Right to buy

TheImportanceOfBeingIdle

bubblegum2 wrote: »

Are you a council tenent?

The reason I am asking is because for the past 4 years the council are doing less and less repairs to council houses due to running out of this 'better homes money'. My sons bedroom window was rotten the bottom of the frame was missing and the glass was very loose I was told the window would be replaced in 18 months!!!!! I had to stuff the bottom of the window frame with old fabric and secure the fabric in place with masking tape

I know this sounds drastic but its better than the idea the council suggested which was to board it up with a sheet of wood for upto 18 months then when I mentioned fire safety because if there was a fire the window couldn't be used as an exit due to it being boarded they said that I would have to take full responsability for it!!!! :mad:

If a private landlord was to board up a upstairs window for 18 months i'm sure they would find themself with a very large fine and even locked up in prison for 6 months for causing their tenants to be at risk in the event of a fire

Plus don't get me started on my garden that was collapsing due to a susspected water/drainage pipe that they said they couldn't fix due to costing thousands and that they would only be able to fix it AFTER it finally collapes!!!

With 18 month waits for repairs to be done and thats after 6 months of waiting for an inspector to come and 'see' the repairs in the first place many tenants are loosing faith in their councils

No I'm not a Council tenant, as I said in one of my other posts.

There are procedures in place for repairs to be done. If you wern't happy with the service you received then you should have complained. If they still don't do anything then there are people you can speak to. CAB for one. Environmental Health for another.

They were only allocated so much money for the Better Homes scheme. They had to decide which houses needed most repairs and had to split the money accordingly. It aint the councils fault that there is a lack of money. Blame the government. Blame the Torys for coming up with this lame idea in the first place and not only depriving the council of money but depriving people that need of the opportunity to live in a council house.

Not only should the RTB scheme be done away with, long term tenancies should be scrapped and if you can afford to rent private while some poor family has to scrape by paying scandalous amounts for a private rent then your house should go to them. Why people think they have an automatic entitlement to get a discount and remove yet more houses from the sector is beyond me.

seven-day-weekend

>> Why people think they have an automatic entitlement to get a discount and remove yet more houses from the sector is beyond me<<

Because whether we like it or not, under the RTB scheme they DO have this entitlement.

TheImportanceOfBeingIdle

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

>> Why people think they have an automatic entitlement to get a discount and remove yet more houses from the sector is beyond me<<

Because whether we like it or not, under the RTB scheme they DO have this entitlement.

No !!!!!! Sherlock.

Doesn't make it right though does it?? Or have you completely missed my point?

Generali

RTB is a perfectly decent scheme. It allows people to own a home that couldn't otherwise.

Local government shouldn't be in the business of providing housing to people except on a short-term emergency basis.

seven-day-weekend

TheImportanceOfBeingIdle wrote: »

No !!!!!! Sherlock.

Doesn't make it right though does it?? Or have you completely missed my point?

No, I haven't missed your point. You asked why people thought they have this entitlement. My reply was the reason they think this is because they HAVE actually got this entitlement.

Can't blame them for taking advantage of it.

lewt

Generali wrote: »

RTB is a perfectly decent scheme. It allows people to own a home that couldn't otherwise.

don't you mean some people to own a home that could'nt other wise?

other's aint so lucky...

it's decent to those that get it and not to those who help fund it.

Generali

lewt wrote: »

don't you mean some people to own a home that could'nt other wise?

other's aint so lucky...

True.

The way I see it, Local Government shouldn't own any housing and so should be selling it off. RTB is a means to that end.

TheImportanceOfBeingIdle

Generali wrote: »

RTB is a perfectly decent scheme. It allows people to own a home that couldn't otherwise.

Local government shouldn't be in the business of providing housing to people except on a short-term emergency basis.

So on one hand you're saying Local government shouldn't provide housing except on a short term emergency basis but then it's OK for people to use the RTB scheme to buy these 'emergency' homes?????

The end result being the Local government ends up with no 'emergency' homes???


What a load of sh!te.

seven-day-weekend wrote:

No, I haven't missed your point. You asked why people thought they have this entitlement. My reply was the reason they think this is because they HAVE actually got this entitlement.

Can't blame them for taking advantage of it.

As I said, doesn't make it right does it? They have an entitlement that I believe should not be there.

TheImportanceOfBeingIdle

Generali wrote: »

True.

The way I see it, Local Government shouldn't own any housing and so should be selling it off. RTB is a means to that end.

So what about those that can't afford to rent privately? Should they just live on the streets?

Hapless_2

scope wrote: »

Or.. sell it to the highest bidder....

Not for a minimum of 5 years, then the council/housing authority have to be given first refusal on the sale.

we got our council tenancy last year, and the first thing the council woman said was "In 5 yrs you will have the right to buy, to do so you will have to go through us for the mortgage as your house is faulty by design"
basically they want shot of these houses as they cost too much to keep repairing.