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 think you should stay and really fight for a bigger home.

Talk to Shelter they are great for housing issues.
Then also talk to everyone, including M.P.

Fight for it you are entitled to be reasonably housed. If you give it up you have no idea what might come next I live in an area where renting private was a good option but is not any longer due to tourism and rents rocketed.

If you have money that you were considering using for a private rent IMHO I think you should use it to make your current living situation better and wait.

Your options are: save for a deposit; look into shared ownership housing; bid for bigger housing. Or does your LA do that thing where they partner up a lonely old person in a big house with someone(s) needing homed? That might work. (Very long shot)

Use any disposable income you might have for a single over double bunk bed and an amazingly good sofa bed for you and your partner in the living room.

Have you any outside space? Buy storage.

All these things can be taken with you!

Look at ideas in the tiny housing concept in Pinterest and Instagram- fabulous ways to make small space living comfortable.

Stay put and save (after buying a few key pieces) until after Brexit. Secure housing now is very, very reassuring.

I think I've seen it all now.

Someone chooses to have more children than they have room for and people respond with "contact the press!", "contact your MP!" and state that it shouldn't be allowed in a "first world country".

Do you not realise how fucking ridiculous you sound?

And of course we've already had the obligatory MN response of advising the OP to lie about the situation.

I despair at this place at times.

@Hereforhelp I totally understand being on home swapper for years with no luck!
In your position how much is it for a private 2 or 3 bed in your area?
I remember being in a 1 bed with 1 dc and couldn’t cope!

Are you bidding currently? You should be able to bid for 2 beds but I understand the demand for 2 beds are high.

Sorry I meant to say I get no benefits like child tax etc the only benefit I get Is the standard child benefit.

@BAYouTFall currently not eligible to get into bidding register coz I’m not legally overcrowded.

I don't think the council should have to re-house you and your children because it was your own choice to live in such crowded conditions. People are asking why you made that choice because it seems such an odd thing to do.

I also knew a woman that had 4 children in a 1 bedroom flat, there was mould every where (I also had the same problem with my place) but she kept bidding and I think it was nearly 8 years she was offered a 3 bedroom town house which was lovely. I totally understood why she didn’t want to leave her secure tenancy it’s really hard trying to find permanent housing.

On 35k total with 3 kids are you sure you’re not entitled to housing benefit etc?

WorraLiberty it shouldn’t be allowed as we’re supposedly a first world country and shouldn’t be cramming a ton of people into a one bedroom flat.

Yes, the parents shouldn't be cramming a ton of people into a one bedroom flat. They are responsible for their own families and the amount of kids they choose to have.

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

I live in a council estate and have done for 25 years. I agree, most of the people here are lovely.

But that doesn't mean people (lovely or not) shouldn't take responsibility for the amount of children they choose to have and instead, expect the council to take responsibility for them.

That's just ridiculous, especially in this day and age where in most areas, there just aren't enough council homes and (here anyway) they're running out of room to build more even if they could afford to.

In an ideal world everyone would be free to have as many kids as they want but that's just not how it works if you can't afford to adequately house them.

Have you looked at shared ownership resale properties? I know a few people who are quite low income and couldn’t afford or find a new build shared ownership but purchased a resale.

@Hereforhelp oh gosh that’s really bad, I’m sure you are definitely eligible for a 2 bed once your first child is over 1.

Your not in London are you?

So what's the question then? You asked if you should wait for a bigger council house,.,or private rent...now you are saying you aren't allowed on the register anyway!?
You are over crowded and that's no lie but you've created the situation so you can't moan, you will just have to suck it up or private rent.

I earn less than the OPs combined income and I am not eligible for housing benefit.

Hi OP, look there are deeply umpleasant people on this thread, as there are in life and I advise you to pay them no heed.
Their necesssity to be drawn to your thread when they are presumably in a more advantageous economic position than you says less regarding your morak calibre than it does your own
So, ask yourself this; do you own a (hot tub) time machine?
No?
Then buy s decent sofa bed and some hardy bunk beds, batten down the hatches and wait out brexit.
You have a decent income, spend it on holidays and day trips rather than posessions which will impede on your limited living space. Buy books and Pcs and everything you can to afford your DC an educational advantage.
Most of all, best wishes to you, and yours.

Do you not realise how fucking ridiculous you sound?

No SupaSara I genuinely don't think they do

Some people must be living in a world with zero austerity measures and empty council homes on every corner.

says more regarding their moral calibre

Sorry, wine

I was staying out of it until you got nasty.
unless you’re the one responsible for my family - Well yes, as tax payers you're wondering if we'll provide you a bigger house.

I have one child, I feel a bit guilty that she doesn't have any siblings, but I couldn't afford any more at the time and now I'm too old.

That aside, the sooner you get on the housing ladder the better, as it will help secure your and your families future. it might be worth considering part ownership. If you want to continue renting, but privately, then you need to move to a cheaper area.

I’m just basing it on what i’ve read here on threads before BAYouTFall.

What would happen if you had another kid? Would you then be overcrowded?

@Fairenuff
The title for my thread is “AIBU for leaving council for private rent” and that is my dilemma. It is NOT about “I had more children made myself overcrowded and now I can’t cope in my home, how can I get the council to rehouse me ASAP” , or “why isn’t the council rehousing me it is my right I’m entitled to it”. I am willing to ADEQUALTELY house my family but weighing the pros and cons of making the move.

I simply asked if there was anyone out there who has given up a council for private, as it’ll be leaving a secure tenancy for a less secure tenancy.

I have not said anywhere that I can’t adequately house my kids, I am more than happy to private rent to a bigger home so that my family can be in peace. My biggest concern is: is it better to wait maybe just maybe the council might rehouse me after a While or shall I risk and move into a private which is a less secure tenancy.

But ALAS, keyboard warriors got triggered. Well done, you outdid yourselves.

@NoWayDidISayThat - Didn't work the last 3 times she tried it!

@MustShowDH
You’re not the only one paying taxes lovey! So am I! Wake up!

Other than that, thanks for suggesting cheaper areas.

My advice is this:
Ignore those who say you are 'entitled'. Not once have you stamped your foot and said 'Waaah, it's not fair, they should give me a bigger house'. You have simply asked, just like The Clash did in 1982, should I stay or should I go?

Ignore those who ask 'Why did you have so many?'. What were you supposed to do when rents shot up? Have an abortion? Put youngest up for adoption? It's obvious you had plans to go private which were messed up by the way this country is going to the dogs.

Look into shared ownership, HB, Shelter etc - you never know.

Don't go to the press whatever you do, you''ll just set yourself up for a whole load more of the same comments you've received here. With terrible spelling.

Crushed gives excellent advice, particularly Buy books and Pcs and everything you can to afford your DC an educational advantage . It's blindingly obvious that standards are slipping in schools judging by the lack of comprehension skills on display here.

OP, I may be wrong but are you in London?
Is it possible for you to move out to a less expensive area?
Having spent the majority of my life in a small northern village I am agog at the thought of having to bring up children in such cramped conditions. I say that as a single parent who sleeps on a bed settee in the "dining room" whilst my DCs sleep upstairs.