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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be pissed off at housing tenants

235 replies

Pssedoffathis · Today 13:22

To be pissed off at this
We live in a nice area, there isnt much available to rent. The last 4 bed was 4500 a month that came up 2 months ago.
We were renting at 3000 a month an older house but it needed work and the landlord decided to sell so we moved out and living in a temporary small flat further away from kids schools waiting and waiting for 6 months for a house to come up.
We have heard from several friends that in the area the council have moved a problem family in to a large house in one of the roads. They dont work, 4 kids, police round all the time, stolen car crashed into a lampost, kids out the front screaming, teen age boy being arrested.
Anyway, these absolute scummers are living for free in a house we would love..
Whilst I am paying 40 percent tax and effectively homeless with 2 kids. Waiting for a house to come up that I can afford as 4500 is out of budget and property is scarce.
I am basically paying for these people to live in a house i can not afford to live in myself.
Am I a Mug? Should I move countries?
What is the fecking point in working anymore.

OP posts:
RetiredFromExplaining · Today 15:44

Everanewbie · Today 15:31

@RetiredFromExplaining
They are not living in a house for free. They have to pay rent. That rent may come from Housing Benefit, but the local tariff will not be as high as the rent itself.

If they don't work, have no income and no liquid assets and their rent is covered, it is free. To say they pay it when they don't have income or assets is disingenuous.

I resent posts like these that assume that anyone who is on benefits is anti-social, pissing it up the wall and living a life of Riley. It is as if you think they are worth less than you and your family.

The OP doesn't assume this at all. She merely states the family who live near him, specifically fit this criteria. If her account is accurate, she'd be right about the adults being worth less than her too.

So you genuinely think other humans are worth less than you?

Good to know.

RetiredFromExplaining · Today 15:45

XenoBitch · Today 15:30

OP is a landlord.

Er, no she isn't:
We were renting at 3000 a month an older house but it needed work and the landlord decided to sell so we moved out and living in a temporary small flat further away from kids schools waiting and waiting for 6 months for a house to come up.

Everanewbie · Today 15:47

RetiredFromExplaining · Today 15:44

So you genuinely think other humans are worth less than you?

Good to know.

Yes, if they crash cars in to lamp post and live with such criminality that the police are around frequently, and cause neighbours disturbance, alarm and distress, yes. Worth way less than me. And its not even close.

XenoBitch · Today 15:47

RetiredFromExplaining · Today 15:45

Er, no she isn't:
We were renting at 3000 a month an older house but it needed work and the landlord decided to sell so we moved out and living in a temporary small flat further away from kids schools waiting and waiting for 6 months for a house to come up.

Yes, she is

Plot twist. I am also a landlord. Which no dount will enrage many people. And I know this as it was one option I was looking at to let my property in another area. Council are offering over market rents to landlords..
I can't sell my property atm as I have a young family living there and I know property is scarce there too and I am not going to evict them and do that to them
I just want to rent in a particular area for the time being

LakieLady · Today 15:48

OneStarAwake · Today 13:36

Broken sofa in the front garden?

No "feral dogs" that roam the streets, either.

loislovesstewie · Today 15:50

RetiredFromExplaining · Today 15:45

Er, no she isn't:
We were renting at 3000 a month an older house but it needed work and the landlord decided to sell so we moved out and living in a temporary small flat further away from kids schools waiting and waiting for 6 months for a house to come up.

At 14.38 the OP says she is also a landlord.

LooneyLiberalSpaceWaster · Today 15:52

People have had enough because democracy is broken, the social economic contract we have with the state is broken, and communities are broken by people blaming each other and pointing the finger at "the other" because we have bought into the lie that everything is finite and winners get biscuits. But now even the MC are starting to see that there are not enough biscuits to go round because the owners and controllers of the biscuit machines won't bake anymore. It is not profitable. The owners and controllers would rather sit on their piles of cash.

Yes, there is something very wrong when workers can not afford the basics. Instead of pushing others less fortunate down, join the trade union, join a socialist party and start agitating for change. Or, as many seem to be doing rant on about Nigel because waving flags is exactly what the owners and controllers want. More of the same except with even less democracy, no protections, no safety net, no NHS, and absolutely no human rights laws that will protect us, more state control, more surveillance and more state violence to suppress us. You see, the right wing have the answer to health, house and jobs......stop those grabby boat people pinching it all, kill the sick slowly, and prevent the poor from breeding.......job done. The reason we are being driven to the right is because this will sanction state violence of an order and magnitude never seen before within a modern nation state. The state requires a percentage of stooges, don't be a stooge. You might get the house at some other persons expense, but would you seriously be happy to walk a mile in a dead man's shoes?

