Page 27 | Family wants me to give up my social house and I'm not - wwyd?

spicy2001 · 2023-06-06T12:07:00+00:00

I currently rent a three bedroom social housing property and I live on my own. Most of the rent is paid for by universal credit and I have to pay 25% bedroom tax which is very affordable to me which is for two rooms and a shortfall of £30.55p. I did speak to a housing officer and they said I am legally allowed to occupy it, and as long as I pay the rent on time, tax and shortfall, then everything is fine. I don't feel guilty for occupying this three bedroom house, it's been my home since I was born. Recently, I noticed that my family were talking a lot about me downsizing. I asked why are they talking about me downsizing? They said because I don't need this property and have to downsize. I explained I'm legally allowed to stay here, this is my property and not yours. I get that I don't need this property but I'm staying here because I'm allowed too. I found out that they actually joined a site called "home swapper" and a site called "glass bob" my sibling set up an account using her email address to advertise my property. If I'm correct, I've never joined these so I don't know 100% but they're platforms where you can do mutual exchange and advertise your property. I phoned my housing association and explained the situation, they've started an investigation and they are speaking to various departments to see if they can do it from the end to see if they can do anything as they approved it but they don't know if they can disapprove it. The other day a tenant from another part of my cul-de-sac came round and told me she knows I'm downsizing and she has a friend whose currently living in a one bedroom flat with his wife and they've got a one year old daughter and another baby on the way. I explained to this person my family have been trying to get me to downsize to a one bedroom flat and I'm not actually looking to downsize so I won't swap with them but told her I do sympathize with their situation. She told all my neighbours about her friend and now all the neighbours are peed off at me because I'm not downsizing. My family are also peed of that I'm not downsizing. As far as I'm concerned I don't care as I have the legal right to stay here for as long as I like or want. I just wanted to know though what would you do if you was in my situation?

Rosscameasdoody · 15/06/2023 16:11

nebulae · 11/06/2023 20:47

That's nonsense. A single man is very unlikely to ever get housed by the council unless he has significant vulnerabilities.

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A relative of ours is in a privately rented ground floor flat, which is totally unsuitable for him because he has lost a leg and is wheelchair bound due to that and severe heart problems. The landlord won’t allow any adaptations such as ramps, or alterations to the living quarters such as a wet room to allow him some independence, even though the LA will foot the bill, so he’s effectively housebound. He’s been on the LA waiting list for suitable housing for five years, so I’m guessing that for a single able bodied person it’s nigh on impossible.

Rosscameasdoody · 15/06/2023 16:14

giggly · 11/06/2023 17:52

So just to be clear your living in what would have been your family home, previously your parents and siblings? UC therefore taxpayers are paying for the majority of your rent and you don’t see anything wrong with that?
Maybe your siblings are trying to tell you exactly that! Completely morally wrong when you don’t need that space, you must be aware of the housing situation in the country.

Another post entirely overlooking the fact that the OP works and is a tax payer herself.

Rosscameasdoody · 15/06/2023 16:16

Snugglemonkey · 11/06/2023 19:52

The taxpayer subsidises the social housing system. They taxpayer pays for the families in b and bs because they are homeless.

In am ideal world, everyone could access social housing. Very few actually can. It should be those most in need.

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The taxpayer doesn’t subsidise the social housing system, it’s LA funded and the rents to the funding.

TizerorFizz · 15/06/2023 18:05

@Rosscameasdoody Im afraid not. Local authorities build next to nothing. It’s all housing associations. They raise money via loans. They charge lower rents because they take a very long term view. Yes. Rents help with funds but mostly for repair and maintenance. Rents certainly do not build houses.

Snugglemonkey · 15/06/2023 21:36

Rosscameasdoody · 15/06/2023 16:16

The taxpayer doesn’t subsidise the social housing system, it’s LA funded and the rents to the funding.

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It is public money. It is not a person paying their own way.

Snugglemonkey · 15/06/2023 21:37

Rosscameasdoody · 15/06/2023 16:16

The taxpayer doesn’t subsidise the social housing system, it’s LA funded and the rents to the funding.

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Where do you imagine LAs get their money from? Magic money trees?

LBFseBrom · 16/06/2023 00:37

Our Council tax funds the LA.

