how long do my children have to stay with me to keep my council tenancy?

mickey54

nashd wrote: »

can someone please help me with any advice please

how long do my children have to stay with me to keep my council tenancy?

i currently have a joint tenancy with my ex partner in a 3 bedroom council property.

unfortunately she has left with the 2 children...son aged 5 and daughter aged 3 (4 next month).

because she has removed herself from the joint tenancy i now have to vacate the property as im told its too big for 1 person.

but i have my children over practicaly every day after school and over night from friday til sundays.

is this enough to let me keep the tenancy on my own or do they have to stay for more nights that 2 a week?

What Council are you with? What does your tenancy agreement state about joint to single tenancy?

Wee_Willy_Harris

ruggedtoast wrote: »

Right. Go and explain that to the housing department in your local council and watch them :rotfl:

Well, if YOU are interested in the FACTS, just have a look at YOUR local authorities published allocation policy. Then go and look at those in other authorities. To save you some time, they will tell you exactly what I have.

Southend1

nashd wrote: »

i dont really care about jo public and his family of 8 kids claiming benefits, etc,etc.

Sorry but social housing is for vulnerable people in need. You are no longer in that category as you are a single man in employment. So now you need to take responsibility for housing yourself and let someone else have the council house who needs it more than you. That's the way our society works - it may not be what you want to hear but it's only right that social housing is allocated based on need.

Wee_Willy_Harris

In fairness to the OP, he IS threatened with homelessness. There may well be some assistance available from the HA or LA. This may even be the allocation of single persons accommodation to meet his needs as a single person. In some areas, this may stretch to a 2 bed flat if the provider is prepared to take the access arrangements into consideration. However, the notion that they will provide a second bedroom for each of the OPs children who are adequately housed with mum should be regarded as unlikely in the extreme.

Southend1

Wee_Willy_Harris wrote: »

In fairness to the OP, he IS threatened with homelessness. There may well be some assistance available from the HA or LA. This may even be the allocation of single persons accommodation to meet his needs as a single person. In some areas, this may stretch to a 2 bed flat if the provider is prepared to take the access arrangements into consideration. However, the notion that they will provide a second bedroom for each of the OPs children who are adequately housed with mum should be regarded as unlikely in the extreme.

Yes he is threatened with eviction but not homelessness. He has options- e.g. Private rented

Wee_Willy_Harris

Southend1 wrote: »

Yes he is threatened with eviction but not homelessness. He has options- e.g. Private rented

To be pedantic, if he is threatened with eviction and has nowhere else to live, he is also threatened with homelessness, regardless of what he could do about it. The same applies in most cases of homelessness.

Southend1

Wee_Willy_Harris wrote: »

To be pedantic, if he is threatened with eviction and has nowhere else to live, he is also threatened with homelessness, regardless of what he could do about it. The same applies in most cases of homelessness.

Sounds like an argument for people not to take responsibility for their housing needs!

Wee_Willy_Harris

Southend1 wrote: »

Sounds like an argument for people not to take responsibility for their housing needs!

On that, we are agreed. In most cases, homelessness CAN be avoided by securing alternative accommodation. However, if one should choose to do nothing about finding such alt accommodation, homelessness and the offer of secure social housing will follow (dependent upon a priority). Seems to be a reward for f ecklessness. I understand that there are plans to enable any homeless duty to be discharged within the private sector. That's if we still have social housing in any real sense by then.

Hump

The 'ex-' leaving the property and removing herself from the tenancy has the effect of terminating the entire tenancy. This bit is entirely outside of your control (unless you did something to cause her to leave). Whether your council is going to help you is entirely at their discretion unless/until you make a homeless claim. After you do this (and it's probably a different part of the council that you normally deal with) they will give you a letter saying exactly what their responsibility is to you - the case of Richmond v Holmes-Moorehouse has left it upto the Council to decide whether your children can be considered to 'reside' with you to an extent to make you a priority for re-housing (I bet they say they don't reside with you given the access arrangements you describe above). The Shelter website has lots of useful info that you might find helpful - good luck

ruggedtoast

Wee_Willy_Harris wrote: »

Well, if YOU are interested in the FACTS, just have a look at YOUR local authorities published allocation policy. Then go and look at those in other authorities. To save you some time, they will tell you exactly what I have.

RIGHT I'll go and DO that THEN.

Or maybe I wont bother. X Factor is on...