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Original poster

Letting flat through council?

32 replies

solittletime · 06/08/2021 13:02

Hello!
I’m hoping to get a good idea of what it would be like to let a property through the council.
I inherited a flat some years ago and been renting it out through a private agency.
Following a string of problems I’m wondering if it would be worth considering handing management of the property to my local council?
I get to vet the prospective tenant apparently.
It would feel nice to be providing decent accommodation to someone who needs it. However I’m concerned that I might be getting myself on to a situation where I could never choose to give notice if I ever need to sell the flat.

Does anyone have experience of doing this?
Thanks!

OP posts:
Amijustagrump · 06/08/2021 13:05

The house next to us did this and it was horrific. The house is now trashed and it took well over a year to get the tennant out after giving notice as the council made them go via court. I would never do it after seeing that landlords experience!

Whinginadeville · 06/08/2021 17:19

Yes I did the council were as bad as the awful awful tenants cost is a fortune to get one of the tenants out as mid tenancy they decided she wasn't a council tenant any longer. Left us with a non rent paying no deposit tenant and a destroyed flat

Original poster
solittletime · 06/08/2021 19:43

Oh dear! And there was me thinking I could make good use of the property I own! The council housing person I met was so nice and reassuring I was pretty much sold on the idea...

OP posts:
Original poster
solittletime · 06/08/2021 19:45

@Whinginadeville

Did you do a managed let? We’re you able to choose your tenants? I was told I could meet them and check their references and choose who I want

OP posts:
MichelleScarn · 06/08/2021 19:45

Another to say no, friend did this and only got 1 months rent paid, then took months and months to evict, flat absolutely destroyed.

AMistakePlusKeleven · 06/08/2021 19:46

We lived next to someone who did this. It was horrific. They then refused to leave, caused thousands of pounds worth of damage and even though the council reimbursed for the damage the owner still lost time and money in the end.

backtoworkigooo · 06/08/2021 19:53

I'm a letting agent and have had many landlords over the years come to us after spending thousands trying to get council tenants out of the property, even if they've been good tenants, because the council tells the tenants to stay in the property until the landlord goes through the courts and bailiffs are sent round. Often tenants just following councils advise and the council do it due to the lack of housing so push the problem forward.
Can you find a good agent to manage the property for you? So it inc all maintenance etc. Although even with this option it's rarely stress free, you almost need to look at the income as a second job and like any job it brings a degree of stress I think

Generalpost · 06/08/2021 20:03

I don't think everyone has bad experiences.

Do you mean to let it through the council as a long term rent so someone on the housing waiting list are able to rent your place as a private rent?

If your thinking about the above often (not always) the people who rent from you (may) find it difficult to leave when you need them to. if they can't find another private rent the council will tell them to stay until they get evicted. Which they have no choice but to do . Having said that it could happen to anyone only need to loose a job or be on a lower income.

Or do you mean so the council can let your property out at temporary accommodation?

The house I'm in is temporary accommodation its owned by a private landlord but is leased to the council and used as temporary accommodation. It's manged by the council. I have never seen the house owner. Property's used for temporary accommodation tend to be quite run down to start with.

Another place I was in that was classed as emgency accommodation again quite run down. It was a 4 bed flat and as it was emgency accommodation the rent was 700 a week .

Have you tried open rent ?

Ligglepiggle · 06/08/2021 20:07

Don’t do it, massive conflict of interest to the point I’m surprised it’s even legal. Council will encourage tenants to stay regardless of any eviction orders if it’s ever necessary leaving you stuck with people potentially not paying or causing damage to the property.

TakeYourFinalPosition · 06/08/2021 20:10

because the council tells the tenants to stay in the property until the landlord goes through the courts and bailiffs are sent round.

This is true of anyone who needs housing by the council - so if you let to someone privately and their circumstances change, they’ll be advised of the same thing. It’s not exclusive to people already in council housing - infact, it might be less likely to happen there, because a council can try to discharge their legal duty to house someone if they person has deprived themselves of housing. But it might not.

It’s going to be a risk that you can’t evict people at will if you let the property at all, to anyone, as the tenant has the legal right to wait to be evicted by court-ordered bailiffs. And the government is discussing ending the section 21 legislation which allows for fault free eviction, to give renters more security. It’s anyone’s guess if they’ll actually do anything or when; though.

Original poster
solittletime · 06/08/2021 20:17

Thanks everyone for talking sense in to me. I thought it would be the right thing to do, since I’m in the lucky position of finding myself with an empty properly to rent. I had visions of being able to offer a nice accommodation to a single mum or similar. But seems risk is too high and I’ll prob just go with a private estate agent.

I know from experience that you can’t evict tenants, I don’t think that’s relevant only to council tenants. I know someone who couldn’t evict their tenant even though they hadn’t paid rent for 6 months in a row. So always a risk of that I suppose.

