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 😊

OP there is no shame in saying you just don’t like it, the downstairs toilet thing is just ridiculous but I can understand you wanting some outside space. What are the rules where you are? Where I am it’s one offer and if you turn it down (without good reason) you’re off the list. Other places you can decline 2 or 3… if you’re allowed to decline once or twice then just do that. I’d say a valid reason would be you were incorrectly informed there was a garden which there isn’t.

Could she use a commode?

And yes, I am being completely serious. If I was in this position and if I had to make it work, I would prefer for a child to use a commode rather than wake me up, and then I could simply empty it in the morning.

I'm in Australia I waited 16 years for a council flat I said yes to the first one they offered me 🙂 I'm very grateful I've got it

Why did you bid on it then?

My council does one offer and to the back of the queue.

If you can make it work, I would.

A small inconvenience fir a limited amount of time.

@Stressedmum6761 email/talk to the housing officer tell them what you told us. Ask what would happen if you turned it down based on the reasons you say.

I would be worried about my child falling down the stairs if they sleep walk as well.

If the bathroom is an extension downstairs, how do you know there also isn’t one upstairs if that could be its original position?

You are being unreasonable

You need to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of this house over your current flat. I think problems can be overcome by using stairgates.

Because the housing officer said the bathroom was downstairs. And it's unlikely that a 2 bed social housing property would have 2 bathrooms. I've worked for local authorities where a 4 bed would have a bathroom and a shower room but 2 beds rarely have a bathroom and another loo.

How very unhelpful!

Please don't do this (accept it with the intention of appealing afterwards). You will be in a weaker position than you are atm, i.e. you will be deemed as adequately housed. At least your current home is deemed as unsuitable. If you accept it, you will likely be stuck with it unless your child's health or needs change. Only accept it if you are content to stay there. Even if you can get back onto the transfer list, you won't necessarily be a priority. I worked for a HA so speak from experience. People accepting properties that they didn't want or didn't full meet their needs and applying to move again. Unless there had been a change in circumstances, these requests were often refused and even when accepted, they had lost points because some needs were met or because they had less time on the list.

Good idea because everyone can afford to buy.🙄
If OP needs a council house it suggests she can't afford to buy her own property.

Hoe would she go to the toilet in the night?

Yet the advice always seems to be accept what is offered and be grateful, whatever it’s like

Hi OP if you believe this wouldn't be a safe place to live. I'd strongly suggest a trip to your GP with daughter. They can write a letter explaining safety/heslth concerns. That won't affect your chances of getting a property if you have to refuse this one. Refusal can be done but you need a really good reason a supporting evidence (GP letter etc). I hope this helps.

We dont know what OPs financial circumstances are or where in the country she is. She is already in a social housing property so isnt starting from scratch, she'll be entitled to move within the organisation

However, even if she isnt able to get a mortgage, fair enough, I think the point is that if you need or want particular things that arent on offer, look to rent privately. It would be foolhardy in my view to do that, but thats OPs option if she doesnt like what she is offered. Unless the house is not fit for human habitation, she should take it. A downstairs bathroom is very common.

We only have a downstairs bathroom (no loo upstairs), and this is what we did until the DC were quite old; tried to avoid drinking for an hour before bed, made them go to the toilet before bed, stair gate at the top of the stairs, DC instructed to come across the landing and wake one of us up to take them downstairs to the loo if they woke up and needed to go in the night. We got used to it.

You need to look at the rules for your particular council as they differ. Mine has a rule that you can pass on one property and then it affects your banding. Yours might have more or less.

If you get the opportunity to pass, then pass it and really think bloody hard before bidding on the next one, even if it’s a case of going to the neighbourhood and peering in the window if it’s empty (our council doesn’t let you view unless you accept it first). If it’s a case of take it or go to the back of the queue, then explain your concerns about your daughter’s safety and see if they’ll bend the rules. If this is your only choice, then you have to decide which of the two properties are worse. There’s no point jumping out of the frying pan into the fire.

You bid on a house, houses have stairs but you dont want stairs! Rent privately and find what you want or get a mortgage, and let someone who would love a house have it,

You can email and request for a children's occupational therapist to be there, if they deem it unsuitable due to her sleep walking ect it can't go down as a refusal as it's unsuitable and won't effect your banding or bidding but that can take a while to sort and they could give it someone else in that time. But they can also say you did bid on it so deemed it suitable

Do go to view it. You may well be panicking over nothing.

I turned down my first offer after viewing. I'm not mad keen on where I am now but it's safe and warm, unlike the first one, and I didn't want to risk getting thrown off the list.

If you can't see any way to make it work after viewing, discuss it with them. But go and look before making up your mind. Hope you love it!

I am a housing officer. You will need to check whether this is a direct offer or whether you can remain on the list and keep bidding. People have this idea you should just be grateful for any housing but we do like people to be happy moving to the property offered. You dont have to accept anything just because you're a 'council tenant'. I also would not just try it for a while as you will not able to go back on the list if you are classed as 'adequately housed'. Saying that I would definitely view it and raise your concerns with the housing officer.

This is excellent advice.

Just get a camping loo....you don't need chemicals as it's just wee and being tipped away. I once read about two children dying from fumes from a chemical loo.