Instead of pushing people down and being envious that a poorer family has something you don't, look at the bigger picture and ask why we don't all have suitable homes, security of work and home, safety and security that ensures a good life. When you work out why, do something worthwhile.

If you are bright enough to secure a job paying 40% tax, you are bright enough to realise how unreasonable you are.

CoffeeCantata · Today 15:53

FlowerSticker · Today 15:08

They tried that.... Look at the projects in NYC and see how that turned out...

FlowerSticker - can you link or at least give a search term for Google? I'm genuinely interested.

After experience of this horrendous criminal ruining life for my daughter and her neighbours (and the whole town, according to shopkeepers etc) I really don't care about him or his ilk on a personal level, but I'm interested sociologically as to what should be done for such people.

I cannot fathom why putting one horrible AS person where they can spoil life for so many others is seen as a good idea?

He clearly couldn't manage, and certainly couldn't be trusted, to live independently in a whole nice flat by himself, so my suggestion would be tipping him over a cliff some kind of hostel where he just gets a room to himself and where other similar noisy and aggressive people are housed. Tough prison-officer/bouncer types to staff it. Some kind of open prison, I guess. He's definitely a crim, so that would be about right.

FreyaFromTheFens · Today 15:55

Kirbert2 · Today 15:30

So they turned down other properties near the school or was this the property nearest the school?

My child has SEND too. I was told to bid very carefully because if I got the property, I would need a very good reason to turn it down and keeping him at his school wasn't classed as a good enough reason.

I'm not sure, maybe it's different rules for different councils?

CoffeeCantata · Today 15:56

Instead of pushing people down and being envious that a poorer family has something you don't, look at the bigger picture and ask why we don't all have suitable homes, security of work and home, safety and security that ensures a good life. When you work out why, do something worthwhile.

That's a misrepresentation of the OP. It's not that they might (or might not) be 'poorer' which is OP's problem. It's the ASB.

God, I hate the way some people conflate being poor with being an anti-social horror. Lots and lots of people are poor and live blameless lives.

LooneyLiberalSpaceWaster · Today 15:59

CoffeeCantata · Today 15:56

Instead of pushing people down and being envious that a poorer family has something you don't, look at the bigger picture and ask why we don't all have suitable homes, security of work and home, safety and security that ensures a good life. When you work out why, do something worthwhile.

That's a misrepresentation of the OP. It's not that they might (or might not) be 'poorer' which is OP's problem. It's the ASB.

God, I hate the way some people conflate being poor with being an anti-social horror. Lots and lots of people are poor and live blameless lives.

Well, well done for taking that out of context! I didn't mention ASB, but since we are here now, OP did. And OP wants a house to rent and doesn't like the fact that the ASB peeps are getting a free house....her words not mine.

Kirbert2 · Today 16:00

FreyaFromTheFens · Today 15:55

I'm not sure, maybe it's different rules for different councils?

I can't imagine any council allowing someone to turn down multiple properties for no good reason. Some rules do differ but I haven't heard of any council not having any policies at all about refusing properties and allowing people to turn down property after property after property.

LeedsLoiner · Today 16:01

FreyaFromTheFens · Today 14:16

There are a lot of benefit apologists on here but I agree with you @Pssedoffathis

Why can't we call this out for what it is? Adults not working and kids causing trouble being given a nice big house in a good area that they will no doubt not look after.
Yes that is a massive assumption but is based on previous experience.

A previous neighbour of mine has 5 children with their partner both of whom have never worked. They have been moved several times due to anti social behaviour and have now been housed by the council in a 6 bedroom barn conversion with 5 acres of land and 2 lakes.
I'm lucky to own a lovely place myself but couldn't afford that and I don't think it's fair that unemployed claimants get priority over those in employment.

OP it must be very frustrating.

Go on then where is this council rented 6 bedroom converted barn with five acres of grounds and two lakes ?
We can all have a look on Google Earth...

TheGreatDownandOut · Today 16:03

Two separate issues here….

First is non-working people being housed in a property that working people can’t afford. It’s frustrating but it’s a ‘don’t hate the player, hate the game’ thing. This is the system we have unfortunately.

