Will my girlfriend lose her council flat if i marry her? I own two properties. 6 June 2014 at 1:01PM edited 6 June 2014 at 1:07PM in House buying, renting & selling 88 replies 16.9K views

jannatiex4

My girlfriends lives in a council flat and is a assured tenant, run by a housing associations, she is working part-time so claims housing benefits. I have always been working and have a mortgage on two properties. We are planning to get married and I would like to move into my girlfriends council flat. We do not want her to lose her property just because I own two properties outside her city, her child is in a good school and she is close to her family.

The idea is to move into her council flat, rent out my two properties that i own, take her off benefits based on my income and pay the full rent!!

However I’m worried that we will get married and then when we apply to move into the council flat, the housing association will tell my girlfriend to move out and move into one of the flats that I own which is far way from her family and child's school.

I have phoned up the council and housing association for general advise, the council said its not a problem, and on the other hand the housing association said that I should really move out.

Please advise, i really don't want to jeopardise my girlfriends situation, and we are trying to do the right thing.

Thanks

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

I would bloody well hope so.

Pandilex

I think it's a case of common sense really.

Would you, the taxpayer, like to pay for a free house for my wife who doesn't work?

I would say her assessment would cause her to lose benefits. Even living with someone or being in a relationship can jeopardise your benefits.

PasturesNew

Most tenancies are "for life" so this wouldn't happen... in fact, in many cases your gf could have, herself, gone out and bought a new house/year and still stayed living in her council flat.

However, some tenancies have become different over the years and you really need to read her actual tenancy.

But my money's on "it'll be OK" if you want me to vote.

jannatiex4

Thank you all for a quick reply, its not the benefits we are worried about, we will be assessed based on our joint income accordingly. It's whether they housing association will give me permission to move into the council flat?

jannatiex4

Thanks PasturesNew, this is reassuring to hear, i would like to get feedback from other people, as i currently feel that there is not a set law or policy that protects this argument, and feel that the outcome when we notifying the housing association that the result could go either way......

silvercar

No law to stop you moving into your girlfriends. Whether you could go on the tenancy agreement is a different question, but with the tenancy in your girlfriends name, there is nothing to stop you living together.

The only reason I think the HA could object would be if the flat then became overcrowded.

LittleVoice

jannatiex4 wrote: »

Thanks PasturesNew, this is reassuring to hear, i would like to get feedback from other people, as i currently feel that there is not a set law or policy that protects this argument, and feel that the outcome when we notifying the housing association that the result could go either way......

Have you both read the tenancy agreement? The answer should be there, shouldn't it?

Relying on what some anonymous person tells you on an internet forum is not something you should do in this case. Whatever their expeirence might be, it is unlikely to be with your gf's housing association. You need to know their rules as enshrined in the agreement rather than guesses or personal experiences of other people.

jannatiex4

Thanks LittleVoice, i have the tenancy agreement with me, it doesn't cover my question, can i move in if i own a property?

The only thing the tenancy agreement states is that:
* one more person can be added to the tenancy agreement, without it being overcrowded.
* it allows sub letting, but from my other research this does not include a partner.

Annie1960

So my taxes are being used to pay for someone who owns two properties to move into subsidised social housing?

beeg0d

Annie1960 wrote: »

So my taxes are being used to pay for someone who owns two properties to move into subsidised social housing?

no because when he moves in she will likly loose her housing benifit and so pay the HA the full market rent for the propety