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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Petition about council house

146 replies

ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 30/06/2021 19:28

I just got sent a change.org petition to ask a council to let a house to a specific family.

The house had been their grandparents and they have both died and the council is reallocating it. It's not going to the family.

On the one hand I can see that it's heartbreaking to lose family and the family home at the same time. The grandparents had lived their for 58 years and put a lot of love and time into it.

But AIBU to think that it goes against the point of council housing to pass them down through families. The house should go to the next family in need, not the relatives. That's only fair isn't it? Otherwise people would be jumping the queue because of family.

OP posts:
incywincyspiders · 01/07/2021 00:11

I want to clarify I don't believe these people should be able to keep the house unless they would be eligible for it. But once again middle class Mumsnet is out in force with some of the comments on here.

SarahAndQuack · 01/07/2021 00:23

I won't sign. This could be my SIL and BIL. Both employed and perfectly capable, they live with my PIL and have enjoyed decades of very low rents because PIL have a family-sized council house. SIL refuses to save money because she 'doesn't like' the idea of private renting and she and BIL 'don't want' to ever have to live in a smaller house than the one they grew up in. They have always felt that living in a room in a shared house, or in a small house, is beneath them, so they've stayed living with their parents who are the named tenants on the council lease.

Meanwhile, MIL and FIL live in a house they can barely use. They have 'memories' but no practical support. SIL imagines that when her parents die she will inherit the house, but she's been clear that if this falls through, she fully expects us to support her, as she's never been independent in her adult life.

namcybotwinbloom · 01/07/2021 00:47

I just want to say that some of the council properties are not low rent they are in keeping with what the current rents are in my area.

Some like the one I moved into took thousands to make habitable.

Ie my back garden was rat infested and I had no flooring in any or my rooms. It was a disgrace quite frankly. I spent a lot making it normal.

When these properties get issued to people they are often in need of a lot of work. Not always but mine was horrific.

namcybotwinbloom · 01/07/2021 00:47

Sometimes they are cheap because they need so much doing to them

Mumofsend · 01/07/2021 06:03

The one we are moving into is costing 3.5k to carpet, make the garden secure and decorating supplies (doing myself).

trappedsincesundaymorn · 01/07/2021 06:52

I can see both sides of this. Last year I lost both parents within a few months of each other. The HA gave us 4 weeks to clear the house. It was the family home for 50 years and the day we handed the keys back was like suffering the loss of my parents again. All those memories that were tied to the house, but there are a couple of flats opposite that had young families in them so we thought it would be great that they would maybe have the chance to live in our much loved former home. Oh how wrong we were, the house went to somebody who had 2 adult (yes adult), children and the families with young children are still cramped in a tiny 2 bedroom flat. Not sure what the HA's thinking was behind that.

ufucoffee · 01/07/2021 07:04

No of course it shouldn't go to relatives. The grandparents should have bought it if that's what they wanted to happen. When my parent died I had a week to sort out the house and the council wanted the rent for that week but I didn't pay it and they didn't chase me for it. Some people forget that council houses belong to the council.

OrrisRoot · 01/07/2021 07:14

@trappedsincesundaymorn

I can see both sides of this. Last year I lost both parents within a few months of each other. The HA gave us 4 weeks to clear the house. It was the family home for 50 years and the day we handed the keys back was like suffering the loss of my parents again. All those memories that were tied to the house, but there are a couple of flats opposite that had young families in them so we thought it would be great that they would maybe have the chance to live in our much loved former home. Oh how wrong we were, the house went to somebody who had 2 adult (yes adult), children and the families with young children are still cramped in a tiny 2 bedroom flat. Not sure what the HA's thinking was behind that.
What’s wrong with adult children living at home? Confused
Macncheeseballs · 01/07/2021 07:26

I would have thought people with young children would need it more, adult children can earn an income

beigebrownblue · 01/07/2021 07:28

I understand there is an appeals process after a bereavement whereby the person still living can request living in the house and explain why, this is important if they are vulnerable.

I am a single parent and if were to die my DD who is nearly sixteen would have nowhere to live.

There is a shortage of social housing as we know. Mistake on the part of this government, but then they couldn't care less about young people.

OrrisRoot · 01/07/2021 07:30

If they’re top of the list, there’ll be a reason for it. One of my aunts was an unpaid carer to her mother and brother most of her life. If they hadn’t had the mortgageable father, they might have been eligible for a council house.

PP second guessing the lettings policy is as bad as the CFs that the OP is posting about. Households are assessed and prioritised according to the criteria. It doesn’t matter what the children of the former tenants think. Nor what random bystanders think. Hmm

OrrisRoot · 01/07/2021 07:33

@beigebrownblue

I understand there is an appeals process after a bereavement whereby the person still living can request living in the house and explain why, this is important if they are vulnerable.

I am a single parent and if were to die my DD who is nearly sixteen would have nowhere to live.

There is a shortage of social housing as we know. Mistake on the part of this government, but then they couldn't care less about young people.

This has come up before. I think it was established that the usual difference is between adult children who live with the tenants having rights to take over the tenancy, and random other adult children housed elsewhere not having those rights.

