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Original poster

Affordable rent

10 replies

Rara94 · 29/06/2023 19:36

Evening,
I did post this in the property section but have had no responses so posting here to see if anyone can offer any advice.

So, I moved into my housing association property at the end of October 2019. July 2021 I discovered that the properties next to and behind me, with the same housing association and the exact same size house etc were charged around £40 a week rent less than me.I spoke to my housing and they said it was because when I moved into the property they were able to charge affordable rent rather than social rents which means they can charge more basically. They can't charge the neighbours the affordable rent amount as they moved in when it was social rent amounts they used to work out the rent.

My next door neighbour, exact same size house etc as me has recently moved out and I have now seen the house up on the bidding site for the lower rent amount, so the social rent amount, that all other neighbours are paying.

I understand the affordable/social rents thing but how are they able to charge the new tenant the lower amount under social rents when they told me because it changed to affordable rents before I moved in that's why I was charged the higher amount. Surley the new tenant next door should be charged under the affordable rent aswell?

OP posts:
Trez1510 · 29/06/2023 19:39

Perhaps it's an error on the listing?

I'd be inclined to phone them to ask why the advertised rent is lower than yours.

Pineapple5678 · 29/06/2023 19:45

Affordable rent is set at 80% of the market value and can be charged in new build properties or properties purchased by the housing association at a later time.

Is your house new ? Or could it have previous been purchase under the right to acquire rules and then brought back by the housing association making it liable for affordable rent?

Kay286 · 29/06/2023 19:48

Your rent is still affordable though ? I assume you are paying well below market rate ? I think I’d just be happy with that - they told you the rent amount you were happy with it and agreed to it.

Curledupwithabook · 29/06/2023 19:57

Are you sure the housing worker told you the right info the first time? I understand that schemes will vary, but when my partner had an affordable rent property, they were specific flats. The number of affordable properties was part of the 'deal' with the developer for the whole project (fancy new flat block) to be built. The individual flats were a mixture of private rent, affordable rent with a HA (for which certain conditions had to be met, eg in work, not having owned a property before) and social housing (allocated through the bidding system) Individual addresses wouldnt have changed from one type to the other, ifyswim

Original poster
Rara94 · 29/06/2023 20:45

Pineapple5678 · 29/06/2023 19:45

Affordable rent is set at 80% of the market value and can be charged in new build properties or properties purchased by the housing association at a later time.

Is your house new ? Or could it have previous been purchase under the right to acquire rules and then brought back by the housing association making it liable for affordable rent?

Yes, that's what I read when I looked it all up when I first found out about it. It's not a new build, the properties have been here around 20 years and as far as I know it's always been owned by the housing association.

OP posts:
Original poster
Rara94 · 29/06/2023 20:46

Curledupwithabook · 29/06/2023 19:57

Are you sure the housing worker told you the right info the first time? I understand that schemes will vary, but when my partner had an affordable rent property, they were specific flats. The number of affordable properties was part of the 'deal' with the developer for the whole project (fancy new flat block) to be built. The individual flats were a mixture of private rent, affordable rent with a HA (for which certain conditions had to be met, eg in work, not having owned a property before) and social housing (allocated through the bidding system) Individual addresses wouldnt have changed from one type to the other, ifyswim

Nothing like that, I did get the property using the bidding system.

OP posts:
TheHateIsNotGood · 29/06/2023 20:54

Yep, really sorry OP, but newer tenancies can mean the unaffordable so-called 'affordable' rent is charged. I've known it mean that a single elderly lady couldn't downsize from her 3-bed to an 'affordable' 2-bed because not only was the rent much higher, but it exceeded the LHA for her single-person household so she would also hadve had to dip into her State Pension to pay the rent.

The 'affordable' label/category needs scrapping.

Original poster
Rara94 · 29/06/2023 21:18

TheHateIsNotGood · 29/06/2023 20:54

Yep, really sorry OP, but newer tenancies can mean the unaffordable so-called 'affordable' rent is charged. I've known it mean that a single elderly lady couldn't downsize from her 3-bed to an 'affordable' 2-bed because not only was the rent much higher, but it exceeded the LHA for her single-person household so she would also hadve had to dip into her State Pension to pay the rent.

The 'affordable' label/category needs scrapping.

I understand the affordable rent being charged if that's how it's worked now, what I don't understand is why the empty property next door is not being advertised for the 'affordable' rent but the 'social' rent amount. I have contacted the housing but am waiting to hear back.

That is really sad about the elderly lady and utterly ridiculous!

OP posts:
Queenfierce · 03/04/2024 14:17

This is similar In my area mine is £700 a month 3 bed house no longer need this size anyway neighbours is cheaper we all moved in same time as its a new build to downsize I can't find anything cheaper and my housing association said I'm not a priority and can bid but will take years I can exchange but again I haven't found anything suitable and for a reasonable rent

Twins3007 · 02/05/2024 14:50

Rara94 · 29/06/2023 19:36

Evening,
I did post this in the property section but have had no responses so posting here to see if anyone can offer any advice.

So, I moved into my housing association property at the end of October 2019. July 2021 I discovered that the properties next to and behind me, with the same housing association and the exact same size house etc were charged around £40 a week rent less than me.I spoke to my housing and they said it was because when I moved into the property they were able to charge affordable rent rather than social rents which means they can charge more basically. They can't charge the neighbours the affordable rent amount as they moved in when it was social rent amounts they used to work out the rent.

My next door neighbour, exact same size house etc as me has recently moved out and I have now seen the house up on the bidding site for the lower rent amount, so the social rent amount, that all other neighbours are paying.

I understand the affordable/social rents thing but how are they able to charge the new tenant the lower amount under social rents when they told me because it changed to affordable rents before I moved in that's why I was charged the higher amount. Surley the new tenant next door should be charged under the affordable rent aswell?

posted a while back but would love to know the outcome and if you contacted the HA , my dil pays £260 a week under affordable housing the exact house in same road pays £175 under social rent both with same HA

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