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?

@adeline
So lets say it was an unplanned pregnancy, it happens. Because OP is social housing she should of had an abortion then, yes?

Fucking dickensian attitude

Ok well I got to page 4. I get what you are saying that you aren’t asking for ways around the council but you really need to not have any more DC because as you have found, their rules are strict

I am in social housing but waited 10 years and had to turn my private rent dining room into a bedroom for one of my DD’s. But I am lucky in some senses that where I live was in the past very rural (small villages) but in the past decade has expanded rapidly with a lot of new development

If you cannot even get shared ownership where you are now I would think you are looking in the wrong place, and live in the wrong area. I agree that you might need to consider relocating to save money if private rent is going to wipe you out and mean you can never ever save.

Social housing tenancies are worth keeping but you are in council housing which is different IME, social housing is 80% of the private rent value you still never own it and it’s still expensive (I can’t save anything for a mortgage in social housing as my rent is nearly £900 for a 3 bed house am a single parent who earns £30k pa) whereas council rents are usually extremely cheap and you can save

Private renting is risky with security but you just need to weigh up what is more important to you all now. Money or space?

You had more kids without thinking about housing? We stuck at 2 kids because we could only afford a 2 bed house at the time. Yes you do need to think about how to get yourself a bigger home, how about shared equity? Move to a cheaper area or try home swap

To answer your question OP that many seem to misunderstand , stay put don't move to private renting.

It's frustrating that you can't be moved into a bigger house but if you find a property in private rent you never know what may happen. They may decide to sell or evict you, anything can happen.
As others have mentioned I would just get advice from CAB in the meantime.

As far as it not being other people's business how many kids you have, because you are in social housing it is the taxpayers business! I have sympathy for those who need social housing because their situation changes - domestic violence, disability/illness, bereavement, redundancy but continuing to have children is the irresponsible bit.

My dsis left council housing for private rent and once the LL put the house up for sale. She got a new one quite quickly nearby that she prefers and that’s been long term. Lots of people rent, have you had a look on rightmove at what’s out there? If you see something you like you could always enquire about their intentions long term (obviously these can change). Is the price difference a lot though?

You personally have a responsibility to the children you created to adequately house them. You’re not doing so at the moment.

I don't know what I would do OP. I live in a HA property and they will carry me out of here in a box before I give up, but it meets our needs.

Seek advice from Shelter. I know someone who lived in a 1 bedroom flat who was classed as adequately housed as they could use living room as a bedroom, but they had that turned over as there was a gas fire in the living room, which contravened some rule or regulations that meant it couldn't be a bedroom. Fire safety is also important with bedroom, exits etc.

What happens when baby turns 1? Will you be overcrowded then?

Find your local lettings policy online and go through it thoroughly. You may find something that means they have to rehouse you.

Investigate shared ownership, schemes that are available now, and any new ones.

If you absolutely have to go private rented then look for a landlord with a portfolio of properties, they tend to not sell and are happy enough with the rent coming in each month. Don't rent something because someone couldn't sell, because they have inherited, because they are moving in with a partner etc. Your local shelter or council will have lists of those sorts of landlords.

YANBU to move to privately rented housing if you can afford it.

We've got 2 children and can't imagine us all living in a one bedroom flat; I'd rather be paying more rent to have the space. It'd be nicer for all of you.

I don’t really think the social housing aspect is that relevant to the judgmental comments that having three children while in a one bed is irresponsible. If the post had been ‘we own a one bedroom flat and had three DC thinking we could afford to buy a two bed but prices have gone up and now we aren’t sure. Shall we stay put and see what happens with the housing market or bite the bullet and stretch ourselves for the two bed?’ I think the answers would have been similar.

Although here the issue is slightly aggravated by a perceived sense of entitlement that not only is the OP responsible for her choices but the council. As a pp pointed out, nobody has a guarantee of a place for life even with a mortgage. Many, many people lose their houses when they lose their jobs etc. Most people also private rent before buying so people who have never had the ‘luxury’ of council security struggle to understand this mindset.

