Renting a room with a housing association when I get married

alexsings wrote: »

Hi all

I am a housing association resident in London, UK and I have just been given a secure tenancy, I am due to get married in October and me and my partner obviously want to live together. My place is too small and her place is too far as I have just started a new job, so we talked about finding somewhere in between.

I am keen to keep my current property - but not to make money. I am one year our of long term rehab and want to have it initally as a safety net for a few months

Now, I know that I am not allowed to sublet, but I know I am able to rent a room through the goverment scheme. Would it be poosible for me to rent a room out but stay with my parnter regulalry at a new place but still be registered at my current address.

Thanks

Would the new address also be social housing? It seems unfair to hang onto a tenancy in a city where housing is limited. Couldn't you transfer the secure tenancy to a different property?


Regarding the Rent-A-Room scheme, I suppose it depends on how often you mean by 'regularly'. If you mean that you will spend more time with your partner than at your registered address, then I would imagine that you are not within the rules of the scheme. After all, a lodger tends to live in the same house as their landlord, but if you are regularly elsewhere, it's not quite the same.


Where would you pay council tax? And are there any implications for benefits? If, for example, you receive housing benefit, wouldn't you have to stay in your registered house to fulfil the terms of receiving HB?

There's nothing within council tax legislation which specifically prevents you having separate homes but expect the council to query the situation once they become aware.

tealady wrote: »

Why not just ask the HA if they would offer you a larger property when you marry.

I could be wrong but I think a couple are entitled to a one-bedroom flat, so unless the OP is living somewhere smaller than a one-bed they'll be unlikely to be able to swap it for anywhere larger.

You are right though, OP, do keep your flat, as an assured tenancy is as rare as hens teeth these days.

People who don't live in the south east might not be aware that private rental in London costs an arm and a leg!! :eek: We're talking about £300 a week for a tiny flat.

So if you need to live in or near London, whatever you do, make sure you hang on to your current social housing property

maman wrote: »

I know what you're saying is correct about tenancies, rents etc. I can also understand that OP wants to not 'burn bridges' too soon but that's not really the point.


What's being suggested sounds like sailing extremely close to the wind as far as the purpose of social housing is concerned. If the property is too small for him to live in with his future wife, how come it's big enough to have a spare room to rent out? Surely if OP lives elsewhere the majority of the time then the council would look at that as a signal that he doesn't need the property any longer.


I think the best advice is to read the tenancy agreement thoroughly. If hanging on to the tenancy is a priority then perhaps delay the wedding.

I would imagine it's a not-very-big one bedroom flat. So.. big enough as far as the council or HA are concerned, but not big enough to house his and her belongings, etc. (I can't imagine he's got a 2 bedroom flat, being a single male with no kids?)

Tabbytabitha wrote: »

Plenty of couples in the London area share a room in a house/flat share or rent a bedsit/studio. For many of them a 1 bed flat would be a luxury, however small it was.

Oh yes, I'm not denying that, but OP has said it's too small for them both.