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?

I would take it - you don't have to live there forever but it will be secure housing for now.

@Possiges ....it varies across areas. Have a google

you haven't described your current living arrangements, so no one can compare and then advise. However, as you say it is beautiful inside, I would suggest that this is a big plus.

Nothing left in Knightsbridge? Dear me. People are begging to be housed OP. If you can afford to refuse it then do so and free it up for someone else.

What is ‘wow’? Genuinely curious.

OP, it doesn’t sound like you’re getting a great deal here. On par with private rent AND in a not great area. However, you have security of tenure and the ability to house-swap once you’re in. Weighing up the pros and cons, considering you’ll be off the list if you decline, I’d take it.
As long as the house itself is nice then you don’t have to get involved with the surroundings too much. You might even find out you’re wrong and enjoy living there!

Not sure where you are, but a tiny flat around here is £1,500 a month, plus bills.
Anyway, I ramble - can you take it then later down the line look at the house swapping thing? Or are you allowed to refuse and get another offer without being put back down the bottom?

I would take it. You say the house is the same cost as private rental that you are not eligible for but would get help from UC with the rent for this one. It's a house you wanted a while ago. At some point you may be able to buy it at a much reduced price. You could then use the equity to move to an area you prefer.

I moved from private rental to council at the beginning of the year and my rent is exactly the same.

’Afford to refuse it’? OP has literally said the rent is on par with local private rentals. Nothing like a council house thread to bring out the stupid comments!

If you're off the waiting list if you don't take it, it seems pretty obvious that you take it, try it out and then leave if you don't like it.

This is what I was going to say. It seems unusual for a Council Property to be back on the market within 12 months.

Whats your alternative?

Council housing tends not to be in the nicer areas. In our area its always the roughest roads/worst estates. It's also barely a third of the private rent.

not owning a property….so anyone else….you don’t have to be on benefits to get a council house….my son, 2 neices and a nephew all live in council houses and all work…….once you’ve been there 12 months….the house in inspected and if all well and you’ve had no anti social behaviour, then you get a lifetime tenancy

Where is the house??

Take the house - if it’s lovely inside then you’re spending most of the time in it anyway. I know people who live in dodgy areas and day actually it’s not bad at all.

Take the house!! If you are at the top of the council waiting list then you must be in genuine need - why would you decline and take yourself out of the system?!

Take the council house gurrrrl!

Not now the RRB is becoming law.

Depends on the area.

In my area, you have bands and if you apply for council housing, you'll be allocated a band depending on your needs. If you have low housing needs then you'll be on the lowest band.

The highest band includes those with high medical needs, care leavers etc.

The lowest band includes no local connection to the area, homeowners, those with housing debt etc.

If refusing this house means you are booted off the list, then it makes no sense to turn it down.
The rent might be the same as private renting, but you will have a secure tenancy and can do things like decorate and put pictures up... really make it a home. You can always swap later on down the line.

As to why a place may become vacant after so soon. My cousin left his council flat after a less than a year of living there as something traumatic happened to him and he wanted to move.

Are you allowed to ask the Council whether there are problem neighbours? That would be the main issue for me.

Or submit a freedom of information request to the local police force to see how many reports of anti social behaviour on that street for the last year.

If no issues it sounds like a pretty decent offer.

You say you wouldn't pass referencing for a private let, so what choice do you have?
Where are you living now?

If you need somewhere to live and declining this option takes you off the waiting list then I don’t think you’ve got any option.

Accept it and keep an open mind.

I hope it all works out for you

Once you have a SH tenancy you can do exchanges or go on the transfer list (after 6 months, if memory serves). While their repairs teams may not do the most aesthetically pleasing work, on the whole I've had much better repairs service from social LLs than when I was in private accom'. They tend to be a bit more pro-active about anti-social behaviour/ nuisance neighbours too.

@SquadGoals75 Strreetcheck is pretty good for stats and also has an option to look at Crime stats which are broken down into what type...ie antisocial behaviour,car theft etc