ArdeteiMasazxu · 16/06/2023 07:58

A commercial builder builds a house at a general materials-and-labour cost of £200,000 and then puts it on the market for a price of £300,000. An owner-occuyer buyer has a £30,000 deposit and borrows £270,000 from the bank, who charge an average of 4.5% interest over a 25 year repayment period paying £1,500 per month so a total repayment of 450,000. The builder has made £100,000 profit and the bank £180,000 although both these figures should be adjusted down to account for whatever inflation does during the timectheir investment is tied into the property. After 25 years the buyer owns the house.

A commercial builder builds a house at a general materials-and-labour cost of £200,000 and then puts it on the market for a price of £300,000. A buy-to-let buyer has a £75,000 deposit and borrows £225,000 from the bank, who charge an average of 4.5% interest for an interest-only loan so the monthly mortgage charge is £850 per month. The landlord rents out the property for £1750 per month, sets aside £250 per month for ongoing repairs and maintenance as needed, and retains the remaining £650 per month as income on which 20% tax is due so £520 left. £280 of that is the interest they could have got if they had just invested their £75,000 in a bond but £240 per month is profit. Total profit over 25 years is £72,000.

A not-for-profit social housing association builds a house at a general materials-and-labour cost of £200,000 which they employ directly rathercthan using a commercial builder. Instead of selling it they rent it out to social housing tenants who are key workers in vital but badly paid jobs who can't afford full commercial rent. They pay £1500 per month (£18000 per year) for the property which goes to the running costs of the association, maintenance, and into the pot for buying the next property. No profit is made.

There's no taxpayer subsidy from social housing - it's just that no one is making a profit.

Housing benefit is a subsidy that comes from taxpayerose who cannot afford rent, but that applies whether the landlord is a social housing landlord or a commercial btl landlord, so what the tax payer is mostly subsidising is the profits of the btl landlord and the housing industry.

There is no moral superiority or inferiority between the home occupiers who are gradually paying the bank the price of the house, the tenant paying the btl landlord's profits or the social hoising tenant whose rent will be used to help more people out of the commercial renting racket. The second is being more exploited sadly, and the first has the good fortune that they can stop paying after 25 years whereas the others keep paying till they die.

The rhetoric on this thread about social housing tenants says a lot about the nastiness and/or ignorance of the people who write it but has no basis in reality.

Emptycrackedcup · 16/06/2023 08:39

At the end of the day OP you have been privileged to have been living in this house, it is not yours. You should do the decent thing and move into a smaller house and let someone else who now needs the house live in it. Very selfish of you, and you should know better, no wonder your family is giving you a hard time.

Nicecow · 16/06/2023 08:45

LemonjeIIo · 11/06/2023 16:28

@Nicecow you would do the same though wouldn't you? Why should she move into a 1bed, then get married and want children only to start at the bottom again. Makes no sense. You sound well jel

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Erm jealous? No I have my own house thanks that I paid for, I like to earn things for myself and not rely on anyone else. That's how I was raised. Also why assume OP is going to marry someone who can't afford a house and has to live in social housing and continue that cycle with her own children. What a odd comment, depressing if you think that way 😕

TizerorFizz · 16/06/2023 08:55

@ArdeteiMasazxu Housing Associations rarely directly employ trades. They use contractors like everyone else. The main difference is not for profit.

NoPrivateSpy · 16/06/2023 09:56

ArdeteiMasazxu · 16/06/2023 07:58

A commercial builder builds a house at a general materials-and-labour cost of £200,000 and then puts it on the market for a price of £300,000. An owner-occuyer buyer has a £30,000 deposit and borrows £270,000 from the bank, who charge an average of 4.5% interest over a 25 year repayment period paying £1,500 per month so a total repayment of 450,000. The builder has made £100,000 profit and the bank £180,000 although both these figures should be adjusted down to account for whatever inflation does during the timectheir investment is tied into the property. After 25 years the buyer owns the house.

A commercial builder builds a house at a general materials-and-labour cost of £200,000 and then puts it on the market for a price of £300,000. A buy-to-let buyer has a £75,000 deposit and borrows £225,000 from the bank, who charge an average of 4.5% interest for an interest-only loan so the monthly mortgage charge is £850 per month. The landlord rents out the property for £1750 per month, sets aside £250 per month for ongoing repairs and maintenance as needed, and retains the remaining £650 per month as income on which 20% tax is due so £520 left. £280 of that is the interest they could have got if they had just invested their £75,000 in a bond but £240 per month is profit. Total profit over 25 years is £72,000.

