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Original poster

Council House

145 replies

allthegoodnameshadgone · 22/04/2018 18:44

Do people think I'm unreasonable for the following? Just read another thread and now I'm wondering about peoples views.

I live in a HA house and have for a few years. I get the right to buy soon and I will.

I don't claim any benefits and was a single parent when I moved in.

I work full time. I have a nice car through my work.

Rent where I live is the same for private or HA.

I've spend a lot of money doing this house up with no help from HA.

Do people think I should hand my keys back and if so why?

OP posts:
passionflower50 · 22/04/2018 19:11

I don't disagree with Rtb my son has been in his council flat 19 years and has just bought it what anjoys me is the fact that councils arevseloing theses proentries off but not replacing them x

UpstartCrow · 22/04/2018 19:13

@allthegoodnameshadgone
You can buy a HA house with a clear conscience, the rules for them are different from the rules on council housing.
They can use your money to build or buy another house for someone that needs it.

Redglitter · 22/04/2018 19:14

I've never agreed with RTB

I'm glad they saw sense and scrapped it up here.

DairyisClosed · 22/04/2018 19:16

Do I think that it is right for government bodies to be selling assets under value? Of course not. Taxes are already sky high as it is.

Wouldn't I blame you for taking advantage of their stupid policies? No. I would judge of course. But most British people are so shockingly ignorant that they can't really be held accountable for the extreme entitlement that is so common in t his country.

applesisapple5 · 22/04/2018 19:17

I don't think you're getting flamed OP, it's the principle of RTB that a lot of people object to and that's the fault of the affordable housing system, the funding system and the planning system, not you!

UpstartCrow · 22/04/2018 19:19

DairyisClosed HA's are private landlords, not government bodies. HA housing is not council housing.

You can buy your HA house and not cause problems for anyone else.

Mummyoflittledragon · 22/04/2018 19:19

I don’t like the right to buy scheme as it takes housing stock out of circulation and leads to yet more children being in b&b’s etc. I think houses should have to be of a certain age or not financially viable, which is what started the sale off of council houses in the first place. But Maggie stupidly didn’t buy anything with that cash and it got frittered away. However, in your position, I absolutely would buy the place if you’re happy there. It would then be up to the government to replace the house with like for like.

UpstartCrow · 22/04/2018 19:21

OP does not have a council house, OP has a Housing Assc house. Buying your HA house does not take social housing stock out of circulation.

angelseyes · 22/04/2018 19:21

No I don't think you should hand your keys back. You have to do whats right by you and your family because no one else is going to. At the end of the day is wasn't you that invented the RTB scheme its the governments problem they created it and now its everyone elses fault who are using it to get their first property. Also if they made it easier to buy a house and made social housing just for the disadvantaged then that would be better. so no i would buy it if you can as you have also paid a lot to have things done on the house and most people are jealous anyway because they have had to pay out deposits for their first home.

theSnuffster · 22/04/2018 19:22

I don't agree with the right to buy scheme but it is what it is, and I don't judge people taking advantage of it.

My grandparents have always lived in HA, they've been in their current house for over 40 years. I've no idea why they didn't buy it, it would've been an amazing investment as it's the most beautiful listed building, a Georgian house right near he centre of town with lots of lovely original features. I'd buy it myself if I had the money!

safariboot · 22/04/2018 19:25

If you feel able, the charitable thing to do would be to end the tenancy and buy another house. But I understand you might not want to move house or give up that money.

viques · 22/04/2018 19:25

I used to have a lovely HA flat, in a very desireable part of London. Thatcher brought in a rtb for HA tenants but the deal was you were given a cash grant towards buying on the open market. Unfortunately this didn't cover buying anything in dear old NI but did get me on the ladder elsewhere. My old flat is still in social housing, as are the rest of the flats in the house. It seems to me that this is a much better way of dealing with right to buy, tenants are given a help, the HA or LA keeps the property. I don't understand why this isn't more widely used.

myrtleWilson · 22/04/2018 19:27

Conservative ministers have acknowledged that the flaw in the RTB scheme has been the lack of replacement stock - which is key. There is a view that actually be enabling OP (or anyone else in similar circumstances) to purchase their own home (RTB or Help to Buy) increases the asset holding capacity of the population - an asset that can be passed on to children etc. But this argument is undermined by the lack of replacement stock.

