Leicester faces local lockdown

[andipandi]

What’s unfair (imo) is that the discount you talk about only exists for those in council accommodation. There’s no option to buy - and certainly no discount - if you’re renting privately, at least not until you’re earning a hell of a lot more than most people are earning in their younger years. So while it’s great that some do have that opportunity, I can see why a young couple wanting to start a family, but who can’t get a mortgage because they’re both on a low income, might be a bit pissed off. It would also be a great help if councils replaced the homes they’re selling off, because there isn’t enough property available for the people who need it. We’ve got families living in b&bs because there’s nowhere else for the council to house them, so something is badly wrong.

Spot on, x 1000

 

[mick brown]

Here's one for you. The guy I commute and work with lives on his own in a 3 (possibly 4) bed council house. It's been his family home all his life, which he took over after his parents died. He's on a decent wage, doesn't have an extravagant lifestyle, never smoked, and drinks cheap lager (all this from 7 years of chauffeuring him to and from work). The council have done extensive modernisation to the property, and he always whinges about the standard of workmanship. He really went apeshit on the introduction of the bedroom tax, but doesn't want to buy it because rent is so cheap, plus the council pay to get his house fixed. He's a true Yorkshireman to the core.

He didn't appreciate me saying I thought it immoral, when so many families are caught in the rental trap, and he has plenty of spare capacity, used solely for junk storage. I get that it's the family home, but why should it be subsidised by the council and taxpayer when he has (or should have) the means to support himself.

Am I wrong?

No you're not mate. Spot on.

 

[crustyfolker]

Here's one for you. The guy I commute and work with lives on his own in a 3 (possibly 4) bed council house. It's been his family home all his life, which he took over after his parents died. He's on a decent wage, doesn't have an extravagant lifestyle, never smoked, and drinks cheap lager (all this from 7 years of chauffeuring him to and from work). The council have done extensive modernisation to the property, and he always whinges about the standard of workmanship. He really went apeshit on the introduction of the bedroom tax, but doesn't want to buy it because rent is so cheap, plus the council pay to get his house fixed. He's a true Yorkshireman to the core.

He didn't appreciate me saying I thought it immoral, when so many families are caught in the rental trap, and he has plenty of spare capacity, used solely for junk storage. I get that it's the family home, but why should it be subsidised by the council and taxpayer when he has (or should have) the means to support himself.

Am I wrong?

This is a tough one to call mate. the ethics of having a 4 bed or 3 and living alone. I was basically forced to give up a house when me and my ex split. I took a 2 bed flat so my daughter can stay when off school. The council wanted a family to have the house, it was disability adapted.
For some folks the house holds memories and other things that may cause some form of mental issue or something similar. For me it was the fact i had got to learn the area i lived in and now i live alone and have to get used to where i am without my Ex showing me.

 

[Mr Ripple]

https://metro.co.uk/2020/06/30/hund...sing-vital-coronavirus-testing-data-12925072/

Leicester’s mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, said his requests to see the full data for his city were only granted on Thursday after ‘weeks’ of trying. The city council said the figures showed there have been 3,126 confirmed Covid cases since the start of the pandemic – three times higher than the 1,056 shown on the government Covid tracker. Case numbers are divided between figures collected from NHS labs – called Pillar 1 – and those collected from commercial testing partners – Pillar 2 – which include universities and companies such as Boots, according to the UK government website.


Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2020/06/30/hund...oronavirus-testing-data-12925072/?ito=cbshare

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MetroUK | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MetroUK/

 

[tootingyoda]

This is a tough one to call mate. the ethics of having a 4 bed or 3 and living alone. I was basically forced to give up a house when me and my ex split. I took a 2 bed flat so my daughter can stay when off school. The council wanted a family to have the house, it was disability adapted.
For some folks the house holds memories and other things that may cause some form of mental issue or something similar. For me it was the fact i had got to learn the area i lived in and now i live alone and have to get used to where i am without my Ex showing me.

There certainly isn't a one size fits all answer, but in the case I cited I'm pretty sure the guy is financially able to buy his home, at the greatly discounted price, but would rather take financial resources that could otherwise be put to a more deserving cause. They should go to the needy not greedy imho, but I suppose the council will reclaim their property when he one day pops his clogs. He's dependant free.

 

[crustyfolker]

There certainly isn't a one size fits all answer, but in the case I cited I'm pretty sure the guy is financially able to buy his home, at the greatly discounted price, but would rather take financial resources that could otherwise be put to a more deserving cause. They should go to the needy not greedy imho, but I suppose the council will reclaim their property when he one day pops his clogs. He's dependant free.

Dependant free would lead me to not buy in his position. If i could buy my flat then i see it this way, my daughter is 7 years old, she may also suffer from no housing when she is older then i would leave her the flat which will start her up as a home owner. Call me cynical but if people can afford to buy their council home and leave it to a child it will help the child and they won't be moaning about private rent. I feel that parents who feel their kids will struggle to get affordable housing should try and provide for their kids after they have passed on. It is after all what the "upper class" do. Inherited wealth it's called. AS said there's no one size fits all answer but for your friend in truth a 3-4 bed house is way to much for a single bloke. a 2 bed flat would be perfect for him. He can use the exchange program run by the council he could swap his house with a family who need the rooms, this would help him to pick his new flat rather than wait for a suitable one to be offered by the council.

