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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

In Charging rent

199 replies

Hooseproblems34 · 17/02/2020 09:05

Hi I'm looking for opinions on what others would do in my shoes. I live in a 2 bed council house and in 3 years time I could own it outright I would need about 12,000 to do this. But I would not be able to save that amount .

I have 3 children and one of them has said they would have the savings to do this as have been saving for a deposit. This would be used as a family home for them as they have DC .

Would I be unreasonable in then charging them rent to live here? The property would still be in my name. But obviously I wouldn't be in the position of owning it if it wasn't for them.

I would like it to go to family. But also have two other children to think about. As one said they would of liked to buy it the other isn't bothered. The two other DC don't have children of their own.

So what would you do? I plan on moving in with my partner so don't plan on living in my house in the next 3 years .

OP posts:
TinyTear · 17/02/2020 09:54

"stay with the family"

for fuck's sake, it's a council house, not a baronial manor!!!

if you don't need it give it to the council!

ChardonnaysDistantCousin · 17/02/2020 09:54

You want them to buy the house with their money, but it be in your name, so legally the house is still yours?

That's because OP is entitled to buy the house, but the children aren't. so the house has to stay in her name, legally.

Helpme1010 · 17/02/2020 09:54

This post genuinely sums up everything wrong with this country. You should be ashamed

VettiyaIruken · 17/02/2020 09:55

So your child would pay the full purchase price of the house but it would be in your name and you want them to pay you rent on a house they paid for?

That's bonkers. Why should you benefit from it?

If they have paid for it, that makes it theirs. The fact that you've put it in your name is irrelevant.

At what point will you transfer the property they paid for into their name?

user32564567 · 17/02/2020 09:55

SH was originally designed to give people secure affordable housing for life and to accommodate people who lived in slums which were cleared.
Not to save and move on. Hmm

BuzzShitbagBobbly · 17/02/2020 09:55

So basically, op is borrowing (or taking) £12k from her child and then wanting to charge them rent to stay there?

Does anyone else remember the thread about the necklaces where someone bought one, returned it and got a refund, then expected a more expensive one at half price because she'd already paid for the first one (or something)? Grin

Butterymuffin · 17/02/2020 09:56

Shouldn't you be paying them rent then for the last few years you spend in it, before they take over the house they've bought?

loobyloo1234 · 17/02/2020 09:57

YABVVVVU

Give the house back to the council so someone who actually needs social housing can live in it. Not people that can afford to save up £12k for a deposit!

MadameMeursault · 17/02/2020 09:58

How much do you pay in rent? Say it is £6,000 per year. You let them live in it rent-free for 2 years, then re-assess the situation. The fair thing to do then is probably ask them if they want to buy it off you or continue renting, and they start paying then.

DowntownAbby · 17/02/2020 09:58

And if the children didn't want it I would quite happily hand it back to the council.

I might be missing something - no experience of council housing - but why does it matter if your children want it or not? It's not yours to 'give' to someone else, is it?

Nomel · 17/02/2020 09:59

But if they have paid for it then it’s not rent free? If they have paid for it and live there it is there’s isn’t it? Why would they then pay you rent?

heartsonacake · 17/02/2020 10:00

Wow, YABVU. The children have absolutely no right to that house and you should give it back to the council.

MadameMeursault · 17/02/2020 10:02

To all those slagging off the OP: it is not her fault that Thatcher introduced the right to buy policy in the 80s. What is wrong with this country is that people cannot afford to buy houses, not that the OP is exercising a perfectly legal option.The OP has paid years and years of rent, which is effectively money down the drain. She should be allowed to get something in return for that.

ShesGotBetteDavisEyes · 17/02/2020 10:03

I don’t think the Op is getting the responses she expected...She thought it would be either a) oh, charging them rent is a bit mean or b) oh yes, that’s totally fair!

She’s opened a right can of worms and I doubt she’ll be back!

stuckinthemiddlewithtwats · 17/02/2020 10:03

Totally agree with @whatacarryon2018 said.
You have no 'right' to pass it on, you rent the property that is all.

This is a serious problem with a lot of council tenants, they think they have the same rights as people who have struggled massively to pay £150k outright for the same property. This has happened on my small street and everyone talks of buying the council property up cheap as soon as they can and selling it on for masses of profit, yet these were the same people complaining that they struggled to get council housing. The double standard doesn't even occur to them. No morals whatsoever.

By the way, £12k is a very good deposit these days, why can't your family member put that deposit down on a normal house for sale like everyone else has to?

womaninatightspot · 17/02/2020 10:04

Whilst I can see PP points about dire need for social housing. If you have the right to buy you'd be crazy not to take advantage of it tbh. I grew up in council housing, my mum bought her council flat which is now rented out to my sister at a cheap rate.

I think you need to have an honest chat with your child do they think if they give you the 12k they will own the property via you? What are your long term goals for the property to rent, to sell in a few years when you wouldn't have to pay back the cash to the council? You could agree a price now and then gift them the deposit enabling their mortgage in a few years. Low rent and the agreement you'll return their cash when they move out by way of you getting a mortgage or selling?

Interestingly trying to get a mortgage on a right to buy is pretty much impossible or at least it was when my mum tried there was also borrowing from family to enable purchase. However once owned it's possible to get mortgage.

katewhinesalot · 17/02/2020 10:04

Forgetting the rights and wrongs here it's wrong get them to move in now and pay a reduced rent for 3 years. It saves them money to continue saving for their own deposit and it will enable you to save up the 12 k needed for yourself.
Then as a pp suggested you own the house and can rent it out to strangers and use the money to benefit yourself and all your kids.

user32564567 · 17/02/2020 10:05

OP, if you let your DC buy it, which is legal thanks to Maggie, then I don't think you should charge them rent. Although I would expect them to be responsible for all repairs etc.

ChardonnaysDistantCousin · 17/02/2020 10:06

The OP has paid years and years of rent, which is effectively money down the drain. She should be allowed to get something in return for that.

She had something in return. She had a safe, secure tenancy and her property was maintained by the housing provider.

House owners can lose money if house prices go down, how do you suggest they are compensated for that "money down the drain"?

heartsonacake · 17/02/2020 10:07

To all those slagging off the OP: it is not her fault that Thatcher introduced the right to buy policy in the 80s.

Except that OP can not afford to buy.

AmelieTaylor · 17/02/2020 10:08

Jesus wept. People are making HUGE assumptions.

@Hooseproblems34

I disagree with Social Housing being sold off., ESPECIALLY if the person isn’t going to live in it themselves. I can’t believe councils are still doing this - it’s a disgrace when we are so short of social housing.

But realistically not many people would turn down the opportunity to buy one if they could, so let’s move past that.

What would the property be worth if the council sold it?

Around here (SE) £12,000 wouldn’t even buy you a parking space, let alone anything else

So one of your children would benefit massively being able to be mortgage free for £12,000.

Having children doesn’t make you more worthy of benefitting from your parents financially. It really doesn’t. The others have housing costs too.

user32564567 · 17/02/2020 10:08

SH envy is not a good look.

Cyberve · 17/02/2020 10:09

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

ChardonnaysDistantCousin · 17/02/2020 10:10

SH envy is not a good look

Is social housing misuse a better one?

Foslady · 17/02/2020 10:11

Wait for OP to come back in a few years complaining there’s no social housing for her other children to move into........

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