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?

If you had to leave your council flat when earning over a certain amount it would put people off earning more, as they would be forced to spend all their money on private rent. At least SH gives people the chance to save more for a house deposit or pension or put their money back into the economy, rather than spending all their income on rent and having no safety net if anything should happen. There just needs to be more of it built. But saying that, new SH is costing more to rent than current stock because the LAs have to buy it from homebuilders at much higher prices than most of the older houses around now. Everyone deserves security, OP shouldn't have to give that up due to someone else's crisis.

I'm just shocked by someone saying they pay £900 a month rent for social housing, because in North Staffs, where me and DH live, we pay £380 a month for a two bed housing association bungalow. It has a large garden and we have a garage as well. It was originally built for private sale but the home builders went into administration. So a housing association took over and bought the housing stock. It's quite rural, and in a beautiful little cul de sac. Hell will freeze over before we move. We will NEVER give up this bungalow.

We used to be homeowners, (for some 19-20 years,) but due to several different reasons and events (related to the credit crunch,) we lost our home. We were struggling financially and had very little surplus income for a while. We first went into private let, (around 16-17 years ago,) and we applied for social housing. DH worked full time and me part time. (We had 2 kids to support too,) and we rarely had even a fiver left at the end of the month.

That's why we were allowed social housing as we weren't loaded.... Our private let house was a 3 bed that we had from 2009 to 2012, then we were offered a 3 bed social housing house, where we lived from 2012 to 2016, (and in that time both DC left home.) In early 2017, not long after the kids left home, we started looking for a bungalow. We applied for about 20 over 6 months or so. We were both starting to develop mobility issues, so a bungalow was perfect! We were thrilled when a lovely one came up in a gorgeous area and we got it! The rent was £333 a month when we moved in, (in mid 2017,) compared to £650 for private rent at the time. So we saved over £300 a month instantly,

Also, now the kids had left home/left Uni, and we were not having to support them, we started to be able to save between £650 to £700 a month most months... We're both not far from retirement age, and hell will absolutely freeze over before we leave this place..

Yes, we can sometimes save around £700 a month most months.. We can save this much because of the low rent, so no fucking WAY are we surrendering this property... This same property private let is £1000 to £1100 a month, - so if we left and moved into private let, we'd be paying about £650 to £700 a month more rent ... Putting us up shit creek again, paying a fortune for private let, no security of tenure, and no way to save for the future.

We would be pretty bloody stupid to leave it! We both work, (me part time 18 hours a week, DH 30 hours a week,) and we both pay the full rent, and full council tax, and we have every intention of growing old here and staying in social housing, for the rest of our lives.

We will NOT leave and rent privately, and or 'buy a property' to 'free up our home for someone with much less surplus income.' If we did give it up, WE would be the ones with much less surplus income then! It makes zero sense!!! We know which side our bread is buttered LOL! We have cheap affordable housing that is lovely, in a beautiful area, and don't have to worry a single jot about repairs and maintenance. Everything is covered. You fork out 10s of 1000s of £££ over the years in repairs on homes. We don't have to worry as the repairs are covered with our rent.

We will have a state pension each, and we've got 6 work pensions/private pensions between us. (As well as some decent savings!) So we're going to be comfortable in our retirement, as well as having a lovely social housing bungalow with cheap as chips rent! ... I think people are pretty clueless when they say that 'social housing is free.' As has been said, quite a number of people pay their own rent - and as other people said, professionals live in it as well.

The nasty, spiteful, barbed comments about people in social housing come from a place of deep resentment, and jealousy.. Why do some people resent other people having a nice, comfortable, happy life, with secure affordable housing? How mean-spirited!

Some posters say that people should surrender their social housing when they are in a better financial position, but why on earth would they do that when it's being in social housing that is keeping them in this better financial position?

Some people have said to me 'you will have to still keep paying rent when you have retired, but homeowners won't.' That is indeed true, but many 60+ homeowners I know who finished paying their mortgage a few years ago, have recently had to fork out multiple 1000s of £££ on house repairs. One couple had to pay £20,000 for a new roof this past month, another woman I know has had to pay around £22,000 for underpinning of foundations as her house is slipping, and several others I know have been forking out 5 figures for new windows, doors, kitchens, and bathrooms. One couple I know has just paid £4,000 for a new boiler, after spending 3 years paying for a new kitchen.

When you're homeowner, you never stop forking out for repairs. In social housing, you pay for nothing. The rent covers it all, so once we have paid the rent, all our money is ours.

Oh and finally, if we are ever in a position to not be able to afford the rent after we have retired, housing benefit will pay it. They don't pay your mortgage if you're a homeowner, OR for the repairs and maintenance on your property! As it stands though, we will be able to afford to pay our own rent.

@BatchCookBabe I agree totally with you , there is certainly a council tenancy jealousy on MN. I don't understand why the OP is getting so much vitriol for something I see as totally fine.

And I'm another who doesn't see how and why she got one as important! I lived in one as an adult, albeit when there were more council properties than there are now, and it's no one's business how I got it.

Ps the only reason I can see to give up a council tenancy is to buy. Certainly not to rent privately as in that scenario she would have less chance of saving to buy, and would be stuck in rented for ever. This way there is an end in sight.

And at 28 I wouldn't like to live at home again...and I had a good relationship with my parents. I just wouldn't want to give up my independence and have my mum giving me her opinion on my life, clothes, friends etc etc. Once you've left home it's hard to go back imho.