A not-for-profit social housing association builds a house at a general materials-and-labour cost of £200,000 which they employ directly rathercthan using a commercial builder. Instead of selling it they rent it out to social housing tenants who are key workers in vital but badly paid jobs who can't afford full commercial rent. They pay £1500 per month (£18000 per year) for the property which goes to the running costs of the association, maintenance, and into the pot for buying the next property. No profit is made.

There's no taxpayer subsidy from social housing - it's just that no one is making a profit.

Housing benefit is a subsidy that comes from taxpayerose who cannot afford rent, but that applies whether the landlord is a social housing landlord or a commercial btl landlord, so what the tax payer is mostly subsidising is the profits of the btl landlord and the housing industry.

There is no moral superiority or inferiority between the home occupiers who are gradually paying the bank the price of the house, the tenant paying the btl landlord's profits or the social hoising tenant whose rent will be used to help more people out of the commercial renting racket. The second is being more exploited sadly, and the first has the good fortune that they can stop paying after 25 years whereas the others keep paying till they die.

The rhetoric on this thread about social housing tenants says a lot about the nastiness and/or ignorance of the people who write it but has no basis in reality.

This is a great post. Thank you.

LBFseBrom · 16/06/2023 10:03

I agree, it was an odd thing to presume (and stupid to say you were jealous - of what?).

The op is studying and will go on, hopefully, to have a career, eventually buying her own place. I doubt she plans to marry a dead beat and settle for social housing for the rest of her life (if she does we'll all be here telling her to LTB :-)).

WideFootWelly · 16/06/2023 10:26

ArdeteiMasazxu · 16/06/2023 07:58

A commercial builder builds a house at a general materials-and-labour cost of £200,000 and then puts it on the market for a price of £300,000. An owner-occuyer buyer has a £30,000 deposit and borrows £270,000 from the bank, who charge an average of 4.5% interest over a 25 year repayment period paying £1,500 per month so a total repayment of 450,000. The builder has made £100,000 profit and the bank £180,000 although both these figures should be adjusted down to account for whatever inflation does during the timectheir investment is tied into the property. After 25 years the buyer owns the house.

A commercial builder builds a house at a general materials-and-labour cost of £200,000 and then puts it on the market for a price of £300,000. A buy-to-let buyer has a £75,000 deposit and borrows £225,000 from the bank, who charge an average of 4.5% interest for an interest-only loan so the monthly mortgage charge is £850 per month. The landlord rents out the property for £1750 per month, sets aside £250 per month for ongoing repairs and maintenance as needed, and retains the remaining £650 per month as income on which 20% tax is due so £520 left. £280 of that is the interest they could have got if they had just invested their £75,000 in a bond but £240 per month is profit. Total profit over 25 years is £72,000.

A not-for-profit social housing association builds a house at a general materials-and-labour cost of £200,000 which they employ directly rathercthan using a commercial builder. Instead of selling it they rent it out to social housing tenants who are key workers in vital but badly paid jobs who can't afford full commercial rent. They pay £1500 per month (£18000 per year) for the property which goes to the running costs of the association, maintenance, and into the pot for buying the next property. No profit is made.

There's no taxpayer subsidy from social housing - it's just that no one is making a profit.

Housing benefit is a subsidy that comes from taxpayerose who cannot afford rent, but that applies whether the landlord is a social housing landlord or a commercial btl landlord, so what the tax payer is mostly subsidising is the profits of the btl landlord and the housing industry.

There is no moral superiority or inferiority between the home occupiers who are gradually paying the bank the price of the house, the tenant paying the btl landlord's profits or the social hoising tenant whose rent will be used to help more people out of the commercial renting racket. The second is being more exploited sadly, and the first has the good fortune that they can stop paying after 25 years whereas the others keep paying till they die.

The rhetoric on this thread about social housing tenants says a lot about the nastiness and/or ignorance of the people who write it but has no basis in reality.

