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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

The state of council houses

124 replies

BraidyBee · 30/07/2018 16:43

Aibu to wonder why the majority of people in council and housing association properties don’t look after them? Or at least why they don’t in my area. I live in a nice town in a relatively nice area and after years of being in private rented me, my dh have been offered a council property. We were offered one five years ago but refused it outright due to the state of it and the amount of money (at least 5k) it would ha e cost to fix ie full of damp and mold, plaster hanging off the walls, kitchen and bathroom falling apart and it was absolutely filthy etc.

I’ve since viewed five properties locally with friends and family that they have been offered and they’ve all been in a similar state. Then on Friday we viewed the house we’ve been offered. I went with no expectations and i was right to ad I would have been extremely disappointed. I didn’t expect to walk into a palace and I would have been fine with the fact it was basic and a blank canvas, ready for us to put our own mark on it, but omg! The plastering again was in right state, the carpets had brown stains which were either shit marks or cig burns. The bathroom absolutely stunk with mould in the corners and on the ceiling, the stairs walls up the stairs were black stained, the kitchen units were all stained chipped and marked. The garden was full of waste, cigarettes butts, glass, rubbish and all sorts. All the paint work was also chipped and filthy, tiles were broken in the bathroom and kitchen and in general it was horrid.

I have friends that have left council properties and bought their own houses and they left their houses immaculate for the next tenants. Is it really too much to ask for people to look after their homes and to have a certain degree of pride in them. I know people in council properties are in general less wealthy than people who own their own homes but come on, some of these people have been in their homes years and have let them rot instead of slowly
investing money into them.

Don’t get me wrong I’m greatful to be offered a property and have no issue what’s so ever with spending money on it to decorate and carpet but why the hell should people like me who take pride in their homes have to shell out for new door frames to be put in, for new plaster work that you can tell has recently been done but not looked after, for a new bathroom, new kitchen cupboard doors etc. It’s a joke.

OP posts:
Storm4star · 30/07/2018 16:45

You shouldn't have to fork out for any of those things. That type of stuff should be repaired by the council. Of your list, the only thing I wouldn't think they'd do is flooring.

IHaveBrilloHair · 30/07/2018 16:48

That's up to the council to sort out, where I live, they won't sort the flooring but will insist the old tennent take it out before they leave, ditto blinds, no matter how new.

cmlover · 30/07/2018 16:49

in my area you don't get carpet, its pulled up if it's left.

new rule us everything has to be painted a cream colour.

mould and repairs will be fixed before you move In. So i would ask if they are going to repair before saying no.

glasserator · 30/07/2018 16:50

Different values, I'm afraid Sad

ShirleyPhallus · 30/07/2018 16:51

I’m greatful to be offered a property and have no issue what’s so ever with spending money on it to decorate and carpet

I imagine you’re in a very small minority of those who qualify for a council house but could afford such repairs?

I own a place and would struggle to afford to decorate and recarpet

YeTalkShiteHen · 30/07/2018 16:51

Investing money is the key statement in your OP. What if they don’t have money?

Plastering, tiling, damp etc are all the responsibility of the council/HA. Only thing tenants are responsible for in our LA is flooring/blinds.

But I think that you have a massive lack of understanding that maintaining a home to the standards you’re talking about costs a significant amount of money, and that if people don’t have that money it doesn’t make them less caring, or slovenly (which is repeatedly implied in your post), it makes them less wealthy. That’s all it is.

Most of what you talk about in your post is the council/HA doing proper maintenance.

MissCharleyP · 30/07/2018 16:51

If it helps, I’ve lived in private rented flats which were crap with owners who didn’t care or want to spend money on making their property habitable. I had one that had no aerial connection for TV, I had Sky installed. Tried to bill me for damage, they were told where to go. I thought councils did all repairs/redecorating before new tenants moved in?

x2boys · 30/07/2018 16:51

yep carpets etc are ripped out, and we were given decorating vouchers when we moved in.

UpstartCrow · 30/07/2018 16:51

BraidyBee Are you elderly, ill or disabled?

Can you see how other people might be, and that they dont all manage as well as you?

YeTalkShiteHen · 30/07/2018 16:52

*not doing proper maintenance

HelenaDove · 30/07/2018 16:57

mould keeps getting blamed on tenants but in a lot of cases it is caused by cavity wall insulation which never should have been installed in the first place. The wall cavity is there for a reason.

Yes they should have cleaned but as for decorating and replacing tiles ................expect to see more of this sort of thing as UC is rolled out further. Peoples priority will be eating, fuel and rent not decorating.

ohreallyohreallyoh · 30/07/2018 16:58

Different values, I'm afraid

Different values? Different values to what/who/where/why?

Sod all to do with under investment, poor maintenance, and the fact that properties are stripped bare before being shown to prospective new tenants, then?

mydogmymate · 30/07/2018 16:59

Your post has really annoyed me! It's a sweeping statement to say that the majority of people do not look after their properties. Many council/ ha tenants have lots of emotional and physical problems that mean they can't always look after their home. Me included. When I moved into my house it was a mess (HA), and after 4 years I'm really struggling to get it decorated and carpeted.

