housing benefit, family of 5 are we entitled to a 3 bedroom please?

baza52

As the children grow up and move out the ammount of LHA will also decrease resulting in you having to move to a 2 then 1 bed.
If may a few years off but your never going to be settled. your going to have to move at some point and will end up in a small property.
At least your LA house is yours for as long as you want it.

anguk

crystaltipps wrote: »

I gave up council for private rent 8 years ago. It was easily the best decision I have made. I too was in a terrible area, with awful neighbours who stole from us then smashed our windows when we dared to phone the police (who were less than useless anyway).

Not only was the increase in rent easily worth every penny but I moved a 2 minute walk from my daughters school (instead of a 45 minute round trip walk for me to drop them off and return home) because there was no way I was going to send them to my local lions den of a school. I was closer to work. I gained an extra bedroom so the girls didn't need to share. All for £80 a month extra.

My landlord/his agent were ecstatic when I stressed I wanted a long let. Less hassle for them. I can decorate. I wasn't on HB for a long time, to be fair, but when I decided to return to study and found out I could get some, my landlord was made up for me as he said it was excellent I was improving my prospects. My rent has increased twice in 8 years - and by minimal amounts. He was also apologetic about it!

OP, for every tale of woe and misery, eviction and moving from the private rental sector, you will find another like me. Only you know if it is the right decision for your family.

Very best of luck.

We've had a similar experience. We'd lived in a council house for 15 years and the area had gone downhill badly in the last few years, we couldn't get an exchange because nobody wanted to live there and the council couldn't move us anywhere nicer because a house in a nice area rarely became available and we weren't a priority.

We found a lovely terraced house in a quiet area and the property managers/landlord were quite happy to accept housing benefit tenants. We've now been here 9 years (despite just having a 6 month rolling tenancy), the property managers and owner are happy for us to be long-term tenants because we look after the house and they don't have the hassle of the house standing empty while they look for new tenants. We're allowed to decorate and pretty much do what we like to the house as long as we don't knock walls down. we've got pets too. And in the last 9 years our rent has gone up once, by £5 a week, and the owner actually personally called and asked if we minded! He was honest and said he knew he could get a higher rent but was quite happy with what we were paying because we were good long-term tenants.

I guess it depends on the house and the owner, the guy who owns our house has quite a few rental properties so it's a business, the property managers have quite a few houses and owners on their books and have said if for some reason our owner wanted to sell someone else on their books would buy it so we'd be able to live here as long as we want. I think it would be different and less secure if you were renting from someone who only had that one house.

Moving was the best thing we ever did but you do have to do your homework if you're wanting to privately rent long term.

Anubis_2

While they may be lucky and get a LL who will rent long term, they may as well kiss goodbye to ever being given a council property again

I am sorry but that statement is very misleading - you are basically saying that once you move into private rented then you will never get another council house again - total poppycock!

That means that anyone from any form of housing will never be entitled to council - as you are saying only council tenants are given preference. This is NOT true.

My friend has moved from council, to private for 7 years and is now back in council - living in private rented accommodation doe NOT exclude you to ever go back to council at all, and like I said, in many areas you now bid on the council houses you want so you don't get put in one you don't want.

I know for us, the move to private rented was the best decision ever as the area was rough. Some people may need to move - and if they are being made homeless due to Landlord selling they would be entitled to social council housing - there is no way the council would tell a family to live on the streets just because they privately rented.


A lot don't have to move though, there are three of us in this thread for a start . I also have dogs - while some do not accept dogs, you will generally find if you approach them that they will let you if you pay an extra bond.

bestpud

Anubis wrote: »

I am sorry but that statement is very misleading - you are basically saying that once you move into private rented then you will never get another council house again - total poppycock!

That means that anyone from any form of housing will never be entitled to council - as you are saying only council tenants are given preference. This is NOT true.

