To accept this housing association property

[whyismysoullost]

Hello,

I posted this in CHAT but have not received enough replies as I hoped. This decision is literally stressing me out as I have to give a definite answer by next week. Anyway to begin....

After 6 years of living in a very small one bed, council property (secured) flat,which we've had so many issues with, but that's for another thread. We have been offered a housing association property. Woohoo !

The only and big issue is that the flat is £279.00 a week for a 2-bedroom ! Plus pricing will go up every year (I assume) My family members think I'm crazy for considering this. I can afford the property (just about) but it will be a stretch. If I'm totally honest, we will need to cut back on a few things. I'm going to see the property next week.


What do you think ? Any questions that I need to ask before I accept the property/ or not, next week will be appreciated !

[septembersunshine]

I would wait till something more affordable comes up. So much stress and pressure to pay more then you can comfortably afford. Your home is coming, just not yet. We have an overcrowding situation right now. We sleep on a sofa bed in the lounge and the kids have the bedrooms. Its worked well now for 2 years.

[YappityYapYap]

I would take the benefits if it helps your DS get his own space. You're working 4 days a week already with a child that is only 10. There's no shame in accepting some help OP. Are you a single parent?

[HundredMilesAnHour]

Some housing associations do increase every year.

This depends on the type of tenure with the housing association. I'm guessing from the rent the OP has quoted that this would be an Affordable or Social tenure type. If so, this is one of the tenures covered by Govt guidelines for rent. For the last 5 years, Govt guidelines stated that no rent increases were allowed.

BUT, from 1 April 2020, for the next 5 years housing associations can increase rent by inflation + up to 1% each year. Please note that any increases to service charges are separate to this.

This is the policy if anyone wants to read further:
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/781746/Policy_Statement.pdf

[greenlobster]

That's a tricky one.
If it was in my area (Westcountry) I'd say don't take it and wait for something more suitable as once you accept it you've lost your chance at moving again since you'd no longer be in an overcrowded property, and if you get behind on the rent due to it being too expensive you're going to run into problems.
London tho might be different since as far as I know there's much less availability of council/HA property.

A few things to consider might be -
How many offers can you turn down before you're disqualified? It's 2 or 3 here at the moment I think, but in some areas you only get a single chance.
If you turn it down is there any chance you'd end up having to accept a totally unsuitable property or be disqualified.
Would be worth using one of the benefit calculators and entering your details as if you were living in the new property. That should tell you how much UC housing element you'd be able to claim.
If it turns out that you'd be able to claim enough UC to make the rent affordable then it might be worth it. If you can't buy then Housing association or council is vastly preferable to private rented because of the security.

[LemonPrism]

Why are you only working 4 days if you have a school age child?

Am also confused as to why people working full time would get a council house? Surely they're for the needy, not just people who want cheaper rent... we all have to pay stupid rent, we don't do it for fun?

[bluetongue]

I’d private rent so my 10 year old could get his own bedroom. It might mean moving areas but many of us do that so we can find somewhere affordable to rent.

[CactusAndCacti]

Why are you only working 4 days if you have a school age child?

Non of your fucking business. She may well do elongated hours, or maybe the job is only four days. But not your business.

Am also confused as to why people working full time would get a council house? Surely they're for the needy, not just people who want cheaper rent...

Working full time doesn't mean a high wage, and anyway define needy.

On the bidding list I'm coming up between the 6th-10th person when there have been a maximum of 1,000 bids on the same property.

Oh my goodness, in my area a high demand property gets about 50 bids at the absolute most. Crazy. Some properties literally get less than 5.

[LemonPrism]

@CactusAndCacti I didn't say it meant a high wage but a full time job even on minimum wage should be enough to rent somewhere not through the council.. I did it on 17k a year.

Needy= disabled, unable to work, sick...

[BerwickLad]

6th-10th is pretty good so a good chance you'll get offered something else if you wait a little longer. Things to think about:

• you've turned down one, this will make it two: how will that affect you?
• for the properties you're higher on the list for, are they suitable re area, cost etc?
• when you're close to the top the first one you get offered is often the less suitable one because other people will have turned it down so people in 5th 6th place etc get a chance whereas with other properties they wouldn't. This doesn't mean that you won't get something better eventually but you don't want to run out of options
• no harm in putting another bid in again this week prior to your deadline for deciding whether to take it and seeing what comes up
• don't know what it's like in your area but here at least HA neighbourhoods are nicer than council because they don't have to offer to just anyone. In our little corner here everyone works and keeps the properties nice etc, there's zero crime, it's a good place to live. The council houses a couple of streets away, not so much. With a boy coming up to teenage years and just in terms of your own personal safety it might be something to think on.

[Mamathebest]

I’m paying the exact same amount for a 2 bed HA flat in London. It is ridiculously high and we are literally just about getting by but with arrears. Our council tax is also about £180 a month. Not to mention no parking. No parking anywhere nearby either. Absolutely regret bidding on it and not thinking it through. It looks nice and that’s about it.

