Can council let themselves into a temp housing to do checks??

cherrybakewell90

Hello,

I’m moving into stage 2 accommodation next week. I’ve been in stage one for almost two years in a hotel with my 2 kids and the council never did any checks beyond requiring all residents to sign in a daily register at the front desk. Now I’ll be in a flat in a block (originally purpose built) and I’m wondering if they ever come and visit to check up on people? I’m with the council but the property is run by Notting Hill Genesis. What do I do if I’m at work and they come and I’m not there to open? Can they just randomly turn up like that? I think I’m just so anxious about the unknown and being kicked out or something because of the last few years of uncertainty! I don’t want to get anything wrong.

does anyone have any personal experience or knowledge? 

The third point on the contract says “the council by its representative(s) may enter the accommodation at any time.” - does that literally mean it I’m out at work or out for the day they can just let themselves in while I’m not there?? What about privacy?

gwynlas

For security you need to fit a new lock on taking over the property as you do not know what happened with previous keys. The council might agree to do this on request but otherwise you can look at on line videos on how to change barrel it is fairly easy. Council employees would not enter your accommodation without you present unless in the case of an emergency they would be afraid of potential accusations of theft.

elsien

They’re not going to be letting themselves in and out at will. It’ll be in case of emergency.

cherrybakewell90

gwynlas said:

For security you need to fit a new lock on taking over the property as you do not know what happened with previous keys. The council might agree to do this on request but otherwise you can look at on line videos on how to change barrel it is fairly easy. Council employees would not enter your accommodation without you present unless in the case of an emergency they would be afraid of potential accusations of theft.

I really never thought of changing the locks but because I don’t have an actual tenancy agreement - only an occupation agreement - I’m scared to do anything like changing the locks incase they kick me out???

HampshireH

Need to be careful changing locks in a purpose or support scheme as may be on a suited lock system and the licence you sign may have an agreement in it covering that.

Unlike independent living they may hold keys but your licence will outline that if it doesnt then ask

For normal tenancies in independent accommodation it is unusual for councils/HAs to hold keys but where a scheme is managed and has staff it's different 

deannagone

I lived in council owned temporary housing and yes, the licence did state councils could enter the property but they never ever did.  I suspect the legalities 'allowing' them to do this willy nilly would cause problems unless they had reasons to think the property wasn't being occupied or needed an urgent repair.  They would normally try to contact you several times beforehand.  I wouldn't change the locks in this case as I never ever had a 'surprise' visit.  In fact, the council sent emails but I suspect the manager was way too busy to make a personal visit without a very valid concern coming up. 

 I hope that your time in temporary accommodation goes well and you will be allocated a permanent property before too long.

With me, I found the entire process rather stressful because the council was constantly making sure I knew the licence could be revoked, I could be asked to move etc at any time but none of this actually happened.  I did however, have problems with a nasty cockroach infestation on moving in (and lol I screamed every time a cockroach or two suddenly appeared on a kitchen work surface but I found cillit bang a very effective cockroach destroyer whilst the council were getting their infestation contractor to return) and huge problems with the property's card utility meters (supplied by a company that went out of business soon after, they were totally incompetent).  We had to live by candle light for over a week. I couldn't believe the council would send a special needs family into a knowingly cockroach infested property without checking the first visit from a fumigation company had actually worked).  However, whilst this was hardly a calming experience, I am sure it is rare.  I am sure it will go better for you, but in case it doesn't and there are things wrong with the temporary property, get advice and deal with it immediately. I was lucky enough to have a homeless charity help me - even threatened the utility company with legal action, which got them moving after ten days of no electricity or gas.

 Fortunately, although I knew of other families on the estate in temporary accommodation who had been there for over 2 years, I wrote stressed (but never rude) emails to the council because of their stress making emails and they did move us into permanent accommodation within 18 months.  It wasn't intentional but in retrospect, I think this encouraged the temporary manager to get rid of us lolol. 

We've now been here for 4 years so try and concentrate on the end goal of that happening sometime in the future. But it wasn't the easiest time in our lives, I have to be honest.

cherrybakewell90

deannagone said:

I lived in council owned temporary housing and yes, the licence did state councils could enter the property but they never ever did.  I suspect the legalities 'allowing' them to do this willy nilly would cause problems unless they had reasons to think the property wasn't being occupied or needed an urgent repair.  They would normally try to contact you several times beforehand.  I wouldn't change the locks in this case as I never ever had a 'surprise' visit.  In fact, the council sent emails but I suspect the manager was way too busy to make a personal visit without a very valid concern coming up. 

 I hope that your time in temporary accommodation goes well and you will be allocated a permanent property before too long.

With me, I found the entire process rather stressful because the council was constantly making sure I knew the licence could be revoked, I could be asked to move etc at any time but none of this actually happened.  I did however, have problems with a nasty cockroach infestation on moving in (and lol I screamed every time a cockroach or two suddenly appeared on a kitchen work surface but I found cillit bang a very effective cockroach destroyer whilst the council were getting their infestation contractor to return) and huge problems with the property's card utility meters (supplied by a company that went out of business soon after, they were totally incompetent).  We had to live by candle light for over a week. I couldn't believe the council would send a special needs family into a knowingly cockroach infested property without checking the first visit from a fumigation company had actually worked).  However, whilst this was hardly a calming experience, I am sure it is rare.  I am sure it will go better for you, but in case it doesn't and there are things wrong with the temporary property, get advice and deal with it immediately. I was lucky enough to have a homeless charity help me - even threatened the utility company with legal action, which got them moving after ten days of no electricity or gas.

