council housing transfer...help required

black-saturn

jpet77 wrote:

I found a private landlord that was prepared to accept Housing Benefit and moved. The landlord was terrible and the house was in a terrible state of disrepair but at least it was a bit of a step up. I only stayed there for just over a year before finding a much better property and a much better landlord.

Have you considered private renting?

I wouldnt advise anyone in council accommodation to move out and go privately rented. The house might be much nicer and in a better area but when that landlord wants you out because he wants to sell up or for any other reason it will be very difficult to get another council house. The council will see it that you previously gave up a perfectly good council house to go into rented accommodation. You may not be able to find other suitable privately rented accommodation being on benefit. At least if you are already housed by the council you know you have accommodation for life unless you do something really terrible.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

black-saturn wrote:

I wouldnt advise anyone in council accommodation to move out and go privately rented. The house might be much nicer and in a better area but when that landlord wants you out because he wants to sell up or for any other reason it will be very difficult to get another council house. The council will see it that you previously gave up a perfectly good council house to go into rented accommodation. You may not be able to find other suitable privately rented accommodation being on benefit. At least if you are already housed by the council you know you have accommodation for life unless you do something really terrible.

Yup exactly. Been there done that unfortunatly.

Spendless

Though that might depend on areas and circumstances. When SIL marriage brokeup and she could no longer stay in forces accomadation, she was found a council house for her and then 18 month old neice. A year later she decided to go to college and went by bus putting neice into college nursery. At end of year she had done so well she decided to go on to do a 2 year HND. This time took her up to neice going to full time school. She couldn't get her daughter to school in time and then do a 1 hour bus trip to college, so she gave up the council house for private acommodation near to the college and near a primary her daughter went to.
When her HND finished she moved to 2 different prvately rented accommadation, the last being the house my in-laws owned. They were living in a diffferent part of UK at time due to FILs job, when that job ended, the in-laws moved back into their home. SIL found it hard being at home with parents once again and applied for and got another council house, which she has since bought.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

I've since read my council's policies on renting houses. One section which fits my bill, is "flexi transfer". The council can allocate a transfer on the grounds that the tenant has kept the property in good repair blah blah, and a transfer would benefit the council's housing turn around, and the tenant would be a good asset to the new area and property. This also over rides the points system. I haven't quoted this by the way, but it's basically what's in the tenants handbook thing.
That fits my needs totally. I always maintain, that if I left this property, anyone would be able to move straight in without even a weed needing to be pulled from the garden. I have really improved this house. It was a disaster when I first moved in, but I was desprate and just needed a roof over my head. I have since spent a lot of money doing it up and sorting the gardens out. But I'm so fed up of the area, I'm prepared to leave it all and move.
I intend to stick with either council or housing association property.

jellyhead

can you buy your house? then you could move in 3 years time if you can afford to. our council has just sold it's houses to an association but before then people were buying. my sister's was valued at 45k 3 years ago (but the houses on her street were selling for 70 at the time), then with her council tenant discount she bought it for 29. next door sold for 103 last month. house prices may not go up though, that's the risk you take but councils value them quite low and then give you a massive discount so you're unlikely to end up out of pocket even if you don't make a fortune.

the council may or may not give you an indication of how long you're likely to have to wait to move. the couple across the road from me are in a 3 bed house (but it doesn't have a dining room) with their 6th child on the way and they have been told they won't get a 4 bedroomed house, well they might if somebody living in one dies perhaps, but not to expect it. but the family down the road who do have a dining room they could convert to a bedroom, and who only have 4 children have been led to believe that they could get a 4 bedroomed house within the year. it's not true, they're not being given an honest picture of the situation. if somebody in a 4 bedroomed house dies with no dependents living there then there are lots of other families the house would go to rather than them.

black-saturn

It might be different where you live but I gave up a housing association tenancy to flee a domestic abuse relationship and they have since then told me I will not be entitled to another HA or council tenancy for at least 7 years. I've bought my own house outright now so thats OK.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

jellyhead wrote:

can you buy your house? then you could move in 3 years time if you can afford to. our council has just sold it's houses to an association but before then people were buying. my sister's was valued at 45k 3 years ago (but the houses on her street were selling for 70 at the time), then with her council tenant discount she bought it for 29. next door sold for 103 last month. house prices may not go up though, that's the risk you take but councils value them quite low and then give you a massive discount so you're unlikely to end up out of pocket even if you don't make a fortune.

the council may or may not give you an indication of how long you're likely to have to wait to move. the couple across the road from me are in a 3 bed house (but it doesn't have a dining room) with their 6th child on the way and they have been told they won't get a 4 bedroomed house, well they might if somebody living in one dies perhaps, but not to expect it. but the family down the road who do have a dining room they could convert to a bedroom, and who only have 4 children have been led to believe that they could get a 4 bedroomed house within the year. it's not true, they're not being given an honest picture of the situation. if somebody in a 4 bedroomed house dies with no dependents living there then there are lots of other families the house would go to rather than them.

No, not in a position to buy, and don't want to buy either. I'm happy renting. Odd I know, but it's my preference for now.

I think councils tell some people one thing and other people another thing. Not right, but it's the way it's done unfortunatly. I wouldn't be shocked if the family with 4 children do get a 4 bedroomed house within the year. I've seen it happen so many times.
I have a freind who lives in a 2 bedroomed house, with 3 children. her partner, who is the father of 2 of the children, lives in another 2 bedroomed house with his child (from a previous relationship). The council still hasn't re-housed them, so they have lived apart like that for a few years now. It's shocking and dosen't make for a good family bond.

jellyhead

ideally it would be the family with 6 children and no dining room that would get the next 4 bed house, but yes i know it doesn't always work that way. neither family has medical points, it's all just on overcrowding. ho hum ...

well, i hope it works out for you. as has been mentioned i saw a card in my local shop window today asking for a transfer, same size house but to a different part of the town.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

I hope it works out too. I've filled out the application form and wrote a 2 page explaination as to why the council should transfer me, so hopefully, I get a sentimental, had enuff, let anyone through kinda member of staff

lynzpower

homes.co.uk have another list of people wanting a swap, but might just be houing association

Check with your local system, there may be a bidding system in place, which you just need to get involved in, sometimes called choicebased lettings. Ask your housing dept.