What is your personal opinion on rtb policy?

[Deleted User]

The problem I think with social housing is there is no period of review of the tenants circumstances. So a young family could get put into a council house because they have a low income, however in 10 years time they have got much better jobs and their income has more than doubled and they could more than easily afford to rent privately. Are they now obligated to move out of that council house and let another family in need live there? No, but they can now buy it with a whopping discount and make a tidy profit.

beckstas-money wrote: »

I'm all for it. We would not be able to get on the London housing ladder otherwise... why don't we buy private - because we can't afford it (right now).

Lived in it for 10 years from early 20's, now more secure in our jobs mid-30's we are in a position to buy and the £108k discount is fabulous.

This....

Tammykitty

As someone who's parents benefitted from RTB (with something like a 50% discount!), obviously my family like it on one hand.


However, my parents weren't the tenant, another relative was, and they bought it in joint names (When my Dad got a payout from a pension)


On the other side of the coin, my parents were on a council waiting list for about 15 years, and didn't get offered anything - maybe they didn't know how to "bid" or something but well, there was a lack of suitable housing in our area, and yet they were still allowing RTB.


They rented the house out after the original tenant/owner died, and took about 3-4 years to pay back the cost of purchase.


They now live in the house, and are probably saving the council about £80 a week in housing benefit


If the government want to continue with RTB, I don't see why they can't maintain a 50% charge on the house, so if it is ever sold the council get back the full value of the house.

Norman_Castle

tlc678910 wrote: »

Would you rather pay rent out and receive rent back - or only pay it out?

Its not being received back! Housing benefit is paid from council tax receipts and paid to an entirely separate budget to other council finances.

parkrunner

sevenhills wrote: »

If it benefits me to the tune of £30,000, I am in favour.


If it benefits someone else to the tune of £30,000 I think its outrageous and a disastrous give away.

And there lies the truth for probably the vast majority.

Marvel1

gomer wrote: »

Like Bob Crow you mean?

Did he buy under the right to buy?

ripplyuk

Deleted_User wrote: »

The problem I think with social housing is there is no period of review of the tenants circumstances. So a young family could get put into a council house because they have a low income, however in 10 years time they have got much better jobs and their income has more than doubled and they could more than easily afford to rent privately. Are they now obligated to move out of that council house and let another family in need live there? No, but they can now buy it with a whopping discount and make a tidy profit.

I think this is a really bad idea. People won’t be inclined to better themselves if they know they will be turfed out of their home. There was a lot of talk about this a few years ago and most of the people I’ve spoken to used their RTB then, due to fear they would be evicted if the law changed. The new flexible tenancies haven’t helped either, making people much more keen to buy as soon as possible.

I live in a council house and I don’t agree with the RTB. If the previous tenant had used his RTB, I wouldn’t have been able to get this house and I am very grateful for it. I also wouldn’t want to buy it because I like having a secure tenancy and having the council deal with the maintenance. I could never afford it even if I wanted to, even with the discount. But the one thing that WOULD make me want to use my RTB is the threat of being evicted due to my circumstances improving.

Mgman1965

I don't agree with it, but cant/don't blame those who take it up with the silly discounts some councils HA's offer tenants.

Our council offered a tenant we know (not me or my OH) who had lived in her house from new for over 40yrs valued at £140,000 for £36,000.

sevenhills

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

That way the Council gets better housing stock AND more responsible tenants.

Some people think that council houses are just for the poor, poor tenants if you are a landlord.
What right to buy does do, is it makes housing estates more diverse. What we dont want is massive housing estates full of poor people, ghettoes.

gomer

Marvel1 wrote: »

Did he buy under the right to buy?

No he didn't buy full stop. he just lived in a 5 bed council house on a 6 fugure salary and refused to give it up even though he could (as you said) afford to buy privately.

You said they should be for people who can't afford to buy, not people like Bob Crow who can afford to buy half of harrods. Which suggests even the stinking rich are abusing social housing stock.