Sheffield city council - ARRRGH

[Ms Macbeth]

There are many properties on the rental market bringing less than £450pcm. You just have to look for them. They dont all have big bonds and there are places who will help low paid families find the deposits required. Not all landlords use 6 monthly contracts some use 12 monthly or longer. If you make it clear you want along term contract you are seen as a sound investment to the landlord. And you dont have to use an agent either. These are just excuses. We struggled for a long while paying for private rented accommodation. We didnt have an option so just got on with it.

 

One big plus for people who rent from councils/housing associations is security of tenure. Renting privately is ok if you don't mind moving, but for a family with children in school its not ideal if a tenancy is only for 6 months. I know there are longer tenancies, but there's no guarantee how long a family can stay, whereas with a social tenancy its permanent (unless the tenancy agreement is badly breached).

[Phylis]

Thank you for being so awfully condescending. Fancy giving me a pat on the head too?

 

My experience showed me that if I wanted to rent a family property privately on my income, I would still be trying to find one.

 

We rented a 4/5 bed victorian semi detached villa in Abbeydale for £450pcm. There are smaller properties in the area for less. So you wouldnt have to look far to find one within your budget.

[Phylis]

One big plus for people who rent from councils/housing associations is security of tenure. Renting privately is ok if you don't mind moving, but for a family with children in school its not ideal if a tenancy is only for 6 months. I know there are longer tenancies, but there's no guarantee how long a family can stay, whereas with a social tenancy its permanent (unless the tenancy agreement is badly breached).

 

This is part of the problem with council housing. The tenancies are too secure. They should run on a 12 monthly cycle so any poorly behaved tenants can be evicted and free up housing stock.

[the_bloke]

We rented a 4/5 bed victorian semi detached villa in Abbeydale for £450pcm.

 

Pleased for you, at having found such a considerable bargain. Abbeydale isn't an area I looked in as its completely the wrong part of Sheffield, and the £500 a month for 2/3 bed places being advertised put me off.

 

Anyway, I can see this is getting nowhere as your opinion is set in stone. Do I presume that as you consider everyone in employment to live in private rented accomodation, you also consider anyone in a Council house to be unemployed?

[Phylis]

Pleased for you, at having found such a considerable bargain. Abbeydale isn't an area I looked in as its completely the wrong part of Sheffield, and the £500 a month for 2/3 bed places being advertised put me off.

 

Anyway, I can see this is getting nowhere as your opinion is set in stone. Do I presume that as you consider everyone in employment to live in private rented accomodation, you also consider anyone in a Council house to be unemployed?

 

No, as i have said before i live in an ex council house on a council estate where people go out and earn a living. Some dont but most do.

[Ms Macbeth]

This is part of the problem with council housing. The tenancies are too secure. They should run on a 12 monthly cycle so any poorly behaved tenants can be evicted and free up housing stock.

 

I disagree about security of tenure, I think good tenants should have continuity, I just wish it was easier to get the bad ones out. There is a move towards introductory/temporary tenancies for new social tenants. Anti social behaviour is a big part of life in many areas now, not just on council estates. I know private landlords who have had tenants from hell, and private tenants who have suffered badly from rogue landlords. Owner occupiers can make bad neighbours too - who evicts them?

 

Lets face it, most of us want to own our own homes nowadays. Private renting is fine as a stopgap, but I'd certainly rather pay the £500 or £600 each month towards a mortgage instead of a private landlord. For someone is on low pay, council housing can be the most affordable, long term solution. It's just not an option for most people nowadays because of a) the sheer lack of properties, and b) the proportion that goes to people with priority.

[Kat2008]

Hi, I currently have homeless priorty with the sheffield council, due to the sale of my privatly rented property.

I placed a bid on a house a basegreen. When i checked my bids previosly made the property had gone to someone with less waiting time than myself.

I've emailed them but have had no response, my home finder is out of the office until Tuesday - so i'm left hanging until then.

I have already lost 9mths on priorty due to been offered a unsutiable property. I appealed and won my priorty back, but was told that they weren't backdating it, because i put my appeal in to late - even though i didn't. The only proof of this is a date i wrote in my diary and they have lost my files relating to this - so no hard evidence.

Anyway because of this i don't want to let them get away with this.

 

 

Any help or advice would be much appreciated.

 

hi i have priority too been waiting 3months now, when i had my homefinder interview i was told if i was offered an unsuitable property & appealed against it, if i won my priority would be back dated to the 1st day of my original priority date. keep on at them!! they're in the wrong

[Kat2008]

Is it just me that has seen sense. You were in private rented accomodation why not do that again. It isnt a given right that you get a council house.

 

HAVE YOU NEVER ANYTHING NICE TO SAY?? :rant: :rant:

[LJB23]

When we had priority for overcrowding we were offered a 3 bed property but it was unsuitable due to have about 15 steep steps up to it, my partner had had a bad accident at work and couldn't manage these steps, especially not with prams to get up and down too, so we turned it down and were told we wouldn't get offered another. I appealed and sent in various doctors letters etc and about 4 days later we got offered a 2nd property, only 2 beds but much better with access etc so we accepted.

[Phylis]

HAVE YOU NEVER ANYTHING NICE TO SAY?? :rant: :rant:

 

I do, but not to people who complain about being badly done to and who dont do anything to help themselves. You dont get anything for nothing.