Leaving a council tenancy to move back in with mum need some reassurance

[prestatynprlck]

For context I am 28 and single. I was given a council tenancy on a one bedroomed flat three years ago. Since then my circumstances have changed and I now earn 38k a year and I am in a position where I could buy a 2/3 bedroomed house soon. I have a 5% deposit saved but I need 10% really otherwise I am going to get stung my interest rates. I could save this in a year moving back in with my mum. I need to bite the bullet and do it however I know I would never get given another council tenancy again and I feel a bit scared of letting it go. Am I mad to consider giving up a secure tenancy to move back in with my mum?

Regardless of anything else, the only question you need to answer is: Do you want to and can you cope living with your mum? And then answer it if it’s only 6 months vs 1 year vs 3 years etc

Move in with mum, save for a deposit. Even if you have some disagreements you only have to last a year. Much better to own your own property than live permanently in a council house.

So, yes....move into your mum's house and save. And give that flat to that battered mother

It's a one bed property so other would go to another single person, not a battered mother

Stay in your flat and save up, while it might take a bit longer to save you will be in a much better position for security in case anything changes in your life or your mums, would be mad to give that security up

OP if you’re 28 and planning on having children at some point I would definitely move back in with your mum and save for a house. It’s much much easier to buy a house before having children, it’s so much harder to save once you have children. And even if you bought your flat under the RTB scheme you may find it more difficult to sell afterwards as (in my area at least) 1 bed flats in leasehold buildings are more difficult to sell, and I’d never want to be a landlord. My brother was and it caused so many issues.

I would definitely move out, save up and buy your own home. Once you’re retired your home will be paid off, whereas if you’re in rented accommodation you’ve still got to pay rent (yes I know they’d be some benefit paid but it’s still means tested so if you had a good pension you’d be paying still).

And if she doesn't manage to save up in that time? Then she's stuck with mum and has lost out on a lifetime tenancy. Madness to even suggest it IMO.

biscuitsandbooks

She’s got twice as much chance if she saves £1000 a month rather than £500.

I completely agree - social housing is for those that need it - if you can afford to save 500 a month, you don’t need state support anymore ,This sums up everything that’s wrong with the social welfare system -it should be there to support those in a time of need, not become a lifestyle choice

You have security for life. Most people save for a house in order to have the security that you already have. You're right, you don't know what's going to happen with interest rates and what if you got ill and lost your job? The last few years have shown us we can't take anything for granted. Don't give up security just to speed up getting on the property ladder by a year or two when you've got your entire working life to save for a house.

I have an assured social housing tenancy and wouldn't give it up for anything.

But if she's in her council flat, it doesn't matter if it takes longer - she has a secure, private home of her own to live in.

Anyone who gives up a council tenancy to go back and live with their mum is absolutely bonkers IMO.

In an ideal world, yes.

But you have to work with the system you have. OP is incredibly lucky and has a home for life - giving that up because it's "morally right" to go back and live with her mum at 28 makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

I very much doubt all the "move back home" posters would happily give up their own, secure properties to go and live in their mum's spare room either

Why are pps amazed a single person has a council house?
Not everyone lives in London, there are council houses/HA homes across the whole of the UK, many not with huge waiting lists.

How do you know she's not in a nice area to start with?

@Mebfl
SH isn't state support or for poor people!
I know teachers, nurses etc who live in SH, many rents are not cheap either!
Sick of this MN rhetoric that you should give up a secure tenancy as it's deemed you could buy or worse still private rent.

This, and the councils can't give their one bedroom homes to families due to overcrowding rules, so they have to go to single people or couples.

I know right! The epitomy of telling people to set themselves on fire to keep others warm.

@Engleberthumper
Either, the council should keep a careful track of the tenant's situation and, when it becomes clear that the tenant can now stand on their own feet, unsupported by the tax payer, that tenant should be given notice to move out.

how is a SH tenant supported by the tax payer? they pay tax/NI/ rent/council tax like any one else. It's not all unemployed layabouts.
Your attitude is very skewed.

I am really surprised at the first page of advice on here. I would certainly move back in the save on rent and get a good deposit more quickly. I have a good relationship with my Mum and get on well with most people. House prices are only going round up here. Leaving a council tenancy doesn't mean you can't have another. You can put yourself straight back on the waiting list. Any one can. That is the joy of council housing. I think that will be the quickest way to reach your goal.

I would stay put atm and save a bit longer , life sometimes throws curved balls and a council flat is security many people can only dream of .

But being on the list doesn't mean you'll get another tenancy any time soon - or even at all.

Giving up a secure home at 28 to move back in with mum makes absolutely zero sense. If OP was in private rent then it would be different.

I don't know if it's the same for all local authorities but here there is no list anymore. You get allocated a band and can bid on available properties for your band. People with a higher band than you will get higher up in the bidding. So you could be renting privately and be on a lower band and essentially never get a chance to be top of the bids because someone will always come along with a higher band due to homelessness/mental health issues etc.

You are young, same age as my eldest. It’s good to have a range of opinions as long as “everyone around me” is advising you for the right reasons. If (and I don’t mean to put anyone down) there is any hint of jealousy or making you feel guilty then try to disregard these people. It’s such a dilemma!
Can you live with your mum easily? (Think back to the possible reason you were allocated your own flat). Think about day-to-day living - at the moment you are very capably doing your job and building your career, living independently. Keep that in mind.
Don’t listen to those who say you “owe” it to hand the flat back - that is your plan, just do it in your time on your terms. Don’t get derailed by any talk of buying, letting, subletting etc.
Keep it simple, this is a head decision not a heart decision. If in any doubt, stay on in your flat and go for the longer-term option.
Good luck to you, keep on track and listen to those you feel know you best and you can trust most.

Social housing isn't a welfare benefit. It's either council, HA, or privately provided, with the rent charged covering the cost of the loan used to build if council, nfp and then it's profit.

This sums up what's wrong with the country, too many people with strident opinions based on very little.

I'm another vote for staying in your flat. If things went wrong at your mum's, you will never get another council tenancy and will not be able to save on a private tenancy. I was in a similar position to you 30 years back but much as I loved my parents living with them was not an option as they lived in rural Ireland and I was in London. But we had the council tenancy and used that as a way to save to buy. I appreciated that flat gave us the opportunity to do so.

I know you said you weren't going to buy your flat from the council. Please don't do as pp have suggested and do exactly that. Leave it for someone else who needs a start in life. Plus if it's for a single person, I imagine it's in a block and/or an estate which comes with it's own difficulties when trying to sell eg difficulties with leases, council deciding to demolish the whole estate and only giving as little as possible to homeowners etc. Nah......

I don't get all the people saying stay put for this reason and also Id prefer a shot at owning my own house. Equity is another way of saving for old age. There's a limited supply of every form of social welfare and there are always new people in need, if someone no longer needs that support it should go to someone who actually does. It's an interesting comparison to many of the threads about UC or disabled people who can't work, where it's all get a job, get off benefits, why should the state pay for you. Here we have someone being told the state should go on supporting them when they no longer need that support. I'm curious why the difference when they're all tax payer funded forms of welfare. Why is it ok to occupy a council house and take money from other tax payers when you don't actually need to. Why are people in council houses seen as deserving of life time tenancies past the point when they no longer need that support.