OP posts:
Whinginadeville · 06/08/2021 21:22

I came from the same place as a suddenly single mum I was so grateful for help in my twenties and really wanted to pay back in some way so I talked my now dh into letting the council place tenants in our flat. The council said we could choose but titally reneged on that it was an awful stressful and very costly 3 years please, please don't do it.

Generalpost · 06/08/2021 21:45

@solittletime

Thanks everyone for talking sense in to me. I thought it would be the right thing to do, since I’m in the lucky position of finding myself with an empty properly to rent. I had visions of being able to offer a nice accommodation to a single mum or similar. But seems risk is too high and I’ll prob just go with a private estate agent.

I know from experience that you can’t evict tenants, I don’t think that’s relevant only to council tenants. I know someone who couldn’t evict their tenant even though they hadn’t paid rent for 6 months in a row. So always a risk of that I suppose.

It's the system that it wrong. Not the tenant. It's not fair on anyone all they are doing is delaying what's going to happen anyway. Which cost money and stress for the landlord and the tenant.
Whinginadeville · 06/08/2021 23:08

The system did not make any of the tenants destroy our flat, steal our property and pocket the rent the council paid them. The eviction stuff is a red herring.

Generalpost · 06/08/2021 23:16

@Whinginadeville

The system did not make any of the tenants destroy our flat, steal our property and pocket the rent the council paid them. The eviction stuff is a red herring.
I was not talking about trashing the place or not paying the rent . Not everyone in a difficult situation trashes people's houses. I was taking about how the tenant is made to wait for eviction the tenant does not want that anymore than the landlord does.
Viviennemary · 06/08/2021 23:20

Somebody I know had a letter asking them to let their property out through the Council. They very wisely turned it down. It will probably be problem tenants and you'll never get rid of them. Find a reputable agent that does thorough checks and go through them.

itcouldhave · 06/08/2021 23:26

My former neighbour let her flat to the council to house tenants.

It was a fucking nightmare. The tenant had two kids who she would regularly scream at and call them cunts. I had to knock on her door one night because of the noise from her arguing with her bloke and she screamed to me to fuck off and slammed the door in my face. We had to call the police one night because both she and her bloke had stormed off and left two toddlers in the flat alone. The finale was her moving out and stealing all the furniture. She also stole post from the boxes and tried to take out loans in the name of other residents.

I don’t think all council tenants are like that, but I don’t think it’s entirely unreasonable to consider that some are and it’s not fair on your neighbours to force them to put up with it. If you think that the council will help with problem tenants, you are wrong.

ButterflyAway · 07/08/2021 06:57

I let a council flat. I’m a single mum, I work full time, claim no benefits. My flat is certainly not destroyed and I am so incredibly tired of seeing the attitude towards council tenants and the made up shit about them on here.

StMarysKettle · 07/08/2021 07:01

So everyone else's posts are made up but yours isn't? How does that work then?

ButterflyAway · 07/08/2021 07:28

@StMarysKettle no, I’ve just spent more than enough time around council tenants to know the shit posted here isn’t an accurate view, majority of it is wildly made up. Hope that helps love.

applepeachpie · 07/08/2021 07:42

My parents let out to the council and they spent every tenancy going round afterwards trying to fix up whatever had been ripped out or stolen. A whole kitchen got ripped out once!!

I would never do it myself. I let out to private tenants and had so many problems. In the end I gave up renting anywhere and sold the place but if I did do it again id probably pick the tenants myself and hope they were who they said they were and then use a really good management company to manage them. My management were terrible despite me paying them 18% a month I still got an absolutely filthy property back that cost a lot to do all the repairs.

Original poster
solittletime · 07/08/2021 07:53

Yes this is my last try at renting it out before deciding to sell. As someone said it really should be viewed as a second job and I don’t really have the time or inclination, plus don’t live on the same city where the property is.
I’m actually out of pocket now and having to use savings to redecorate before renting again.

I absolutely know that people on housing benefit would look after my property just as well or better than private renters, and I wanted to be able to provide a nice home for someone. I guess the problem is if the council is between me and the tenants and I don’t get to pick who they are then I’m taking a higher risk, which I really cannot afford to do. Especially as it’s in a block of flats I have to think of my neighbours.
Thanks for the feedback everyone.

OP posts:
HollowTalk · 07/08/2021 08:05

Personally I would sell the house and invest the money in stocks and shares.

Savoury · 07/08/2021 08:29

I've a question on this. Is it not the case that the rent can be paid directly to the landlord from benefits or has that changed with UC?
I remember a friend who rented his flat out for 5 years to the council with the money coming straight to him. There was still a fair about of hassle though and he eventually sold.

Amijustagrump · 07/08/2021 08:39

@Savoury that changed a few years back so now the money goes to the tennant and then to the landlord, can potentially cause all sorts of issues!

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