Council property

[DerbyMumOf1]

Hi all.

Was wondering if anyone has had a similar experience to this and can hopefully give some advice.

For about a year myself and my 2 yr old Ds have been on the emergency list to be rehoused. About 3 weeks ago i was sent an email and received a phone call informing me that one of my bids was successful and that i had to set up a date to view the place.
I am absolutely over the moon and grateful that myself and my Ds have been offered somewhere and i am desperate to view it and move in. The thing, to get to the point, i was called and told i had to postpone the viewing because the existing tenants had asked for a week extension on their tenancy and that they were set to hand in the keys yesterday. I was hoping that was the case so i could view it by the end of the week. Anyway they haven't and what i want to know is can the existing tenants decide they want to keep the property even though its been through the bidding process and accepted by someone else. I have called numerous people from the housing association and not been told very much.

Sadly, this happens sometimes. It happened to me a few years ago. Mostly its just a sit and wait I am afraid. Fingers crossed.

can the existing tenants decide they want to keep the property even though its been through the bidding process and accepted by someone else.

They cant be evicted for no reason.

It's not a case of being evicted for no reason, i am guessing they had already made the decision to leave the property or it wouldn't have been up for bidding and offered to me?

Contact the lettings team at your local council who can advise you as to what the rules are about this.

It will depend on the local authority's terms and conditions, but in reality until you have signed a tenancy agreement, the flat is not yours.

So the outgoing tenant's new place my fall though in which case they my need to stay on and I think that would be the right thing for a council to do.

However, the good news is if you have been offered a flat, you are now at the top f the list so if this does fall through, something else will come up.

Do you know if the outgoing tenants have not moved out? Or is it that they haven't handed the key back yet. I'm guessing neither of these scenarios is unusual and doesn't mean they won't vacate the property soon.

Give it a few more days before you get down over it.

I was just told last week that they had asked for an extra week and that it was expected that they would hand the keys in yesterday. No one seems to be able to tell me if they have or not.

My housing officer has just told me to wait a week and if i don't hear anything this week she would like me to email her.

In your thread title it says council property In your post it says housing association Which is it?

It's just disheartening because in the email they sent they were basically saying this property is mine, i MUST accept it or i am struck off the list (its been my only offer but i am happy nonetheless to accept) i have looked into new nurseries for my ds i. September trying to be organised but unfortunately i may have gotten ahead of myself. I realise i haven't signed a tenancy agreement but was told that the existing tenants had in fact signed a document stating their termination of the tenancy contract.

Sorry it's council. I have dealt with many different people i get my wires crossed sometimes

Derby I once was moving out of a HA property and got a two week extension because the council property I was moving to was in particularly shitty and basic condition. Plus my own bidding had been accepted and the turnover was a few days, so I had to pack, get my self sorted, get movers, and then go into an empty property with just concrete floors etc etc. They extended it for me, and it’s quite possible that there was someone waiting in the wings for the flat I was still in, just as you are. I don’t think this is necessarily cause for panic, I really don’t. It’s like when people buy houses, there are chains to go through. Until you’ve spoken to someone and they’ve said it’s not happening then I would be assuming that it still is, it’s going to be a bit of a waiting game.

The existing tenant might have had an emergency hence the need to delay leaving.
Until they have either given up the tenancy or been evicted, the property cannot be let to anyone else.

Happened with a friend a few years ago. Expected to leave and days before there was a medical emergency. The last thing on anyone's mind was packing up and leaving. All the council could do was ask for updates.

Thank you. I don't mean to come across as beings unreasonable. I just like to know what is happening, the joys of living with high anxiety😕.
I will just wait and see and try to relax.
Thanks for all your responses.