AIBU to leave council flat for private renting? 5 in a 1 bed flat.

[Hereforhelp]

Hi. So I was housed a 1 bedroom flat with council when I was 7 months pregnant with my first child. Now theres 5 of us in the same flat me, dh, dd 5 yrs, DS1 3 yrs and DS2 4 months old.

Dh and I are both employed, him full time me part time (currently on maternity leave) & don’t receive any sort of benefit.

The plan for our family increase was to return flat and private rent somewhere bigger but now private rent have massively increased £300 more than it was 2 years ago 😅 so that plan failed, leaving us cramped, in a 1 bed 🙃

We’ve tried to talk to council but according to law we’re not overcrowded as living room could be used as bedroom too and according to my room measurements each room can fit up to 2 adults (that’ll be 4 kids in each bedroom as they count a kid as half an adult).

Shall I hang in here and hopefully be rehoused after couple of years or stretch our finances and rent privately? People are calling me mad to be thinking of giving up a council home & I’d hate to give up the security of our home tbh but we are so desperate!!

Has anyone here left a council home for private renting? Or has anyone got a success story of getting rehoused due to overcrowding?

@NeverOwnAHouse

Don’t come at me with that “people shouldn’t have kids they can’t afford” crap. It’s all snooty looking down one’s nose at those who have more than the perfect two DC. I grew up in a council estate surrounded by families FULL of kids they probably couldn’t afford. 99% of them were far nicer people than Petunia and Eugenie on MN 

Spot on. And far more community spirit. I don't want to live in a society where children/families are looked down because they're parents can't afford them for whatever reason. I'd rather they were adequately housed, fed and loved. I fucking hate the them and us attitude.

And far more community spirit. I don't want to live in a society where children/families are looked down because they're parents can't afford them for whatever reason. I'd rather they were adequately housed, fed and loved. I fucking hate the them and us attitude.

This! It's inward looking, I'm alright Jack, fuck everyone else that has got us into a fucker of a political mess.

Maybe if people were less smug and judgy and more understanding of circumstances different to their own, the UK would be a nicer place to be.

Nothingcomesforfree it isn't the system that isn't mobile, it's the tenants. Very few people want to downsize from the spacious 3/4 bed home that they raised their family in to a 1 bed. They will say they have memories there, have spent money on it, want space for dgc, it is their right etc etc. All of which I understand, but in the housing crisis it is exacerbating the situation greatly. There was a story recently about a lottery winner keeping on her London SH flat because 'why should I move, this is my home?' but she bought several BTL properties in her DP's name. I'm quite sure when she was on the housing list she would have had a different attitude towards someone doing the same.
There is also a split wrt to what the purpose of social housing is; is it support for the more vulnerable/needy or simply affordable rent for all? I personally think that mobility needs to be enforced better: you benefitted from affordable rent for 20/30 years with a family so downsize and allow another to do the same. The stock is not increasing but the population is.

I don't think I have ever seen such horrible, unpleasant and just plain nasty posts directed at an OP.
H2H fuck them... fuck them all, key board warriors with not an ounce of manners.

Look on the homeswapper website. Lots of people in larger properties want to downsize due to bedroom tax. Hopefully your one bed property is in a desirable area?

For life council tenancies are like rocking horse shite, you’d be mad to give it up. Especially with 3 young kids. Yes sharing a room until you’re legally overcrowded isn’t great, but neither is moving every year and having to start new schools etc. Council tenancies have only recently become for the ‘needy’ and for fixed terms. It isn’t your fault other ppl haven’t been as lucky as you to get 1

I think you need to move to a privately rented property ASAP. I can't imagine what dreadful overcrowding is doing to your children's mental health.

Dreadful overcrowding? Mental health? I’m sure they a perfectly happy. The earliest social housing, first charitable, then council tended to just have 2 rooms, also at a time when larger families were the norm. Did all the children suffer from mental ill-health? Of course not! OP has the added advantage of a garden and not having to climb 4 flights of stairs to get to her flat.

I wouldn’t give up the secure tenancy. I think your best bet is the home swap. I know you have been on it for years. If you update it with new pictures it could get some renewed interest. Now the weather is sunny take more pictures.

Treat it as if you were selling, dress the house, declutter as much as possible, put stuff in another room for the photos so it looks open and bigger, then move it back. Iron your bedsheets before photos. Put fresh flowers in a vase. Take a lot of photos and then edit them (free software online) make them brighter, more colourful etc.

There are a couple of home swap sites online, maybe you could sign up for the other one too? Also once you have updated your advert, share it on all the local Facebook groups and to other areas you would like to live.

www.houseexchange.org.uk/

www.homeswapper.co.uk/

In the meantime, could you afford to get a big gazebo for your garden, just so you or your kids have somewhere else to go to get away. I think you can get triple bunk beds now too.

Hope you get somewhere soon.

