Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Money matters

Find financial and money-saving discussions including debt and pension chat on our Money forum. If you're looking for ways to make your money to go further, sign up to our Moneysaver emails here.

Original poster

If I want a council house...

56 replies

madamez · 09/01/2008 14:20

because I can't see myself ever earning a huge income even if I went back to work fulltime, and because I would like to live somewhere we are not at risk of being evicted with a couple of months notice at any time, and I would like a place that feels like I can redecorate or change things or put shelves up if I want to, etc etc etc....

But do you have to be absolutely homeless to qualify even to go on the waiting list?

OP posts:
colditz · 09/01/2008 14:21

no you can go on the waiting list i think, you are just unlikely to ever get anywhere. try housing associations too.

Hecate · 09/01/2008 14:22

Anybody can go on the waiting list. It's just that you will face a bloody long wait in some areas if you don't have enough points.

WingsofanAngel · 09/01/2008 14:24

It depends on your councils. Some have points system. While others you go on a list.
See if your council has a web site with info on it.

stripeymama · 09/01/2008 14:26

They have to accept you on the waiting list.

But you stand no chance whatsoever of being housed in many areas unless you are desperate. I was having a rant about it on here last night.

Original poster
madamez · 09/01/2008 14:30

Well I don't know yet how desperate we are as canot find out for sure whether or not the landlord is going to renew the lease on this house or not. But if not, then it's going to be hard to find a home as I am on housing benefit/v low income/no money for a deposit.
OK, DS dad may be able to lend me money for the deposit, but not sure how lucky we will be.
ANd (I know this sounds wanky) but I've got to be able to get net access wherever we live cos of work, so I am terrifited of ending up in a hostel B&B....

OP posts:
stripeymama · 09/01/2008 14:33

Its that time of year for me too, so you have my full sympathy. Its horrible, the couple of months before tenancies are up for renewal.

If you want to see my rant on the subject, its here

Hecate · 09/01/2008 14:39

Well. You could....if the landlord gives you notice.... not move out voluntarily. Make him evict you. That way you will be statutorily homeless. (as long as he's not evicting you because you didn't pay the rent, or were a bad tenant ..I think that's being intentionally homeless, and the council don't have to help you.)

I worked for housing dept of a council eons ago, but am so out of date, I am useless info-wise!! Someone on here knows all about this stuff. colditz? custy?

sb6699 · 09/01/2008 14:48

My landlord served us our notice 2 days after christmas - wanted to do it 2 days before but letting agent managed to convince him it "wouldn't be right doing that to long term tennants who have 3 young children as it would ruin christmas".

We have managed to get on the housing list in our area but the rules are different.

You normally need to live/work in the area for at least one year and we had to prove we were about to made homeless (but I know this wasn't the case when we lived in Scotland). They also ask for proof of earnings etc. They allocate points based on individual circumstance, no of children, medical conditions etc and I reckon it just depends how long the list is in your area whether you will have enough points to get a house.

I was surprised that the housing officer was mildly optimistic we would be offered something within our 8 week notice period. She said its because we qualify for a 3 bed house and most only qualify for two - if we fell into that category "we would be kidding ourselves".

Original poster
madamez · 09/01/2008 14:56

Hecate: thanks for the idea but I don't fancy that, I'm scared of landlord as it is (not in the sense that he's dangerous or criminal, he's just a bit of a blusterer and I can do without it). Also, if the council are going to consider us low priority then I will need to behave like a good little tenant to get a private rent elsewhere

OP posts:
WingsofanAngel · 09/01/2008 16:36

You may have a higher priority if you are given notice by your current landlord. As you will be homeless. It will depend on your councils policy. Do they have a customer service place you can visit ?

Lauriefairycake · 09/01/2008 16:42

My friend works for the housing department and she says anyone can go on the list, in any borough too, so you can put yourself down in neighbouring boroughs.

Her friend put her son down when he hit 18 - when he got to 29 he got a lovely one bedroom flat (11 year wait).

I wish I'd put myself down after I got divorced 5 years ago, I might be half way to getting one now.

Tortington · 09/01/2008 16:49

if you really want a ouncil house the only way you are going to ge one if if your landlord agrees with you not to renew your lease and agrees to formally evict you.

what borough are you in = iwill see if ican find some more details for you

Original poster
madamez · 09/01/2008 17:24

Croydon 12000 on waiting list and 1000 households housed a year, as I found out from looking their housing website up earlier. Ohe well. Perhaps DS dad will be able to lend me a deposit or something. My parents will give me adn DS hosue room but it will mean uprooting him from his nursery and we will be very overcrowded.

OP posts:
iheartdusty · 10/01/2008 20:27

Have you checked with the housing associations?

list here

iheartdusty · 10/01/2008 20:31

that list is not complete, for example here is another one;
CPHA

your local CAB should have a complete list and maybe some tips about their requirements.

iheartdusty · 10/01/2008 20:34

another list

mumfor1standfinaltime · 10/01/2008 20:36

Our local Council has a new system, anyone can join it. You have to register online with your details and where/how you are living. You then have to look on the site at properties which are available and 'bid' on it. The council will then look at who needs it most and then allocate that property to them.
You are only allowed to 'bid' on homes which are to your needs. For example I have one child and dh living with me so would only be allowed to 'bid' on 2 bed properties and not large 4 bed houses.
Have a look at your local council website.

ScoobyDoo · 10/01/2008 20:38

This happened to us as most know, We got evicited got offered a total shit hole of a studio flat which i said i would not put my children in if they paid me, we went to my mums spent 9 months living in 1 bedroom, it was utter hell, we then got housed through private landlord again through council & are living in a 2 bedroom flat, we have been in this position now for 1 yr 4 months looking at waiting another 2-3 years, we have decided not to put ourselves through anymore of this & are moving to hampshire to build a new life where we can affford it.

Council housing sucks, in croydon i would say you will be waiting forever, london housing is 100x worse than ours in surrey.

mumfor1standfinaltime · 10/01/2008 20:38

I won't tell you all that when I moved out at 19 the council gave me and dh a 3 bed property within 2 months of applying for it . We then got offered a new build 2 bed house to move into, mainly because we had too many rooms.

ScoobyDoo · 10/01/2008 20:40

We have the bidding systme, if it was not for the bidding system we would have been housed easily as we were claassed as homeless.

Only good thing about the bidding system is you get to choose where you want to live & what in otherwise time wise it totally sucks!

mumfor1standfinaltime · 10/01/2008 20:42

Agree bidding system has some advantages, but seems a long way round!
My sister is in a 2 bed flat at the moment with 3 children and 1 step son so am going through all this with her at the moment.

sherby · 10/01/2008 20:44

We have the bidding system to. There are 4 of us the council lady told me we basically had no hope at all and to look at private leasing.

Social housing is crapola it really is.

ScoobyDoo · 10/01/2008 20:44

The problem is it all depends on how long you have been on the list & if any one has been bedroom defcient for like 3 years or whatever then they obviously come before you.

I would say to anyone no matter what your situation get your name on the council lists because you never know what is going to happen to you in the future & the longer you have been on it the better!

ScoobyDoo · 10/01/2008 20:45

Everyone will have the bidding system soon it is going all across the country they started in london & our moving across the country with it, eventually this is how every council will work! no points system anymore.

mumfor1standfinaltime · 10/01/2008 20:46

Sherby, course she did as it is one less person on her list!
Agree with scooby. I got my place so quickly because my parents bought their council house, so on paper I was homeless.

Swipe left for the next trending thread