To consider moving from a 2 bed house to a 2 bed flat?

[iReallyThinkRoseHadRoomOnThatFloatingDoor]

Currently with housing association as have been for the last 10 years in same house.

Nasty split with coervice ex and whilst ex has left, im in the area she lived in (both females) and her family live.

I applied to move back to the city im from as have no support network here. They gave me maximum points and I've just viewed a 2 bedroom flat. Its lovely and spacious but no garden. My 5 year old loves the garden and I have a dog. It does have a little balcony but not really big enough for him to play on.

I know offers are very limited, I've told them about the dog but they won't take him I to consideration when allocating properties.

He can be a little bit of a Barker when im not there. Im so torn.

I know people do it but I dont feel happy about housing my son in a flat. I also dont want to seem ungrateful as its a lovely flat (not high rise) close to the marina and beach. Im terrible at making decisions.

Size wise im sure the flat is bigger in square feet than the house so im torn!

I would never downgrade to a flat, especially with a dog and growing child. That won’t be fun for anyone.

You have a dog so a flat should be out if the question. Or rehome the dog. For the dogs sake.

Lots to consider but as they say 'if in doubt, go without'.
The dog and lack of garden are negatives.
Are there any differences in rent and utility costs etc?

We moved from a house to a flat with no garden with our dog as we were being made homeless and it was the only place we could get. I would never do it again, it was really hard. There was no letting him out in the garden for a wee, we were going for walks 4/5 times a day no matter what the weather was like. We also never left him home alone as we were worried he would disturb the neighbours, so it meant we either only went to places he could come or one/both of us just wouldn't go. We made it work for a few years because we had no other choice, but it was not fun

Flat is cheaper.

The dog belongs to me and ex and the dog goes to ex when child does which is 50/50 of the time. I work close enough i could come take him for a walk on lunch breaks but yes, the dog and garden thing is my main concern.

You cannot have a barking dog cooped up in a flat. Your neighbours will definitely complain. Sadly I think this one isn’t for you.

Will the housing association give you other options if you turn this flat down? Where I live, it's rare to be offered a house with a garden (mostly new builds).

Will your support network back in your home area extend to doggie daycare? Many many people all over the world have happy dogs in apartments without gardens, and it sounds like the walks will be good along the seafront. I don’t get the dog and garden thing, I have both but my dog is afraid of the garden (colonised by cats) so we have lots of lovely walks instead. However I don’t have a 5 year old child.

I repeat you CANNOT put a dog in a flat. It us simply not fair on the dog or your neighbours.

BTW - are dogs even permitted by the LL??? I will be astounded if they are.

Having lived in flats with barking dogs upstairs/next door, please please do not subject your neighbours to that.

I'm in Spain, it's very common for people to have dogs in flats, but if your dog is used to a garden the transition may be difficult.

How far away do you intend to move? Will shared care of the dog still be possible?

I admire you for taking such good care of your dog and not giving up on him.

@iReallyThinkRoseHadRoomOnThatFloatingDoor
Hold off for a while.
Are you on any housing association/council house swapping sites?
Its easier to swap a house for a house than a flat for a house, if it doesn't work out in the flat you could find yourself stuck.
Personally I wouldn't swap a house for a flat especially with a little 'un and a dog especially as he is a barker, your neighbours won't be best pleased

I’m in an HA flat with no outside space, not even a balcony. If you were going flat to flat, I’d say to grab it with both hands. House with a garden to a flat with a balcony? Not a chance. The sound proofing is non existent. The heat in the summer is unbearable and a balcony won’t make up for that (especially if your neighbours use it to smoke on, or talk loudly about how annoying your dog is).

The right place will come along. Unless her family are banging on your windows, it’s too much to give up.

No garden for a child and dog who are used to one will be very hard

i wouldn’t swap

I’ve lived in a flat before with 2 large dogs however it was a big flat on the ground floor and we had a shared garden. It was fine for the 2 years I was there but it was a pain and I didn’t have a kid.
I don’t think this is practical for you at this stage, at 5 you can’t leave your kid alone whilst you take the dog out for wee which means you’re then all having to get up and dressed at midnight or 6am or whatever other inconvenient time the dog decides it wants the loo!
I also found that living in a flat was noisier especially on the ground floor as more people were coming and going to the other flats so if your dog is already a bit of a barker it’s going to make it worse and upset your neighbours and you don’t want that given you’re moving for a fresh start.

Surely lots of people have dogs in flats? In Spain, France and Italy I see people with dogs all the time, and mostly in flats as far as I can see. If you turn it down, maybe you will be offered a house but in a far less desirable place?

lots of people live in flats with dogs but i don't think it's particularly practical if you've also got a 5yr old and the dog is used to having a garden. every time it needs to pee you'll have to put a lead on the dog, coat and shoes on the 5yr old and go outside. Do not underestimate how convenient being able to throw your own back door open for it to go in the garden is! And your neighbours will hate you if it barks during the day.

Well funny you should say that. They have been which resulted in a 999 call as was being threatened by 3 of them

Too impractical in general. The noise issue that often comes with living in a flat would put me off, never mind having no garden. Chances are your dog won’t like the flat as much as the house so he’ll be barking more.

Thanks everyone. I knew in my heart it was a no. Now I have to word a response on why a house is the only viable option without it being deemed as an unreasonable rejection

Thanks everyone. I knew in my heart it was a no. Now I have to word a response on why a house is the only viable option without it being deemed as an unreasonable rejection

Dog stays full timexwith your ex.
Take the flat

I don't think it would be deemed an unreasonable rejection when you have a five year old child. Emphasise that your child has been brought up with a garden and the transition to just a balcony with be detrimental to their mental health (or something like that). Either way, can you not exchange for another house in a different area?

Actually this is a current issue as lots of people own dogs and they are defo part of the family! think the law is actually changing to allow people to keep their pets.

Yes, pets are generally allowed in UK flats, but it depends on your agreement, with new laws (Renters' Rights Act) making it easier for tenants to get permission from landlords, who can't unreasonably refuse requests for pets, though good reasons like allergies or unsuitable property size are valid refusals, with a 28-day response required. For leaseholders, the freeholder's rules apply, potentially needing their consent too, but tenants can challenge unfair denials.

Freeholders also generally can't unreasonably deny permission, though lease conditions must be followed.