People in Council houses should be reassessed…

[AlwaysAnnoyed]

I want to tread carefully. But then again I’m pissed off.

I live in a 3 bed house with a mortgage. On our estate there is a selection of Council houses. I have no issue with people having Council homes, people fall on hard times and DESERVE support.

however what really grinds my gears, is on our estate we have one Council house which have 2 brand new Audi’s. Top of the range. Just got back off holiday to Florida. Weekends away. they pay £350 a month to the council for this 4 bed property. (They are very loud about telling everyone this)

it really really winds me up. We have a COST of living crisis, people are going to be struggling to pay bills but yet there are people who are in these Council houses on holidays and brand new cars.

it doesn’t seem fair. Surely Council houses need to be regularly means tested… How can this happen? Able to afford 2 brand new cars but cannot afford to pay their own rent/mortgage!

or am I just being a moany witch!

Yes, lets reassess people in council housing... along wit people on disability benefits too. Let us make the poor at the bottom worry about every text and letter they get... that they will worry about getting assessed and lose money, or even the roof over their head.

Great plan.

people PLAY the system

So do they need educating or are they cunning players? Make your mind up.

I am perfectly sane.

If you want them out into private rented you need to make private tenancy secure. I am a private tenant, I have never missed a payment, I keep the house in good order but the truth is I could be out on my ear at the drop of a hat. I am too old to get a mortgage, I would love a secure tenancy that meant my home was my home for as long as I need it.

I live in a 3 bed council house and am going to florida in a few weeks. What my neighbours think they know and what they actually know are vastly different things.

Instead of directing this at those securely housed in council housing by making them lose it, the real goal should be to ensure every person has access to secure and affordable housing.

the real goal should be to ensure every person has access to secure and affordable housing.

This. Every time there's a housing thread. This is what we need. What a fucked up world we live in when that's a controversial or impossible proposition.

Hope you have a lovely holiday @Mumofsend !

Social housing was meant to be for all people. But since then, government policy has obviously changed and it's now rationed because housing stock is so scarce.

It's not necessarily correct that it's rationed, but it is. Some people resent those who have managed to have a secure tenancy because it's realistically not available to them. It's really the luck of the draw.

I’m in a HA house. Small 3 bed in the north £490 a month. We both work full time, our youngest who is 5 sleeps in our room because teenagers are opposite sex so can’t share and feel mean making my teenage son share with a 5 year old. I’d love to own my own house, can’t get a mortgage because of bad credit plus no deposit. Or I’d love to be able to afford to rent a bigger one. Both me and husband work full time.

Now I know you're making this up t

OP you are actually angry/miffed at the wrong people.

You should be angry with the government/LA who have not built more affordable social housing to ease the waiting lists for those awaiting housing.

Not the people currently living in them.

Thing is, say you had 100 houses and tired 20 out because you now felt they weren't eligible. Of those 20, 2 might buy a house, then 18 are in to the PRS, those 18 families/people at any given moment could find themselves homeless again due to it not being stainable long term accommodation, so you are back to square one with people on housing lists, that 24 months ago were housed. Your creating a revolving door for yourself.

@dressupinyou im honestly not. But I don’t need you to believe it. But it’s true, it’s shocking and unfair. It’s true

I couldn't agree more

Instead of raging at social housing tenants try asking yourself why the private sector is so shit compare to it. Why the private rental sector can't offer more secure tenancies, an agreed minimum accomodation standard, service level agreements for repairs and improvements, fair rent, and so on. Why there are so many rogue landlords flouting the law and treating properties like their own personal fiefdom. Why the sector is so against regulation.

In social housing there is a commitment to tenants on rent rates, repairs, improvements, the right to quiet enjoyment, the right to treat your home like your home, and so on.

Before shoving people into the private sector, the massive fucking issues with the private sector need to be addressed.

