Leaving my council house

elisebutt65

Looks like I'll be buying a house with my oh soon, offer on his accepted & our offer on our potential new home accepted.

I'm not giving notice on my council house until everything's signed, sealed and done, but I'm starting to recycle and charity shop everything I don't need, as 2 households into 1 won't fit. Lol.

Before I contact the council though, does anyone know if I have to completely strip the house down to the floorboards? Even curtain rails off? There's a huge range stayng at the new house so can I leave my cooker? It's been checked when they do the annual gas inspection.

witchy1066

its good that you are going to leave the cooker but make sure you tell the council , they can then decide weather to remove it and give it to someone else or leave it in the house for the next tenant
,
also you can leave the carpets but again I would tell the council , tell them what you are intending to leave the its condition,

councils are a law to themselves these days ,

so I would always check with them first , if they say yes leave whatever, then make sure you make it clear to them what you are leaving and its condition, put it in writing ,
I wouldnt like you to get a bill from the council for the removal of rubbish, i have known this happen, even though the items were in perfectly good condition and someone would have been really grateful for them ,

all the best in your new home and how refreshing it is to hear from someone actually handing back a social housing property

stef73

When my Grandparents left there council bungalow the only thing we left inside where the carpets, the curtain rails had to come down i would check as it could be different from council to council. We had to remove the greenhouse from garden we left the shed and the council had a little moan(i was not a falling down leaky shed but useable).

elisebutt65

If I have to strip everything out, there's a recyling company here that take everything & sell what they can & then put that against the costs. They also guarantee to pay any council charges if it's not done right.

I've lived here for 12 years with my boys growing up. The eldest has left home, and I never intended to stay forever, but at the time, as a newly single mum, no job and no money, it was what I needed. Now I've got a job, a new husband and security, I can hand it over to the next person in need. I could have bought it & got £50,000 discount, but it was never meant to be a forever home. And that's not what it's about really. My dad thinks I'm mad to throw the discount away, but it just doesn't feel right.

theartfullodger

What sort of tenancy do you have?? There are different sorts of council tenancy - see...
http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/renting_and_leasehold/council_tenancies

Introductory council tenancies

Secure council tenancies

Demoted council tenancies

Flexible council tenancies

What does the tenancy agreement you have say about what you can do to the place and what you would need to leave behind/strip out: I can't read it from here.,..

Have you looked on YOUR council website and see what it says for YOUR SORT OF tenancy??

witchy1066

elisebutt65 wrote: »

If I have to strip everything out, there's a recyling company here that take everything & sell what they can & then put that against the costs. They also guarantee to pay any council charges if it's not done right.

I've lived here for 12 years with my boys growing up. The eldest has left home, and I never intended to stay forever, but at the time, as a newly single mum, no job and no money, it was what I needed. Now I've got a job, a new husband and security, I can hand it over to the next person in need. I could have bought it & got £50,000 discount, but it was never meant to be a forever home. And that's not what it's about really. My dad thinks I'm mad to throw the discount away, but it just doesn't feel right.

:T:T:T:j:j:j:j
this one time only , your dad is WRONG , you have it spot on

dimbo61

If you did buy the property with your new husband you have to live in the property for another 5 years before you can sell.
If it is your home you can do it up, extend, add value if available space around property!!!

scaredlady

when my mum moved from her council house to her council sheltered accom, we had to
Remove the shed in the garden
remove all carpets
remove all curtain rails
best check with the council as to what if anything they will let you leave there.
I know when we asked they said anything left they would remove and charge my mum for. 3 large double flat pack wardrobes had to be taken apart and removed, or she would have been charged for them.

marmitepotato

When we moved my MIL to her ground floor flat from her three bed council house, they wanted it stripped clean of everything. As she had only just recarpeted the whole house I felt that stripping it out was rather 'unecofriendly'. I took photos of the carpet in every single room and emailed them to the housing officer, telling them that the carpets were in perfect condition and it would be a complete waste to strip them out when they could do the next tennent a 'turn'. They emailed back and agreed, we left the carpets.....

Contessa

elisebutt65 wrote: »

If I have to strip everything out, there's a recyling company here that take everything & sell what they can & then put that against the costs. They also guarantee to pay any council charges if it's not done right.

I've lived here for 12 years with my boys growing up. The eldest has left home, and I never intended to stay forever, but at the time, as a newly single mum, no job and no money, it was what I needed. Now I've got a job, a new husband and security, I can hand it over to the next person in need. I could have bought it & got £50,000 discount, but it was never meant to be a forever home. And that's not what it's about really. My dad thinks I'm mad to throw the discount away, but it just doesn't feel right.

What a great attitude you have! I wish you and your new husband all the best for your future together.

[Deleted User]

I'd find out with your council what they will accept or won't accept being left behind.

And while u may imagine a new tenant will be able to use the cooker.., they may not want to or the council may just strip the place so anything left behind may not be used as u intend.

Personally I'd put all the stuff I didn't want on freecycle. Having been in emergency accommodation with no fridge, cooker etc.., I used to dream of one coming up on freecycle lol! Or if you don't want to put loads of different ads just put in freecycle that you are holding a house clearance and maybe list what's available.

This way u increase the chances of your unwanted items having a use after you leave.., and possibly really helping someone with nothing.