Buying family members council house

CausingIt

Hi there.

Just wondering if any-one knows the ins & outs of buying a council house.

Basically looking to buy my grans council house (she already has the forms etc & bank are willing to give me the mortgage). Just need to know if it is possible for me to buy the house while she still lives there.

Cheers.

AnnieO1234

Yes, so long as your not looking to use her right to buy discount. If you are and you don't live there, then that is fraud.

BitterAndTwisted

It's only the person named on the tenancy agreement who can buy the property. If you have the cash available you can give it to her to buy it. And hope against hope that either she won't need access to the equity to fund a care-home in her old age and that she leaves to the property to you in her will.

If your gran isn't well-off why would being responsible for all the repairs and maintenance of a property be a good idea? For her, I mean, not you.

scaredlady

Only your grandmother can buy her council house with the r t b discount. Do you live with your grandmother. If you do not live there how are you intending to purchase it.
Also in never never land where you can purchase it, what is going to happen to your grand mother, where will she live.
If you fall behind with the mortgage will both of you be homeless
Or aren't these the sort. Of questions you have been asking.
If your grandmother gives up her tenancy,the property reverts back to the council so they can rent it out again.

BitterAndTwisted

You are living in cloud-cuckoo-land if you think you can raise a mortgage via RTB for a property you are not the named tenant on.

Leave your granny to live in peace and comfort in her old age, knowing that she has the security of having someone else responsible for repairing and maintaining her home. Also, that she could have recourse to public funds to cover the rent if she qualifies for it and needs it.

If you want to get onto this mythical "property ladder" find a property and buy it yourself.

CausingIt

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

It's only the person named on the tenancy agreement who can buy the property. If you have the cash available you can give it to her to buy it. And hope against hope that either she won't need access to the equity to fund a care-home in her old age and that she leaves to the property to you in her will.

If your gran isn't well-off why would being responsible for all the repairs and maintenance of a property be a good idea? For her, I mean, not you.

Don't know if I explained this well enough. My gran has lived there for 11 years and doesn't want to see it go to waste, she asked me about the possibility of me buying the house under the RTB scheme. (I live in Scotland btw, don't know if it's different here).

Anyway, the plan was to buy the house if possible and I would be responsible for all bills/maintenance/upkeep, meaning it had no affect on my grans situation what so ever. She would continue to live there but I would be paying the mortgage/bills.

Judging from the replies I'm guessing this isn't possible. Thanks.

hazyjo

Am sure it wouldn't 'go to waste'... more than likely it'll go to someone else who needs it.

Presume you don't currently live with your gran?

Jx

margaretclare

Gran has lived there for 11 years and doesn't want to see it - her council tenancy - 'go to waste'.

Or, the house 'go to waste'.

I'm feeling very thick this morning. I don't understand. How can it 'go to waste'?

Werdnal

The RTB is the tenant's right and theirs alone. Your gran is possibly too old to raise a mortgage in her own name and you cannot buy the RTB property with a mortgage in your name.

You can gift her the money to buy it, but then it will be her's, not yours, and when/if she goes into residential care, it will be sold to support her care fees.

By "Letting it go to waste", I assume you mean the discount she has built up to reduce the purchase price. That is HER discount and no-one elses, so letting it go to waste is nothing to do with you.

Why would you want to land your gran with all the maintenance and repair costs of the property, when it seems she has a secure tenancy, with all the costs of keeping the property up to date fully covered by the LL. Oh, unless of course, you want to buy the property for YOUR future :rotfl:

This subject as been done to death here, and threads tend to get pretty heated, so be prepared for some flak ...

ash28

CausingIt wrote: »

Don't know if I explained this well enough. My gran has lived there for 11 years and doesn't want to see it go to waste, she asked me about the possibility of me buying the house under the RTB scheme. (I live in Scotland btw, don't know if it's different here).

Anyway, the plan was to buy the house if possible and I would be responsible for all bills/maintenance/upkeep, meaning it had no affect on my grans situation what so ever. She would continue to live there but I would be paying the mortgage/bills.

Judging from the replies I'm guessing this isn't possible. Thanks.

Does your gran live in Scotland....RTB is a bit different north of the border.

Did your gran's tenancy start before 30 September 2002.....if it did then she is able to buy under the old right to buy.....up to 60% discount for a 30 year tenancy.

If her tenancy started after 30 September 2002 then she has the modernised right to buy.....maximum 35% or £15k discount.

However the council can refuse the right to buy for a number of reasons, one of them is if the area is "presssured" and selling the house will deplete the housing stock available.....so you need to find out if the area is "pressured"...if it's adapted or sheltered housing etc.

If it's a housing association the rules are slightly different again......

You are supposed to be a joint tenant for 6 months (living in the property) and have the permission of the housing provider to live there...if your gran is in England then it's 12 months living in the property as a joint tenant. However landlords in Scotland can use their discretion when applying the living in the same property rule.....and can ignore it.

As the right to buy is being removed altogether in Scotland in 2017 I would start to make enquiries sooner rather than later.