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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:
YeTalkShiteHen · 30/07/2018 17:16

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

And if there’s nothing in the bank after rent and food?

Carpets are expensive, getting them fitted is expensive. Paint/wallpaper and decorating gubbins all costs money.

Ditto for waste disposal (skips etc), fancy furniture and all the things that make a house and garden fancy.

If someone is disabled they may find maintaining the house and garden a struggle and should have help.

If someone is on a very low income they will not be able to afford all the fripperies to do up a home.

Nothing to do with values and everything to do with income.

Some of the attitudes on this thread are fucking awful.

LooksBetterWithAFilter · 30/07/2018 17:16

It’s the councils responsibility to clear and repair the house before you move in. Different councils will go to different degrees of repair. My local one will replace and damaged internal doors, woodwork etc. If there is any repairs needed to walls they will repair and paint magnolia if it is purely cosmetic eg bright paint on the walls etc you get decorating vouchers for b&q and how much you get depends on the size of property and how much work you need to do.
The take up all carpets and laminate flooring although if you get to view before they have done this they will leave it if you want.
Have you actually asked or are you just assuming so you can criticise people for not living to your standards. I’ve seen plenty owned houses that have had crappy neglected gardens with stuff dumped in them.

SusannahL · 30/07/2018 17:17

The poster who suggested different values is spot on.

Unfortunately there seems to be the mentality with a lot of council tenants that 'they' ie the council, should be responsible for everything. Hence they take no responsibility for keeping their homes looking nice and in a clean and tidy state.

Such a shame.

YeTalkShiteHen · 30/07/2018 17:17

Come to think of it OP, if you had the money to do up a house straightaway why were you on the housing list??

Myheartbelongsto · 30/07/2018 17:17

There's a council estate about 15 mins from me that looks like a warzone. Rubbish in the road, trollies in the front garden, people going around on horseback even. There's a few houses in the estate that are very well looked after, gorgeous hanging baskets, lovely gardens etc. I always feel sorry for those people to be honest.

My daughter and I actually drove through it yesterday and she commented on it.

The area I'm talking about is riddled with crime, drugs, unemployment and that's basically the reason it's a shit hole. And of course there will always be those people that didn't have to work hard for it so don't give a shit and are entitled and think the council are responsible for everything.

HelenaDove · 30/07/2018 17:19

Well i was the one explaining about different priorities and UC Your response was to tell me to fuck off, my post was not meant to be a slur.

VeganCow · 30/07/2018 17:20

I'm in HA. Absolutley amazing. All reported repairs are done within 7 days. New kitchen and bathroom every 15. Just had new kitchen which we got to choose ourselves. When moving in, it had been decorated throughout. Neighbours are fab, this particular HA don't tolerate any shit off it's tenants and won't allow tenants to get even a few days behind with rent (I'm in credit to allow for bank messing about etc) but reward well by being an excellent landlord.

Theimpossiblegirl · 30/07/2018 17:20

If houses don't come up very often, the ones that do are often only made available if a tenant dies, is unwell or is evicted. This generally means that the houses in good repair don't come up as often (if ever).

Also, the council will often remove any fixtures/fittings above what they provide before giving the house to a new tenant. However, grants are sometimes available if you meet certain criteria.

The majority of inhabited council houses are people's homes and while some may be messy/in poor states of repair, most people do their best to make their house a home. But you won't see these in the process of applying for a house as people live in them.

YeTalkShiteHen · 30/07/2018 17:20

Oh I forgot lawnmowers cost a lot too, so grass would be a challenge.

My friend who got her property because she was fleeing DV and is on benefits (no she’s not a bloody scrounger) was fined by our council twice because she hadn’t cut the grass because she can’t afford a fucking lawnmower! They fined her £125 each time and then charged £125 for the council to do it! So a £500 fine effectively because she was skint in the first place!

I bought her one because I’ve been where she is and it’s shit, really fucking shit. And being judged just makes it worse!

SoapOnARoap · 30/07/2018 17:20

I don’t think you can tar all council tenants with the same brush but, agree with some of your points.

HelenaDove · 30/07/2018 17:21

YeTalkShite...............yes thats what i meant.

Bluelonerose · 30/07/2018 17:21

HA lie. When I FINALLY moved out my damp mould filled flat into a HA house (which has 0 mould/damp despite nothing changing Hmm) I knew the next tennent who got it who had been told I had left it in a terrible state.