@BIossomtoes
A single person has completely different needs from a family needing a 2/3 bed home. Much easier to allocate them a one bed, no idea why this OP having a one bed flat is a mystery for ppl to understand .

@BatchCookBabe
I fully agree, MN has some very odd and inaccurate ideas about SH.
Homeowning is not the be all and end all, most European countries have a higher % of SH than owned.
It's snobbery and jealousy.

Don't do it OP. Stick with what you have and keep your Mum's as an option should anything go wrong with your flat (abusive neighbours etc). It's your guarantee of a home of your own while you save your deposit.

I live in Bristol. House prices here are notoriously insane and not far off (and often the same as) London prices!

There is a danger that your mum will not want you to leave again if you move back. It's not unusual for adult children to end up stuck in a caring role for years in those circumstances.

Stay where you are and maintain your independence - you can still visit her.

She cannot currently afford to move on, as she is still saving the deposit to do so. So eventually she will move on, and the flat will come available for another single person to rent.

I find this really odd too, that some people seem genuinely confused about single people having social housing. Why shouldn't they? Do they think social housing is only for families, and single moms, and people over 65?!

Several housing associations in my county have built quite a bit of social housing, and have built (in the past 10 years) plenty of houses, and a few bungalows, and some one bed flats. (A few two bed flats too, but more one bed flats,) mostly for single people - but also for couples.

Do some people on here think that all single people should just private rent or buy their own place? Do they not think that single people deserve social housing? Do they not think some single people struggle with only one income? They probably need social housing more than some couples and families. (Although couples and families need it as well of course.)

It is not 'incredibly rare' for a single person to be given a social housing flat. (Not where I live anyway! OR in any neighbouring counties.) Some posters seem to be genuinely offended and annoyed that the OP has a social housing flat? Why? Who should live there if not her? A family with one or two children?! If THAT happened, people would be kicking off about a family with children being shoved into a flat! The vast majority of flats will not suit families with children, so of course it's OK to allocate a flat to a single person.

Surely it makes sense for a single person on one wage (that is not very high, as it is for many people,) to have cheap social housing - as they will be more likely to struggle financially on one income.

I think the people who think single people shouldn't have social housing are the same ones that think social housing is 'free,' and you get all your repairs and maintenance done 'for free!' 😂 Honestly! The level of cluelessness on here from for some people is off the scale.

I also don't need to 'get up to date' on social housing rents - as one poster condescendingly suggested. 🙄 As I said, mine and DH's 2 bed bungalow is less than £400 a month. And most homes (with most social housing landlords) in my area - North Staffs, (and the neighbouring towns and counties,) is £400 to £575 a month. (For most properties.) Some people on Mumsnet may pay £800 to £900 a month for their social housing property, but not everyone does.

So, no, I do not need to 'get up to date' on social housing rents. I AM up to date on them thank you! 😎...

@BatchCookBabe
Glad to find someone with the same mindset!!
Some of the comments here are clueless and plain nasty.

A young single person with no disabilities would never get council property in London.

Because they would be on a list behind many hundreds of people more in need. That's not true of everywhere in the UK.

I agree with you. Look at the posters saying that flats are not suitable for children that’s ridiculous in London 90% of flats will have children in them. private and social.

Because at 21 if she was living with her mum she’d be classed as adequately housed. And her mum clearly lives close by. Basically, it’s a bit of a warning flag that living with her mum and saving up back then wasn’t possible.

@prestatynprlck - could you buy with the deposit you have saved now? (Even though repayments would be higher.) Have you checked what a lodger would bring in now and if it would work out better for you to move now? I’d be scared house prices might rise faster than you can save.

given you are expecting a large pay rise in 2 years, I’d be tempted to buy sooner, rent a room for 2 years until you take a wage step up.

Doesn't mean flats are suitable for children though. 🙄 They're not. (Most of them anyway!)

Glad I don't live in London by the way. Like fuck would I be living in a flat with 2 children. In my area, the housing associations would never house a family with children in a flat.

Fancy, yes I could but annoyingly everything I want to buy is just a bit too expensive 😩10% deposit also opens up helping hands mortgages that will allow me to borrow more times my salary.

Lots of children live in flats quite happily in London and all around the Uk. I would say that it's the most common way of living in continental Europe too. They don't seem to have the same prejudices as the Brits about living in flats.

The council could rent it out at market rent and use the "profit" to pay for some of the other exorbitant welfare schemes they're legally responsible for. Instead of constantly raising council tax.

Why is everything in the British welfare system so all-or-nothing? You either get a golden ticket or you struggle.

Anyway OP congratulations on getting back into your feet and earning a salary that will let you save - whether it's in 1 year or 2!

Lots of you debating the how's and why's of OPs housing needs are quite ignorant of the reasons why this might be necessary and it is not relevant to OPs situation
Here's a snapshot of my DS1 circumstances who was given a council tenancy at 16.. now earning a decent salary
I had CS involved because he was physically abusive to his 2 younger siblings( no SN)
He continues to pay full rent of £540 pcm in a major tourist city in the SW

Stay and save the 10% and then hand back the property. Dont purchase it, ...social homes are diminishing because of this and the cap is actually lowering so you wont get the discount you used to.

So should no young adult EVER be allowed a social housing flat then, because they are 'adequately housed' with mum and dad? 🙄 Should they all be forced to go into private let if they want their own place? Or be forced to buy? Or get pregnant to get a place? FFS! Behave yourself will you? A single adult is quite entitled to have a 1 bed social housing flat!