Which is perfectly sensible and will cover your DD once she’s 18, too. I can’t think of a more reasonably rule, TBH.

spanielstail · 01/07/2021 07:39

I can't believe this was s even being discussed. It was never their house. It isn't a family property.

We paid over half a million pounds (or will when the mortgage is paid off) for the privilege of owning a home that our kids can inherit and it's still not guaranteed as it could go on care homes.

They have just paid the rent on a house that never belonged to them. Perhaps the sadder thing here is that generations down they still haven't climbed out of the trap of low income & have the entitlement that someone should just give them a house where all their repairs etc will be covered.

knittingaddict · 01/07/2021 07:53

@Macncheeseballs

I would have thought people with young children would need it more, adult children can earn an income
That's not how it works. It's not just low income families who are entitled to council housing. Anyone can go on the list. It's just most people with money prefer to sort themselves out as councilhouses aren't exactly desirable these days.
Terhou · 01/07/2021 08:23

I wonder how they plan to decide which of the 100 relatives gets to live in what they regard as the family home? And does the lucky winner have to preserve it in aspic and allow the rest of the family to visit regularly so they can all reminisce nostalgically together? What happens if that person dies or wants to move on?

gamerchick · 01/07/2021 08:33

People are saying this statement is wrong, but surely it’s sort of correct. Council properties are owned by the council, which is in turn funded using taxpayer money

Really and what taxpayer money is that? Council houses are funded by the taxpayers living in them who pay rent you mean. Or is this on par with those who think council rents are 'heavily subsidised' by the taxpayer.

Xenia · 01/07/2021 08:41

So the other family members have not lived there for 6 months so do not meet the criteria? Then that is that.

cushioncovers · 01/07/2021 08:44

They had ample opportunity to buy it over the years and they choose not to. I understand there is a lot of memories in that house but it's the end of an era and the house now needs to be a home for another family.

AfternoonToffee · 01/07/2021 09:01

@gamerchick

People are saying this statement is wrong, but surely it’s sort of correct. Council properties are owned by the council, which is in turn funded using taxpayer money

Really and what taxpayer money is that? Council houses are funded by the taxpayers living in them who pay rent you mean. Or is this on par with those who think council rents are 'heavily subsidised' by the taxpayer.

The private rental market is more heavily supported by the tax payer, a lot of landlords are having the mortgage paid through housing benefit.
gamerchick · 01/07/2021 09:07

The private rental market is more heavily supported by the tax payer, a lot of landlords are having the mortgage paid through housing benefit

Indeed, changes the meaning of the free house crap people still come out with re council houses.

People won't be happy until SH is linked to benefits like it is in their heads.

Crappyfridays7 · 01/07/2021 09:12

I totally understand why they feel the way they do, of course they’ll feel weird if other people are living in it but sadly it wasn’t the couples house and they have passed so it goes back into the allocation pool.

If that were in this area for instance that house would be mine if it were big enough. I’ve been in temporary accommodation with my 4 kids for over 3 years, 3 share a room and my asd youngest is struggling and my 16 year old is too he’s doing exams etc and nowhere to study, he won’t bring friends back etc, we’ve carried on and live miles from school and friends but if a house were to come up in any of the areas I’ve picked which is big enough I’m top of the list so it’s just a waiting game really. It’s not a situation any parent with children wants to be in but this is how it is. I think that house would be amazing for a family who need it nor just that family who want it, it will be a home again just like I will have a home again, I can face my own stuff and kids can settle and feel secure.

OrrisRoot · 01/07/2021 09:15

The private rental market is more heavily supported by the tax payer, a lot of landlords are having the mortgage paid through housing benefit.

Yes but that’s not the issue here.

Here the question is whether local authorities should stick to letting policy or freestyle it.

TableFlowerss · 01/07/2021 09:21

I can see both sides of this. Last year I lost both parents within a few months of each other. The HA gave us 4 weeks to clear the house. It was the family home for 50 years and the day we handed the keys back was like suffering the loss of my parents again. All those memories that were tied to the house, but there are a couple of flats opposite that had young families in them so we thought it would be great that they would maybe have the chance to live in our much loved former home. Oh how wrong we were, the house went to somebody who had 2 adult (yes adult), children and the families with young children are still cramped in a tiny 2 bedroom flat. Not sure what the HA's thinking was behind that

Perhaps the adults children have disabilities or perhaps the names tenant needs care and support?

No one knows what goes on behind closed doors. That would presumably be the only reason they get it over a family with young children.

GlassOnTheLawn · 01/07/2021 09:21

There may be large families in desperate need of a house who have been stuck in a B&B or temporary accommodation for years.

Council houses are supposed to go to those most in need surely, not be handed down to family as if the tenant bought the property?

If you rented a private house for 20 years you’d still have no claim on it, the landlord owns it.

AfternoonToffee · 01/07/2021 09:23

@OrrisRoot

The private rental market is more heavily supported by the tax payer, a lot of landlords are having the mortgage paid through housing benefit.

Yes but that’s not the issue here.

Here the question is whether local authorities should stick to letting policy or freestyle it.

It was a little sideline within the discussion. Untruths about council housing still need to be challenged.