To leave housing association flat for private renting?

[ntsure]

The town I live in is very expensive (south east) and I currently live in a 2bed housing association flat with my two DC, eldest dc is autistic and adhd and sharing a room with his brother is just becoming more and more impossible, we live right by the town centre and on a busy road and it’s just such a stressful place to live as ds1 can be so hyper and just nearly runs into the road all the time, the “local” shop is a huge supermarket so even just popping out for milk with him is hard, because he gets dealt overwhelmed and acts out. There’s no parking spaces so no option to have a car.
I basically just hate living here, I’m south east and I wouldn’t ever be able to afford a better standard of life here as a single parent. I want to just move to a different, more affordable part of the country (yorkshire way possibly)
I’m a bit nervous about giving up the security of my tenancy for private renting but I’m so miserable here, and living in town with no garden is crap for the dc. I just want to move, study, get a half decent job and have a half decent life. I feel so trapped here
Am I mad giving up my tenancy? I know social housing is in short supply.
I’ve been trying all the home swap sites for years and no luck.

@ntsure I am in the same boat but have a big four bed ha house and am desperate to downsize. Have told council I am more than willing to go as am rattling round but two years later...
I found Homeswapper really infuriating. Lots of time wasters.

Dont do it, dont give up a secure position for complete uncertainty, problems with trying to find a guarantor, rent up front, rent deposit and then being thrown to the wind if the landlord changs their mind 6 months down the line. If you are on benefits your benefit rate will always match the rental rate which is unlikely to be the case if you rent privately.

£700 is very cheap for a 2 bed flat and should enable you to save up for some sort of deposit for a house in the midlands or up north if thats what you want to aim for.

Private rent will be double and insecure, sounds totally shit where you are but private will be shitter

Have you tried going on local Facebook sites for areas you would like to live and advertising there for an exchange?

Definitely contact your housing officer about your son needing his own room. Tell them you would be willing to move out of area. They may be able to help with that.

Make an appointment with your housing officer they will try and help you don't give up your tenancy it would be madness

I also wouldn’t do this unless you are committed to staying in private renting forever or are able to save to eventually buy a house of your own. Once you are in private renting you will very likely never get a council house again. And private renting comes with its own cons - having to move regularly if the lease is short or owners want you out or want to sell up, and for a child with autism, all that moving around and change is more likely to do harm than do any good. Xx

I would say I do completely sympathise with you as I have been in this position before, I would get an occupational therapist in to assess the home and write a letter as to why it’s unsuitable. We did this and they actually wrote in the letter that my child needed a garden for medical reasons because of their autism and struggling to sleep at night because their bedroom as a place of ‘burning off energy’ and also ‘to settle down for bed’ and they couldn’t distinguish between the 2. A good occupational therapist letter can get you bumped up to the highest housing band. Then I would consider going to local MP’s about the situation, I have consulted with mine on many occasions and they have literally made the difference between something not happening and something happening. Good luck! X

@ntsure You could ask them to help you find another housing association up north if your wanting to move that way! Some will want you to have a local connection though like family / work / school.

I’m a HO for a HA. If you’re having no luck with mutual exchange, apply to the council for rehousing on the basis on your sons medical needs that he needs his own room and outside space. Try and get a supporting letter from a support agency who help you/him, GP, anyone professional involved. Make sure you put on the form that you want to move up north to family support. They can often do a deal with a council where you want to live to find you somewhere in their stock/HA stock. Often HA have properties al over the place. It’ll free up a London property too, so I imagine they’ll jump at it. Good luck- don’t give up a social tenancy or you will be so much
More insecure for you and your family. Take care and good luck

Don’t be miserable for the sake of ‘security on paper’. Your situation sounds very difficult.

What is your employment potential up north? Do you have an area in mind ie a town/city?

Very useful advice already given.
Also worth noting LHA rates for private rentals can also be way below market rates, so you may find you need to top up quite a bit for a suitable property.

As other pps advised , please don't give up a HA tenancy but get advice from.the relevant organisations that could help you

I will have to dissent and say go for it! We were in a similar situation after private renting for years. When LL said he wanted to sell, we presented as homeless to the council as I thought getting a council tenancy would give us security and much cheaper rent.

They put us in a 2nd floor flat, no garden, neighbours from hell, I was having to keep DC quiet all the time as neighbours below would shout and swear if they made a noise then play thumping music all night! No parking, the place was a dump, DC used to be afraid of going downstairs as there was a horrible man in the ground floor flat who used to come out and swear at them if they made a noise walking past his door. Getting shopping up the stairs and youngest’s buggy was a noghtmare. It felt like a prison and was like being stuck in a bad dream! I also have an ASD DS and the lack of outside space had a massive effect on him. It was horrible being on alert about windows and the balcony door being open all the time with him and toddler DS too.

We stuck it out for 2 years until I couldn’t cope any longer. Found a house for private rent and have been here for 8 years now. If I’m feeling pissed off that the house is a bit run down. I only have to think back to those days. I can walk straight in through the front door, no 4 flights of stairs, have a drive and a garage, big front and back gardens. can hang washing. It’s a nice quiet area and the difference is amazing! We pay more than double than the flat but it’s well worth it in terms of MH and lifestyle.

Obviously if you’re moving up North, prices will be much cheaper depending on where you go. If you can get 6 months rent up front (can family help?) so have time to get a job. I’m sure it’ll work out. You can apply for housing benefit as soon as soon as you move in to get some money back until you get a job.

You have one life to live. Don’t waste it being miserable in horrible living conditions. Your DS may benefit from better support later on too for his ASD in a less built up area. It’s been awful trying to get him support here in the South East.

Also you may find you can get a council or HA house, when you’re eligible to get on the housing register, quicker than you would down here if you want more security later on.