Council houses owning brand new cars?

[TheCluelessMum]

I’m writing this post with the hopes of being educated, not slandered

however I completely appreciate I may be just completely shot down for asking this.

i live on a new build estate, 12 houses at the start of the estate are council houses. I don’t know this because I’m a snob, I know this because it’s clearly marked on plans when you buy those houses.

i see so much stuff online about how the UK benefits system is failing people, the higher rise of food banks. It’s absolutely abhorrent people are in this situation.

however, when entering my estate today I noticed that each and every single council house had a car newer that a 20 plate. Mercedes, Audi’s, BMW’s even range rovers.. there was not a single house out of the 12 which had an older than 20 plate car.

I am now confused as to why this is the case? Everyone I know (including those receiving benefits) continually speaks about how hard the cost of living is.

so could someone please answer how/why those in what we would presume lower income families, are able to afford such lavish cars.

Can't remember if it was this thread or the other. Private landlords what is included in the rent?

We didn't have a mortgage on our rental property, so yes it provided an income and appreciated in value. Yes, and...? We all live in a capitalist society and that is never going to change.

We were extremely careful about who we rented to and if our tenants were good then we really looked after them.

Nope. 19% of new leased cars are Motability. Not even bothering to respond to the rest of your post because the same kind of ableist shite appears daily on MN

Glad you recognise that.

Oh good, i was starting to think you were a LL on the bones of your arse! for LLs with a mortgage? welcome to real world business - interest rates can go up too but whats the betting that rents wont fall when interest rates drop again??

I was answering the wide spread lie that being a BTL is some sort of money loss scheme and LLs are doing a social good and not lining their own pockets.

No matter how good a LL you might think you are, at some point a LL is likely going to evict someone from their home, through no fault of their own, a council will not do this.

Having witnessed the stress a good friend of mine went through after being evicted, after 21 years of a good tenant/LL relationship (she lost her hair and became quite ill) its not something i'd like to be party too.

I'm also seeing this almost weekly on the local FB page, LLs evicting/selling, people desperate to stay in the area or just have a roof over their heads but can get nothing, demand is massively outstripping supply and no council housing.

What an embittered, resentful person you sound like.

Sorry, is there something inherently virtuous about being on the bones of your arse? We never evicted any of our tenants, and I don't 'think' I was a good landlord, I know I was.

Obviously there are bad landlords out there, and some dreadful stories. But it's incredibly tiresome to hear this constant litany that we're all evil bastards. We sold up because it just stopped being viable, as did several other (good, responsible) landlords we knew. From the tenants POV this can only be a negative result, fewer decent rental properties now available and fewer decent landlords.

What a smug, self satisfied person you sound. There’s really no need for personal insults, is there?

Somewhat ironic, considering you called @Macaroni46 unlucky landlord friend 'greedy' and crowed that her rental property was absolutely trashed by the tenant? Plus, despite me clearly being sarcastic, you were very quick to say that, yes, all landlords were venal, money grabbing bastards.

And if providing a very good standard of rental property at a slightly below market rate price, whilst fostering good relationships with tenants, makes me smug, then so be it. All tenants should be so lucky.

Yes, yes I am. Because the young woman concerned is single, had animals that she loves that many landlords would reject, and works in a minimum wage job. I know her - not well - but enough to know that she wouldn't trash anything deliberately - and trust her to keep it in a reasonable condition, despite the animals. She hasn't let me down and she knows she's landed on her feet. It works for us both.

Careful! You're spoiling the Greedy Bastard Landlord trope.

When we decided to sell our rental we offered it first to our tenant, at slightly below the market value, because he'd been such a good tenant and he desperately wanted to buy it. We were happy to take a hit on our profit to help him onto the housing ladder. But unfortunately he couldn't get a mortgage offer in place.

But, yeah, we're all just evil gits, of course.

The point you - i use the word YOU to cover LLs generally, not you specifically - seem unable to grasp is that you control someones life, you decide the rent, you decide how long they'll stay in their home, if they'll have a new bathroom or kitchen, in many cases, the paint scheme or even being able to hang a picture.

BTL became so popular because it was a money money making scheme, low interest rates, high rents, soaring house prices.

We ned more Council houses, less reliance on private LLs, give people some security.

You do know we all live in a capitalist society, yes? And that is never going to change, despite all of the righteous rhetoric on here.

FFS living in a capitalist society doesn't mean we take adv of the less fortunate and fleece them... you seem happy with that?

We didn't use to have such a large BTL sector and other capitalist countries don't have this either.

I never took advantage of anyone less fortunate and neither did I fleece them, thanks. But what's the point even discussing it, as never the twain shall meet.

Jeez some people are very difficult...

I said "YOU" meant LLs generally not you specifically.... god help your poor tenants if you re so argumentative 😂

I grew up in a counsel house and I think it’s important to know that just because they are in counsel accommodation doesn’t mean they’re on benefits! My parents both worked very hard at blue collar jobs, and never took a penny other than child benefit my whole childhood.
we didnt though really have any money. We didn’t go on holiday my entire childhood bar 1 week in Blackpool, we had an old car (hire purchase) and my mum worked overnight in a carehome in the run up to Xmas for extra money. Everything came from “the catalogue” and was paid off weekly at the post office. I didn’t go on school trips and I never had new clothes except for my “Christmas dress”. That was in the 80s/ early 90s. Thing was though, all my mates were the same, apart from the “rich kids” at school (about 5 of them in a class of 30!) we all just had the same lives and it was amazing.
Now everyone wants to have the best all the time…

I’m disabled, I pay for my own car and claim no benefits..

try being disabled for a day, not a lot of fun let me tell you.

💯 agree!

But people would just go onto benefits to keep the house! My sister in law works on the tills in Tesco and her adult son and daughter live in the house. She would rather keep the house than anything else. She would give up her job if that's what it took. And then you would have council estates where no one works, leading to a cycle of deprivation. What a crazy idea.

They could do that, but you can't evict a couple from a 3 bed house if there is nowhere for them to go.
My parents are in a 3 bed house. They were offered money to move to a 1 bed... except there are none. 1 bed places are in huge demand.
They could do a swap, but they can only swap to a 1 bed, and someone in a 1 bed wont be eligible to go into a 3 bed. Also, DM is a keen gardener... they don't want a high rise flat.

Dont blame them Flats are sweat boxes

So you’re not allowed a home, for your kids to Grow up in and you to grow old in, just because you can’t afford a mortgage.

Your privilege is showing.

My parents (both worked their whole lives in blue collar jobs) have been in the same property for 55 years, they have never missed their rent once in those 55 years, the house is gorgeous and spotless, they keep the garden neat and planted with flowers. They have been there since the day they got married and have probably paid for it by now in rent.

tell you what kick them out hey.. 77 and 80 years of age, let them go and private rent on a state pension

Yes, this.
My parents have only ever been in SH. They have been in their current house for about 35 years. If they owned it, it would have been paid off by now. They are both pensioners but my mum still works as she, in her words "likes to have nice things".
She has her own small company and leases a car... which will be new every 3 years.... which ties into the OP title really.

Yes, I knew you meant it collectively, but I still think it's important to put across the other point of view. There are good landlords out there.

And, I can't recall a single time I ever argued with any tenant. As I'm sure you'll be relieved to know.