I think it’s unfair on the children to live like that. Move into private rented. Even if your landlord has to sell for some reason etc, you can just move to a new home. At least nobody will be sleeping in the living room.

I'd move to private renting. I rented privately for years and was never asked to move once. My closest friend has been in the same place for over 10 years. I actually don't know anyone who was asked to move. I do know someone who had to move who was in a council flat though.

My opinion altered dramatically when you said

Oh the kids love it here. It’s a ground floor flat, own entrance and a private garden from the living room patio door. They have the bedroom. Dd 5yrs on top bunk and ds 3yrs bottom bunk, baby Dh and I on a sofa bed in the living room with baby In his cot. There’s fields and a local park right opposit our place.

That sounds idyllic, and will be even more so when they are a bit older and will be able to roam. What are the chances you will find a bigger place you can afford which has such good play opportunities for them? Your current flat is quite inconvenient for the adults I am sure, but to a kid it is playing that matters. For that alone I would say, tolerate it and stay put for a while.

In the long run it seems like your best option would be a move to a different part of the country where housing is cheaper.

I think you are very sensible to be wary of a private tenancy, especially in your area. You say rents have shot up recently. When rents are rising, many landlords like to keep turning tenants over in order to increase the rent. (It looks mean to increase the rent on an existing tenant and can be easier to get someone new in. And if the LL knows you genuinely can't afford a rent increase, they are likely to go look for someone who can.) It is a huge hassle to move house with kids. If your LL doesn't want to renew your tenancy after the (usual) one-year contract, you'll be scrambling to find somewhere else. Not only is moving house with just a few months' notice a worry and a lot of stress and work, but it's expensive.

If you do rent privately, if I were you I'd emphasise to the LL that you are looking for somewhere to stay long-term. To some landlords that would make you a more attractive tenant: once you've proved you are responsible and that you pay the rent reliably, they can sit back and have no trouble or worry about sorting out new tenants every year and possibly ending up with tenants who don't pay or who trash the place. You might therefore find a landlord who values dependability over high rent. They do exist. However, it's always going to be a risk because any landlord can decide they want you out and there is nothing you can do about it.

Good luck, it's a tough decision!

many LL’s also appreciate long term renters as it’s the periods of having an empty property that can be difficult for them.

OP I can only go by a friends experience . Council was Lewisham

She had a one bedroom flat and lived happily there alone, then married and has two children, a boy and a girl . They went onto the local homeswap (registered with Lewisham Council) and did manage to do a swap . Went from the 1 bed to a 3 bedroom as the lady she swapped with was getting older and her grown kids had flown the nest so the 1 bed worked for her . That is worth a try but with your salary I think private rent would be better for you all . It depends where you live and what the housing stock is re council

I would stay put for a bit longer and save. But I would also take a look at where I went wrong here.

The plan for our family increase was to return flat and private rent somewhere bigger but now private rent have massively increased No shit Sherlock.

Rents have increased for years, council housing availability has decreased. So how in hell have you actually ‘planned’ your move?!?! Having more children means renting a bigger place, but rents were already getting more expensive. Having more children meant needed a bigger council house, but swopping was getting harder.

So you have planned fuck all. That’s fine, but maybe don’t try and bullshit yourself or us that you had a plan in place. You had a completely unrealistic idea that you clearly never properly looked into, that’s all.

I still can't get over the poster who said she's got 5 kids and earns £45k per year and that OP can have her tax to spend as she doesn't need it.

The tax paid on a £45k income already doesn't come anywhere near to being as much as the financial burden on the nation, inflicted by a family of 6/7.

Never mind there being loads left to pay for OP's housing.

MN is utterly bonkers at times.

