To thiink more needs to be done to stop people accessing council housing who already have overseas homes?

[livinginatravellodge]

I know a person who is a dual national but not has British Nationality. They still have really strong links to their country of origin.
In their home country they have a fully furnished 3 bed apartment that they visit with their children when going home. They also one an apartment which they rent out and the income is kept in a bank account overseas. They also own a prime piece of building land. However, in the UK they live in a council property.

I believe that in most councils you are not allowed council housing if you all ready own property; some councils are more explicit and say in detail that this includes overseas property.

If a person attempted to gain a council property while already owning UK property they could very quickly be found out and be taken to court for housing fraud.

I know of another couple, both from different countries who live in council property in the UK. I am friends with them both on Facebook and every year they go on holiday to their alternate country of origin. Again, they have a property to stay in when they visit their home country. I would think that this situation is more common than we all realise.

I own my own property and have been fortunate enough to never need to live in council property but I find this really unfair.The first person mentioned is not a very nice person in many ways (but that is another matter). I reported him to the council and have provided my name for further information.

I am intrigued to see what the council do but I am anticipating nothing as they may find it too hard to prove.

AIBU to think that more needs to be done to ensure that council housing is not allocated to those that already have an overseas home?

Not where I live. Salary limit is £60k

Just me that thinks YANBU?

And the cheaper rent, private rental is at least double for most comparable properties.

I don't think you're being unreasonable, if we had surplus affordable housing stock then who cares, but when people are waiting years in unsuitable accommodation then of course it's unfair. My friend left an abusive relationship and the only housing was a hostel, she couldn't have her children with her but was promised when she was in a property she'd have them back- she lived with me for a while because she was a vulnerable woman popped into a property with addicts, violent criminals and others.

I'd say you are not being unreasonable life very much feels like a 3 rule system in this country - the mega rich, the non-british heritage and then lastly the lower and middle class British people. Its pot luck all the way.

YANBU

Each council employs fraud teams to uncover council house fraudsters. It is more common than people think and this does disqualify the tenant from renting. They will take it seriously even if difficult to prove.

It’s not right when people take the piss like this. Council housing is precious.

Report, report, report!

Never mind homes overseas - I well remember an undercover TV prog. where some bloke owned an ex council flat, but rented another similar (from the council) just across the landing from his own. He was filmed showing a would-be tenant the flat he owned!

I suspect that there’s quite a bit of illegal subletting going on. Presumably councils either don’t have anything like enough staff/funding to check everybody, or in some cases, turn a blind eye.

I don’t think you* can check the Land Reg simply by a person’s name, to find out what they legally own - you can only check who owns a particular address.
*though I dare say the police/solicitors can.

You’re not unreasonable no. It is very unfair but there’s a lot of abuse going on with that kind of thing. I think council properties should be on 5yr tenancies and limits on earnings as you can be paying subsidised rent and be a millionaire which is hardly fair when there’s vulnerable families waiting

I know two families who own homes in different countries and live in council owned properties here.

They don’t visit for holidays though. Their homes are in Kharkiv.

YABU.

The rules are for when you apply, you can work and progress like anyone else.

i don’t know how they managed this one but the family I kniw, mums in (been in it for years, as is absolutely right and correct) council,
dad owns a large property portfolio in a cheaper northern town.

Why?

When you’ve got an old style secure tenancy you’ve got a property for life as long as you pay your rent. I worked for a HA for years. I can think of dozens of tenants who owned oversea property and would ‘go home’ for months at a time especially during winter. There was of course a lot of subletting fraud too, but this was very difficult to prove.

Brits generally don’t like unfairness.

we don’t like queue jumpers and cheats

That is not true. Many councils still own and directly manage council properties.

Well it should be for the poor, shouldn't it?

I think if you own a home anywhere, you shouldn't get council housing, but I haven't thought about it much.

Of course it’s unfair.
Unfortunately as long as the UK property is their primary residence then it’s not illegal.

In my area and the areas I've worked in, HA/ council rent isn't even half the private rent for a comparable property. In some areas there are still council properties.

Yeah if you own property anywhere, you shouldn't be able to take council housing.

I really think the government need to spend a lot more on cracking down on benefit fraud. It would create employment and the money spent would ultimately be saved. The amount of money wasted on benefits fraud is obscene and stops those in real need accessing it.

I know a family who are from DCR. They have 5 children, 2 with severe ASD and mum with auto immune disease who’s quite poorly.
They have been housed in a 3 bed council flat on the 2nd floor, no lift, no garden, riddled with damp.
we can all cite examples both positive and negative of who lives in social housing.

But love a sensational story on social media that anyone could make up, a bit like Trump and the dog eating Haitians!

OP in the real world everyone knows this is unfair. It’s not right that someone owns property abroad, gets rent from that property, and yet still takes a council property in the UK, depriving people whose need is much greater.

However, MN is a weird space where everyone is allowed a council house, even if they’re multi millionaires with properties in every UK town. And you’ll be told to mind your own business. It’s the MN way!

Only while the queue jumpers and cheats aren’t us.

So nobody in a council house should be allowed to inherit a house anywhere in the world without losing their home, or buy a holiday home, or buy somewhere to retire too? Can they invest in property at all???

If they don't need council housing, they should leave and use all their inherited houses and property investments instead! 😅

So you were born in the uk have children in school and jobs and live in a council house and then you aunt Mabel leaves you a one bed flat in Nepal and you lose your home??? Council tenants aren’t serfs, they have no need to tell you anything about their finances once there.