To think ILs and DH should utilise this opportunity better

[FleursDeFilles]

MIL has no savings. FIL died 10 years ago. DH has one sister who rents with her husband. DH earns well and bought his parents' council house outright. The house is in Bedford. The house has been vacant since FIL died. MIL lives in her sister's council flat in London. SIL is also in London. MIL doesn't want to live alone. Their family home in Bedford is like a ghost house of a family who once lived there.

AIBU to think it is such a waste that they won't rent it out? It could all go into MIL's savings and offer her a much more comfortable life. She lives incredibly frugally, wears a woolly hat and coat indoors. I just feel like things could be so much better.

MIL refuses to throw anything out or organise things in the Bedford home. She won't go back to live in the house. SIL isn't interested in the house. DH doesn't want to sell as neither MIL nor SIL have a property of their own and would like there to be somewhere as a back up (I agree too although generally not any of my business).

However, the house, having been vacant for a decade is becoming increasingly unliveable. It is a mess - no furniture covered in sheets, dishes still out. I just don't understand how they can leave a property empty and not make the most of it. I think it's so irresponsible. I feel like my IL's could be futureproofing and preparing for the future in a more savvy way. AIBU? What would you do if that was your family house?

This.
People who become emotional, cry, and refuse to make decisions about huge amounts of money or assets, for years on end, are clearly not capable of being responsible for that money/assets.
Given that she is not emotionally capable, your DH should step in.

If her tears are genuine grief, she may benefit from counselling, but that is no reason for DH not to take action re the house.
If her tears are to do with control and manipulation, rather than genuine grief, all the more reason for him to take charge and take action.

There are several things:

1. Leaving a perfectly good house empty is a moral failing - there are so many families desperate to find somewhere to live. Private rentals get snapped up before they even go on the market. If she doesnt want to live in the house then she should free it up (either by selling or renting) so that others can create a home.
2. Leaving the house empty, unheated and uncared for will cause some long term problems - mould, or rats will move into a lovely quiet empty house. Pipes might burst or electrics may go wrong.
3. Financially she is wasting money on bills for this house that could be spent on other things and means your DH does not have to subsidise her.
4. I assume that selling and then buying where she is currently living is not viable due to high prices in london? Would it buy her a small flat?
5. Is there a mortgage on the property? if so it is likely to be against the mortgage terms to be empty for more than 30 days or so many days a year.
6. likewise any insurance is likely to be invalid - meaning if anything does happen such as a burst pipe the insurance company will use the fact is is empty to not pay out. That will be very very expensive for you.
7. An empty 'anbandoned' house is ripe for the picking for squatters and if they bed in could be very hard to get rid of and potentially you could lose the property. not common but it could happen, in fact if they had moved in when it was first abandoned 10 years ago they could soon claim adverse posession as i think that is 10 years!!

How old is MIL?

Adding onto the council tax crackdown if the house is falling into disrepair the neighbours can get the council involved as it will be a magnet for rats, fly tipping, unsociable activities from drug users or gangs of kids. You could get fined for it, charged for council repairing it if it's unsafe, or have the house compulsory purchased (at a low value).

Basically if you/DH don't start taking responsibility for it you are going to end up in a world of financial and legal pain. The poor neighbours in the meantime though 😱

It was purchased in 2015, so 10 years ago maximum, and FIL died 10 years ago? And it has been empty since he died? So it has been empty straight away since your husband bought it?

You need to be blunt with all of them - you can't afford to sub them anymore so the house either needs to be sold or rented out, which do they prefer.

Not my council but this is what I was trying to say. Be aware of the bolded part.

A number of laws can be used against the owners of empty properties to encourage them to bring their properties up to a decent standard, particularly when failure to do so creates problems for the local community.
https://www.preston.gov.uk/article/924/Empty-homes-and-enforcement-action

I had the same issue with an elderly relative who went to live with his son . He just wanted to leave everything I guess with the idea maybe he would return . He refused to pay for heating in it . Within one year only, damp and then mould meant wallpaper peeling, pipes breaking . Family overrode him to address the issues . Furniture and furnishings had to be got rid of , damp affected books , pictures. Such a shame .
A house needs to be a home to someone, to keep heat on , to maintain garden etc .

I can't understand the current set up.

SIL has a council flat in London, but doesn't live in it, your mum does? And then SIL lives elsewhere?