I'm my street there are tenants who have gone way over the top with renovations: putting in conservatories, top of the range bathrooms, brick built porches etc. Social housing isn't designed for this.

I can't afford to do all that is needed in my house, and can't do it myself. My HA doesn't want to know when I ask for help. If you think I, and others like me, like living this way you are very mistaken.

dancingthroughthedark · 30/07/2018 17:02

I live in social housing, in a small close on an estate, without exception all the house are in excellent condition with well tendered gardens .In fact should you walk through the estate you would probably not even know they are SH Most of the people living in them also work and pay full rent, I am unable to work due to recent ill health, but I take great pride in my home and am very appreciative to have it. I don't have much spare cash but I look after it well. My carpets may be a little threadbare but right now I can't afford new ones I wish I could and I have covered the bad bits with rugs so my house is warm and inviting. I have not nor do I intend to let anything rot. Please don't tar all SH tenants with the same brush. Across the way from me a family moved out recently. They had made all sorts of improvements to the house all which were ripped out by the HA before the new tenants moved in, what was there already would have saved the new tenants a fortune but they won't take responsibility for anything added or changed by the tenant so it has to go unless it's an exchange where you accept the property as seen and take these things on. My understanding is that your Council will be responsible for kitchen. bathrooms external door and windows however if you make changes to them you then agree to be responsible for their future upkeep.

hungryhippo90 · 30/07/2018 17:05

Hmm.
You realise most people in council houses are there because they are fairly hard up? Maybe those before were unable to spend funds on maintenance.
But similarly. The council- at least in our area rip out kitchens and bathrooms every 10 years so I wonder how they were so bad?

But and I promise I’m not trying to be rude, if you have the funds to spend on doing up a property why don’t you accept it?

We’re spending £1000 on something decent. Our rent hasn’t gone up where the rent in the area has inflated a lot, we would be paying the same for a grotty uncared for smaller house than we currently live in. I think having a council place will save you a lot of money in the long run.

HelenaDove · 30/07/2018 17:05

its been discussed time and time again on here that HAs will rip out improvements made by tenants before the next tenant moves in yet people will still come on here and spout the opposite and/or blame it on the previous tenant.

LikeIDo1 · 30/07/2018 17:06

Bollocks to being less wealthy = living in a shit tip!

We grew up poor with my mother working several cleaning jobs to make end meet but we always had a hot meal on the table and a clean and tidy home (privately rented via housing benefit.)

It's nothing to do with being poor and everything to do with standards and values.

AryaOfWinterfell · 30/07/2018 17:08

The kitchen & bathroom damage, the mould and the dirt should be rectified by the council/HA before you move in. They will probably rip all the flooring up and if the garden is that bad they will probably tackle that before you move in. Have you asked or just assumed they wouldn’t do anything?
As for pp who say council tenants have different priorities... fuck off! My house is my home and is clean, tidy and (after a lot of work) has been completely redecorated by me. I’ve seen private properties that are like a shit tip, would you tar all home owners with the same brush? No I thought not!

KatieKittens · 30/07/2018 17:09

I imagine the majority of people do look after their council properties- you even say yourself that your friends did.

  1. The structural maintenance of the properties is the council’s responsibility, not the tenants. It’s probably no coincidence the properties you have seen have been vacated!
  1. You have no idea what the personal circumstances were of the person/ family who lived in the mouldy house. I get that it’s a shock to see, but you can’t judge because you don’t know what happened.
HelenaDove · 30/07/2018 17:09

Winterfell........................are you new around here.

You can always AS me.

AryaOfWinterfell · 30/07/2018 17:09

x2boys I was given £250 B&Q vouchers to buy paint etc with. It was completely unexpected, but very much appreciated.

HelenaDove · 30/07/2018 17:11

I said UNIVERSAL CREDIT claimants wont have any choice BUT to prioritize food fuel and rent. Its not a slur.

gamerchick · 30/07/2018 17:14

in my area you don't get carpet, its pulled up if it's left

new rule us everything has to be painted a cream colour

mould and repairs will be fixed before you move In. So i would ask if they are going to repair before saying no

Same here. They're all given looking the same. Just ask them if it's going to be cleaned up, don't assume it's going to be like that when you get your keys.

AryaOfWinterfell · 30/07/2018 17:15

HelenaDove
Winterfell........................are you new around here.
You can always AS me.

No not new, I just name change every so often. Not sure why I should AS you? Also not sure why you’ve asked me too.
I’m fully aware what HAs/councils do and if you read my post correctly you would see that I didn’t blame previous tenants at all! Confused
What I was saying is that the OP needs to ask what will be cleaned/replaced and not just assume it will be left in the state it is now.

Bramble71 · 30/07/2018 17:15

I imagine most of the things you mention should be fixed by the council but, due to budget cuts, only emergency things get done. I would still expect tenants to keep the house relatively clean and tidy, though.