Ex-housing association property and relationship breakup - HELP!!!

[Deleted User]

My brother and his partner have broken up after 15 years as he found out his now ex-partner was cheating whilst he was at work. They are not married or have any children however this is where the situation gets complicated.

In 2008 my brother lost his job and house due to the economic crash. He was re-housed with his partner into a Housing Association property. Since then he has built up his own business and has been the sole earner of the household as his now ex-partner has never worked. 3 years ago he purchased the property from the Housing Association with a discount of £9000 (Not sure if this is relevant to any answers so thought I would mention it). His partner had to sign a document at that time stating they were happy for my brother to solely purchase the property.

My brother currently lives up North as that is where he met his now ex-partner so has no family there. As he can re-locate his business he said it would make more sense to move back to the Midlands where the family reside and allow his now ex-partner to stay in the property instead of selling it as he does not want to evict his ex due to the circumstances they both obtained the property at the beginning.

Can he ask for rent from his ex partner once he moves out? If he rents the property he could get £550 a month however he only wants £350 to cover part of the mortgage he plans to get on a new property to live in. He will not be making anything out of it but he does not want to evict his ex. Can this be done even though his now ex-partner was an original tenant of the property before it was purchased by my brother? If so how would he go about doing this as his ex would need to claim housing benefit, would this be allowed?

If anyone has any alternative suggestions, please feel free to contribute, I personally would kick his partner out for cheating and sell up. Thanks in advance.

paddyz

Kick her out! He will lose out on a fair wack with selling fees moving costs and relocating everything. She’s obviously not to be trusted after cheating, he doesn’t owe her anything. 

Comms69

Terrible idea. Sell, sell now!

She wont pay rent. He'll be stuck paying a mortgage, with a tenant he cant evict. 

Bang his head against a wall until he realises.

greatcrested

This is a mad idea. The relationship is ended and so must the financial link.

Stepone is to get the ex out. Step two is to sell. Step 3 is to move south.

Becoming the ex's landlord is doubtless well-meant but is a recipe for disaster in the long term.

And leaving her in sole occupation is a complete no-no, whether there's rent or not.

She must now stand on her own 2 feet.....

xylophone

It is twelve years since he bought the property with a discount - presumably there is now no question of having to repay it if he chooses to let it out and go elsewhere?
The ex partner would have to contact  the  council  and and explain that she  had been living  with her partner in a house he owned but he had now ended the relationship and gone to live and work in another part of the country.
She could explain that he was willing to allow her to rent the property from him but that she would need to claim housing benefit and ask how to proceed.

Slinky

Good lord, she's no children and has been a kept woman for the past 15 years and now he wants to leave her living in his house at a cheap rent after her affair.

They say no good deed goes unpunished, the next one will be not paying him rent and refusing to move out.

Marvel1

She cheated, kick her out, not her property.

Does your brother have 'mug' stamped on his forehead? 

[Deleted User]

Get rid
sell 
move on 

They bite the hand that feeds - just dispose of it lol 

[Deleted User]

Whatever she has 'done' .., has everyone missed the fact that she was also the original tenant of the property and he got the discount because as a couple, they were eligible for a tenancy?  Now you are all saying she MUST be made homeless?  Whatever the morals of the reason for the split (however thin a pancake it still has two sides).  I wouldn't let my ex clean my shoes.., but neither would I make him homeless.  He could give her enough money to allow her to start again as they shared the property when they got the discount.  OP, you need to let him sort this out for himself.  He is the one that will have to deal with the consequences.  You are too biased and really its nothing to do with you.  If he has questions, let him post on here.

Comms69

deannatrois said:

Whatever she has 'done' .., has everyone missed the fact that she was the original tenant of the property and he got the discount because she was the tenant?  Now you are all saying she MUST be made homeless?  Whatever the morals of the reason for the split (however thin a pancake it still has two sides).  I wouldn't let my ex clean my shoes.., but neither would I make him homeless when it was through him I got the house (not the reality but you get the idea)..

Cheating is never ok. Sorry. 

She is only homeless as long as she makes no effort to find a home. 

Slinky

deannatrois said:

Whatever she has 'done' .., has everyone missed the fact that she was also the original tenant of the property and he got the discount because as a couple, they were eligible for a tenancy?  Now you are all saying she MUST be made homeless?  Whatever the morals of the reason for the split (however thin a pancake it still has two sides).  I wouldn't let my ex clean my shoes.., but neither would I make him homeless.  He could give her enough money to allow her to start again as they shared the property when they got the discount.  OP, you need to let him sort this out for himself.  He is the one that will have to deal with the consequences.  You are too biased and really its nothing to do with you.  If he has questions, let him post on here.

She was 'an' original tenant, not 'the' original tenant in the way I read it. The HA appears to have given them a joint tenancy in 2008 when his business ran into difficulty.

Given that he appears to have been supporting her for the past 15 years, hasn't he been generous enough already?