Council Tenants - Inherited Property - Right To Buy

sho_me_da_money

If there are two council tenants (husband and wife) and the husband has been left a property in a will:

Can the couple exercise their right to buy the council property?
If not both, can the wife exercise her right to buy the council property?

The inherited property has been left in the name of the husband only and they are now considering purchasing the council home. From some initial research the documentation states that the person buying can apply if:

it’s your only ormain home

The first part of that doesn't apply (to the husband) but the second part does. Both parts of that statement apply to the wife.

Confused....

ValHaller

If the husband never lives in the inherited property, then the council house would be his only home. The other property would be an asset.

sho_me_da_money

That actually is true. He has never lived in the home. He inherited the property about 3 years ago but it was inhabitable at the time. He actually let his son and wife move in for free on the condition that they look after it and do it up as they go along.

The name on the deed for the other house is his but the council tax and electoral information only relates to his son. His electoral information is registered against the council property.

So can he process and application to buy it? The reason i ask is because I read this:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8911386/Council-housing-applicants-to-be-screened-over-other-properties.html

And that to me indicates that his council house application may be rejected on the basis he has inherited a property or is technically the owner of a private home elsewhere.

Cheers

Yorkie1

That article is a) about future proposals re. whether someone gets a council house tenancy, and b) doesn't affect existing tenants anyway.

sho_me_da_money

Thats great lads. Thank you very much.

So to get to the nuts and bolts of it - if on the application he ticks YES this is my main and only home, then he wouldn't get stung for this at a later date (if they found out he had inherited another home/asset that he doesn't live in). I just don't want him to get stuffed.

martan01

Sums up everything that's wrong with this policy don't you think.

I am subsidising your rent, you have an alternative property you can live in, and have been able to live in for the past three years.

I am also subsidising your right to buy the property you rent at a discounted rate (care of the taxpayer) well below the market value.

So potentially, a few years down the line, you can sell your heavily discounted and subsidised council property for a massive profit and move into the inherited property.

Thank you tax payer.

Not really in the spirit of social housing is it....especially in a housing "crisis"

Meanwhile I have taken years to scrape together a deposit whilst paying actual rent, and am buying a property at full market value. More fool me.

Or are you on the wind up, show me da money

seven-day-weekend

Show_me_da_money is merely exercising their RTB,. Whether or not you agree with the terms and conditions of RTB, they are doing nothing wrong. In fact, they have asked advice here to make sure they do nothing wrong.

[Deleted User]

I don't know if you actually read the article but it quite clearly refers to council TENANTS several times. Its nothing to do with right to buy.., that's a completely separate thing. It also says that the changes will apply to new applicants for council housing.

martan01

Your right of course, technically/legally the OP is probably doing nothing wrong.

They just have the means to house themselves but would rather live at the tax payers expense, and to a similar end make some nice capital gains through this ridiculous right to buy initiative.

Personally I feel sorry for the tens of thousands of people on the waiting list, who genuinely have the need for a permanent roof over their heads.

sho_me_da_money

Just to resurrect this, here is what I am told:

If the family living in the council home inherit a private property then they aren't entitled to social housing. So I have no idea now what this means for their RTB application.

The home was left to one person (uncle) and he hasn't bothered living in it. He has remained in the council property and he has not been making money of the inherited property.

What does that mean for my aunt and kids? If he (uncle) has inherited the property, can my aunt buy the council home? Can they both buy it? Do they both have to leave? Can one of them leave?

Some clarity would be great please.

casperlarue

sho_me_da_money wrote: »

Just to resurrect this, here is what I am told:

If the family living in the council home inherit a private property then they aren't entitled to social housing. So I have no idea now what this means for their RTB application.

The home was left to one person (uncle) and he hasn't bothered living in it. He has remained in the council property and he has not been making money of the inherited property. He may not be making any money but he has an asset which is worth, I would imagine, a fairly decent amount of money.

What does that mean for my aunt and kids? If he (uncle) has inherited the property, can my aunt buy the council home? Can they both buy it? Do they both have to leave? Can one of them leave?

Some clarity would be great please.

Maybe it would be better to direct these questions to the council(?) or whomever processes the right-to-buy application, surely they would be the best people to give the correct advice?