I was furious I didn't leave it in any state it just needed alot of work to sort the damp and mould out PROPERLY.
This was backed up by the fact I got £100 clean and tidy bonus from them Hmm

I'm in shock you've been allowed to turn down so many. Here if you don't take it unless there's exceptional circumstances you get kicked off the list.

IDontEatFriedTurtle · 30/07/2018 17:21

Some people are scuzzers. I have seen similar when looking at house that were being sold. It has nothing to do with council or not.

YeTalkShiteHen · 30/07/2018 17:22

@HelenaDove I completely agree with everything you’ve said (as usual tbh, I’ve seen you on other threads when I had a different username and have always agreed!)

The judgement and nastiness on this thread is appalling!

wotsittoyou · 30/07/2018 17:22

Really? Do you really have no idea why some people do not/can not "slowly invest in their homes" and maintain the same standards of decoration you do?

It hasn't occurred to you that money might not be the only reason for differences in living standards?

HelenaDove · 30/07/2018 17:22

YeTalkShite ......................thats outrageous. Glad shes got a friend like you though.

BraidyBee · 30/07/2018 17:24

Whilst I understand a lot of people won’t have the cash to do up tneir homes, every council property in my area is gutted before people move in. So every new tenant will be expected to decorate and carpet, so people must be able to afford it some how. I didn’t expect it to have beautiful decoration and carpets but to have decently plastered walls, a clean kitchen and bathroom and a garden that was tidy.

OP posts:
YeTalkShiteHen · 30/07/2018 17:25

@HelenaDove she’s bloody brilliant and I was so angry when they fined her!

Ten years ago I was a single mum, having fled DV and on benefits struggling to get by. It felt crap, and tbh the judgement and nastiness I got made me feel about an inch high.

I’m now fortunate enough to be financially okay, and I know that I massively appreciated the help and support I got from friends when I was struggling.

I’m blown away that people are incapable of understanding that for some people (many people) what money comes in goes straight back out on the basics without wiggle room or money for luxuries. It beggars belief!

TheQueef · 30/07/2018 17:25

Love that /flex Helena

BraidyBee · 30/07/2018 17:26

Who said I have the money to do up a house a house straight away? Both me and my dh work full time but will struggle to do it all off our income. We will most likely have to put some of it on our credit card. I know that’s not ideal but we have good credit and a zero 0% balance transfer card so we’d pay It off sensibly over time.

OP posts:
YeTalkShiteHen · 30/07/2018 17:26

So every new tenant will be expected to decorate and carpet, so people must be able to afford it some how

Or have bare floors and crap decor, it’s what I did! Because I didn’t have an option.

Aye my house was always clean, but I’m physically able and was able to do that. But believe me it wasn’t a palace by any stretch of the imagination. Plastering is expensive ffs!

bananasandwicheseveryday · 30/07/2018 17:27

My mum has lived in rented accommodation all her life, for the past 60 years, she's lived in council properties. Everyone of her homes has been kept immaculately clean with the best quality flooring, decoration, etc she could afford. The house she has lived in for the past 40+ years was a she'll when we moved in. She has: created a beautiful garden from what was a builder's tip, added central heating, double glazing, a fitted kitchen and fitted master bedroom, upgraded the bathroom, decorates throughout every two years and has new carpets laid every five -ten years. Her home and garden are beautiful and I don't believe she is in the minority of council tenants. She takes a great pride in her home and even at 80 years of age, she does everything except the most difficult stuff herself. What she can't manage, she pays to have done professionally rather than leave it to the council. Her only income is state pension plus whatever other benefits she gets, but she prioritises her home and always sets money aside for it.

AryaOfWinterfell · 30/07/2018 17:27

HelnaDove - actually that wasn’t aimed at you it was about glasserator‘s comment at 16.50 Wink

YeTalkShiteHen · 30/07/2018 17:28

Who said I have the money to do up a house a house straight away?

Well you’re on here judging people who can’t so I made an assumption based on your posts!

SwayingInTime · 30/07/2018 17:29

In addition to the points above, you are looking at houses that have become available that they will let you have. As a working family we were only offered two properties in 7 years (completely reasonably, we were just taking a punt being on the list at all and only turned down first one due to not being workable without a car) and both were offered to us due to previous anti social tenants.