Renting and mental health

Buffypaws

We private rented a property that the landlord never repaired over the 5 years we were there, we had no central heating, we were exposed to asbestos and it had mould and subsidence & rodents.
The council housing team offered to help us we were on list but low priority/band my husband could not work and is on UC. I work full time and we have a child.
We were so desperate as winter was coming we took a private rental via a council approved landlord, we had no deposit or anything so they helped with that which we paid off monthly.
We were lied to with this flat it has mould/condensation issues, my child slept on sofa the first 3 months due to rising damp in his room the landlord didnt care but had to sort in the end when we got the council involved. But there are still issues. The street have unsafe characters on it too.
The main issue we suffer with is awful noisy neighbours severely affecting sleep and my mental health I constantly wear headphones and earplugs. We have spoken to the council and landlord, no one can help. We had altercations with said neighbours despite being polite and they forced the elderly neighbour next to the to move. Landlord lied and said they are being evicted 8 months so the council wont get involved to write to them or anything. 8 months later they still there and worse.
We struggle with the rent and bills and I feel trapped and suicidal the council took us off the housing register because we are housed in this flat.
Yet a friend of my childs mother was living in her parents large 4 bed home in another town, got a 3 bed council house in our town for her and her only child and had new kitchen/bathroom drives an expensive car. How does this work? We've lived in this town/borough for 20 years.
Is it because I work full time? I cant even get on the council list, we just had debt collectors round due to a council tax issue and it was awful have no way of finding the money our rent and outgoings are so high. I am suicidal because all we want is to live in peace. We live in North London but cant move due to school and work is local, I don't even have a car.
I'm hard working worked all my life, my husband has too until we became unwell and now unable when we need help its not given to someone who has paid tax and worked hard all their life. I'm not sure why I'm posting this, if there are any good success stories you have or any advice it would be appreciated.

tacpot12

It's not because you work full-time. It's because the council don't have enough properties. Your friend just got lucky in being offered a council property in your town. How she manages to have an expensive car is a mystery. Perhaps she is claiming a benefit that she's not entitled to or lying to you or the DWP about working/not working, or perhaps she is getting help from her parents. But it's not healthy to focus on someone else's situation. It would be better to focus on your own situation; focus on the things you can control or influence. 

You have had some success with the council forcing the landlord to repair the rising damp, so I would keep on at them to sort the neighbours out and resolve any other issues who have with the property maintenance. You can ask your local councillor for help, if you feel that the council aren't doing enough.

If your council tax problem isn't sorted out, you might talk to StepChange or Citizens Advice for advice on how to get an affordable repayment plan in place.

Your situation is very difficult. You have my sympathy, and there is not much more I can suggest, other than to just keep plugging away. 

FreeBear

tacpot12 said: How she manages to have an expensive car is a mystery. Perhaps she is claiming a benefit that she's not entitled to or lying to you or the DWP about working/not working

If this individual is claiming PIP, it could be a car provided by Motorbility - I know a couple of people that have had some expensive new cars via that route.

_Penny_Dreadful

Buffypaws said:

We private rented a property that the landlord never repaired over the 5 years we were there, we had no central heating, we were exposed to asbestos and it had mould and subsidence & rodents.
The council housing team offered to help us we were on list but low priority/band my husband could not work and is on UC. I work full time and we have a child.
We were so desperate as winter was coming we took a private rental via a council approved landlord, we had no deposit or anything so they helped with that which we paid off monthly.
We were lied to with this flat it has mould/condensation issues, my child slept on sofa the first 3 months due to rising damp in his room the landlord didnt care but had to sort in the end when we got the council involved. But there are still issues. The street have unsafe characters on it too.
The main issue we suffer with is awful noisy neighbours severely affecting sleep and my mental health I constantly wear headphones and earplugs. We have spoken to the council and landlord, no one can help. We had altercations with said neighbours despite being polite and they forced the elderly neighbour next to the to move. Landlord lied and said they are being evicted 8 months so the council wont get involved to write to them or anything. 8 months later they still there and worse.
We struggle with the rent and bills and I feel trapped and suicidal the council took us off the housing register because we are housed in this flat.
Yet a friend of my childs mother was living in her parents large 4 bed home in another town, got a 3 bed council house in our town for her and her only child and had new kitchen/bathroom drives an expensive car. How does this work? We've lived in this town/borough for 20 years.
Is it because I work full time? I cant even get on the council list, we just had debt collectors round due to a council tax issue and it was awful have no way of finding the money our rent and outgoings are so high. I am suicidal because all we want is to live in peace. We live in North London but cant move due to school and work is local, I don't even have a car.
I'm hard working worked all my life, my husband has too until we became unwell and now unable when we need help its not given to someone who has paid tax and worked hard all their life. I'm not sure why I'm posting this, if there are any good success stories you have or any advice it would be appreciated.

Comparison is the thief of joy. 

You don’t know the ins and out of this woman’s situation. It might not even be social housing as you think, it could be a shared equity scheme. Not that it’s any of our business. 

You quite simply cannot afford to live where you are if you’re struggling to pay the rent and bills. It doesn’t sound as if the local council has properties available hence why you were offered this private rental. Perhaps it’s time to consider moving out of North London. rUK also has schools and jobs you know. In fact aren’t their schemes to encourage social tenants to move out of London to where there are homes available? Out of London, HomeStart, Seaside and Country Homes, etc. 

HampshireH

Let's talk the friend first.

- They weren't adequately housed as a family having to live with family
- They would have been on the list for ages (everyone is)
- Their car maybe on finance or bought or gifted you have no idea.
- You said she lives in another town so not comparable to you at all as your in North London.

You don't have to be poor to get social housing you have to be eligible. So put that to bed and don't make comparisons because the two are not comparable.

Let's talk you

- You would have been able to view the property before accepting it. 

- Was it really rising damp as that doesn't just disappear. Has it now been dealt with?

- Are you ventilating the property properly?

- Properties don't just have condensation issues, condensation is due to water in the air and a lack of ventilation. Do you have extraction on, windows open, trickle vents open and if needed a dehumidifier.

- The neighbours - the environmental health team have an obligation to investigate antisocial behavior due to noise nuisance. Is it genuinely this. Have you done the diary logs, had sound monitoring equipment installed to determine this? They won't investigate lifestyle noise unless excessive 

- There will be unsavory people in many streets/roads at one point or another depending on who walks up them. The onus for checking out the area before moving would have been on you I'm afraid.

- Have you scrutinized the councils housing policy as to what their criteria is to go on the list. I can't see what has changed between this time and lack time - except they assisted you with a deposit.

- Is your husband claiming all the benefits he is entitled to with his illness.

- London has great transport links. Ultimately you need to consider a more affordable area OR increasing your income. 

- For your debts Id recommend using the Debt Free Wannabe board on here go through everything and you'll get some great advice. Council tax is a debtor you don't want knocking on your door.

- Often things like noise seem worse once they become fixated on people who have experienced problems before become sensitive to them again. This is natural but also not healthy.

- Please speak to your GP about your mental health. Samaritans if you are feeling suicidal.