Considering giving up council house and renting privately- am i mad?

mynameistallulah

raven83 wrote: »

What even if that means moving every 6 months? Or the rent being inflated so much that they could end up homeles? I think she should only do it at a very last resort.

Or maybe it will mean finding somewhere in a nicer area, at a reasonable rent (albeit not as low as social housing), and where they can stay for many years?

People assume that all landlords are evil, happy to pull the rug out from under you at any time. In most cases the reality is that they want a long term tenant who is no hassle and pays their rent on time!

mynameistallulah

Errata wrote: »

It's worth pointing out that neighbours in private rentals can be considerably worse than HA ones as they tend to be fairly transient and LLs aren't too bothered what they get up to as long as the rent is paid.

That is a pretty sweeping statement without any evidence. For every "transient" household, there will be another that has lived in their privately rented property for years.

floss2

You need to report your neighbours to your council's neighbour nuisance team - and also to the police if you have good reason to believe they are dealing from the premises. Do you know if they are also HA / Council tenants, as to be caught / evidenced as dealing is usually a route to eviction through breach of tenancy.

You also need to consider the possibility that any private tenancy may end in 6 months time, with no guarantee of security of tenure, the possibility of huge rent increases, and no guarantee that your neighbours will be any better.

Personally (and I have lived with my kids in a HA house in a really bad violent & druggie neighbourhood AND also owned a house which had the combined Beverley Hill Billies and Kray family living in / out of it), I would be on the phone to my housing officer every week; I would be noting events / noise / anti social behaviour down with dates times & details; I would phone the police if you see hard evidence of drug dealing and getting a crime number to be passed to the ASB officer at the Council; I would be going to my local councillor's meetings and local PACT (police and community together) meetings and speaking to my neighbourhood police officers about the issues.

Brallaqueen

Any chance of you buying a house of your own? That, to me, would be the only reason to give up a secure tenancy

bestpud

mynameistallulah wrote: »

Or maybe it will mean finding somewhere in a nicer area, at a reasonable rent (albeit not as low as social housing), and where they can stay for many years?

People assume that all landlords are evil, happy to pull the rug out from under you at any time. In most cases the reality is that they want a long term tenant who is no hassle and pays their rent on time!

They aren't as secure as social housing though, by any stretch of the imagination. There is also far more protection if they should find themself out of work at any time.

It would have to be the last resort for me as they are very unlikely to get social housing again.

WantToBeSE

Good morning.
i am just popping in to let you know i have read all the replies, and am grateful for them all. I will reply later, just have to get the kids sorted for school.

Dunroamin

mynameistallulah wrote: »

People assume that all landlords are evil, happy to pull the rug out from under you at any time. In most cases the reality is that they want a long term tenant who is no hassle and pays their rent on time!

Even if that's the case, LLs can fall on hard times, have relatives returning from abroad or have many other reasons why they need the property back. You could be faced with 2 months' notice at any time, even if you've just redecorated, and there's nothing you can do about it.

I grew up in a privately rented flat which my parents lived in for many years and it's a stressful way to live.

Oliver14

mynameistallulah wrote: »

People assume that all landlords are evil, happy to pull the rug out from under you at any time. In most cases the reality is that they want a long term tenant who is no hassle and pays their rent on time!

i think you're looking at this with rose tinted glasses. No one said all landlords are evil. I spent 15 years living in private rents and the majority of landlords were perfectly fine. It does not though take away the insecurity of tenancy, If the LL decides they wish to sell the house or just wants you out for some other reason. Also the extreme price of the rents and the way you are held over a barrel of knowing that you eed to keep that LL on side if you wish to move on (no matter how bad they are.) Unless you can find a place with a secure long term tenancy , which are very rare as most LL will just want an ASH tennacy which means after 6 months they only need to give you 1 months notice to vacate.

Also there is the 'home' factor. Private rented houses never feel like yours the same way a HA one will in most they won't even let you decorate to your taste. You will be living in all liklihood in a sea of magnolia.

There are some very good private LLs out there but even with the points raised how can you guarantee getting one of those? It now sounds to me that you have almost made your mind up which is fair enough as it's your choice. No matter if you do leave your HA I would put money on you at some point deeply regretting it.

raven83

Oliver14 wrote: »

i think you're looking at this with rose tinted glasses. No one said all landlords are evil. I spent 15 years living in private rents and the majority of landlords were perfectly fine. It does not though take away the insecurity of tenancy, If the LL decides they wish to sell the house or just wants you out for some other reason. Also the extreme price of the rents and the way you are held over a barrel of knowing that you eed to keep that LL on side if you wish to move on (no matter how bad they are.) Unless you can find a place with a secure long term tenancy , which are very rare as most LL will just want an ASH tennacy which means after 6 months they only need to give you 1 months notice to vacate.

Also there is the 'home' factor. Private rented houses never feel like yours the same way a HA one will in most they won't even let you decorate to your taste. You will be living in all liklihood in a sea of magnolia.

There are some very good private LLs out there but even with the points raised how can you guarantee getting one of those? It now sounds to me that you have almost made your mind up which is fair enough as it's your choice. No matter if you do leave your HA I would put money on you at some point deeply regretting it.

I agree with the above bit, privately letting from someone else IMO isn't much short of lodging in someones house. You will never be able to make it feel like "yours" and the kids won't be able to have a kiddies room. I know that isn't a very important factor but it is definitely something else to consider.

PrincessPlaty

Just a thought have you thought about a 3 way exchange?

Someone in the area you wanting to be who wants to move totally out of the area and someone in the area that they want to be in?

Its hard work to find a 3 way match but if you can do it, it works! Thats how I managed to exchange from a bad area with awful neighbours a few years ago the people that moved to mine didn't know the area. Bad I know but its an option.

Good luck! x