Social housing and inheritance

Dance79

Hello,  I'm hoping to get some advice regarding social housing. I have been a housing association tenant since 2014 on an assured tenancy. I have been advised that my tenancy is going to be changed to a secure lifetime tenancy by March 2023. 

I recently inherited a sum of money from my late father which is a large amount but not enough to afford the purchase of a family home where we live and I cannot get a large enough mortgage, even with the inheritance as a deposit.

If I was to be given the secure tenancy, then with the discount given under the right to buy scheme and a small mortgage I would be able to purchase my home. 

My concern is when the housing association come to sign me onto the new secure tenancy and check my bank statements they will refuse to give me the new secure tenancy. Is this a possibility? Any advice appreciated. Thank you.

theartfullodger

Simply be fully open and honest with the housing association.

ripplyuk

Why would they be checking your bank statements? 

marcia_

ripplyuk said:

Why would they be checking your bank statements? 

 Many housing associations only rent to those who are unable to rent at market rent. Hence checking savings etc. 

trevormax

I'd imagine them not giving you the new tenancy doesn't mean you are evicted would it? Just as if a private landlord did not renew a tenancy agreement, the tenant would go on to an AST.

user1977

Dance79 said:

I have been advised that my tenancy is going to be changed to a secure lifetime tenancy by March 2023. 

And have you been told that's subject to a reassessment of your means? If not, I'm not sure what you're worrying about.

Mildreds_Earrings

Hello there, I work for a housing association and we don’t check bank statements when tenants automatically go onto a secure tenancy. We check the rent account to make sure there are no rent arrears and we check there are no ASB/nuisance issues but we don’t check anything else.

If you’re still worried, you can always contact the Housing Association to find out what their requirements are (if any) before you move onto a secure Tenancy. 

All the best.

Dance79

Thank you all for your replies. They haven't yet clarified what the process will be to change the tenancy, I am just going by what happened when I renewed after the first year and again at 5 years. user1977 said:

Dance79 said:

I have been advised that my tenancy is going to be changed to a secure lifetime tenancy by March 2023. 

And have you been told that's subject to a reassessment of your means? If not, I'm not sure what you're worrying about.

They haven't clarified yet, just further information to follow. I am going on the procedure of my first year and five year renewals.

Dance79

Mildreds_Earrings said:

Hello there, I work for a housing association and we don’t check bank statements when tenants automatically go onto a secure tenancy. We check the rent account to make sure there are no rent arrears and we check there are no ASB/nuisance issues but we don’t check anything else.

If you’re still worried, you can always contact the Housing Association to find out what their requirements are (if any) before you move onto a secure Tenancy. 

All the best.

I will definitely give them a call and ask about any requirements. Thank you for your advice.

GibbsRule_No3.

Will the new tenancy be back dated to 2014 for RtB purposes or start from 2023?  When I moved home a new tenancy was started, so the preserved rent was increased to the new property, over £100 more a month.  Happy to pay it as the property was in a perfect, quite location.  No RtB on it as age defined when I moved in, seems that might have now had the goalposts slightly shifted, as younger people with health problems have been moved in recently.