they wanted. The people they rent to are significantly less wealthy than them, and of course there are families stuck homeless in B&Bs. They were in that situation so I would have thought they’d feel morally obliged to give another family in awful circumstances the chance of an affordable, secure home but apparently not. They have no intention of leaving the HA house as it is cheap and means they can keep more of the income from the BTLs.

Apparently this is perfectly legal and above board and a fairly common thing to happen. AIBU to think this loophole should be closed and people who own residential properties which are habitable shouldn’t be able to block HA and council homes.

I’m actually quite shocked it is legal.

OP posts:

Firesuit · 10/04/2018 23:47

Every town and city needs essential low paid workers . Even on a full time wage , market rate rent would be unaffordable in this day and age.

There is no need to alter market rates for labour or rent, the benefits system is already designed to bridge the gap where people don't earn enough to live.

MidniteScribbler · 10/04/2018 23:50

We have paid as much in Council Tax as the owner of a comparable local property.

Because you are consuming as much in local services as the owner of a comparable property. That tax pays for things like rubbish services, local pools, roads, parks, libraries and other local amenities. Whether you own, private rent or socially rent, you access those services equally.

BonnieF · 11/04/2018 00:00

A member of my family and her partner lived in a council house while between them owning 3 other unmortgaged properties. All 3 were always rented out to tenants, some of whom were apparently in receipt of housing benefit.

I asked them if they were comfortable doing this, and asked them to consider if someone else’s need for the council house might be greater than theirs, but they justified their actions by saying they grew up in abject poverty and this was the only way they were ever going to enjoy nice cars, clothes and holidays that privileged people take for granted.

I seriously considered reporting them to the council, but that would have torn the family apart.

Davros · 11/04/2018 00:07

Our council did a survey of AirBnB to find council properties and prosecuted a good number. The same with illegal subletting which they had an amnesty for. I'm sure there's still plenty though

Pinkprincess1978 · 11/04/2018 00:16

I just don't get life time tenancies in social housing.

I knew someone who had a 4 bed council house. At the time they got it they had three children and both on low income. By the time I knew them they were both on very good income and all three kids were married with homes of their own. They still kept them house as the rent was cheaper than a mortgage.

I don't know how people in this situation can't see that others who are now in the situation they were on should get the cheap family home while they move on to something more suitable? It's just selfish imo.

We moved around a lot as a child due to my dads job and also lived in two council houses so I don't get the nostalgia of a childhood home so perhaps that has coloured my view?

SinisterBumFacedCat · 11/04/2018 00:18

I know a woman who lives in social housing flat, which is ridiculously rare in my area and has been for many years, she inherited her dads house after he died and just left it empty for several years. I thought this was morally questionable, she could have sold the house and bought somewhere new if she couldn't face living in her dads home, instead it was left to go to ruin, it got to the point where the neighbours were loosing patience with her leaving an empty house because of the squatting risk. By the time she finally sold the place the house had depreciated so much she lost money. I posted on here and was largely told to "mind my own business". I pretty much gave up on my own dreams of social housing after languishing for 15 years on the housing list, it took a letter from my dads gp stating he had a terminal illness before he eventually got housed, age 55. I know there are people in desperate need of housing and that is now who social housing should be allocated. If you're circumstances change to the point that you inherit or buy another property you are not vulgar enough to get social housing anymore.

HelenaDove · 11/04/2018 00:19

"Having said that, the solution is simple. All social housing should be open to anyone who wants to live in it (no initial check on means/circumstances) and should be let at a market rate"

Which means all social housing needs to come fully furnished with beds sofa white goods etc.

if we are playing even Stevens....................

SinisterBumFacedCat · 11/04/2018 00:20

vulnerable not vulgar! My phone has gone all daily mail on me!

BugsyMcGee · 11/04/2018 00:20

@MidniteScribbler

Yes, I am aware of those things. What is your point?

I never said I was complaining about it or that I thought we should pay less than an owner/occupier. I was merely pointing out we pay the same so the owner/occupier of the comparable property is not subsidising me.

You appear to be under the illusion that I don't know how Council Tax works nor what services it pays for.

HelenaDove · 11/04/2018 00:21

Now THERES a Freudian slip if ever i saw one........

SinisterBumFacedCat · 11/04/2018 00:22

GrandTheftWalrus · 11/04/2018 00:35

I had to get furniture off the council when I moved in as I didn't even have a penny to my name.

3 years later and I've only replaced the bed and cooker.

CheeseyToast · 11/04/2018 00:41

I know a couple who each had HA-owned properties. When they married, they sublet their HA properties and bought a house together. She works for the housing association.

Davros · 11/04/2018 00:49

If you inherit a house and still own it after a year you have to pay council tax on it and, if it's empty, you have to pay more. A lazy cow friend of my Dsis has done this and just got a bill for £2000. Maybe it's only in some places?

fleetingthinker · 11/04/2018 00:51

I know someone in a housing association flat. Owns a property that's rented out which is worth around £400k and als runs a business from the HA property currently valued at £250K!

That more mo yes than most people will have in a life time. They should seriously change the rules. It's a total piss take.

Jux · 11/04/2018 00:52

SHUN THEM for their evil moral lassituade.

Jux · 11/04/2018 00:52

... lassitude ....

I really really hate my keyboard

Regingaphalange · 11/04/2018 01:02

OP do you mean they live in social housing as in council home or housing association? It is different in Scotland

Jamiefraserskilt · 11/04/2018 01:29

No morals. Greedy feckers

ItsAllABitStrangeReally · 11/04/2018 01:33

YANBU.

I know a lady who gets full housing benefit to rent and also rents out her privately owned home to cover the mortgage. All done perfectly legally.

I can't get too wound up over it but don't think people should.be able to.have their cake and eat it.

noimnottryingforagirl · 11/04/2018 01:37

Housing worker here if the housing association knew they may evict it's likely to be a condition of the tenancy, certainly is for one's local to me. Report them with address of ownd property, social housing is such a rare resource its very wrong what they are doing!

CheekyRedhead · 11/04/2018 07:03

shocking. its as bad as pexpletives on very high salaries still living in ha accommodation when they can easily afford national average rent and higher. they should also stop right to buy unless they are building enough properties to replace what's been bought (and then some)

stayathomer · 11/04/2018 07:35

'A member of my family and her partner lived in a council house while between them owning 3 other unmortgaged properties. All 3 were always rented out to tenants, some of whom were apparently in receipt of housing benefit.'

That would mean the authorities are aware of them already, surely?The would have to give the landlord's name and address when renting

Tumbleweed101 · 11/04/2018 07:52

Lifetime tenancies are a good thing. They build community and give stability to lower income working people. They were never meant for emergencies but for working families who didn’t earn enough to buy. It’s the successive governments who meddled that caused the problems ie right to buy etc. They should never have been available to buy and removed from the reaches of lower income working families. I grew up on a council estate where properties were bought and now many are rented out privately three or four times higher than the social rent in the same road.

purpleme12 · 11/04/2018 08:17

Yes they should never have been right to buy on council properties. Can't understand it

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