Council houses for fixed terms only!

Wee_Willy_Harris

Mum_of_3 wrote: »

I think this children of a certain age can't share is ridiculous. Why should council renters children be any different to children of private renters or owner occupiers?

Pingu - why would the parents of the above family sleep in the lounge on a lilo? Why wouldn't (& shouldn't) they do the same as all of us owner occupiers that can't afford to give our children a bedroom of their own and make the 13 & 15 year olds sleep in the same room?

The thing is, some people tend to think that council housing is a right, it's not. It's also not the tenants house, so the owners (the council) should be able to take the house back when they see fit whether that's for anti-social behaviour, under occupancy or imho if you earn enough to either rent privately or buy your own house.

M_o_3

No-one is saying that they CAN'T share. If the family with opposite sex children want to stay in their 2 bed house untill the kids are in their 20's, that's their decision. No-one is going to force them into a 3 bed. The system just says, quite rightly, that for a family with 2 opposite sex children over a certain age, a 3 bed broperty is appropriate. It's hardly revolutionary, is it?

Council housing is clearly NOT regarded as a "right", that much is clear even from comments in here. No-one is in any doubt that there is a waiting list for social housing in every borough. But one of the reasons for that is the security of tenure it gives those who are unable to afford the security of buying a property of their own.

debrag

I agree with this, once you can afford to rent privately you are no longer in need of a council house. Plently near me with one 1 or 2 people living in them

poppysarah

Why not build more?

How many houses could the government have built for the amount of money they quantatively eased?

It would have employed builders, and got the economy moving a bit AND cut down on the excessive amounts wasted on LHA to private landlords.

delain

It wouldn't have been such a squeeze if a previous government hadn't sold them all off in the 80's and not bothered to build any more... Hmmm I wonder which party did that :think:

Owain_Moneysaver

The problem with private renting is not just the affordability of rent. It's that there is no long term security of tenure. Some landlords insist on recurring 6 month tenancies, so tenants spend 4 months of each year on 2-month notice periods hoping the tenancy will be renewed. If it isn't they have to find a deposit for their next place before getting their current deposit returned, as well as paying the fees which agents seem increasingly inclined to demand from tenants.

elaine373

I am a council tenant.making way for bigger families when mine have flown the nest does not worry me.I have rented from housing associations and now live in a 3 bed with 4 children. (council) what does bother me is the possible change to tenancies where once i had relative security , it seems i will no longer have that.I have paid from my own pocket to rent my home and if i had been able to get a mortgage i would have. seems my 25 year of rent payments wont count for anything, nor the fact that i have spent alot of money upgrading my home and making it "habitable" to live in.I agree something needs to be done but this does scare me.I am hoping my tenancy stands for something and only new tenancies are for 5 -10 years,then reviewed.I know some Housing associations have already done this.

delain

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

The problem with private renting is not just the affordability of rent. It's that there is no long term security of tenure. Some landlords insist on recurring 6 month tenancies, so tenants spend 4 months of each year on 2-month notice periods hoping the tenancy will be renewed. If it isn't they have to find a deposit for their next place before getting their current deposit returned, as well as paying the fees which agents seem increasingly inclined to demand from tenants.

£300 just for 'credit checks' for one house! :eek:

arby

elaine373 wrote: »

I am a council tenant.making way for bigger families when mine have flown the nest does not worry me.I have rented from housing associations and now live in a 3 bed with 4 children. (council) what does bother me is the possible change to tenancies where once i had relative security , it seems i will no longer have that.I have paid from my own pocket to rent my home and if i had been able to get a mortgage i would have. seems my 25 year of rent payments wont count for anything, nor the fact that i have spent alot of money upgrading my home and making it "habitable" to live in.I agree something needs to be done but this does scare me.I am hoping my tenancy stands for something and only new tenancies are for 5 -10 years,then reviewed.I know some Housing associations have already done this.

you think 5-10 years would be too short for you? what about everyone who's trying to take care of their own needs in private rented who get a maximum of 6 months security with 2 months notice at any time after that? The disparity is huge. Some people need to wake up. Council housing should be an emergency measure while people get back onto their feet. It should be clean, warm and habitable, but nothing more.

Wee_Willy_Harris

arby wrote: »

you think 5-10 years would be too short for you? what about everyone who's trying to take care of their own needs in private rented who get a maximum of 6 months security with 2 months notice at any time after that? The disparity is huge. Some people need to wake up. Council housing should be an emergency measure while people get back onto their feet. It should be clean, warm and habitable, but nothing more.

Then perhaps the private rented sector needs to be brought UP to a level closer to social housing, rather than the provision of social housing dragged DOWN to that of the private sector?

clutton_2

""there should be a 1 bedroom place for these people to move to in a good area if they have kept their homes in good conditions. ""

i think older folks in particular may need two bedrooms.. one for family to come and stay and also, more importantly, for carers to use to provide a care package in later years...