Can i move in "permanently" to partners house with updated rules for lock down?

MMnB

Hi 
Hoping someone can help me with this as the government website is useless. 
I'm currently living with friends but had originally planned to move in with my girlfriend in mid April, but then covid and lockdown happened.  We've seen that the restrictions on moving are being lifted, but still have some restrictions.  But the site (sorry site wont like me post the link) doesn't really provide any details around our particular situation. 

• Living with will friends, with no landlord/tenant agreement (but am paying council tax and helping out with bills)
• Girlfriend renting via a housing association 
• Plan for me to move in with her and her children

Can I move? 
 

bradders1983

Yes its absolutely fine.  It has always been fine. as long as you arent flitting from place to place. Even if it wasnt, nobody would be bothered.

sharpe106

You can move for whatever reason, you just can't stay there a few nights then go back to your old place. 

Jeremy535897

It is not straightforward. The rules allowing moves envisage the household members remaining unchanged. That is not your situation. If you or she lived alone, you might use the new "bubble" arrangements. Perhaps the best view to take is the pragmatic approach of a Welsh policeman who was asked the same question (or nearly the same), and whose response was that it was OK as you could regard your current home as a temporary place you were trapped in at the start of lockdown, and now you could move in with your girlfriend as your permanent home. The discussion is here (with the added complexity of involving both English and Welsh rules):
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6162193/moving-to-girlfriends-house-permanently-during-lockdown-would-this-be-legal

MMnB

lol, this why I've asked as it no one seems to be able to give a 100% Yes or No, so many people are interrupting the rules in different ways, and the government isn't answering this question.  I've read the other post and even without the complexity of involving the English and Welsh rules doesn't seem to me there was a definitive answer there either. 

The way I'm looking at it is I'm in a house share and moving into a permanent rented property.  She's said its a pain trying to contact her housing association (has taken her days of phone call tenis before talking to someone that can help her) so before we try to talk to them about getting the contract amended to include me we want to find out if it's possible.  

Jeremy535897

This may help in England:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/meeting-people-from-outside-your-household-from-4-july

Grumpy_chap

Jeremy535897 said:

It is not straightforward. The rules allowing moves envisage the household members remaining unchanged. That is not your situation. 

Except that the rules about households still allow individuals living in HMO to move to another HMO.  Surely, the OP's position is no different in that regard to moving from one HMO (with friends) to another HMO (with girlfriend).  Once in the new HMO, how close they get is pretty hard to police.

HampshireH

MMnB said:

lol, this why I've asked as it no one seems to be able to give a 100% Yes or No, so many people are interrupting the rules in different ways, and the government isn't answering this question.  I've read the other post and even without the complexity of involving the English and Welsh rules doesn't seem to me there was a definitive answer there either. 

The way I'm looking at it is I'm in a house share and moving into a permanent rented property.  She's said its a pain trying to contact her housing association (has taken her days of phone call tenis before talking to someone that can help her) so before we try to talk to them about getting the contract amended to include me we want to find out if it's possible.  

From a housing perspective I would strongly suggest she does not do this if she is a social housing tenant.

She should add you as an occupant and not a tenant. She will be giving up half her tenancy rights to share and if anything goes wrong may struggle to remove you. Many Housing Associations/Councils allow 1 tenancy change meaning any further changes they ask for a court order from the tenant to evidence the 2nd persons removal (not cheap or enjoyable).

Either tenant can end the tenancy too which could leave her and her kids vulnerable.

Finally if a social housing tenant and she applies to add you. You will have had to evidence you have lived there for a consecutive period of 12 months as your main and principle home before the application is considered.

For her security and benefit she should add you as an occupant immediately after you move in. But really think about whether she gives you tenant rights (if she is allowed to).

Jeremy535897

I agree the HMO issue is half way between a household moving from house A to house B, and two households fully combining. I think after the 4 July relaxations in England (except Leicester), nobody is going to say that in the circumstances OP can't move in with his girlfriend, so I would go ahead with the housing association call.

[Deleted User]

Do what you like mate, anyone asks you were just testing your eyesight or some other nonsense. 

craig88b

Did you really wait an extra 3 months to move in with your girlfriend due to covid "rules"??