Great Post - although I'm not sure where I read it, but I did read that council rents (and potentially housing association) are set at cost + 10%. That cost including maintenance, office staff etc.

I never understood the 'taxpayer paying your rent' argument.
Someone I worked with once said to me, when he learnt I had a council flat, 'how do you feel about the taxpayer subsidising your rent'. It was so rude and I was stunned. I've never claimed any housing benefit, and always paid full rent, so he really believed that he was paying towards me living there.
He paid extortionate rent to a private landlord, who didn't live in the UK. So the profits his landlord was making weren't even benefitting the UK economy.

The real issues are:

Social housing that is sold is not being replaced - it's selling for enough to cover the cost of replacement, so why aren't they using that money to build more?

Someone working full time is still having to top up their wages with benefits, even with the lower rental costs in social housing.

Sugarfree23 · 16/06/2023 11:38

Emptycrackedcup · 16/06/2023 08:39

At the end of the day OP you have been privileged to have been living in this house, it is not yours. You should do the decent thing and move into a smaller house and let someone else who now needs the house live in it. Very selfish of you, and you should know better, no wonder your family is giving you a hard time.

Yeah she's really privileged to have lost her parents in her 20s. Who knows where life will take her in the next 5-10 years.

Young people inheriting a tenancy cannot be that common. What's more of an issue is people hogging big houses when their family has moved out.

TizerorFizz · 16/06/2023 12:09

? The “great post” about housing associations is actually incorrect. They also use funds to procure houses built by commercial developers. At least get the facts right!

Rosscameasdoody · 16/06/2023 14:21

Emptycrackedcup · 16/06/2023 08:39

At the end of the day OP you have been privileged to have been living in this house, it is not yours. You should do the decent thing and move into a smaller house and let someone else who now needs the house live in it. Very selfish of you, and you should know better, no wonder your family is giving you a hard time.

Yet another poster glossing over the reality of social housing.

LBFseBrom · 16/06/2023 17:56

I find it difficult to believe that people are having a go at the op who has been up front and has done no wrong. It will be harder for her to find a one bed flat than to stay put in her home until she is ready to move, which she will be in time. Do fellow posters forget she is currently a student? I doubt the house is huge anyway, I've known people living in HA properties and they usually aren't. Why can't we just wish her good luck?

Zebedee55 · 18/06/2023 09:08

OP - don't ever give up an assured tenancy for the Wild West of private renting - if you ever want to move, use the social housing swap scheme.😳

But I'd stay where you are happy - the housing crisis is not your fault.

The HA property I live in is technically too big for me - but I've spent a fortune here, gutting out the kitchen, bathroom, and fitting out the bedrooms, so I'm going nowhere.

I pay my full rent out of my state and private pensions, and I pay my full CT. I'm happy here, it will suit my needs as I get older, and that's it. I get no means tested benefits.

The government, whatever the party, need to fund more social housing building.

Cherchezlafemme77 · 18/06/2023 10:00

Zebedee55 · 18/06/2023 09:08

OP - don't ever give up an assured tenancy for the Wild West of private renting - if you ever want to move, use the social housing swap scheme.😳

But I'd stay where you are happy - the housing crisis is not your fault.

The HA property I live in is technically too big for me - but I've spent a fortune here, gutting out the kitchen, bathroom, and fitting out the bedrooms, so I'm going nowhere.

I pay my full rent out of my state and private pensions, and I pay my full CT. I'm happy here, it will suit my needs as I get older, and that's it. I get no means tested benefits.

The government, whatever the party, need to fund more social housing building.

True, the government should take up the slack of individuals' selfishness 🤷‍♀️. Shame the UK population consists of a majority of voters who are far too selfish ever to vote in anything resembling a fair government.

Zebedee55 · 18/06/2023 13:54

Cherchezlafemme77 · 18/06/2023 10:00

True, the government should take up the slack of individuals' selfishness 🤷‍♀️. Shame the UK population consists of a majority of voters who are far too selfish ever to vote in anything resembling a fair government.

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They do, but neither party have done that much to improve social housing stock. Whoever gets in next needs to do this. 🙁

Cherchezlafemme77 · 18/06/2023 14:22

I think the current state if the UK must be exactly what people want, otherwise why do they keep voting for it? Surely to a Tory voter, this society is perfection?