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?

I don't think you're obsessed I think you get some shitty little kick out of pretending you're superior to OP and picking apart her choices.

I'd like to invite you to read my posts again, because only 2 of them have actually been addressed to the OP, and the only 'picking apart of her choices' I've done is say that the 'plan' of renting privately in a few years without considering inflation of rent was not a viable one. That is the only 'criticism' I have made,check if you don't believe me.

Yes, I have judged or 'picked apart her choice' in other words but that's inevitable if you post on an online forum and ask for opinions. I've actually answered her question too in my posts when I said that I think she should move now before rents rise again, but she seems to have decided to stay by the tone of her posts anyway so that's irrelevant(I might be wrong).

So I'm not sure how questioning one thing is 'nasty' or 'weirdly obsessed' or 'pretending I'm superior' or 'picking apart her choices' you are being very hyperbolic. And yes, I've made a lengthy post in response to you but that's not because of an obsession, but because I'm annoyed at being called nasty and all sorts because I disagree with the OP and I'm not pretending that she hasn't made any mistakes at all.

I'm not the one attacking other people's character here. If my comments are so clearly nasty then you can report them to MNHQ and see what they think(although you won't because you know they aren't nasty and don't break any guidelines).

@TacoLover

And yes, I've made a lengthy post in response to you but that's not because of an obsession, but because I'm annoyed at being called nasty and all sorts

Ok and I’m enjoying being called stupid, foolish, irresponsible, selfish and all sorts? Lol, you’re annoyed. Smh

This is the simplest page I have found to work out if you are overcrowded by law

england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/check_if_your_home_is_overcrowded_by_law

You only need to meet one of these conditions to be overcrowded -

1. room standard
2. space standard calculated by people per room
3. space standard calculated by floor space

@TacoLover

addressed to the OP, and the only 'picking apart of her choices' I've done is say that the 'plan' of renting privately in a few years without considering inflation of rent was not a viable one.

Ok I understand now, through out your whole tantrum you just wanted me to acknowledge this point in particular. I’m sorry it got clouded with all your other opinions.

Yes, my plan wasn’t proper and responsible, thanks for pointing that out. .

Problem is if you're legally ok according to the council they aren't going to rehouse you in a few years? Possibly they might when your dd is 10yo because other kids are boys. But even then it will be to a 2 bed house if the same rules of being able to count the living room are in place.

Are you ok with spending the rest of your life while the kids are at home sleeping in the living room?

If not you need to find some way of affording private rental. Would housing association be cheaper than council or do they have the same bedroom rules? Can you move a bit to somewhere cheaper? Would a mortgage be cheaper than rent?

OP - does the council give you an incentive for coming off a council house? In London some boroughs pay the deposit and give landlords a bumper to take people from the council waiting list. Not sure if you've looked into that?

3 kids in one room really isn't ideal and with the waiting list as it is you'll struggle to get housed in at least in 2 years. If you financially have to stay put then I'd consider moving as soon as your eldest starts bringing homework home.

Overcrowding has such a huge impact on children's ability to learn so the sooner you move to private the better

Good luck

The Daily Mail readership figures must've plummeted today seeng as all their regulars are so busy on this thread.

Ugh this thread is full of twats. At no point did the OP demand a larger council house, she asked if she should give up a secure tenancy for private rental. Is her current housing situation totally ideal? No. However, I’m not going to judge because I’m sure her kids are loved, clothed, warm, educated and fed. They have a roof over their head and they have outside space. OP might have made some decisions that didn’t pan out perfectly but hey, so have I and so have most people. While the kids are little, it’s bearable to be squashed. I’m sure OP will find some options over the next few years. Children can thrive even in overcrowded homes.

Ok and I’m enjoying being called stupid, foolish, irresponsible, selfish and all sorts? Lol, you’re annoyed. Smh

I didn't say you couldn't be annoyed. Not sure why you're directing your vitriol at me when I haven't called you anything at all. That's other posters. You can be annoyed at being called foolish and irresponsible and I can be annoyed at bring called nasty. It's not a competition.

Ok I understand now, through out your whole tantrum you just wanted me to acknowledge this point in particular. I’m sorry it got clouded with all your other opinions.

Once again, I wrote two posts directed at you, with only one opinion about your plan, so again I am not sure why you are being so hyperbolic with 'whole tantrum' and 'all your other opinions'. OP I know you don't want me to post, so unless you directly quote me again, I won't address you in my posts.

I'd like to invite anyone who is accusing me of being nasty and 'getting a kick' out of the OP to actually read my posts and tell me where I've been nasty or said anything other than talking about the previous plan.

Taco please stop, it’s really not useful at this point.

It is the children who count and the OP has three of them,

Regardless of the rights and wrongs those children now deserve to be housed in a 3 bedroom property-ideally 4-and that is where we as a society come in.

We are represented by the council/government and so yes, as representatives of our society, they should provide the OP with appropriate housing.