If the OP didn't exercise her RTB then presumably she would just remain in the same property (she's already said that rent levels are comparable with the private sector) - why would she move to a less secure tenancy than then one she receives now. The OP hasn't said whether she could buy a new home herself (via Help to Buy or Shared Ownership etc) but presumably this isn't an option for her at the moment - so her not exercising her RTB doesn't on the face of it recycle the property for anyone else.

Brendaofbeechhouse · 22/04/2018 19:28

Upstart; if you don't the HA properties are social housing, what precisely do you think they are?

Anyway RTB was essentially the privatisation of social housing which is why houses haven't been built to replace the ones that were sold.

viques · 22/04/2018 19:29

Upstart crow of course buying a HA property takes it out of social housing! If I had been allowed to buy my flat the current tenants , who are social tenants, would not now be able to rent it as I would either still be living in it as owner occupier or would have sold it privately,

UpstartCrow · 22/04/2018 19:31

I' did not say that HA's are not social housing.
But they are not local government, local authority, or anything to do with council housing.

The rules on what they can do with OP's purchase money are different; they can put it back into replacement housing stock.

The council can't do that. If you buy your council house it cannot be replaced.

KC225 · 22/04/2018 19:31

Because you taking a property off the market that could house another single parent without a good job and a company car. And I would say the same to the single parent that took over your tenancy.

Ansumpasty · 22/04/2018 19:32

I don’t blame you for buying it.
However, I disagree with the system and the right to buy scheme. I grew up on a council estate and many of them are now owned. There are families cramped into a 3 bedroom house when they have 5 children because all of the 4 bedrooms were bought. The waiting list for the houses is a few years.
I think they should be available for the people who need them.

EggysMom · 22/04/2018 19:33

I don't agree with RTB but you are not responsible for the option still being available. So YANBU to take up the opportunity.

needmorespace · 22/04/2018 19:36

what exactly are HA properties if not social housing? and how on earth does the social landlord replace those houses/flats when their borrowing to develop more housing is based on their asset base - which is now being stripped away?

UpstartCrow · 22/04/2018 19:37

there is some confusion on this thread which I have tried to explain. OP has a housing association house, not a council house.

A housing association is a non-profit organization that rents houses and flats to people on low incomes or with particular needs.

The rules for HA's are different from the rules for your local council. Most HA tenants dont have the right to buy. If you do, you can buy with a clear conscience, as they are allowed to replace their housing stock.

Talk to a HA housing officer if you cant get your head round it.

Singleandproud · 22/04/2018 19:37

I bought mine (leasehold), in fact, my parents bought it with inheritance when my grandparents died and I'm paying them back.
I was in a similar position to you, moved in with DD as a single parent, I'm still a single parent but I'm working, I receive a small amount of child and working tax but not much and have an ok car.

However, if my parents hadn't brought my flat I would be living in it regardless. It wasn't enough inheritance to put down on a buying a house as I wouldn't be able to get the appropriate mortgage to cover the shortfall and although I could possibly afford to private rent at the moment, it would only take one redundancy or illness to put me back to square 1.

I dont agree with the RTB when people buy it, rent it out and then flip it to make a huge profit they should have to offer it back to the council no matter how many years it is since they brought it.

MiniCooperLover · 22/04/2018 19:39

RTB has cleared many councils out of their stock of housing. I personally think that once you can afford to privately rent you should move out. But the councils still allow it so legally you aren't doing anything wrong.

mathanxiety · 22/04/2018 19:43

Buy it.

Make sure as a woman that only your name is on the deeds. (I note that you say you were single when you first lived in the property, and assume you are no longer single).

myrtleWilson · 22/04/2018 19:43

To be fair though upstart you did say that "buying your HA house does not take social housing stock out of circulation" which could be read as saying HA properties are not social housing. Your point that social housing providers can replace stock isn't in the same post - and for what its worth - social housing providers haven't been able to replace on a 1-1 basis and meet growing housing demand either yet.

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