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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To let my property through the council

38 replies

Haveaproperty · 15/09/2025 19:31

Name changed for my own reasons.
I have a property that I let and I am thinking of letting it through the council. The rent is the right money and it will be a private let but to working families on universal credit. The council source the tenant, sort their deposit and then the tenancy is handed over to me.
I am thinking this is actually quite a good thing to do as there arent many good properties in the area that are 4 bed to let and people need housing. I also have it on the market through an agent but no takers yet(only been on for 2 weeks).
I am wondering if I should go for it, does anyone have good or bad experiences to share of letting a property through the council.
I don't want speculative comments about things that might go wrong or some sort of debate on what is right or wrong with housing or whatever.
Just lived experiences if anyone that either lets their property or lets a property through the council and your experiences. Hopefully good ones. That can help me make a decision.

OP posts:
hattie43 · 16/09/2025 16:21

ARichtGoodDram · 15/09/2025 21:43

Letting one person's one experience decide for you is madness

Think how many LL's have bad tenants - if folks let one experience sway them nobody would be a LL

Show quote history

I’ve never had a bad tenant in all my 20 yrs of it , my current lady is 14 yrs in . Prior to that I had a chap who was there 6 yrs before relocating for work .

Bambamhoohoo · 16/09/2025 16:24

Sunshineandoranges · 16/09/2025 15:39

actually no. He shouldn’t have ignored the neighbours. I have one flat I let and we had one couple who were very noisy and antisocial. They we frequently told to reduce noise and this worked for a while. As the landlord you have a responsibility to speak to your tenants. Everyone has the right to peaceful enjoyment of their home.

Show quote history

If you let to the council this is not the arrangement. The council are the landlords. You have an agreement for them to let your house to their tenants. You can’t enter into this arrangement if you don’t understand it, you’ll be wasting time and energy.

Original poster
Haveaproperty · 16/09/2025 16:27

EllieQ · 16/09/2025 16:07

To clarify, are the council finding the tenants (possibly from their council housing waiting list), helping fund the deposit, but then you’ll receive the rent directly from the tenants and will be dealing with all the maintenance etc?

Or will the council be effectively taking over the property from you, so they will be responsible for managing the property, all maintenance and repairs, up to evicting tenants if needed? So your involvement would purely be receiving the rental income?

It's the first option. THey said only a workimg family will be able to afford the rent as its higher than the local housing allowance.

OP posts:
Bambamhoohoo · 16/09/2025 16:49

There is no advantage to the first option, just get your own tenants.

Original poster
Haveaproperty · 16/09/2025 19:09

Bambamhoohoo · 16/09/2025 16:49

There is no advantage to the first option, just get your own tenants.

Its taking ages and the council have people ready to view and move asap. Plus they are offering a cash incentive of 8 grand and no agency fee. Which means I will be overall better off by quite a bit. If they pay their rent and don't destroy the property.

OP posts:
bloodredfeaturewall · 16/09/2025 19:15

look carefully at the scheme.
we were thinking of doing it, but council requirements were so stringent it would have been difficult to do in a preriod property (new stairs, rewiring, toilet fownstairs, removal of built in wardrobes, new boiler, new fireproof doors...)
we sold

Swiftie1878 · 16/09/2025 19:23

Haveaproperty · 16/09/2025 19:09

Its taking ages and the council have people ready to view and move asap. Plus they are offering a cash incentive of 8 grand and no agency fee. Which means I will be overall better off by quite a bit. If they pay their rent and don't destroy the property.

Show quote history

They will not pay rent and will trash your property, in our experience.
And when you want to evict, the council won’t allow it.

BlurryEyesAndChubbyThighs · 16/09/2025 19:33

I was once that family who was on benefits became homeless ( dv) and rented on benefits until I got a job. Still there now. The LL is great.
Without a good LL like it I don't know where I'd be.
In fairness I rarely bother them for repairs I get them done myself , I decorate and do as I wish with the house , with LL permission. And I do a good job and look after it.

BlurryEyesAndChubbyThighs · 16/09/2025 19:33

I was once that family who was on benefits became homeless ( dv) and rented on benefits until I got a job. Still there now. The LL is great.
Without a good LL like it I don't know where I'd be.
In fairness I rarely bother them for repairs I get them done myself , I decorate and do as I wish with the house , with LL permission. And I do a good job and look after it.

BlurryEyesAndChubbyThighs · 16/09/2025 19:34

By not bothering regarding repairs. Ie a faulty door lock or rusty radiator. I just sorted this myself. But structural things or when we had a major water leak under the hall floor then of course we contacted LL

thecatneuterer · 16/09/2025 22:55

Swiftie1878 · 16/09/2025 19:23

They will not pay rent and will trash your property, in our experience.
And when you want to evict, the council won’t allow it.

Show quote history

Yup. I spend a lot of time on landlord forums and that seems to be the consensus.

Labradorlover987 · 16/09/2025 23:05

NeverDropYourMooncup · 15/09/2025 22:33

A friend of DP's did it.

Took four years to get the house back from a short term let (it was the first one) and then it had to be completely gutted and what was left of the kitchen and bathroom rebuilt/floorboards replaced where they were soaked through - some parts this was due to multiple dogs, the rest were where the outgoing people showed their displeasure by ripping the sinks out and leaving the washing machine tap open. They had to start legal action against the council in the end, which with the repairs, wiped out the income they'd received.

They promptly sold it rather than risk having to do all of that again.

Yes my mum did this as emergency accommodation - council paid £100 per night (!) however one family absolutely wrecked the house, you honestly wouldn’t believe the damaged caused in about 10 days - council paid for it to be put right but it took ages - my mum now rents privately instead to a friend of mine who was looking for a place

Original poster
Haveaproperty · 19/09/2025 14:30

Update, we had an offer from a private tenant and proceeding with them. I havent ruled out the council option for the future but thanks all for your inputs

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