Well off friend in council house

[toughtimes2001]

Please tell me if I am being unfair.

My friend and her partner (mid 20's) earn a combined salary of of £65K (no kids) and have a cheap council tenancy home with a massive garden in a lovely part of London (her partner sneakily inherited the tenancy from his deceased father a couple of years back). The have a lovely life with plenty of disposable income as their rent is very cheap and go on lovely holidays and are saving up a massive deposit for their own home which they intend to buy in a couple of years. I should also add, she has very wealthy parents who dish out money to them left right and centre for various things throughout the year.

Meanwhile, I a single mum earn £19K (no family support) privately rent a rubbish 1 bedroom flat (which is more in rent than they pay) in a rubbish part of town with no hope of ever buying a home or taking my DS on a luxury holiday. I have also been told I am not a priority for housing so no hope for me any time soon!

Am I right to think this is just completely unfair?

Very unfair. But if I could get away with it I’d do the same. C’est la vie.

Life is unfair. You can let yourself be eaten up by jealousy or not.

I wouldn’t imagine her would prefer not to have had his Dad die when he was in his early 20s and he will think of others as lucky.

No you're right your friend should suffer because you are

They are saving for a deposit so the council house will be back in the system soon enough.

Whatever their situation is will never effect yours, you need to try and improve your own situation instead of wanting what others have got.

I see this in New York too, except here it's rent controlled apartments. If you're lucky enough to have one you can pass it from parent to child like a silver tea set and people hang onto them like the grim death.

It is unfair and the only real long term answer is to increase the supply of housing.

He didn't inherit a Council house, he lived there with his dad, and now he lives there after his dad passed away. I'd be more upset if he was turfed out of his home as soon as his dad passed away.

You're directing your anger in the wrong direction. If the government were to invest in social housing, there would be more to go round.

AFAIK there's no salary cap for eligibility to a council property and they don't appear to be being dishonest so YABU.

It's shit but that's life sometimes

YABU

You should think about improving your own situation and concentrate on that.

You are a mother

You are employed

You have a home

many people would hack their own arm off to be able to say those things.

Be grateful for what you have rather than waste your life being bitter and jealous

You are right that it's unfair, but the so are many, many other things.

YABU! Because YOUR life is not great, and you have not been dealt a good hand, it's spiteful to resent those who are more fortunate.

If me and DH were on £65K, and could get cheap social housing in a swanky or nice/rural area, you can bet we would. And to hell with anyone who didn't like it.

I actually KNOW a couple on £33K joint income (not bad for their area, and she does 16 hours a week,) who have a little semi detached 'social housing' bungalow with half an acre of land and a view of the North Staffs countryside, and they pay £290 a MONTH rent. All repairs and maintenance included and everything. They live the life of Reilly.

I don't hate them for it, I wish them well.

Why do people say council houses are cheap? They are not cheap.

Cheap compared to the ridiculous prices charged in London perhaps. But that's it.

her partner sneakily inherited the tenancy from his deceased father a couple of years back)

How?

OP I can why you'd feel its unjust but there isn't a cap on salary for council houses {not where I am anyway), we have a HA house and could earn millions and still live cheaply. They are saving for a deposit so the house will be given up eventually.

I think new HA tenancies have a 5yr clause in them which allows for a review of circumstances so see if the home is suitable and I believe income is taken into consideration.
I'd be more frustrated and angry will the historic selling of council/social housing without reinvesting the funds into replacing the stock that's sold off. If there was adequate housing for all it would certainly be a better and fairer system.

How did he ‘sneakily’ inherit the tenancy anyway? It doesn’t work like that, he was clearly on the tenancy agreement in the first place, so has a right to continue living there. He lost his dad, you sound nasty and bitter.

Being a private tenant is awful. But I wouldn’t begrudge anyone a council house.

I used to rent an ex council place that had been bought under right to buy and then eventually sold to my landlord. My rent was 1100 a month. My neighbours had exactly the same size and type of house, but they were council tenants so their rent was under 500 a month. It was shit.

Their situation has no factor on yours. They seem to be planning for a house purchase which will put their house back into the pool of council properties.

And they dont have "cheap" rent. They have "affordable" rent, rates of which are set by the government. Private landlords charge expensive rent.

Are you in social housing?

Life isn't fair.

Being bitter and jealous isn't kind.

Even if they didn't have their house it doesn't mean you would.

Envy is the enemy of happiness (bastardised phrase I'm sure)

I hate it when people pit themselves against others like this, it really sickens me.

Everyone has choices in life and those choices lead to the lifestyle you have.

They pay there rent? I don’t see a problem?
I live in a HA house, my rent isn’t a lot less than private rent.

Not sure how you know there earnings or why you care tbh other than being jealous.

I am usually one of the first to moan about injust use of council houses and benefits. But actually I think this is a good use of the system. 65k income isn’t huge for London, they are working and saving a deposit for their own house, and when they are able to buy the council house will be put back in the system for the next people who need it. Surely this is what council houses are for, to help hard working people?

Comparison is the thief of joy. I have many friends who are much wealthier than we are, who have more children and circumstances I'd have loved to have. I'm happy for them. The second I become jealous and bitter, I'm better off not pretending to be friends with them. YABU.

I’m a private tenant. my husband and I have scrimped and saved to be able to afford to rent a two bed in Bristol. He works 8am-8.30pm and weekend mornings. We have a one year old. I do my share too.

If you can’t afford to house your child properly move somewhere cheaper.

right well to start with you don't 'sneakily inherit' tenancies. if his name was on the tenancy before his parent died, then it was his place too.

HOnestly if you want a council house that badly, then push for it. otherwise I think you should shut up tbh.

If you want to make more money, work harder.

I am speaking as a skint failure. I don't look around my friends' lives and think 'ooooh how unfair', I think I wish I had made better decisions with my own life.

I disagree with most of these posts, you are not being unreasonable, council housing should be for those who need it. Personally I think that situation is ridiculous.