Offered council house in a not very good area?

[rhinnq]

I got a call today from the council to advise me that I have been offered a property.

The property isn't in a very good area to be honest and the rent is on level with a private rent.

I am not sure if I should take it.

AIBU?

The op has listed a lamp post as a reason for potentially turning it down. I wouldn't say that's a particular hardship.

She also listed high rates of drug use and dealing in the area, issues with theft and inadequate rubbish disposal, high rates of asb in the area and high rates of tenant turnover despite the property itself looking nice suggests issues with neighbours and stated it is right on a busy main road which is an issue when you've a few kids under 4. But sure... focus only on the lamppost.

But then again the lamppost could also attract young people to gather outside creating noise etc or could also create issues for small kids sleeping . So I'd say that's a fair concern.

People complain about lack of available council housing yet so many on here are advocating getting a council house and keeping it for life just to avoid having the responsibility & cost of private renting? What happened to these houses being for people in dire need? These houses should be help people who are in a real struggle to get into a situation where they can strive to improve their lives and move on and hand it to someone else that needs it!

Maybe use the opportunity to move somewhere where you can get a full time job and then strive to have a mortgage or private rent and hand the council house back for people that need a help up. You don't want to be raising kids in a crap area either, we've enough feral kids in society.

Completely disagree….council houses provide a secure tenancy for as long as people want them and that’s how it should be……why would someone want to move from paying 450 for a 3 bed to pay in excess of 1100? ( that’s the difference in my area) ….l.council ones were never solely intended for people ‘in dire need’ ….don’t know where you got that idea from?

Buy my guess is that NHS worker is a full time worker, probably doesn't have a husband on a full time wage didn't have several kids in the space of less than 4 years! I'm sure even the NHS worker strives to have a home of their own one day. There isn't the housing stock for people to get one and hang on to it for life.

So they are to save you money are they? This is why homeless people are screwed even if they are motivated to get off the street because these properties are occupied by people like you who are doing it out of greed! You can afford to private rent but abuse the system just to save money! There are many people that can't get a roof over their head any other way than by council housing and there's waiting lists of tens of thousands in every area because people who can afford private rent are too greedy to do so! Where else did you think people in genuine shit situations were meant to live! Shameful!

I always find these threads hilarious.. if you want a council house so much, give up your owned property and move into temporary accommodation (much the same as where migrants stay, hotels etc) live there for months or years, until you finally get an offer - and you can't turn this down or you'll be on the streets, even if it is in the roughest part of town..!

If you have a mortgage you have an asset, you have choice, you have something to leave your children. People in social housing do not have that.

To the OP if she is still here, you may want to ask your housing officer if you can be bypassed for the property if it's in a really bad area and you feel unsafe, some councils let you turn down one or two offers, not all councils do this. Good luck 🤞

Who in their right mind would strive to rent privately?

Are you saying there are no decent people who can’t afford a mortgage?? What skewed thinking.

People with pride? Who don't want to rely on the system! People who don't want to live in a rough area! Personally, I'd rather have my mortgage but whatever. But nobody should complain about lack of housing when people are taking it all out of greed rather than need. As I said on another post, sit back & think who that greed impacts, homeless, people facing homelessness due to job loss, people fleeing domestic violence with no one to turn to etc.

I would just take it.
People move for all sorts of reasons, the house we rented in our mid 20s was lovely, still has the same neighbours who were ideal friendly neighbours, but it has had a very high turnover since we moved other than one tenant for a few years. It's just down to circumstance. For all you know the tenant could've had to move for work or caring responsibilities or relationship breakdown or inherited a house or needing a larger or smaller property. People don't only move because the house or neighbours are bad.

You’ve got your mortgage. You’re not in the “system”. Tenancies are for life. Plus you need people to pick on and look down on. I don’t know why you’re butting in.

I privately rent. I’ve paid out over £300,000 in rent so far. By the time I “retire” I expect to have paid close to a million.
we can afford the mortgage. We just don’t have the loan to wage borrowing power.

No. I am saying council houses always used to be for low wage decent hard working people.

Now they are taken by the entitled and lazy. People who have kids they blatantly can't afford. Women who choose loser partners. No planning and foresight and understanding that everyone experiences their 'rainy day' Throw in DV, MH and 'working around' benefit rules and kerching!! Shameless and grabby.

These people have ruined it for those who genuinely need council housing not to mention the legalised theft from the taxpayer.

Possibly, in certain areas, yes. That’s not the entire social housing population though. I think you’re focusing on stereotypes

The lack of social housing isn't the fault of social housing tenants.

Not many people are going to willingly give up secure properties for their children for an unsecure rented property. Especially if they know that a mortgage will always be out of their reach and it's their only way of ensuring their child has a secure home.

I think you’ll find thatcher (and others) “ruined” it with no replacement for right to buy

You’d be completely mad to do that. Risk your kids not being able to go to the same school as their friends.
risk siblings getting split up because you’ve been forced to move
40% rent increase with a months notice
not being able to have pets or paint your children’s bedroom.
not be able to plant a plant in the garden and see it flower.

I am saying there should be tighter controls not that we need more council houses. The 'grabby' should not qualify (it is THEIR problem to sort out not everyone else). This is the only way we can get rid of this mentality. At the moment the system encourages it.

Or getting turfed out because the landlord has decided to sell and scrambling around in a panic hoping you can find something else you can afford.

I simply don't believe those who say it's what they would do, especially if they have secure housing themselves.

Of course people are going to put their children first and stay in secure housing.

Get your facts straight! I am the one telling people not to take council houses as a lifestyle choice because it saves you money! I am the one saying leave the houses for people that really need it! People who need a leg up to get their life on track! I seem to be the only one here caring about people that have nowhere to live and can't afford to rent and have many, many years to wait because greedy folk who can afford not be in council housing are too greedy! It's you looking down on those people and saying fuck em, they can do without. How many millions of homes do you expect councils to build just so people can be greedy and save on rent!

Completely. We had 6 weeks to move last time. We had no idea the landlord was selling up. Just got that letter on a Friday. It was horrific.

You don’t really care though. You just fancy kicking the hornets nest. I’ve seen it all before on here. I’d say you’d be the first to protest if there were plans to build loads of council houses near you, you know, to house the needy, feckless, those being let out of prison, people with poor mental health.

Yep. It's such an awful position to be in and no one is going to opt to risk going through that if they have an alternative.

I was told when they gave me the keys that it was mine for as long as I wanted it and I will absolutely be staying put without any guilt. It isn't my fault that there aren't enough council properties.