ok, so i know im gonna get hounded for this one!!!

[benbon]

but AIBU to think that if you live in a council flat you shouldnt be able to afford a brand new land rover with personalised number plate and full leather interiour

its just so frustrating when we struggle to pay our rent and have a crappy car and a man living in the council flats opposite us can afford brand spanking new car

so aibu????????????????

I don't know how much it is in general, I'm just going on what this poster said:

"By choufleur on Sun 21-Sep-08 20:12:29
I've no idea where you live but in leicester the weekly average rent for a 3bed semi is about £47."

A private rental is a reflection of what the landlord thinks he can get for it (or as much as he hopes he can get for it) and the rents really take the piss. do you not understand the nature of a capitalist society? If there is a demand the supplier can name the price, and if people need the commodity (or want the commodity) they will pay through the nose.
And i live in leeds and we pay £60 a week for a one bedroom council flat.. Privately we would pay more like £150. not really affordable on a nurse's wage.

shybaby, i understand what your getting at. we are moving soon to a HA place. i am already planning on saving up to have new kitchen fitted and new flooring laid throughout the downstairs. i have plans for a house that will never be mine officially, but will be my home for the long term.

I really never ever think about me as 'subsidising' people in council houses etc. They pay rent don't they? If they are very impoverished, mabye they dont't and that sounds right to me too.

If they don't abide by the rules they get chucked out don't they? Above and beyond that, I think they are really entitled to do exactly as they please.

Maybe he eats beans on toast every night to afford his car - his choice. Maybe he gave up smoking and put that money towards a smart car. Sorry but it all smacks of the green eyed monster to me. Maybe he envies your lovely family life or your gym membership (just an eg)

That line always really surprises me - I just do not think that way. I don't get it to be honest.

Its because he lives in a council flat that he can afford a hot landrover.

Whats it got to do with you what he spends his money on he may work really hard and be one of them lucky ones that have been on a council list for 10years and finally got a cheap property to live in

Timewaster - yes, that makes sense re: captialist society. I just presumed "that is how it is".

My father's family were displaced citizens after WWII, and the British government kindly offered ex-army personell the opportunity to live here, rather than struggling to make a new life in a different part of their country of origin. I don't know how they lived initially, if they rented privately or were subsidised, but my father bought a house in the 50s, when housing was cheaper. I've never known any other way than privately owned or rented. We have always been poor as a family though, no holidays, second-hand clothes, no car, didn't even have a colour TV until the 90s. I just accepted the fact that here, in the UK, you generally pay privately for your house, unless you're really, really down on your luck. Sorry if that sounds naive.

No need to be hoppy. My ire is directed at a few other posters on this thread. A few ignorant and jealous posters who think that council tenants are scroungers and should be grateful for a scrap of bread and not dare to ahve a nice tv or a car.
I haven't got a car by the way and the cat (yes the cat!) broke my tv.

I always thought most people lived in council housing??? I mean my friend lives in a council flat smack in the wimbledon Grid and and is one of the only council flats there. Just because you live in council housing it does not make you a tramp I private rent and pay £1275pm for a 2 bedroom flat without bills and I am always broke my friend has a two bedroom flat and pays £300 a month and she lives in a nicer area her flats bigger than mine and she works full time she has 3 cars betweeen her and her partner and in general they are doing really well for themselves what the hell is wrong with that?

The vehicle sounds like a monstrosity of unnutterable vulgarity (in my personal subjective opinion), and a complete waste of money.
BUT that just proves that he has pathetic priorities (in my personal subjective opinion) , and says nothing at all about his housing circumstances or choices - if indeed he has a choice.

Housing in some areas (London for starters) is so very unaffordable that many many people rely on social housing...it is possible that rents in social housing enable some peopel to have more disposable income than if they were struggling to line the pockets of a private landlord, or keep pace with a mortgage.

Some people just love feeling superior, don't they.

I live in a council flat (in case you hadn't guessed ).

I work full time, no benefits apart from council tax reduction which anyone living on their own gets.

I'm in council housing because I got made homeless through a series of terrible events in my personal life and was on the waiting list for 6 months - homeless (officially classed by the council as such - I was a high priorty case because of my DS)and sleeping on floors.

I earn a reasonable salary. Can't get a mortgage due to appalling credit rating and can't afford one anyway. I don't want to move into private renting as it's very expensive and insecure (6 month lets). Here, I know me and DS have a roof over our heads.

Lots of owner occupiers and private lets near me..and 2 beds where I live go for about £100k!