If my landlord (the local council) can come out to fix my boiler the same day I report it because its an classed as urgent repair, why can't a private landlord commit to the same? If my landlord can modernise my kitchen because it's nearly 20yrs old and no longer fit for purpose, why can't a private landlord do the same? If my landlord is happy to let me decirate as I see fit provided I obtain permission before altering the exterior or the structure of the property (e.g., knocking down walls, putting in a driveway, etc), why can't a private landlord do the same? If my landlord can guarantee me that so long as my rent is paid and I don't break my tenancy agreement then I can stay as long as I please, why can't a private landlord do the same?

The absolute number one reason to work is to put a roof over your head. So if you were in danger of losing your home for earning too much you would make damn sure that you didn’t.

When they put forward the idea of those on higher incomes paying higher rent for SH I was prepared to cut my hours to stay within the threshold for lower rent. I wasn’t going to work more hours for it to just be taken in rent payments. Luckily that idea was shelved.

I’m not “rich” but I do have nice holidays etc. But I don’t have any equity. I won’t be able to downsize to release funds for retirement or leave a property to my DC. You might be jealous now but I’ll be jealous later! It’s swings and roundabouts.

and there are people in these Council houses who could maybe afford private rent if they didn’t spend thousands on cars and holidays

This is a fallacy. I had a new car. I didn't own it. It wasn't mine. And I had holidays paid for by my parents.

Neither of the above would've made me eligible for a mortgage due to my low wages and shit credit.

My kids had already been disadvantaged. Why should they have been made to live in insecure housing that they could be put out of at any time?

I'll ask again.

My kids had already been disadvantaged. Why should they have been made to live in insecure housing that they could be put out of at any time?

Does it review plan only apply to council tenants? Can home owners also be penalised for buying a house that is too large for their needs? Or private rented houses be deemed too grand for their tenants and compulsory re-housing be initiated?
Councils are landlords. Usually decent ones. If the features of these landlords were emulated in the private sector, we’d see fewer of these types of threads.
Nobody should be evicted from their home without having behaved badly. It is an inhumane system that allows this.

“people in these Council houses who could maybe afford private rent if they didn’t spend thousands on cars and holidays”

You’ve got this completely arse about face.

“If my landlord (the local council) can come out to fix my boiler the same day I report it because its an classed as urgent repair, why can't a private landlord commit to the same?”

I mean, that one is a bit unrealistic given that a private landlord has to get someone to come out - that’s not really under their control tbh.

One day you will own your own home. They won’t.

Why on earth would a council/housing association tenant give up their secure tenancy for random strangers who mumsnetters feel are more worthy and put themselves in a precarious position ofa private tenants its not going to happen not to mention that in many areas social housing is comparable to private rent anyway people on here are deluded .

I missed your post, sorry.

It’s not tiny, it’s just lower and it’s lower because they don’t hike up the prices to make loads of profit, it’s set at what it costs the council to run housing and maintain housing etc. It’s basically fair rent, not subsidised.

In places where private rent is at ridiculous amounts it seems tiny, but that’s because of the amount others are charging.

The flaw in your thinking is that they can afford to leave because they have cars? What if their cars are company cars? It’s easier to get a car loan than a mortgage and most people do PCP. You pay a low monthly payment but you never own the car unless you pay the balloon payment at the end. It’s basically leasing a car, they don’t own £100,000 of car, likely a finance company does.

people need cars to get to work to earn the money to pay for their life

perhaps they do not need an Audi but it doesn’t indicate they have enough for a mortgage.

I have a new car on PCP it’s £125pm, but I would need £200,000 in a deposit to get a 3 bed house where I live on my income in the SE. Going WITHOUT a car will not help me save up £200k, I need it for work to pay the rent on my HA home.

I'm a council tennant, me and my partner both work, second hand 11 year old car, holiday to a caravan once a year and have some money saved, would I buy a house? No can't afford it, and tied to a mortgage for 25 years nah.