 

[tootingyoda]

Dependant free would lead me to not buy in his position. If i could buy my flat then i see it this way, my daughter is 7 years old, she may also suffer from no housing when she is older then i would leave her the flat which will start her up as a home owner. Call me cynical but if people can afford to buy their council home and leave it to a child it will help the child and they won't be moaning about private rent. I feel that parents who feel their kids will struggle to get affordable housing should try and provide for their kids after they have passed on. It is after all what the "upper class" do. Inherited wealth it's called. AS said there's no one size fits all answer but for your friend in truth a 3-4 bed house is way to much for a single bloke. a 2 bed flat would be perfect for him. He can use the exchange program run by the council he could swap his house with a family who need the rooms, this would help him to pick his new flat rather than wait for a suitable one to be offered by the council.

I get you, but I don't understand why the council have never offered this to him, or at least that's what he told me the last time I asked. I get the impression he no longer wants to discuss the subject with me, given my views.

There are plenty of people way more deserving of social housing than him, but the system is so flawed and unjust. One of the agency peeps I've been working with can't get even get his name on the housing list, even after all the many hoops he's had to jump through. It's thanks to covid19 that he hasn't already been evicted due to another rogue landlord, and Citizens Advice seem to be as much use as tits on a fish. His employment with us is only temporary too. He's a lovely bloke, hard working but getting paid a fair bit less than me for doing the same job. Life is so unfair to many, and it's only going to get worse for many, while the filthy rich find more look after themselves.

I'd best bow out for now, don't like getting on my soapbox.

 

[Miss Pepper]

I don't think RTB should be around any more, especially as there isn't the housing stock replacing it. Take a look on estate agents sites and see how many ex-council properties are for sale, that's a lot that have been lost over the years.

Admittedly, some councils are starting to buy back the properties they previously sold, when they are up for sale. I think some of the council's are now putting a clause in that they get first refusal when a property is being sold after using the RTB, doesn't help get the old stock back.

Reading other forums, there is the get rich quick idea of buying the property, hanging on for 5 years until the RTB no sale or the discount is to be repaid is up, then selling to take a huge profit. So many parents have their kids wanting to buy the property for the benefit of their parents now they are retired / elderly to give them 'security', nope they have that now and would get moved to a suitable property should their health change.

I do think a percentage of new homes built should be given to councils / HA and put back into their housing stock. Not affordable homes (which don't tend to be affordable to those on lower incomes anyway), but back into the pot for renting at the lower rents the Council's and HAs charge. It would take years to get housing stock back up, but would also help people who NEED it. I believe there is some kind of 'probation' tenancy offered by HAs now, where it's keep your nose clean for X years and then you get a tenancy for life.

Maybe HAs and Council properties shouldn't be seen as a property for life, but a stepping stone for when in need, whilst getting back on your feet. However, some people would abuse it, as they do now.

LHA rates need a complete overhaul as even the 1 bed rate is often nowhere near the actual rental price of a 1 bed, if someone is on benefits how are they supposed to top up the rent, pay bills and eat, let alone have money to get to interviews, don't forget it's not unreasonable to look upto 90 minutes each way for a job!
I know there's discretionary top up, but it's not guaranteed.

Councils can pay the deposit on rentals, where people need help meeting that cost. A year down the line they've been evicted as they couldn't cover all the rent and back at the council asking for help.

Years ago kids would be doubled up in rooms, now the minute someone is pregnant a 1 bedroom property isn't big enough, have a second kid and that 2 bedroom property isn't big enough even if it's the same sex. Remember, kids of opposite sex can sleep in the same room until a certain age.
I agree it's nice if everyone could have their own room, but that's not realistic.

People should be able to have a roof over their head, be it living with family, renting or owning but at the same time take financial responsibility for it and not expect it handed on a plate as it can't anymore.
Don't think oh that's a great place, only £1500pm can afford that, think about what happens if you lose your job, get ill and be unable to work, split with your partner etc. That's not being negative, that's planning for every eventuality.

Those who are working can struggle to find a suitable rental and more often than not it's cheaper to buy than rent, even taking into account repairs and maintenance over the years.

There is more to the UK than London / down south, where prices are just rediculous, as are the commute costs. In one of the jobs I've had up here a lot of the management staff were buying in the Midlands and commuting to London.

Throughout the UK people want to buy / rent in a particular area, won't compromise to live in a different, cheaper area and commute. I appreciate those with friends / family etc want everything on their doorstep, but in reality that isn't going to happen for the average person and expectations need to be adjusted.

Don't even get me started on help to buy equity loans!

I would have loved to remain in Edinburgh, but the prices were outside the budget, so the compromise came in. The mortgage and commute costs are cheaper than the last rental, therefore a saving each month. The difference between what was purchased and the like for like cost of something similar in Edinburgh means I will be dead before the commute cost gets anywhere near the purchase price difference.

 

[crustyfolker]

Extra thinking now but how on earth are our Gov going to house the thousands that may come from Hong Kong?. We do not have enough housing for the current population. This could lead to more UK citezens having to private rent. £600 for a 2 bed house a month against council rent of £320 a month. Thats £280 a month that could be better spent on the family rather than make some greedy sod rich oh and that Landlord is getting the house payed for by some the poor. Private rented accomodation should be capped so it is inline with the Councils rent for a similar property.

 

["Misfit"]

Private Landlords are the scum of the earth
I am not talking about the ones that rent out out one property
The ones that are raking in millions with their mass of houses bought cheap
and do no repairs, charging over the top rent need to be stopped now.