 Fortunately, although I knew of other families on the estate in temporary accommodation who had been there for over 2 years, I wrote stressed (but never rude) emails to the council because of their stress making emails and they did move us into permanent accommodation within 18 months.  It wasn't intentional but in retrospect, I think this encouraged the temporary manager to get rid of us lolol. 

We've now been here for 4 years so try and concentrate on the end goal of that happening sometime in the future. But it wasn't the easiest time in our lives, I have to be honest.

Thanks so much for your thoughtful reply! I’m so glad you did eventually get moved out fairly quickly. 

When I spoke to the council housing officer she told me I’ll probably be in the temp accommodation for 9 years! This is Westminster. Hopefully it can get sorted sooner than that but I’m never at the front of the bidding queue even though I’ve been bidding for two years now. 

I just don’t want my toddler and baby’s whole memory of childhood to be this once I’m in the new temporary accommodation, because it’s with a housing authority, the council have said the HA is my port of call now rather than the council. I’m not sure on the legality of all of this but I guess it means I can’t send them loads of emails until they’re sick of me haha! 

Can I ask why they kept reminding you that your license to occupy could be revoked?? 

Also as you’ve had personal experience, do you know if my kids could stay at their dads some nights? Would that be a problem? Once I go back to work in a few months it’ll work out better for coparenting if we shared the kids across the week but I don’t want to put my occupancy at jeopardy either - but it would be a shame if the kids don’t ever get to have sleepovers with their family for the next 9 years! 

Jude57

Make sure you get permission in writing to change the lock. I live in a HA flat and the type of fire-safe security door we have (fitted post-Grenfell) requires a specific type of lock that can really only be fitted by a locksmith. Fortunately my HA take security very seriously and the locks are checked annually. Mine had developed a quirk soon after original installation but still worked and I'd never reported it. Come annual check and the locksmith fitted a new lock within minutes. Residents here are periodically reminded not to drill into the doors, nor attach anything to the doors without written permission, in case the structural and fire-retardant integrity is affected.

My HA also changes the locks when tenants move out as standard, and issues new security fobs for the main doors too. In temporary accommodation I'd expect it to be standard, too so it would be worth asking them.

deannagone

cherrybakewell90 said:

When I spoke to the council housing officer she told me I’ll probably be in the temp accommodation for 9 years! This is Westminster. Hopefully it can get sorted sooner than that but I’m never at the front of the bidding queue even though I’ve been bidding for two years now. 

I just don’t want my toddler and baby’s whole memory of childhood to be this once I’m in the new temporary accommodation, because it’s with a housing authority, the council have said the HA is my port of call now rather than the council. I’m not sure on the legality of all of this but I guess it means I can’t send them loads of emails until they’re sick of me haha! 

Can I ask why they kept reminding you that your license to occupy could be revoked?? 

Also as you’ve had personal experience, do you know if my kids could stay at their dads some nights? Would that be a problem? Once I go back to work in a few months it’ll work out better for coparenting if we shared the kids across the week but I don’t want to put my occupancy at jeopardy either - but it would be a shame if the kids don’t ever get to have sleepovers with their family for the next 9 years! 

Hi, I am sorry, I didn't know this was all under Westminster.  I believe any London borough is very very slow to move people to permanent housing, purely due to overdemand for limited housing stock.  But don't worry, I am sure the HA property will be ok, even if its 'temporary'.  Your children will just be in a relatively long term property, they won't have the negative perception you think!  I hope its a two bed place but perhaps I am assuming incorrectly?

I think its called 'gatekeeping'.  Council's can't house all the people on their waiting list, so basically make it as negative an experience as possible.  Humanity isn't high on their 'desirable personality traits'!  They kept telling me that I could be moved out of borough, or into a private rental or sending emails saying 'this' place is available on private rental (and I'm afraid in every case, the monthly rental was within HLA budgets but were absolutely awful.  One place I was warned was at the bottom of a hill and because of this was damp (when I went to look at it from the outside as I usually did), with no road access and in the middle of nowhere (my children have special needs and couldn't manage the long track to get to the property). This was one of a long list of totally unsuitable properties the council wrote to me about.  So I was constantly on edge that unless I took one of these properties I'd be told the council would no longer house me.  It turns out that I didn't have to take a private rental in this situation.  But they don't tell you that!  Council's can now offer a private rental and say that they have housed you but then they couldn't.  Obviously they are placing you in a HA property so hopefully that will be a better option.

I wish you well.  

MultiFuelBurner

Have you considered moving out of London?

I read an article a few weeks back that suggested their were only 18 properties in all the London Borough for rent which fell within the Local Borough's budgets.

cherrybakewell90

MultiFuelBurner said:

Have you considered moving out of London?

I read an article a few weeks back that suggested there were only 18 properties in all the London Borough for rent which fell within the Local Borough's budgets.

I would love to eventually move back up north where I was born! But the kids’ father lives here and I’ve been working here for 10 years.