Social housing - newbie

[Dalamane]

Our landlord has given us notice to leave his rented property after nearly 10 years. We have been allowed to register on housing list under homeless service, we have pets and can't get anything private rented due to our circumstances.

So we've viewed about 10 properties and bid on 3 that we thought were OK, the others have been in varying states of too disgusting to even consider stepping in never mind living in. I'm not opposed to cleaning & freshening up by any means but these properties need deep cleaning by professionals, surely from a health & safety perspective before new families move in.

We viewed one yesterday that we thought had potential but looking thro the windows changed that, it looked like a ghetto, scruffy beyond just unclean.

The back garden was a good size but resembled a piece of land where squatters had lived, remains of fires, piles of bricks, stones, rubbish and dog excrement everywhere - we have a dog who we clean up after so been there, done that.

Have others experienced this when looking at council properties? Do they clean any of this mess up from when they advertise properties to when they invite you to view - or are you expected to accept a property as it stands.

Just looking for advice from those who've been through this

There was a new kitchen put in my house before I moved in. It did need a good clean though . Bathroom was thick with nicotine had to scrub every single tile, got vouchers for decoration.
Speak to housing but I would rather have a house in a decent area and give it a good scrub

I'd kill to get a secure cheap council tenancy - even if it did mean having to pay for professional cleaners myself.

Are there circumstances other than having a dog that's making it hard to rent? I'm in private rented and have permission for my dog.

What borough are you in? Some boroughs give vouchers for decorating when you move in. Generally as long as everything is in working order amd safe they tend to just move you in as the last tenant left it.

I think when it comes to housing you should be grateful that you are being rehoused. You can fix up these places. It goes to show beggars can be choosers!

Are the properties ready to let? They will go through a voids process that should deal with the worst of it. There is often stuff to do but most people do a bit at a time.

If you have been given priority due to homelessness there is likely to be a limit to how many places you can turn down.

Yes this is how they are. But its worth it for the secure tenancy and cheap rents.
Youre v lucky to have been offered one so quickly

Without meaning to sound harsh, you need to rethink your expectations. This is a cheap, secure home for your family. You can tidy/clean and paint. Most HAs will clear up and mess or rubbish and strip the floors and stick some magnolia over the walls.
You're renting social housing not moving into a swanky private rented house.

Thanks to those who have commented on what I was asking, based on their experience.

Mine was lovely according to housing officer. Skirting boards inches thick with hair and dust, felt tip and crayon all over the walls, knickers and toys stuck behind radiators, puddle of chip fat on the kitchen worktop, broken toys left in the outside toilet.
Walks were half painted in garish colours and one wall had been painted in gloss.
It was generally grubby and needed a good clean but from what others have had to move into, it was the Ritz.

Walls not walks.

I did get a £200 decorating voucher but that was 12 years ago. I have heard that our council don't give decorating vouchers anymore.

Yep, You need to able to look beyond this. I’ve viewed quite a few properties that I’ve bid on(I don’t get pushed down priority if I don’t take them, but in some areas you do so watch out for that) and they tend to be in a bad way when I’ve viewed them, grubby, broken tiles, repairs that need doing, mould etc but most I’ve viewed shortly after the bidding cycle has finished and they like to turn them round in 28days max so if you accept they usually have a couple of weeks to fix stuff up/replace stuff.

A secure tenancy is something not to be sniffed at, considering how little council tenancys there are nowadays one can’t afford to be too fussy and a lot can be done with some elbow grease and a big tub of white emulsion.

My first council Home was a dump. But was all that was available so took it. Better than no roof over us

Next time was a brand new new build

I felt secure in both

I wouldn't turn down too many or they'll stop offering.

You're looking for a solid house with no damp. Cosmetic stuff can be sorted out. I'm wondering given recent threads this is a goady one to stir up the wasps tbh. Homeless and being offered a secure tenancy but rejecting them because they need cleaning? Time to sort out your expectations.

You get a couple of weeks, pay for a deep clean and you'll feel better.

Depending in where you are to what the council does. When I viewed my council house was so worried when walked in. No flooring in hallway, no loo, sink or ceiling in downstairs toilet. No bath or toilet upstairs and garden was awful. Had the chance to view again before accepting tenancy and everything had been sorted. Far enough needed a good needed redecorating throughout it was perfect for us to settle into and have started making it out home. In our area you no longer get vouchers for decorating but bit by bit will get it done :) try not to turn down too many cause could mean you lose the right to bid. Our council allow rejection of 3 properties before they remobe from list

Thanks for more comments, only asking for guidance as new to social housing and have no experience whatsoever.

Haven't been offered any houses yet, i'm just doing my homework with the help of those who can be nice enough.

Are you bidding using points system?

Not that I know of, we have bands 2-4

When you bid what sort of place are you coming? Did they say how long the wait might be?

The ha will tidy it up before you move in. Don't be put off looking through the windows. One local to us got kicked out, abandoned dogs in it...ha ripped out all the flooring.

Our own ha, the kitchen and bathroom had been painted but we had a paint pack for rest of hpuse and we did our own carpets.

Garden generally made liveable...but not much else.

Some LAs only let you turn down a certain amount of properties before you’re bumped down the list, so I’d check what your LAs policy is.

Deep clean of council property (by new tenant) is standard, I’ve never known any to be in walk in condition. Flooring isn’t usually included either, so budget for that too.

Is it just the pets that mean you can’t rent privately again?

We can bid anytime, properties stay on for a week, we check for new ones every day & bid if we think theyre ok. We get 2 offers but haven't had any yet out if the bids we've made.

Got 5 weeks before we have to leave rental.
Need a drive & decent sized back garden ideally.

Still learning the ropes, never been in this situation before.

There isn’t much that a good clean with elbow grease and a paint in white emulsion can’t fix.

I still think it’s crazy council tenancies don’t come with flooring though!

You might need to lower your expectations a bit.

I was on waiting list for 9.5 years. I saved a bit each week to pay for carpets and flooring, painting and decorating. We were eventually offered and accepted for a new build with almost new carpets upstairs and vinyl in kitchen and downstairs loo.

My dsis was given a council house the year before and it was disgusting. The living room had been used as a kennel for a litter of staffy pups. It stunk of dog shit and piss no matter how much we cleaned it. The professional cleaners the council sent in were heaving in the front garden, and walked off the job saying they needed hazmat suits to go back in.

HA don't generally have drives. And the garden might not be big. Ours isn't.

OP I think you may need to start looking at the situation a bit more realistically. The vast majority of people live in a property that doesn't tick all their boxes be that HA, private rent or owned. Somewhere along the line they will have compromised. You have a massive pressure of time too.

Good luck with your search.

You 'need' a drive and a decent garden?