I do agree that land rovers are horribly vulgar though

Actually I was on sofas, not floors so not that bad..

2beornot2be - I thought most people lived in privately owned homes! I guess it depends on where you live, what schools you went to and the people who happen to be in your social circle.

£300pm for a flat in Wimbledon! LOL! You wouldn't pay that if you were paying a mortgage on it (it would be a substatially more, much closer to the £1K figure). Everyone pays the same Council tax based (more or less) on the value of their property and what band it falls into, unless you have a rebate for whatever reason. What is the council rent based on?

I think that there is some attempt made by local councils to reflect local average earnings when calculating their rents. And of course the rents go up every year, same as for everyone else.

Yes YABU
Council tenants may get a discount when they buy, but look at the gains private homeowners have made over the last ten years? Don't you think their private gains are unfair on those who cannot afford to buy? Shouldn't homes be a home and not an investment?

Your private house allows you access to credit and services which council tenants cannot access.

You will have an asset to leave to your family and to use as equity release.

He has a car which will depreciate, hardly anything to be jealous over, let hime have abit of enjoyment in life FGS.

That is the trouble with our competitive society and pitting people against each other, people get jealous and act as individuals and not a community. Life should not be about 'things' and who has more.

benbon you sound terribly jealous.

The politics of envy eh.

Is this my brother? he's in a council flat, our mum has emigrated and he has her car for 6 months; if she has settled in and wants to stay then he'll sell it and let her have the cash- if not she'll have it back (went on a whim as she inherited the place)

* this is a pack of lies; i dont have a brother and my mum cant drive. could be tre though couldnt it? the emigration scenario is how we got our car cheap

For one night only, I will give you the honour of seeing my profile.

Feast your eyes on it if you are jealous of those council tenants who get an easy ride.

Enjoy

Too late, gone. You missed a real treat!

Do you have to be poor to live in a council flat then? Are they means tested or something? I thought anyone could apply for council housing, obviously it doesn't mean you'll get one.

Market rents are set by private landlords who will obviously charge as much as they can get away with. And have to cover the cost of their buy to let mortgage.

The rent for council houses isn't affected by the same factors. Doesn't mean anyone is subsidising council tenants, just that their rent is based on the actual cost of the bricks, mortar and maintenance rather than an artificially inflated property bubble.

YANBU

The whole council housing system should be scrapped. About time people started working and earning their keep rather than just expect the government to fund them, I so loathe this entitlement culture.

What? I SO hope that was sarcasm.

IMO YANBU
I bought an ex council house...most of the houses on our estate are now privately owned...
Most of the people living here are older, their children have left home. None of them seem to have every been particularly poor or needy (two parent families, working)- I doubt they would have got one now...

Cheap rent and lack of responsibility for expensive repairs led to the need to let people buy their homes ...
Our council have now stopped selling council houses. Just before the last one was sold (for about quarter of the real value - half of what we paid 5 years before Jellybeans)- the council repair men were out ...replacing their double glazing, drains, reinsulating etc etc. I wish someone would have done the same for me for nothing before I bought my house....

It wouldn't be fair to force people out of their homes just because their circumstances have improved ...
I think a better idea would be to means test all council tenants ...
So if someone earns enough to be able to buy a new Land Rover they can pay the council the equilvalent rent to local private housing...and for the less well off the rent could be lower...or more social housing could be built...
or everyone's council tax could be lower...

If they could then still afford to buy an expensive car/widescreen tv etc etc good on them...
I'm not jealous ...just think it isn't fair..

council properties in my area arent means tested as such but are needs tested. any savings that you have that could go towards buying a house are deducted. a poor credit rating would not be taken into account but even with saving you would get on the list but with less points than some one who had no savings. you get more points as you move up the list.

me and dh own a house and with only him earning a very low wage. the house was delapidated when it was bought and he already owned 1/4 of it as it was inherited otherwise we have had no chance of owning a home.

dh is entitled to dla so we would have been able to afford a new land rover.

YABU. council housing does not mean unemployed. and you can buy a flat in a council owned block, so you have no way of knowing whether he owns his property.

i am not jelous of those living on benefits. no one should be. i have been on benefits. its fucking hard and shitty. you try choosing whether to have hot water or food and then come back and tell me you think they have it easy

You bought an ex council house yes? So im assuming it was cheap.

You got a cheap house because someone, somewhere along the line worked, paid rent, council tax, and made their house rather nice so YOU could get a cheap property. What exactly are you complaining about?

You are moaning because you cant get double glazing for free?