Older people in Social Housing should be made to give them up if new builds aren't affordable for people like the OP.

Children are our future and they need to be housed, no matter if they were planned or not.

"Older people in Social Housing should be made to give them up if new builds aren't affordable for people like the OP"

Yes lets pit tenant against tenant Same old Same old.

The number of homeless pensioners is already up I find it strange that you would want to add to that, There are not enough suitable places for older people to move to. There is a lack of ACCESSIBLE housing

• Older people in Social Housing should be made to give them up if new builds aren't affordable for people like the OP.

Children are our future and they need to be housed, no matter if they were planned or not.*

And where do you suggest these inconvenient older people go? Younger people and families have earning potential, they can get a job and buy homes/pay for alternative housing such as affordable, rent to buy or part ownership that an older person can't.

It's increasingly important to plan and be sure you can afford children before having them, we have a housing crisis, all public services are overwhelmed, food banks are struggling to meet demand... the planet isn't far from reaching maximum capacity but yeah let's just make anyone deemed 'not worthy' out onto the street.

Helena I know this is an area where you are well versed, what IYO do you think is the immediate way forward in this housing crisis? Do you really think it is fair that a single pensioner (or person) occupy a 3 or even 4 bed property?

Taco please stop, it’s really not useful at this point.

...if you literally read my post you would see this:

OP I know you don't want me to post, so unless you directly quote me again, I won't address you in my posts.

I'm tired of people not bothering to read what I've said properly(or maybe they just have issues with comprehension, I don't know) so I'm sure you'll be glad that I'm hiding the thread now.

Of course, I don't mean older people are turfed out onto the street-good lord!

I mean that they should have to give up larger homes and move into one bedroomed flats.

New social housing is not going to be built in droves anytime soon, so unless something is done-such as those with no children swapping with people like the OP, then overcrowding will continue to remain a problem.

That is not pitting tenant against tenant, Helena Dove, what tosh!

Older people in Social Housing should be made to give them up if new builds aren't affordable for people like the OP
Yeah, let's kick the oaps onto the streets, they're the past and we shouldn't give a stuff about them!!

The bedroom "tax" coming in led to lots of smaller households moving into 1 or 2 bed flats, but they're not unlimited. Most housing providers reached a point where there was simply no smaller properties to put smaller households into. Given that mutual exchanges are quite rare, you also have the lag period between person A moving out, council doing up the property and person B moving in, then their property being done up and person C moving into that.

OP when was the last time you spoke to your council? You aren't statutory overcrowded as thry count the living room, but you are two bedrooms short on the bedroom standard so I'd speak to them again about your priority, make sure you have no rent arrears, your account is up to date etc.
Even if you're low priority are you bidding for properties each week? You may have to ocmpromose on area

I've seen OP's allocations policy now. They use statutory overcrowding not the bedroom standard so she can't go on the list until her youngest turns 1 - at which point she's straight in the highest priority band with a priority star!

It's very all-or-nothing and a bit bonkers IMO but at least OP doesn't have too long to wait and has a fair chance of successful bidding once she's on the list.

pencils That does seem a bit bonkers, but at least the light is at the end of a relatively short tunnel.

As for the older population occupying large family houses I am not sure of the answer. There are some who point blank refuse to move and others who want to move but no where to move to. The next debate is around bedroom tax as that age group, if applicable, is exempt.

Seems bizarre, Pencils! Does that mean that everyone on the list will be highest priority? If they use that method, how can they have anybody in a lower priority band.

Op not sure if you saw my post quite near the beginning I hope you've got some ideas of where to go now.
Just out of interest though why were you not given a 2 bed when you were pregnant?
I thought as long as you had your matb1? (Been along time might of changed) that entitled you to an additional room for baby?

Agree with @sincethereis. Give it a rest @TacoLover FFS.

You may not realise this, but you are coming across VERY badly on this thread. Even if you think you 'just posting your opinions,' you are coming across as really needling the OP, looking down on her, and goading her. It's not a good look. Just stop.

Loads of people can see it, so just admit you're wrong and pack it in.

I agree @bluegirlgreen there's a few vile posts on here from a number of people that has literally put be off the human race.

But the excellent thing is that amongst these unhelpful thread clogging posters @PencilsInSpace seems to be very knowledgeable and has been a breath of fresh air amongst the outdated, ill informed right wing rhetoric.

They use statutory overcrowding not the bedroom standard so she can't go on the list until her youngest turns 1 - at which point she's straight in the highest priority band with a priority star!

I thought they looked at income? And if the family could afford to privately rent? This family can.

OP at the moment in your situation could you wait a year or say try and save up and then let at some kind of help to buy. With Brexit and other uncertainty personally I think hanging on a bit longer would be smart. I sympathise totally as had a baby in a one bed flat for a while and can’t imagine 3. Hopefully with an outside area it’s easier.
Wishing you all the best.