If your MiL and SiL won't get rid of the belongings in the house and it's turned into a shrine for the late FiL, then I'd have a word with your DH.
Suggest to him that the house it getting into a state of disrepair. It's not being heated so the neighbours are likely to be affected by having a cold damp house that they are connected to.
Something has to be done, and the sooner the better.

Do you have kids of your own with your DH @FleursDeFilles ? If he bought the house for his mother to live in and her name is on the deeds, then he probably would have had to sign lots of documents at the time of purchase as it would have been a gift (and a wonderfully generous one at that), so there may be tax implications down the track. Also if you have your own kids, and MiL and SiL want nothing to do with the property, couldn't the rent money be put in to a savings account for their education or their property needs in years to come? Or even your retirement fund?

There has to be something that can be done here.

MIL lives with her sister (DH's aunt) in that sister's council flat in London.

SIL (DH's sister), lives in another rented property with her husband.

House bought by DH for his parents sits unoccupied.

Ahhh ok

If the house is in MILs name then it might need selling for care home fees. Would MIL sign it back over to dh?

What a waste of a good family home. Poor neighbours too.

When she asks for cash from now on just say no. And keep on saying no. And if there are complaints explain she could rent out her house or even sell it.

Honestly this is so frustrating, your ILs benefitted from a council home and now it has gone unused for 10years.

It looks like you can offer to rent the house through the council to other families who need a home and still retain ownership which surely would be the best scenario for all.

https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/info/145/lets_rent/925/landlords_let_your_property_through_our_lets_rent_scheme

At some point your husband and his siblings will most likely take control over MIL finances so perhaps then he can actually get the property usable for someone

More than anything I hope there is proper unoccupied insurance- BIL tenant did a moonlight flit and left a tap running and he wasn’t near the property for a good six months. He’s pretty screwed now!

This is mad.
The house needs to be either lived in by someone in the family, rented out or sold.
Is your husband not worried about getting squatters or vermin in an empty house?
Its his house to do with whatever he likes, but its a sin to have an empty house in a housing crisis tbh!

Surely your insurance won't cover anything if it's unoccupied and something happens?

I'd tell them enough is enough either she moves back in, or it's rented out or sold.
The council are cracking down on unoccupied houses too, so you don't have much time!

The property may very well be subject to an EDMO (empty dwelling management order) from the council before too much longer. They really are clamping down on properties lying idle and falling into disrepair. Complaints from neighbours or even people just passing by will be enough to trigger this. The Council will identify the owners and try to work with them initially to find a solution but if that fails they will issue a Compulsory Purchase Order. If they do that, you won't get the full market value of the house and you will be forced to clear it out quickly. This is a very stupid situation.

They (FIL and MIL) were all already living in the house before DH bought it off the council. It was their family home for 30 years. DH bought it when FIL was given a bad prognosis to an illness and they did not want to risk MIL potentially being asked by council to leave and move if FIL passed away.

When FIL did pass away, MIL went to London to live with DH and sometimes SIL (I think) but she never actually went back to the house. Initially they thought it was temporary and she didn't want to be alone. But she hasn't gone back.

They are genuine grief. And I think also overwhelm. She never did have to make any important decisions when FIO was alive and I do feel there is a gap in her understanding with some things. I do see DH and SIL do all her admin.

SIL rents a private apartment in London with her husband.
MIL lives with her own sister - this property is a council owned property.

DH agrees something needs to be done but doesn't want to pressure his mum.

DH and I have one DC and plan to have one more 🤞MIL and SIL don't want anything to do with it in the sense that they don't want to sort out the house right now. However, I think the agreement is that if MIL passes away, the house will be split two ways between SIL and DH. In my opinion, it's not like DH can afford this these days (he wants to send DD to private school) but also I have no intention of saying that ever as this was all agreed way before I existed.

I'd 'pop around to do the annual check on it', and find a letter from the council saying the house has been reported as unoccupied and in poor condition. As a result of this DH is going to have to clear it within 90 days and "make it habitable".

Give MIL the deadline for coming to take stuff out she wants (I bet she doesn't!). Then get it rented out! She's obviously zero interest in it beyond clinging to the memory. It's not helping anyone and DH needs to force the issue. Once the cord is cut it'll be done.

Renting out is.no longer easy.
Tenants don't pay, tenants smash up properties.
It can affect the mental health of the landlord.
Lots of landlords are selling up

There is alot to consider today being a landlord.
Please let her decide for herself and don't push her. Renting out can be a nightmare.
Peace of mind is worth alot.