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?

@Possiges there's a difference between whether someone could theoretically pay the rent, and whether they would meet the credit checks required for a private rental. Just the same as how many people who private rent find that they wouldn't be approved for a mortgage, even though they have paid rent without issue.

Criteria for council housing is (by far the biggest majority) being homeless for reasons that weren't your fault, and usually additional issues of overcrowding, low income, health needs for someone in the household, fleeing violence etc. Given that there are so many households who meet the criteria to get on the books, if the council have any chance of getting a private landlord to take you on, they will try and do that. That's getting harder for councils though as private landlords have plenty of people applying for properties who will have higher incomes, they don't need to work with the councils to get tenants.

Take it. Secure housing for the rest of your life. Help with the rent. Make it your own.

From someone stuck in private rental.
take the house.

seriously. Take the house

been renting for 17 years privately. In that time;

rent has doubled.

one landlord put up rent by 40% with one months notice after our child did the settling in sessions for school so what choice did we have?

we had to move with 6 weeks notice (from start to finish)when one landlord sold.

we had to put up with viewings in another, which was soul destroying as people trudge though your home slagging it off.
Each move cost us £3000-£5000 in boxes, van rental, deposit, fees etc.

we’ve now been priced out the area, which means dd may not be able to stay on at school with her friends.

last move we were asked for a guarantor. We are in our 40’s!!!

my children have never had a decorated bedroom.
pets are a whole other can of worms.

take the house

No such thing as a lifetime tenancy anymore, they went years ago, The best you'll get from a social LL now is an Assured Shorthold Tenancy after a probationary period which varies, round here it's 6 months. Some social LLs don't even provide that anymore, offering only ~5 year tenancies which are assumed to keep rolling over but then again might not.

Not where we are….we get secure tenancies which are indefinite manning the tenant can remain in the house for the rest of their lifetime ….the tenancy converts to secure after 12 months….im NW

Take it. Obviously. Worst case scenario you can use the low rent to save up and try to find somewhere nicer.

Secure tenancies still offered where I am too.

Also the same where I am. Will be a year in January since I moved in and will then move to secure tenancy.

I suppose op that we don't know your circumstances. For us we could decline 2 max..we never did as we were desperate and took the first that was offered and still so relieved! Will never take it for granted. You might need to share more details of your circs and the area to receive more balanced responses if that is what you want.

Is this through social housing register- eg you’ve bidded on it through a choice based lettings service or an offer via matching register. Either way you need to check the refusal policy. See if you’ll be removed.

Is it an offer following a homelessness application. If so you must understand whether it’s a formal offer and they will discharge duty.

Proceed with caution.

Hi
I did wonder myself why the last tenants left so quickly.
I did a quick check on Rightmove, the house was only purchased 2 years ago and there was a previous tenant last year who had just left, so the house has a high turnover of tenants.

The house is also right under a lamp post, it's on a main busy road with no parking, and on Streetview there are bin bags just left out side people's front door as bins get stolen.

Unless they go the tenancy before the Housing and Planning Act 2016, it's an Assured Shorthold - take a look at it. They're much more secure than standard private tenancies but not as bomb-proof as the old lifetime tenancies. I too am in the NW & the last person who'd had a lifetime tenancy on our estate died a couple of years ago - he was 98 & he & his wife were probably in their late 20s when they moved in.

To those who say take it and then go for a swap if it really doesn't suit - who'd want to swap? Take it because you're ready to make a go of it.

Isn’t council housing more secure than private? That would be a huge thing for me.

We couldn't decline at all unless it was a very, very good reason such as safety. We were on the highest band so it was pretty much take it or leave it if you decided to bid on a property because it meant you'd always be 1st or 2nd in line so almost guaranteed to get it if you put a bid in.

You can’t pass reference checks, you work part time, and you’re being offered secure housing with help with the rent.
But you’re worried about there being a street lamp outside.
OP perhaps you should up your hours and give yourself more choices.

its more secure than renting the price can go up anytime-my sister tried to get council they said she had too much money-sold house equity) but agents said they cant take cash as a wage so was really stuck until someone private accepted her

where are you living now

@Kirbert2 we bid on anything that came up we were eligible for even though some of them seemed abit 'dodgy'. This house was refused by the people above us so we were very very lucky indeed!

Ultimately some people will be living there so why is it good enough for them but not you? Are you and your family more worthy?

You don't have to take it if you really don't want to live there. Private rental is not usually bad if you are a good tenant and can afford something decent.

So basically I fled DV last year and was rehoused in a new build house an hour away from where I used to live.

I have no friends and no family here and I feel very isolated.

Last year I applied to the council in an area close to where I moved from due to "local connection" and I was advised that I would be waiting 10 years plus for a house and advised me to try HA.

I applied to a few HA and viewed the same house I have just been offered.
This is the only vacant property that seems to be vacant as I have been on their waiting list for almost 2 years now.

Their policy is that they remove people if they refuse an offer which is what I have had.

We did the same. Got a suitable property within 1 month. Luckily about 5 minutes away from our old rented property so not a massive upheaval either.

Eve more reason to take it. What have you got to lose?

I just looked at the email and it says "Market Rent".

I can't help but think there must be a reason why tenants leave so quickly as it truly is a beautiful house inside.
From looking at their website they have closed their waiting lists now and they rarely have empty properties.

I am sorry @rhinnq how stressful for you. If you had been offered it when you first saw it would you have accepted? I know you said area has changed( not fir the better) but it can chabge again..for the better. I wish you all the best.

You refused the offer?!
why?
I get that the house might not be ideal, but in your situation you can’t be picky. Plus, you need to see this council home as temporary, the idea is to buy yourself time, and get up on your feet and get out of the situation you’re in. Have a plan and grow yourself again. You will never get your dream home through a council home. You are not being realistic.