council offer

[northernoldie34]

need some advice, ive been offered whats known as a direct let from my local council , this is where you cant bid for a property for whatever reason so they give you a dive instead. however i went to view it and my god, it was awful. terrible chuckle brothers plaster job filling in where there once was a fireplace, no carpets bare floor with top slats missing. what looks like a dogs toilet used on the doorway between bedrooms and kitchen as its all yellow, paints coming off and there is stains on the wood floor around it. marks along every wall scuff marks, apprent damp proofing which means the house has damp issues. more dog pee stains in the main bedroom as well as what looks like a machine gun takin to the wall and then crudly filled with polyfilla. mould in smaller bedroom on the wall more dog stains and what looks like pee around the raiditor. a huge disbaled ramp and wet room which i do not need as im not disabled. even the bathroom has damp on the wall. it is disgusting and they expect a child to live there. ive complained and refused it however she has sent it management to be looked as they say theyve "seen it" and it is "suitable accomadtion" look i wouldnt let a seagull live in there. its truly filthy. im of very ill health ive just had brain surgery and im on uc, i cannot afford new carpets, the money to clean that hovel or decorate it . this is insane. am i right to refuse it?

Sounds like a standard council let.

Sadly if you refuse it they may chuck you off the waiting list.

I though all council houses are like this...it is up to you to carpet them and clean them etc

im aware you are to carpet them but this place is full of damp, dog wee stains and various other issues . this is unliveable the state its in right now and how this can be passed off as a liveable place is beyond me. i cannot clean it up im too ill ive just had brain surgery

Are they proposing to do any work on the property before you move in? I would make a list of all the work required and refer them to the decent home standards.

Unfortunately carpeting the property won't be included, but there may be voucher schemes available or charities to help with the cost.

Council housing doesn't usually include flooring unfortunately so you either accept what's there or have bare floors (some areas automatically rip out any flooring even if it's in good condition. Friends had to sign a disclaimer when they accepted the existing flooring from previous tenant to say they wouldn't complain if there were any issues).

Can you ask if any further cleaning or remedial work can be done if you accept the tenancy i.e. removal of dog faeces as its a potential health hazard. Unfortunately the decorating also falls to the tenant; they used to have a scheme where you could get vouchers for paint but I'm not sure if this is still available.

@northernoldie34 do you have any family and friends to help with the cleaning?

I'd refuse anything with damp so wouldn't blame you for doing so.

I think all council properties come with bare floors, and usually in need of decoration.

Stuff like polyfilla on the walls is no big deal - most houses have plenty of filled areas on the walls. It covers up easily under wallpaper or sand and a coat of paint. Mould usually washes off with a mould and mildew remover (or bleach also works just as well) and generally can be prevented by good ventilation once you are living there.

I'd be very careful about declining, as you may not be entitled to another offer depending on your council's rules.

@FTB2022

Are they proposing to do any work on the property before you move in? I would make a list of all the work required and refer them to the decent home standards.

Unfortunately carpeting the property won't be included, but there may be voucher schemes available or charities to help with the cost.

no they told me to accept it as it is and all the cleaning carpets and decorating are all my problem, if i get ill from the damp or the disgusting state of the property im gonna sue. they know how ill i am and i have to stay away from anything that could make me very ill and that place is a health hazard. i wish i could post the pictures . people may have a diffrent opinion

[quote sweepeep]@northernoldie34 do you have any family and friends to help with the cleaning?[/quote]
i have my parents but my dad has copd and severe arthritis in his fingers so he cant, my mam is not to handy with a brush and thats all i have.

Every council place I've ever viewed has been much the same I'm afraid OP, they do tend to be 'projects' rather than finished to a liveable standard unfortunately. In your situation it's going to be a matter of calling in all the favours from family and friends you possibly can and being really proactive in finding and accessing any help that's on offer from community schemes, charities etc.

@mrsm43s

I think all council properties come with bare floors, and usually in need of decoration.

Stuff like polyfilla on the walls is no big deal - most houses have plenty of filled areas on the walls. It covers up easily under wallpaper or sand and a coat of paint. Mould usually washes off with a mould and mildew remover (or bleach also works just as well) and generally can be prevented by good ventilation once you are living there.

I'd be very careful about declining, as you may not be entitled to another offer depending on your council's rules.

ive thought about it long and hard, there is a few other factors here too. the bloke upstairs has a huge illegal breed dog that can climb into the yard at the property which is dangerous for my kid. it has disabled adaptions i dont need or want it is key and card for gas and electric im on benefits i cannot afford that.its all a bit to much for me

You can always say no but I would look at the bigger picture of security of a roof over your head for yourself and daughter. Yes it's not ideal but it's a heck of a lot better than a string of pristine rentals and having to constantly move every 5 minutes.

