Council house list

wortblossom

Looking for some advice. Our landlord is selling and given us a Section 21. We took this to the council and they have awarded us Priority banding (we have 3 children, one with a medical) and told us to go and bid. There is literally nothing right now- we are eligible for a 3 bed. Does anyone have an experience of the bidding process and how long it can take to be offered something. We really dont want to fall out with our LL and stay longer than he wishes - though I am aware we may have to. I dread the emergency housing situation and dont know where we would store all our furniture.

missbiggles1

Your council's website will give you an indication of how many bids each property gets and how long the successful bidder has been waiting.

I really wouldn't worry about falling out with your landlord as you'll only be living there for a few months more, whatever happens. You may also need your firniture in emergency accommodation, it isn't all b&bs.

[Deleted User]

A lot of this depends on an individual council's policies. Find out what yours are. With mine, I knew it would go to emergency accommodation although I didn't have a clue what it would be. How long you wait for a property depends on how many come up in a set period and how high your priority is. I am C priority (with most councils it would be higher because I have two children with special needs) and will be waiting well over 2 years for a successful bid - probably four.

What you need to do now is as said, find out what your council's emergency property consists of. With mine, they don't use B&B but do use single room hostel accommodation. As I have kids with special needs I made sure they had letters from all professionals involved to say this wasn't suitable.., so we were given a 2 bed maisonette as emergency accommodation. Preparation to prevent the worst happening is key. It takes time so start now.

If the LL is evicting you, what he needs or wants is not as important as protecting your family. He/She is running a business, you are running a home for your family. These two things can conflict so look after your family first. If the LL is a professional, they will know that you need to wait for social housing, and that this may not be offered (particularly with present social housing shortages) before he/she has gone through the formal eviction process.

BTW the costs of £390 for the eviction process will be paid initially by the LL, but the court will normally make an order that you need to reimburse the LL. Mine took the costs out of the deposit, as I agreed.

I managed to find someone with a storage container as up until the afternoon of the eviction (after it) I had no idea where I was going and what I could take with me.

I'm sorry, its not an easy process.

AnnieO1234

I have a friend who admittedly was single when she first put her name down but took 14 years and serious overcrowding including disabled child to get a council property. Xxx

Lioness_Twinkletoes

My LA cite waiting times of around 10-15 years for a 3 bed. I'd consider renting privately again while continuing to bid as a decent home is more important than a council house. Have you requested that you be considered for HA properties as well?

theartfullodger

Carefully read, then re-read the council's housing allocation policy (eg
http://www.reading.gov.uk/media/4427/Allocations-Scheme/pdf/Final_ALLOCATION_SCHEME_January_2016_Draft.pdf
- and see if there is any more priority or points you may be entitled to.

Thanks to selling off (right to buy) of council housing over he past decades there is less and less chance of getting council property, sorry.

Cheeky_Monkey

As you are currently in a private rental, is there any reason why you can't just move to another?

LittleMax

Cheeky_Monkey wrote: »

As you are currently in a private rental, is there any reason why you can't just move to another?

They could keep finding themselves in this position. Best chance of getting a secure tenancy is to go into emergency accommodation, if they go into private rented they will lose the priority banding as will be adequately housed again.

It is a balance between which is more important having long term security of tenure or having a nice place to live for the next 12 months.

Lioness_Twinkletoes

LittleMax wrote: »

It is a balance between which is more important having long term security of tenure or having a nice place to live for the next 12 months.

I'd argue that long term security is a bit of a myth as many LA's are no longer offering lifetime tenancies.

Mokka

In order for the council to take responsibility for housing your family you will need to stay in your current property until your landlord gets a court order to evict you. If you move out earlier you will be considered 'voluntarily homeless'. This does not mean you will get a council flat- you might be put in a shabby flat or even in B&B. So it depends on your circumstances if you want to go this route.
Only your council knows how difficult it is to get a 3 bed property in their area- they are the best people to talk to. There should be some statistics published how many years people with priority wait. Being in a temporary/emergency accommodation provided by the council might put you higher on the list, but it still can take a long time and might not be worthwhile.