My friend has moved from council, to private for 7 years and is now back in council - living in private rented accommodation doe NOT exclude you to ever go back to council at all, and like I said, in many areas you now bid on the council houses you want so you don't get put in one you don't want.

I know for us, the move to private rented was the best decision ever as the area was rough. Some people may need to move - and if they are being made homeless due to Landlord selling they would be entitled to social council housing - there is no way the council would tell a family to live on the streets just because they privately rented.


A lot don't have to move though, there are three of us in this thread for a start . I also have dogs - while some do not accept dogs, you will generally find if you approach them that they will let you if you pay an extra bond.

Council properties are like gold dust - how has that fact passed you by?? It is NOT as easy as you say - seriously - you're in cloud cuckoo land!!!

Anubis_2

bestpud wrote: »

Council properties are like gold dust - how has that fact passed you by?? It is NOT as easy as you say - seriously - you're in cloud cuckoo land!!!

Not in all areas, and, while technically it may be a little harder depending on circumstances at the time, it is NOT the case that you are forever disallowed or refused council housing if you privately rent. You are certainly not refused if you are homeless with children - which *may* be the case if the landlord was selling.

I say may, because as you can see, two out of the three of us in this thread have had the property sold while being a tenant in it and still remain tenants
years later. We have all also been in them for years.

It is simply untrue to imply that you are always going to be refused council housing if you opt for private tenancy, and it is also untrue that you have to move year to year. It depends on the tenancy agreement, the landlord, and how you act as tenants.

Many landlords want long term tenants, it is much better for them, and indeed they do jump for joy when they come across a good tenant who wishes to stay long term - renting out private for many landlords is a nightmare.

My rent has stayed the same for 15 years. £80 for four bedrooms - It's never gone up by a single penny. If you are a good tenant the landlord will want to keep you, and once they know you, they even stop the 6 month house checks, (or so has been the case for me and a couple of other's I know.)

bestpud

Anubis wrote: »

Not in all areas, and, while technically it may be a little harder depending on circumstances at the time, it is NOT the case that you are forever disallowed or refused council housing if you privately rent. You are certainly not refused if you are homeless with children - which *may* be the case if the landlord was selling.

I say may, because as you can see, two out of the three of us in this thread have had the property sold while being a tenant in it and still remain tenants
years later. We have all also been in them for years.

It is simply untrue to imply that you are always going to be refused council housing if you opt for private tenancy, and it is also untrue that you have to move year to year. It depends on the tenancy agreement, the landlord, and how you act as tenants.

Many landlords want long term tenants, it is much better for them, and indeed they do jump for joy when they come across a good tenant who wishes to stay long term - renting out private for many landlords is a nightmare.

My rent has stayed the same for 15 years. £80 for four bedrooms - It's never gone up by a single penny. If you are a good tenant the landlord will want to keep you, and once they know you, they even stop the 6 month house checks, (or so has been the case for me and a couple of other's I know.)

Last time I'm going to say this: it is nigh on impossible to get a family sized council property!

What areas have these homes available then? I don't know of any!

It may not be impossible (I didn't say it was) but it is a fact that the OP would need a miracle to ever get a council house again! I don't know why you are trying to convince them otherwise!!!

Even if they got one, they would have no real choice as priority applicants have to bid and accept unless they have a very, very good reason for refusing or not bidding on suitable sized homes.

If you don't believe me, do some googling!

Breast_Cancer_Survivor

I wouldn't give up a housing association property to rent privately, can you not get an exchange or something instead.

I've been renting privately for myself & my 3 kids for 6 years due to my marriage break up as I couldn't get a council house.

We are now in our 5th property & although we have been in this house for 2 years now I know that I could potentially have to move out at anytime.

I had to move out of one of the properties I rented almost immediately as the landlord had been taking my rent but not paying his mortgage & the first I heard was when they sent bailiffs round to the house looking for him. :eek:

It's not a nice position to be in when you have kids & i'd kill for the stability of a housing association property.

dcems

bestpud you are right.Lets be honest here.