Just noted its ground floor That gives you even more leeway , The lady I mentioned above was finding it difficult to climb stairs etc so ground floor flats are particularly sought after by some

the kids love it here. It’s a ground floor flat, own entrance and a private garden from the living room patio door. They have the bedroom. Dd 5yrs on top bunk and ds 3yrs bottom bunk, baby Dh and I on a sofa bed in the living room with baby In his cot. There’s fields and a local park right opposit our place. It’s a family friendly area.

In that situation I would stay where you are for now, and focus on saving. You can always move into private rented in future when the kids feel too crowded, it's hard to move in the other direction back into social housing.

Worldwide the situation of a whole family in a one bed flat in a city is not unusual. If you are managing OK at the moment, I'd stay put and enjoy the lower rent and security to focus on saving money.

With brexit coming may be economic instability, job losses and cuts. Although rents may go down! I'd reassess when you see how brexit pans out.

Private renting can be great, we privately rent and like the flexibility, and the legal side is improving for tenants. However we wouldn't be phased by the costs of moving if the landlord did sell up (which has never happened to us) and in our area there are lots of rental houses available so we don't feel insecure. If the cost and disruption of moving would be a worry for you then I would try to stay in council.

oh, and to find a landlord who is not going to want to change tenants every year, I suggest looking for one who doesn't use an agent. Agents profit from a high turnover of tenants. They can charge for finding new tenants, checking references, drawing up new contracts, inspecting the house at the end of the tenancy etc. They get less income when a tenant stays put and everything is ticking over nicely. For this reason, they often encourage landlords to change tenants.

So lets say it was an unplanned pregnancy, it happens. Because OP is social housing she should of had an abortion then, yes?

Fucking dickensian attitude

Or maybe I just believe in taking personal responsibility? OP was living in a tiny flat with a baby - then she chose to have two more children.

Again, why is that anyone's responsibility apart from her and her DH's?

Do you live near any National Trust properties? We rent from them essentially have our house for life. Rent is market standard though.

Truly curious why OP is being bashed . Surely the hallmark of a civilised society is support for lower earners

OP I truly don’t understand the system . As why some people get larger flats and some don’t is beyond me . Why is my English friend in a 1 bed (2 kids ) and a more recent arrival to the country has a 2 beds and also has 2 kids

Why are longer council tenants all in 3 bed houses when their families left years ago .

I don’t begrudge but it feels like a lottery

But anyway stay put for now would be my advice .

Hi, i am a single mom who lived in council house "beautiful" two bedrooms for two yrs. After my third child i was told by the agent i have to seek tree bedroom because cause of the sex of my third child. I contacted the council, and housing woo sign me up and i start bidi g. After couple months i told them when am i gonna get through, to my shock who told it will take over 2 to 5 yrs before i get a 3bedroom housing even though i was biding becaise my situation isnt urgent. So i made a choose to give up the council house and now am renting from private landlord.
If you and family are unhappy because of your circumstances, you and partner got to make choices for welfare of your family. You working parttime he full time. Government only can assist this much...dont take this wrong way but it was your choice and partner to have as many children even those you two know of your housing situation. Be a mature adult and do right thing.

@Pikapikachooo Maybe because she's posted about a problem which she's created herself 🤷‍♀️

Yes unplanned pregnancies happen but she has already said she planned the further two children with a plan to move into private accommodation later. Would you not do that first then have the children? Or is that too sensible?

I’d be really loathe to give up the security of a council property to private rent. But on the other hand, how long can you really live with three kids in a 1 bed flat?

I’d be tempted to hold off for a while longer. Try to get a deposit together for a shared ownership house, there are new schemes being built all the time and you may be lucky with in the next year or so.

I would set myself a time limit though. You say your dd1 is 5? I would give it until she is coming up 7 and if you haven’t been rehoused by the council or you haven’t been able to buy a shared ownership house, you will have to take the plunge and private rent.

As for those posters who seem to think the OP gets a free house and their taxes are paying for her housing 😂 it’s funny so many people actually believe that. OP pays her rent and council tax the same as anyone else. It’s not substantiated, just not over inflated by greedy private land lords!