The only positive is a bit more security. If I could do it over again I’d stay with the council. I was paying £80 a week for a studio so this is such a huge jump! Yes council properties may be a little more run down but in the long run there’s potential to save. Many of these London HA’s are asking for ridiculous amounts.

[Mamathebest]

@LemonPrism

Very ignorant comment. Many people work full time in this country and could not afford private rent. There’s a wide spectrum on what exactly “needy” is.

[whyismysoullost]

Why are you only working 4 days if you have a school age child

My school age child is disabled.

I have been on the bidding list before I was working.

[whyismysoullost]

Mamathebest do you regret bidding on the HA property you have now ? Are you financially ok after rent and bills.

[Moominfan]

How do you manage with both of you in a one bed? Would the extra space improve your quality of life

[whyismysoullost]

BerwickLad I'm not sure. My local authority says that there are no penalties for turning a flat down. But I'm sure it does not look good If I keep rejecting them !

The HA is a renovation of a council estate. That has been my fear since my son is coming up to his teens and is fiercely becoming independent with his own mind- though he is vulnerable due to his needs bless him.

A lot of the other properties are much cheaper, it appears that newly built housing association flats are the expensive ones.

There will be no putting a bid in, there's a rule that if your shortlisted for a property you will not be considered for any additional flats you bid on.

[salsmum]

Please wait for a cheaper property that is a ridiculous amount for a weekly rent and I think the h/a would quite understand if you said it was not what you can afford. Sadly having a disabled child can be very unpredictable and you never know when your work hours could change or you have to have time off for hospital stays etc... I'm sure you'll get a more affordable offer.

[TheTruthAboutLove]

I wouldn’t go for it, I totally appreciate your son needing his own space but surely he could hang on another couple of years and cope until there is something more suitable available?

You’re doubling your rent for one extra bedroom. If private renting is about the same, I’d be looking to privately rent instead. I’d definitely not take this one and keep waiting. One will eventually come up that you won’t even need to come onto Mumsnet to ask for thoughts on because you will just know in your gut it’s the right thing to do.

[justcly]

@LemonPrism

The OP stated very clearly that she works full time over four days. It's called compressed hours.

[JKScot4]

*
Am also confused as to why people working full time would get a council house? Surely they're for the needy, not just people who want cheaper rent...

I cannot believe anyone thinks like this ffs🙄
Anyone can apply for social housing, you do lots of full time workers aren’t on 6 figure salaries and are often worse off than unemployed people as they still pay rent/council tax etc without a rebate.
Jesus wept I can guess how you vote.

[Mamathebest]

@whyismysoullost

I honestly do regret it- there just seems to be little perks to living here. Unfortunately we were giving very little info before bidding and ended up stuck here. Financially it’s extremely tight. And that’s with both my partners and I income. All I ask is you really think about it. Have you viewed the property yet?

[FruitcakeOfHate]

I cannot believe anyone thinks like this ffs🙄

Plenty of eejits do.

[BerwickLad]

Oh well if it won't affect you being considered for others then yes absolutely turn it down. You're really high up the list - something more suitable will hopefully come up and in the meantime although your flat is small by the sounds of it you've made it nice. Hang in there for one you can afford that will actually be a proper forever home.

[NaviSprite]

I'm in a 2bed HA house at £400 p/m (not London) and the agreement I'm under means no increases for a set time period. I was previously in a tiny 1 bedroom privately rented flat that was also £400 p/m!

I think it does depend on the HA, I'd go for the viewing with the questions and concerns you have, the rep I got when viewing the house I'm in now was really helpful and genuinely friendly.

I understand what you say about turning an offer down not looking good as I was told the same when I had been bidding for a long time with no luck, I turned on property down because it was far too out in the styx for DH to get to work as he doesn't drive. I had to explain this in detail several times to my Local Authority because they were questioning how 'desperate' we were if we could afford to turn housing down.

So go to the viewing and see what information they can offer in terms of your family's needs and the concerns you have, if they can't give you enough to ease your mind then you have your answer. Fingers crossed you find something suitable soon @whyismysoullost

[Menora]

Social housing is 80% of the market rental value which I think is proven that people do not know about at all!

I pay £202 a week for a 3 bed house in the SE and it’s housing association. It’s much bigger and secure than my cheaper private rent so I was mad not to accept it. I just cut back on things

[Menora]

I work full time and went on the list and got a house. I didn’t lie to anyone. I had to have financial background check that I could afford it and I have checks every 3 months then will go onto a 5 year tenancy.
Social housing is not for all the unemployed. I can’t find decent private rental that isn’t damp manky hovels with not enough bedrooms in my budget
I’ve worked 20 years in the NHS, why shouldn’t I be allocated a HA home? I pay my rent and look after it very well!