Which houses are council houses?
Council houses are a form of British public housing built by local authorities.
Council houses differ from a Council Estate, a building complex containing several council houses and other amenities like schools and shops.
Who can qualify for a council house? Am I eligible?
As a British citizen over 18 (and sometimes those as young as 16), you can apply for a property. The original concept was that council houses could ensure affordable social housing to everyone who met these criteria and had needs.
When assessing needs for a council property, each council has a set of assessment criteria which are it’s own.
Examples would include:
- People with a long-term connection to the area in which they are applying to live, e.g., job prospects or family relations in the area.
- Welfare or medical reasons behind your move.
- Overcrowding.
- Low-income families on both limited income and that have limited savings.
When banded by your council, you’re allocated points based on your relative, prioritised needs compared to other applicants. Banding is between one to four, with one being the highest priority and four being the lowest. Following satisfactory completion of your application, you may be allocated a higher band and offered a property more quickly. The lower the band you’re in, the longer you’re likely to wait.
Tip: Remember, larger accommodations are likely to be in higher demand and take longer.
Further information is available in our section answering “why it takes so long for council houses to be made available“
Are council houses well built?
Typically, estates consist of 2–3-bedroom council houses and flats. The responsibility for allocating and maintaining all buildings generally lies with one of several named housing associations.
Do council houses have a bad reputation?
Since the 1980’s controversy has existed about council homes & estates concerning crime and living quality issues. However, recent steps for change have been made, including London’s Initiative to breathe new life into council homebuilding, proposed by the Mayor of London – Sadiq Khan. As a result, construction started on thousands of new homes in the Greater London area in 2021/2022.
Is renting a council house cheap?
Rent can be much cheaper than comparable private housing, with subsidies being available depending on the personal and financial circumstances of the applicants.
Why is it so long for a council house to be made available?
While waiting lists can take a long time to arrive at you, some higher prioritisation of applicants occurs – due to ‘urgent need‘, for example, those at risk of imminent violence. Top-level placement occurs for those who are:
- Registered homeless or threatened with impending homelessness.
- Overcrowded in cramped conditions are exacerbating their existing illness.
- In need of exceptional medical/educational circumstances and consequently need to relocate.
- At the risk of serious violence to themselves and especially children.
- Forced to leave registered armed forces accommodation.
- Currently or imminently likely to suffer from a life-threatening illness.
Why don’t councils make their council houses more available?
Council accommodation has severely been affected by the ‘right to buy rule‘ in which when a resident has occupied a council property for a duration, they may purchase their home at a progressive discount rate. First introduced in the 1980’s, the maximum percentage discount on houses has recently increased to 70%, though in London, there is a ceiling/maximum cap on the amount of discount receivable. This has placed increasing pressure on the existing housing stock, increased the cost of living in many areas by pushing up living prices and straining families attempting to find suitable, affordable housing.
The right-to-buy scheme has been around for over 40 years. However, the scheme has been abolished in Wales and Scotland. It’s still running in Northern Ireland, though fewer people will be eligible to participate as of 28 August 2022.
Why were council houses sold off?
The ‘Right to Buy‘ act allowed tenants who had lived in their homes for at least three years to buy at discounts. If a tenant for over 20 years, you received a 50% discount.
However, many houses sold were built in the 1950s – 1960s and were of poor quality. Today they are referred to as non-traditional housing. Grants often being given by the government following legislation to correct serious structural flaws.
Council house locations & Which council does my house fall under?
It’s possible to locate which council housing area your property is located in by postcode on the .Gov.UK website. For further details, click here, or go to https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council.
How long do you have to have a council house before you can swap? How long does this take, and is it quicker to downsize?
Swap/downsizing time varies depending on how many are moving to and from the areas you wish to relocate.
TIP: With a bit of painting and decoration skill, you can rapidly increase your chances of swapping. Often, finance is available in the form of a grant received following application to your local housing authority/council directly.
What is the average wait time for council houses?
The average wait time for a sought-after property on the council register is between 5 and 10 years. If on a waiting list for over ten years, you would need to reapply as your circumstances are likely to have changed, and you will need to be reassessed for your needs.
But don’t worry. We’ve got some time-saving tips to empower you and reduce that time to a minimum.
Why does it take so long, and how can I get a council house quicker?
Though the councils of the U.K. must prioritise finding suitable homes, some things will smooth the process a little.
Here we recommend knowing everything possible concerning the process of allocating you with a new council house as your home. Understand and ensure – as a priority issue, that you are in the highest band you can be allocated and how advertising cycles are used to find you an acceptable property asap.
Remember to look online and in the newspaper for general council home availability.
TIPS:
- Be as flexible as possible in your application: With increased flexibility comes more likelihood of lower waiting times.
- Keep the council constantly up to date with any medical and changes in personal status as well as the number of people that will be moving in.
- Consider different areas. This results in lowered waiting times – though potentially with complications of needing to apply through a different council.
- Double-check that you’ve been placed in the right band with a specialist! E.g., The Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) or the Local Authority Housing Team. These people will be able to guide you through your bidding position and how to use your bids most successfully.
What is a council house bidding position?
Following your application for council housing, when your application receives acceptance, you will commence your ability to ‘bid’ on your new potential accommodation.
Three bids are available in each cycle.
Each cycle’s duration, timing and specifics may vary between councils. Therefore, use your bids wisely by ensuring you know when cycles occur and use all your bids before the closure date.
The council details the process of bidding on your council website. Bids are accepted from the internet – via your web account, text or phone call.
Note: Care is necessary here; turning down properties may reduce your priority listing level and move you physically down the listing. Perpetual rejection may even result in removal from the housing register.
N.B. When you plan to start a business from home, ensure you know your position legally in respect of the housing association rules. Such a situation arising in your ignorance may impact/change your priority level. In addition, it can be thought of as a lie regarding your application. This and changes in your circumstances could potentially lead to your unanticipated eviction at a later date.
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