Social housing is in crisis right now.

No one is saying if you give up a social tenancy that means you cant be considered for social housing-of course it doesnt. What it does mean is that it is now a lot harder to be offered social housing-even if you bid through choice based lettings. Many people have this pre-conceived idea that they join a waiting list and they should be housed within weeks. They are shocked to the core when reality hits in and they see the 2 bed flat they bid on shows they are position 132.

I never ever tell clients to give up a social tenancy and privately rent. It is utter madness to give up a secure tenancy and go to unsecure in the private sector. Given that the main types of social housing that is in the shortest supply are 3 bedroom properties the wait will be so much longer. At least if you keep on a social tenancy you have the option of a mutal exchange.

OP, you are only lacking 1 bedroom. I'm not saying thats ideal, but it could be worse. Personally I would not give up my tenancy but continue to bid on any 3 bed property in an area of your choice.

Just so theres a clear idea, in my LA there are 9,500 people on the list. Last year 850 properties became avaliable for lettings. Percentage wise most were sheltered housing and 1 bed flats. There is currently a 5 year wait for any 3 bed property, depending on the banding of the client. 2 years for a 2 bed high rise flat.

The only area I know where there are reasonable voids are in Wales.

Anubis_2

Yes, I agree that if you are in council or housing association then it may be the better option to stay depending on the area/ circumstance. All I am saying is nothing ventured, nothing gained. It is possible to find a decent landlord with a long term let - you have to do your homework though.

If I had let such fears stop me 15 years ago, then I would be in a much worse position than now as the house we moved from has gone downhill fast and let's just say there are many unsavoury characters on the estate, including a !!!!!phile at one stage.

The decision was best for us and does work out for many, otherwise only those who are not on hb would be renting and this is simply not the case.

I am on a list for social housing as I need a single story building, but, I am in no rush. I can also bid on 3 and 4 bed properties, and only have 8 to 15 people ahead of me in suitable properties. However a lot of these are in bad areas.

I made the decision to move to privately rented for my children, I would not like to say how they would have been influenced if I hadn't.

Of course no one is going to be housed immediately - they may be put in b and b for a couple of months if homeless, but I know in the case of a friend,
she was in council for five years, moved to privately rented for seven, then, due to relationship breakdown moved out the area to the next town and was allocated a council house within 6 weeks. This was last year ( about ten months ago)

Where she is, is not the best of places, but you can go back in council/housing association housing once you have privately rented as opposed to never, which is what was stated, and is not correct.

I can say that any extra money that may have to be paid can be worth it for
the nicer area. Where I was my disabled scooter got attacked and trashed
and fired - the tenant next door smashed their doors and windows at 3 am once, then the police came and ram raided her property late night ( my kids, then babies, where petrified) and our £400 car was stolen ( as were others ) and set fire too.

You have to look at both ends of the scale - while living there it was a nightmare for ourselves and the kids - it was worth the risk to move to a better area and it paid off, and it does for many, and some it may not. Staying there with the kids would have had a bad outcome.

So, if you are in a bad area, you have to weigh up what is going to be the best way. As council houses are like gold dust in some places, then staying in one is not going to alter that fact, you could be waiting years whether you stay or go, and in the mean time you may be having to deal with a desolate situation in a bad area.

In that case, IMHO then it would be wise to do plenty of homework, ask
around about local landlords and if you can find one that is reasonable and who wants a long term let then it may be worth your sanity because it is better to wait two years in a privately rented house than two years in a war zone.

My advice would be at the moment though (as it was from the start if you read my posts) was for the OP to try and stay in social housing and bid on
properties, it was never to advise them to leave and go private. Swapping does not work if you are in a bad area - this has been the case for years and the OP has stated they are in a bad area.

Anubis_2

Interesting about Wales, would love to live there, would not know where to start to look, but I do not wish to give up my doctor - it has taken me so long to find a good one, at almost 50 and given my current health conditions, it is too risky to lose him.