Council want to house us opposite paedos!!

[Ilovepugs2017]

I’ll try and cut a long story short.
We are at risk of homelessness due to our landlord wanting to sell. Our section 21 ran out in July.
we have been bidding on properties every week with no luck.
The council bid on a property on our behalf in our local area (for personal reasons I didn’t bid on this particular property - issues with threats of assault from someone living on the same street as the one advertised).
anyway we were no.2 in the queue and couldn’t withdraw the bid which gave me huge anxiety. I’d even emailed the housing officer to say I didn’t bid for personal reasons.
2 weeks later which is today they have called and offered us the property. They have said if we refuse to take it they will help us no further!!
my partner has been to speak to a couple of the neighbours and they have said to be warned that a couple of convicted paedos live opposite the back entrance!

we have three young children how is this acceptable?
Im going to refuse the house and appeal!
anxiety is through the roof!! :(
anyone been through similar?

I’m getting the impression that nothing will be good enough for you. This is everyone’s problem but yours. You have zero responsibility in any of this. Landlords should be lining up to house you, because, well you’re you and you love your kids.

Good luck OP. With your attitude, you’re gonna need it.

How am I refusing to leave???
just leave with nowhere to go yeah?
cause that’s a sensible thing to do with 3 kids
🙄

What sort of person sits there for two years without fixing it themselves? It’s hardly as though your husband couldn’t find the time.

Again, you need to start taking some responsibility.

You have been offered a house by the council. You have literally, on this thread, been coming up with reason after reason why you should not take it, so yes, you have an alternative but are refusing to leave.

Erm excuse me? We pay rent for a reason! It is not my partners responsibility to fix it it’s the landlords!!
your responses are starting to get irritating

I’ve said there are risks to taking this particular property yes.
Not just random excuses 🙄

If i was you id move in to this place theyre offering and straight away apply for house swap and search for other places

I've needed a guarantor for all 3 of my privately rented houses!

So you just happily let your children live in a damp house because the landlord “should” have done the work.

What kind of parent lets their children suffer for two years on a point of principle? Why on Earth did your husband not fix it and tell the landlord that you were knocking the cost off the next month’s rent?

I literally cannot understand how anyone with children can show such little concern for them that they behave how you have been.

Because it is their job and we aren’t qualified to fix it???

I haven't read all of the posts so this may have already been suggested but, are you able to get the names of the sex offenders from the person who initially told you about them? With their names can't you check whether they are registered sex offenders? I am not exactly sure how this is done but If you can prove that there are registered sex offenders living in close proximity to you home that this would greatly support your contention for not wanting to accept the property that has been offered to you.

If you do end up having to move in, it is actually a very good thing that you are aware of exactly who these individuals are so that you can avoid them at all costs.

For what it is worth, I totally understand why you don't want to take the property offered. The prospect of homelessness is horrendous but so is the prospect of living near sex offenders and someone making threats at you and your family. I hope that you and your children are offered a home away from this situation.

Oh and I’m not an idiot thank you!

My guess is that it’s pretty common practise these days

🙄 literally is all I have to say
if you don’t have anything constructive to say then don’t say anything at all?

As opposed to the streets? Yes.

Your problem is that people assume the council have a duty of care to house all children. They have met that need. You have been offered suitable accommodation.

if you turn it down then it could well that travel a path you don’t want to walk down. The inability to home your children can lead to intervention from social services.

Erm because my husband is not qualified to fix it??? Also by law a landlord has to fix any repairs! Look up the legalities!

Poppet, grow up, get a job and take responsibility is probably the most constructive advice you’ll ever wish you had.
Good luck…

Thanks so much, at least someone understands where I’m coming from and isn’t here to just hurl abuse at me :)

If DP is only part time and college doesn't require your physical attendance could he look at jobs further afield that pay more?

👍🏻

Yes he is doing this. Hopefully something better will come up soon

If, as you say, you are not an idiot, then what coukd possibly have stopped you spending five minutes on YouTube learning how to stick some mastic tape over a leak?

Neither me nor DH are qualified in maintenance either (his degrees are in physics, mine in mathematical economics), but that doesn’t stop us dealing with plumbing, electrics, leaks, and all sorts of other repairs.

You understand what a leak is, yes? It’s water from outside coming into your house.

Why could your husband, on his way home from the jet propulsion laboratory have not called by B&Q, bought a patch, and stuck it over the hole?

Just to make a point about the landlord thing. You HAVE to be formally evicted and exhaust every avenue before the council will help you. Just getting the motive and leaving doesn’t cut it. You pretty much have to wait until a bailiff date arrives.