To give up a secure council tenancy even though I can’t really afford to

[casperz]

Due to the fact that as an autistic woman going through peri menopause and struggling massively with my mental health I cannot stand the level of noise from the neighbours and their children and the anti social behaviour. It’s sensory hell living here and I can never fully relax which is making my anxiety worse. I was on antidepressants which I only started on since moving here a couple of years back but I came off them when i started HRT. Ideally I don’t want to go back on them as they made me feel like a a zombie but at the same time I can’t cope feeling on edge from hearing the constant screams (actual screams not just kids having fun) of the feral kids running amuck in the street, banging their footballs off neighbours fences and cars including my own, neighbours getting drunk ending up fighting and smashing their house up, smelling weed in my house as the neighbours smoke inside instead of outside.

Our rent is currently £450 a months and if we were to move into private rented we’d be looking at least £1000 a month. We can’t really afford this as I can only work part time (husband is full time) as our youngest dc is autistic and needs one of us around but I’m that desperate that I’m
actual willing to work nights or get a second job working weekends, missing out on seeing my husband, so that we can afford a house in a better area. My husband whilst fully understands my frustration thinks we’d be crazy to give up an affordable and secure council house. AIBU to not care and want to move?

Sounds awful but no way would I give up a secure tenancy

Is there an option to do a house swap?

I would be really reluctant to give up a secure tenancy, they are like gold dust, but I understand why you would want to move.

What if your new house has similar issues/neighbours?

The only thing is that you could go out of the frying pan into the fire. I've been there - living in a "nice" neighbourhood with neighbours from hell. Have you been in touch with the council about this? Or tried for a swap?

You would be so irresponsible to do this.

Yes I’m on a house swap site but I’ve only had two people contact me but they both lived in worse areas than me which you wouldn’t think possible but it is.

How would I be being irresponsible if I were to find another job to bring in more income so that we could afford a better house?

For different reasons I gave up my secure HA tenancy to go into private renting, and I can honestly say it’s the biggest mistake I’ve made in my life. It’s been 7 years and I still feel awful about it, I even had some therapy to talk about how much I regret it and how it plagues me. Don’t do it. It’s such a huge thing to give up.

But you can report them for anti social behaviour, to the police and the HA. Can you get ear plugs? Wax melts in a scent you like to try and mask the weed smell?

what happens when you move and your new neighbours are loud and rude?
It's not worth it, at least the council can't charge you a grand a month or kick you out willy nilly. Stay put and plant a thick hedge. Preferably a thorned one.

I'd try for a house swap. The uncertainty of short term tenancies and soaring rents would put me off giving up a secure tenancy. Are there any joint ownership housing projects near where you are, could you work nights and save up a deposit?

FWIW over the last 20 years or so I’ve lived in 6 other houses and not once have I felt the way I do now but I had decent neighbours on the whole. I thought at first it was just me but I’ve had friends and family members (when they’ve witnessed it for themselves) tell me they don’t know how I cope living here so it’s not just me and my issues.

Have you reported the concerns with anti social behaviour to your housing officer? If your neighbours are also social housing tenants they may be putting their tenancy a risk and the HA will have some authority in enforcing rules as per the tenancy agreement. Whilst I sympathise with your concerns I wouldn’t give up secure, affordable housing in this current climate. There is no guarantee that if you move you won’t have nuisance neighbours but aso will have a landlord with no obligation to address concerns

Because if one of you loses your job, what then?

If the landlord raises the rent, or decides to sell what then?

Council tenancies should be held on to with both hands, I work in housing. Other than owning your own home this is as secure as it gets.

Get on every home swap site you can, even ones on FB and the like, also report every antisocial incident to the council, keep a diary, ask the doctor for help to, at the very least that will create a paper trail of the way this is affecting you.

It's not easy, but you would be really daft to give up cheap, secure accommodation to move somewhere with, potentially, the same issues.

Could you install some secondary glazing to keep more of the noise out?

You’ll need to pass affordability for a private rent so will need to work a bit before applying.

Don't give up the tenancy. If you struggle in the private rented sector you will be considered intentionally homeless and not quality for any support. Trust me your mental health will be a lot worse if you end up in one room in a b&b sharing a sink and toilet.
Put in for a swap. Make sure you look into your entitlements based on your disability

I’m also ND and struggle with (barsteward) neighbour noise…try Loop earplugs .. the Quiet range.. they’ve saved my sanity. Game changer. Can’t recommend them enough. I mean it’s a pain that you have to resort to earplugs in your own home but these really do work and allow you peace. They’re often on offer on Amazon.

I’ve reported my neighbours smoking weed as the smell stinks out my house. The council spoke to them but they’ve carried on smoking it. Thankfully it’s not every day but considering they have young children they shouldn’t be smoking it inside the house if it at all really. The other stuff eg kids playing loudly there is no point reporting and my other neighbours who end up fighting I’ve now started to record incidents so that I have proof.

How come your council rent is so much lower than private?

Most posters in council housing on MN always say that there isn't much difference between the cost of council renting and private?

Speak to your landlord and raise the issues with ASB. The LL will have a defined ASB policy. Follow it through. Make a complaint to the LL if it doesn't get resolved and escalate to the housing ombudsman if necessary. Don't suffer without trying to resolve.

Keep trying to swap your home and potentially see if your LL has other properties. Can they do a managed move for you considering any additional health needs you may have.

I’ve tried the loop ear plugs but i can’t tolerate the feeling of them inside my ear. I was gutted really as I bought them mostly to drown out the noise of my neighbours tv as we are in terraced housing and our living rooms back on to each other and I have to have my tv on full blast of an evening as I can’t hear it due to her tv.

Definitely don’t give up a council tenancy. Surely you’d be better putting any extra money into savings and try to get a house deposit rather than waste it on private rentals where your not guaranteed rental security.

Im assuming you have complained to the council about noise, fighting and drugs. If yes, then keep reporting, if not then start. My DB & SIL managed to get neighbours evicted due to noise and violence, it was a long hard process, having to record everything in diary, they even had microphones from the council to capture the noise and violence.

I’ve no idea why it’s so much cheaper. We don’t live in an affluent area far from it but there are worse places.

I’m in my late 40’s and my husband is almost 50 and we don’t have much in savings so unfortunately buying isn’t an option. It’s completely our fault as we made all the wrong choices when we were younger.