Some awful comments on here!
OP you are overcrowded, possibly not enough to make you a priority, but certainly enough to allow you to bid on bigger properties. Are you on the list? If so, try and bid strategically and outside the town centre and popular areas etc. If you’re bidding and several houses come up place your bids on the ones you know will be less popular. Ime experience ( which is quite a lot due to my work) the council often exaggerate and tell people the absolute worst case scenario in order that they don’t bother or rent privately. It might be less of a wait than you are expecting.
If housing associations don’t go through the bidding system then approach them directly. There are also some housing cooperatives running. You’d be in a good position for HA as you are a working family
I would strongly suggest that you don’t move into a private let. If you do, you are at the mercy of a private LL and should they decide to sell up, you may find yourself in temporary accommodation and in a worse position than you are now.
In the meantime, Ikea hacks and Pinterest have some great space saving ideas.
Good luck and ignore the people who are clearly bitter.

Spot on. And far more community spirit. I don't want to live in a society where children/families are looked down because they're parents can't afford them for whatever reason. I'd rather they were adequately housed, fed and loved. I fucking hate the them and us attitude.

(OP my response to this poster is not talking about you, this is just in response to the post)

But the whole point is that if these parents are having children they can't afford, then they obviously AREN'T being adequately fed and housed without significant help. People judge parents that don't look after their children properly, that's just human nature.

Unfortunately, loving a child doesn't make you a good parent. Most shitty parents love their children. I, for one, would prefer to have a society where children are adequately provided for than a society where there is 'community spirit' but hundreds of families where parents are having more children than they can properly provide for

And all of these comments about the children’s wellbeing are absolutely ridiculous. The children are suitablyhoused and have all of their needs met and more. Some people live on a diffferent planet

Long secure tenancies for private tenants just would not work. If I was a landlord why would I commit to a secure 10 year rental, when my financial or personal circumstances could change? Death, divorce, loss of my job, illness may necessitate me having to terminate a tenancy but would the law then prevent me from actually being able to claim back my property? There seems to be so many new laws proposed for landlords, most of which make me question why anyone would go into the rental business. If you have a big property portfolio, maybe the profit made would be worth it, but someone renting out a single property? Not a chance.

The children are suitablyhoused and have all of their needs met and more

They are, for now. But in a couple of years? No. Which is why it makes sense to have foresight and move before it becomes a problem, because of inflating rent prices, or at least move now before they rise even more. But me pointing that out has gotten me incredibly mature 'sighs' and 'give up already' remarks from the OP, so what do I know

Wow sooo many horrible characters on this thread, just looking for somewhere to put their bitterness and misery. OP your area sounds perfect for young kids, I'd kill for a lovely park nearby. I'd agree that if you're not desperate stay put for a year or so then move. Young kids won't even remember being crowded anyway. So long as they have more space eventually it'll be fine. Do try and network as much as poss to hear of good landlords though. We're landlords and we'd snatch your hand off to rent to a nice family like you. We would never evict or take a family's home away without catastrophic reason. And there must be other landlords like us across the country. All we want is for the rent to cover the (very old, low mortgage) and a little bit on top for a bit of extra income. We certainly don't raise rents more than a tiny increment. Anyway you sound like you've got it sussed and I'm sure you'll find something more suitable by the time it's really needed. Best wishes.

In a couple of years the eldest child will be 7/8. They may at worst have to share s bedroom with two siblings. It’s hardly going to mean their needs aren’t met? Honestly only on mumsnet is it considered neglectful to have more than a child a room.
The OP has stated the children have their own beds, a nice flat and access to a garden- it all sounds very nice, actually.
I had 3 in one room until my oldest child was 9. No mental health or neglect issues here.

@TacoLover

I am not gonna give you the satisfaction you very much crave for, you’ve been coming at me back and forth & even repeating yourself while at it. So you do your thing.

Ridiculous having all those kids in such a cramped space. Plus you do t earn very much so what are their futures going to be like all crammed in?

@Sugarformyhoney
The OP has stated the children have their own beds, a nice flat and access to a garden- it all sounds very nice, actually.
I had 3 in one room until my oldest child was 9. No mental health or neglect issues here.

Thank you

@bingowingsmcgee

Anyway you sound like you've got it sussed and I'm sure you'll find something more suitable by the time it's really needed. Best wishes.

Thank you

@InTheHeatofLisbon completely agree. The UK is in a state of catastrophe. A national housing crisis has fed the them and us attitude. Government and media's demonisation of benefit claimants has worked. It's a case of divide and conquer.

And stupid inwardly thinking people like some of those on this thread would rather judge those who are clinging on to a secure tenancy rather than looking at the bigger picture.

Private rents need regulating and more SH built. Until this is done the crisis will continue.

Well since you won't get on a council list for another 5 yrs (when one of your children will be 10) by the sounds of it, only you can decide if you can live in the space you have until then.

Well since you won't get on a council list for another 5 yrs (when one of your children will be 10) by the sounds of it

Eh? She'll be able to get on the housing list in 8 months when her youngest turns 1. She could possibly get on the list now if she could find the allocations policy document.

@InTheHeatofLisbon

'That's what responsible people do.'

Do you feel better after that nasty little barb? You're responsible, aren't you wonderful. OP isn't according to you.

You're superior to her in your own mind. No wonder you can't see the posters being shitty, you're one of them.

Excellent post!

@Hereforhelp I have sent you a private message.