@StormyWindow

Every council place I've ever viewed has been much the same I'm afraid OP, they do tend to be 'projects' rather than finished to a liveable standard unfortunately. In your situation it's going to be a matter of calling in all the favours from family and friends you possibly can and being really proactive in finding and accessing any help that's on offer from community schemes, charities etc.

i just have my mam and dad sadly and my dad is ill with copd and arthrits in his fingers. i mean there is projects and then there is disgusting filthy hovels left with dog pee and various other mystery stains everywhere. as well as the damp. and the dangerous dog upstairs when i have a cat

They won't supply carpets at all. There are grants you can get to help with that if you're on a low income. Have a look at your local council site.

The decorating is also entirely down to you, although they may supply you with decorating vouchers to purchase paint.

They have damp proofed the place already, so it's liveable, if it gets worse they can come and install a fan thing (neighbour has one).

There are some organisations that can help you with decorating, again ask the council for lists of charities or ask on social media.

No council house will ever be absolutely perfect with carpets and fully decorated unfortunately.

Contact your local councillor and explain that you've recently had surgery annd don't have support to help renovate. If you can get your councillor on side you might be able to stay on the list if you turn it down.

@Beees

You can always say no but I would look at the bigger picture of security of a roof over your head for yourself and daughter. Yes it's not ideal but it's a heck of a lot better than a string of pristine rentals and having to constantly move every 5 minutes.

its not even security, there is a dangerous dog upstairs, a dodgy looking bloke there too and crime outside that house there was 8 assulats in jan alone. ive lived here for 2 yrs but because the landlord wants to move his new boyfreind in i have to leave. plus i have no furniture as this place is fully furnished so i have to find the money to start all over again i have nothing

@WeDontShutUpAboutBruno

They won't supply carpets at all. There are grants you can get to help with that if you're on a low income. Have a look at your local council site.

The decorating is also entirely down to you, although they may supply you with decorating vouchers to purchase paint.

They have damp proofed the place already, so it's liveable, if it gets worse they can come and install a fan thing (neighbour has one).

There are some organisations that can help you with decorating, again ask the council for lists of charities or ask on social media.

No council house will ever be absolutely perfect with carpets and fully decorated unfortunately.

i dont expect it to be, what i do expect is to not have a property full of dog urine stains everywhere, damp in a bathroom mould and rotting old raidtors either. and a plaster job done over the fireplace and left a hueg plaster board behind it. even if i did decorate it it would stick out the paper

I'd recommend speaking to the Housing Ombudsmen for detailed advice. There is a huge focus at the moment about decent properties and the stigma of being in social housing. You don't have to put up and shut up.

Good luck, OP.

All council houses here are on a meter, it's part of our tenancy agreement. Not sure if other areas are the same.

If the upstairs guy has an illegal breed then that needs to be reported regardless of if you live there.

Not sure about your area but here you get one refusal, then have to take the next place or you're off the list, is it worth the gamble to refuse it?

@urbanbuddha

Contact your local councillor and explain that you've recently had surgery annd don't have support to help renovate. If you can get your councillor on side you might be able to stay on the list if you turn it down.

i have, im in touch with the local mps housing officer incase this goes tits up . all i did was explain a little about the living room to her on the phone yesterday and she stopped me and said yes this is unliveable and you need to contact the council , if you have any issues with her or the application come back to me so thats what im gonna do

@Beees

You can always say no but I would look at the bigger picture of security of a roof over your head for yourself and daughter. Yes it's not ideal but it's a heck of a lot better than a string of pristine rentals and having to constantly move every 5 minutes.

This is a really good point. The security is a big factor, & with rising rental and living costs even more so than usual.

Re the cat - when we bought our first flat the downstairs neighbour changed a few weeks beforewe moved in & the new person brought two security dogs with them (definitely not friendly!). I had to keep my cats indoors to keep them safe - so it can happen to anyone, unless you live in the middle of nowhere with no neighbours unfortunately.

What exactly were you expecting from a “dive” property? Something that was ready to move in without even needing a clean?Damp proofing suggests they’ve dealt with the issue. Carpets missing are standard and the rest sounds like elbow grease and paint?

When you talk about "damp", what do you mean?

Some mould/mildew in the bathrooms and on outside walls? If so, it's more likely due to poor ventilation, and if you look after the property properly once you move in, then it's not likely to be a problem.

The "dog pee" around the radiator, is likely to be a stain from a previous leak from the radiator, and unlikely to be a problem. Equally the other "dog pee" areas are more likely to be spills than dog wee (although I guess it is possible). In any case, cleaning them up with bleach before painting the floor boards/laying carpet/flooring will solve that issue.

Polyfilla'd walls will be fine once decorated.

I think what you are describing is fairly standard for a council house. Presumably the kitchen and bathroom are functional (even if not to your taste) and the doors and windows are all secure? It sounds like it just needs cleaning, flooring and decorating, which is to be expected.