Work or be homeless!

Rabiddog_2

Sorry MichaelS Where did you get the idea that council rents go up by twice the rate of inflation? When I was renting, years ago, I looked and was very envious of the lowish rents (for better properties) that council tenants paid.. Oh and of course they got the option to buy the place at a discount (up to 70%)after a few years.. try that on any Private Landlord.<gasp> Housing associations and other non-council landlords all require paying for housing benefit so there is no saving to be had in seperated payments.. plus I think that councils get back from Central gov, much/all the money laid out on housing benefit. Also its virtually impossible to get anyone to do a job they don't want to do, eg forcing people to work, as employers simply don't want someone like that in the workforce

Running_Horse

clutton wrote: »

Are SNs ideas on land-ownership from the Marxist school of philosophy ?

Read this link:

http://www.housepricecrash.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=49031

Squatnow is also casa the anarchist. There is nothing wrong with being an anarchist, if you argue openly and honestly for that philosophy, but on this forum he hides that aspect of his politics. My personal experience of British anarchists is they are usually upper middle class boys rebelling against mummy and daddy for a few years. For all his radical chic, he is probably just bitter about not buying a property when they were cheaper, and now rants and raves on the Internet against those who did.

tom558

Rabiddog wrote: »

Sorry MichaelS Where did you get the idea that council rents go up by twice the rate of inflation? When I was renting, years ago, I looked and was very envious of the lowish rents (for better properties) that council tenants paid.. Oh and of course they got the option to buy the place at a discount (up to 70%)after a few years.. try that on any Private Landlord.<gasp> Housing associations and other non-council landlords all require paying for housing benefit so there is no saving to be had in seperated payments.. plus I think that councils get back from Central gov, much/all the money laid out on housing benefit. Also its virtually impossible to get anyone to do a job they don't want to do, eg forcing people to work, as employers simply don't want someone like that in the workforce

Council house rents, most certainly do rise more than twice inflation each and every year, I know I am a council tenant.
There is a formula laid down, to bring council property up to, decent home standard, cant remember just what it is, but it's something like, inflation+£2.50+0.5%,per week and this is applied to rents each year.
So you see, its not an idea. its a fact, do your research.
Here is just one example picked at random from google.
http://www.rugbytoday.co.uk/news/Council-house-rents-rise-by.3753922.jp
Just while I wait for a reply to this, here are a few more links to look at, still think council rents don't increase by twice inflation and more every year?.
http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/Pensioner39s-protest-at-council-rent.3753141.jp
http://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/HomePage/403_12372.asp
http://www.croydon.gov.uk/democracy/councilnews/rentincrease-3246
http://www.nwleicestershire.gov.uk/pr_feb2006/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=5518
http://www.southwarknews.co.uk/00,news,8698,440,00.htm

Dithering_Dad

Jonbvn wrote: »

DD, very eloquent, whereas my resonses to SN always seem so.........overstated?

I've always found your posts to be eloquent, well considered and extremely useful. I just think that you're wasting your time with SN.

I have the same failing, I have argued financial strategies with clowns who make statements like "All pensions are a waste of money cos you'll just have the money ripped off you" and "Don't overpay on your mortgage, you could die tomorrow. Live for the now". It's pointless discussing with these people because some will be being deliberately obtuse to just get a rise out of you and some are just too stupid to understand your well crafted viewpoints.

When you're in the middle of a discussion, it's hard to see sometimes that the person you're engaging with is not worth your time or effort. I now just stay away from the likes of SN, et al.

Rabiddog_2

Sorry MichaelS we might be talking about different time frames .. simple logic dictates that council house rents cannot rise too far above the norm (for all rents) so they might be rising in the short term but if they carried on inexorably rising at 2x inflation no person would be able to afford them. Over what time period are you talking about 1,3,5,10 or 25 years? If council house rents inexorably rose at 2x inflation then they would be far above the equivalent housing in the private sector. Those increases are for next year and are not for 2x inflation. my POINT was that Council house rents are generally cheaper, for the same quality of property, than those in the Private sector, coupled with, generally, a better std of upkeep, and MUCH more security of tenure. It used to be virtually impossible to eject people from Council Housing, up to and including non-payment of rent, this has eased in recent years, but C/H/T enjoy better housing at cheaper prices IMHO.

This represents very good value for money when you consider the cost of renting privately."

"Three years ago, the Government said housing association and council house rents should be brought into line

tom558

''Over what time period are you talking about 1,3,5,10 or 25 years?''
Well I understand that this policy started in 2002, it will continue until at least 2012,and some report's suggest until 2016!, then rents will rise by a mere 0.5% above inflation each year.
My original point was that this would not encourage those on benefit to seek work, and further to that, those already in work, would find that their disposable income would reduce year after year,if one assumes an inflation only pay rise.
This may lead to them having to claim housing benefit, to be able to afford the rent, and if that is the case, what was the point in rising the rents.
I think it would also encourage those in work to stop work given the chance, and who could really blame them.

clutton_2

a better std of upkeep, of council property ??

dont make me laugh - in two areas where i provide good quality private rental properties the council/HAs would take me to court in a flash if i offered the same abyssmal schedule of reparations that they do ....... an ex tenant moved into council property and waited 6 months for her walls to be plastered !!!1

Rabiddog_2

I understand Tom558 but obviously council house rents cannot be looked at in isolation to other rents. Maybe its a ploy to get CHT to join/form ALMO's
Clutton, as opposed to the "many areas where you provide bad quality rentals" (inferred) . I can only speak as I have seen, which is not direct experience. I have also seen Housing association Houses and they also seem to be kept in pretty good nick, whereas when I rented, privately(decades ago) the one bathroom, for three flats, was in constant disrepair. Maybe the rules are tighter now and someone simply would not be allowed to do that anymore?? I dont know, I haven't rented for a long time, and I dont know what the rules are these days (i didnt know then either).

tom558

''Maybe its a ploy to get CHT to join/form ALMO's ''
No that is not the case ALMOs and indeed, where tenants have voted to form housing associations, are still subject to the very same rent rise calculation.
That was one of the reason's given where I live, to try and get tenants to form a,so called, not for profit, housing association, we would pay the same rent, if we voted for to form a housing association or continued as council tenants.
We rejected transfer, I am pleased to report.

clutton_2

Rabiddog says "" "many areas where you provide bad quality rentals" (inferred)"

what on EARTH makes you draw that inference ??????

or are you yet another member of the "All landlords are !!!!!! club?" ?

my tenants would not stay with me for the many years some of them have - if i did not provide good quality accommodation