AIBU to refuse a council house over stairs and no outside space?

[Stressedmum6761]

Hi, I really need some advice on what to do here please I've been crying all morning and scouring the Internet. I'm on the council housing list, have been for 3 years now because of the state of my current ground floor flat. The council came out to do a review and put my banding up.

I got a call yesterday out of the blue to view a house I bid on before Christmas and was 47th in the queue so didn't think I would have any chance. The woman said it has a small yard and a downstairs bathroom. My daughter is 6 and I'm so so scared she's going to fall down the stairs in the night time to use the toilet, she sleepwalks and is currently on the pathway for ASD, when she goes to the loo in the flat I have to battle to steer her back to bed or she's wandering about on her own for god knows how long.

I've also been to look at the house through the windows and it 100% does not have a yard as the lady said as the bathroom has been built on as an extension downstairs. I know this sounds so ungrateful but I don't want us moving from bad to worse, our current flat has a tiny little yard that I've managed to squeeze a bench and a mini greenhouse into so my daughter at least has somewhere she can sit outside when she's had a meltdown or needs to regulate herself.

I'm so worried if I turn this down by saying I'm worrying about the stairs at night I'll be taken down a band. Has anyone successfully turned down a property for safety concerns and not been penalised? Thank you 😊

As the poster @OldGothsFadeToGrey said, (at 19.55 today) some terraced houses (especially smaller ones) don't have a back garden, it is a 'yard.' Some don't even have anything at the front, and the doors come straight out onto the footpath... Some have a tiny little front 'bit' that doesn't qualify as a garden, that you could fit between 4 and 8 wheelie bins in.

Pic 1 here is an example of such a back yard (actually there are 2 back yards here!) And pic 2 is a typical front 'bit' that some terraced houses have. Pic 3 is the straight out onto the footpath type I was on about... (The straight out onto the footpath' type, often have the tiny back yard. The terraced house with a front bit (as in pic 2) will usually have a bigger back yard (more like a garden.) Not all will though... Surely you have seen properties like this.

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Pic 1 looks like the gardens in Eastenders

I hope you will be happy in your new home, and that you manage to find ways to work around the problems. I'm sure you will settle, and if not you can look at a swap.

I would definitely try and get DLA, as you dont need a diagnosis and it will help with the extra costs.

Congratulations on your new home x

That’s a great decision @Stressedmum6761 Having a new bathroom and kitchen and new windows is huge… it will make living there so much nicer. Good luck to you both.

Well done on accepting! I’m sure you can get a swap soon. Research parks nearby.

Definitely don't lock the door. Safety issue and possibly illegal unless a DOLS in place.