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Council housing

Thomasevans10012
Thomasevans10012 Posts: 12 Forumite
in House buying, renting & selling
Why do council tenants get huge discount when they buy their council house? I think it is very unfair.
«13

Comments

  • McKneff
    McKneff Posts: 38,857 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Probably because they have paid rent for many years.

    You probly wouldnt think that way if you were in the position to buy yours.
    make the most of it, we are only here for the weekend.
    and we will never, ever return.
  • ACG
    ACG Posts: 24,912 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper I've helped Parliament
    McKneff wrote: »
    Probably because they have paid rent for many years.

    You probly wouldnt think that way if you were in the position to buy yours.

    What about tenants who pay rent to private landlords?
    I am a Mortgage Adviser
    You should note that this site doesn't check my status as a mortgage adviser, so you need to take my word for it. This signature is here as I follow MSE's Mortgage Adviser Code of Conduct. Any posts on here are for information and discussion purposes only and shouldn't be seen as financial advice.
  • Mojisola
    Mojisola Posts: 35,574 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Thomasevans10012 wrote: »
    Why do council tenants get huge discount when they buy their council house?

    Because the Conservatives wanted to turn Labour-voting tenants into Conservative-voting home owners.
  • theartfullodger
    theartfullodger Posts: 15,963 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Thomasevans10012 wrote: »
    Why do council tenants get huge discount when they buy their council house? I think it is very unfair.
    Thatcher's bribe to encourage them to vote Tory....
  • Norman_Castle
    Norman_Castle Posts: 11,871 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    theartfullodger wrote: »
    Thatcher's bribe to encourage them to vote Tory....
    Like this? http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/extend-right-to-buy-to-the-tenants-of-private-landlords-labours-jeremy-corbyn-says-10342824.html
  • Mee
    Mee Posts: 1,530 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I came across an elderly man a few months ago who got an additional 50% discount on his council property for his war service in the early 1990s.
    Have no problem with it at all. I have a problem with right-to-buy fraud and councils not being allowed to reinvest.
    Free thinker.:cool:
  • Silvertabby
    Silvertabby Posts: 10,638 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I came across an elderly man a few months ago who got an additional 50% discount on his council property for his war service in the early 1990s.

    In some areas, time spent in a Married Quarter rightly count towards the discount for a council house.
  • Private_Church
    Private_Church Posts: 532 Forumite
    ACG wrote: »
    What about tenants who pay rent to private landlords?

    Its pretty obvious to everyone that the OP is just trolling but I will answer your question by saying that Council housing has never been profit driven in the way the private sector is. The fact is that many Council/Social housing tenants have paid more in rent than the houses have cost to build so after say 20-25yrs there is no loan/mortgage outstanding so all the rent less admin , maintenance (very rare any is carried out ) and insurance is all profit which can be ploughed back into Council/HA properties.

    I don't have any issue with buying the house they live in but all the money raised should be used to build new stock and this has been the problem in the past.

    There is an argument to be made that private tenants are paying a premium/over the top for their homes.
  • System
    System Posts: 178,423 Community Admin
    10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    My house is an ex council house. It was bought from the council by my parents in 1972/1973.

    Its been very well maintained but being an ex council house, it wouldnt be worth as much as a similar non council house if i was to sell it.
    This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com
  • sevenhills
    sevenhills Posts: 5,938 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Mojisola wrote: »
    Because the Conservatives wanted to turn Labour-voting tenants into Conservative-voting home owners.

    Just like Corbyns promise to scrap university tuition fees altogether.

    There was once millions of social properties, now that most have been sold off the incentive to buy council houses should be reduced.
    When we had large council estates, allowing homeowners to buy their home did improve some estates. Selling council houses was a good thing, but no longer.
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