Second is the anti social behaviour, which can be caused by anyone, anywhere, from any walk of life and should be addressed via lawful means from local residents.

Whosthetabbynow · Today 16:05

RetiredFromExplaining · Today 15:44

So you genuinely think other humans are worth less than you?

Good to know.

Lots of people think like this or didn’t you know? I used to sit next to someone at work who used to love telling me how she was “better than” two colleagues because they lived in social housing. Someone else I know refers to those who don’t have a mortgage as “scummy renters”

Whosthetabbynow · Today 16:06

LeedsLoiner · Today 16:01

Go on then where is this council rented 6 bedroom converted barn with five acres of grounds and two lakes ?
We can all have a look on Google Earth...

Yes I’d love to see it

XenoBitch · Today 16:06

Whosthetabbynow · Today 16:05

Lots of people think like this or didn’t you know? I used to sit next to someone at work who used to love telling me how she was “better than” two colleagues because they lived in social housing. Someone else I know refers to those who don’t have a mortgage as “scummy renters”

That is really sad. I think people who think and air those views are "lesser people".

Kirbert2 · Today 16:07

Whosthetabbynow · Today 16:06

Yes I’d love to see it

Me too.

ScholesPanda · Today 16:07

I don't think you are unreasonable to be annoyed. That's a normal, visceral response. I'm surprised this family has managed to rent a large home in a high rent area given that the local housing allowance is lower than average rents in most of the country.

With regards to duty to house and allocation of social housing, there might be an argument that it should be targeted at people in low paid work, or with long term illness. However, whilst you may not care about the parents, would people want to see children begging and living on the streets? This is the problem the authorities have.

It's also difficult to know how you'd help people who might be difficult but are recovering from deep seated issues- substance abuse, mental health crisis, street homelessness etc. People don't always make the 'perfect, deserving recipient' in that case.

Cheeseandolivesplease · Today 16:08

@Whosthetabbynow In that case my husband and I are 'scummy renters" - we've been privately renting for over a decade now. Social worker and teacher. So "scummy"(!)

CoffeeCantata · Today 16:08

LooneyLiberalSpaceWaster · Today 15:59

Well, well done for taking that out of context! I didn't mention ASB, but since we are here now, OP did. And OP wants a house to rent and doesn't like the fact that the ASB peeps are getting a free house....her words not mine.

Oh - it's a common MN cry!

When someone complains about anti-social neighbours, someone will chime in with 'So you don't like living near poor people then!'

No, that is not what people are complaining about in these situations, and pps know it - it's the old straw man tactic.

FlowerSticker · Today 16:10

CoffeeCantata · Today 15:53

FlowerSticker - can you link or at least give a search term for Google? I'm genuinely interested.

After experience of this horrendous criminal ruining life for my daughter and her neighbours (and the whole town, according to shopkeepers etc) I really don't care about him or his ilk on a personal level, but I'm interested sociologically as to what should be done for such people.

I cannot fathom why putting one horrible AS person where they can spoil life for so many others is seen as a good idea?

He clearly couldn't manage, and certainly couldn't be trusted, to live independently in a whole nice flat by himself, so my suggestion would be tipping him over a cliff some kind of hostel where he just gets a room to himself and where other similar noisy and aggressive people are housed. Tough prison-officer/bouncer types to staff it. Some kind of open prison, I guess. He's definitely a crim, so that would be about right.

It was America putting all social housing into a small area
It was a disaster.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35913577

It's bit like the broken window theory.

By putting all AS/ social housing together...makes it worse

Housing project residents in New Orleans, Louisiana, in June 2007

Why is America pulling down the projects?

For decades some of the US's poorest people have lived in subsidised housing "projects" - but many are now being torn down.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35913577

Viviennemary · Today 16:11

Nobody should get more in benefits than minimum wage. That would be a start.

Whosthetabbynow · Today 16:11

XenoBitch · Today 16:06

That is really sad. I think people who think and air those views are "lesser people".

It’s actually beyond vile and these two characters had very poor childhoods with few material advantages. I honestly think that because they managed to find someone to lend them money to buy very average properties they TRULY believe they’re one of the elite.

XenoBitch · Today 16:12

Viviennemary · Today 16:11

Nobody should get more in benefits than minimum wage. That would be a start.

If you compare like for like, they don't.
A single person on benefits gets nowhere near what a single working person gets.
But people compare a family with disabled children with a single working person, and they get mad. Apples and oranges.