Can you or can you not rent out an affordable house?

jrewing said:
Are there not lists of people waiting for affordable housing ? You say that you're having trouble to sell it. Surely, if you work with the council you can pass it onto the next person on the affordable housing list, for the same/similar price to what you paid for it. You're not supposed to make money on this type of house anyway, as far as I know. These houses exist for a social reason, not to provide people with a second/rental property.

Surely, if you received a house under this scheme, the right thing to do is to sell it on to another person under the scheme?
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Only new properties are available under the affordable housing schemes.
 
Exactly Johnjay, that's what I was trying to say when I said 'that's not the way it works'

I can totally understand where people are coming from, there is no sense or meaning to the system in place. I too was one of the people on the list for an affordable house, for 4 years. I got a house and I was delighted to get it but to give a person a house they will more than likely outgrow just doesn't make sense either. Most of people living in the 2 bed houses where I am are older single people. I'm young and have a child already, I didn't foresee that I would end up getting married and having another child when I accepted the house, unfortunately I can't see into the future. But the likelyhood of me meeting someone and having more kids is alot higher than some who is in there 40s/50s. I'm not trying to rip off the system, as I said if the house was bigger I would stay no prob, location is great etc and we are actually moving a good bit out to buy a bigger home. I just wanted to know if there was another option if I couldn't sell the house, I mean who wants to be stuck paying 2 mortgages.
 
Andy_and_lou said:
Exactly Johnjay, that's what I was trying to say when I said 'that's not the way it works'

I can totally understand where people are coming from, there is no sense or meaning to the system in place. I too was one of the people on the list for an affordable house, for 4 years. I got a house and I was delighted to get it but to give a person a house they will more than likely outgrow just doesn't make sense either. Most of people living in the 2 bed houses where I am are older single people. I'm young and have a child already, I didn't foresee that I would end up getting married and having another child when I accepted the house, unfortunately I can't see into the future. But the likelyhood of me meeting someone and having more kids is alot higher than some who is in there 40s/50s. I'm not trying to rip off the system, as I said if the house was bigger I would stay no prob, location is great etc and we are actually moving a good bit out to buy a bigger home. I just wanted to know if there was another option if I couldn't sell the house, I mean who wants to be stuck paying 2 mortgages.
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Err, why don't you just sell the thing?

I know there's a clawback but you knew that when you bought it. There's nothing wrong with the system. The state gave you a step up onto the housing ladder. You now want to move to a bigger place, so move! Do you NEED to rent the place and become a landlord? Your desire to become a property investor has nothing to do with your need for a bigger place for you and your family. Sell it and move on and be gratefull that the state gave you the helping hand when you needed it.

People move up the "property ladder" by selling their existing property and buying somewhere else. People become property investors by buying properties and renting them out. Which do you want to be? Do you want the state to give you a helping hand in becoming a property investor as well as a property owner? It's an Affordable Housing scheme, not an Affordable Investment scheme.
 
You obviously haven't read the thread, I am trying to sell the house.
 
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Card, yes I have which I accepted twice but they've fallen through because of whole social and affordable thing.:-(
 
am interested in this whole area as am thinking of applying for such a home
can you explain why the sales are falling through because of the social and affordable aspect?
thanks
 
There is no real explanation, it's just society, alot of people don't want to live in a 'Council Estate' and unfortunately that's just the way it is. As I said I don't have a problem I would still live there if the house was big enough. To me the estate is fine, I've never had any trouble, a few cheeky kids but I suppose that's in every new estate.
 
so what's happening is that people are seeing the house and liking it and putting in offers but once they realise that its an affordable home they are not interested in purchasing it? I though most people would be familar with estates in an area and would know beforehand which estates they would like in live and which they would not. I'm guessing situation would be different then if it was an affordable house in a regular estate in which 20% or whatever the proportion is were set aside for affordable housing. Perhaps something to keep in mind?
 
Sorry pinkybear and to everyone else, I wasn't aware of the caps thing. I was just trying to make it clear that I am trying to sell the house.

I am just looking for answers to my original post not a moral lecture from anyone.
 
There is no real explanation, it's just society, alot of people don't want to live in a 'Council Estate' and unfortunately that's just the way it is.
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I lived in one myself, you are experiencing the current down turn in property values, and yes given a good location people will still look at council houses are a step on the ladder.

In what condition is the house in, does it need to be reapinted, have you alot of clutter in the house when viewings are happeing? If so you need to address this.

The good thing about council houses is they are very close to city centres, however you are cometing with new build.
 
Andy_and_lou said:
You obviously haven't read the thread, I AM TRYING TO SELL THE HOUSE.
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Fair enough, I missed that point, the gist of the thread suggested otherwise. But houses don't fail to sell because of the area, they fail to sell because they're asking too much for the area.
 
Card, it was the engineer who put off one purchaser, I'm not sure if the purchaser knew what kind of estate it was initially, I have an estate agent dealing with the sale, so I have no direct contact with people, the other person was interested initially but then backed off for the same reasons. TBH I don't know if alot of people realise there are social and affordable houses in that estate, I don't know for sure. This estate has all social and affordable houses, there is no privately owned houses there. HTH
 
Pinkybear, house is in great condition, very well presented, modern etc. It's in a great location too. That's why I can't understand why it hasn't sold, it's the perfect house for someone starting off or an investor. Maybe I'm jumping the gun but when 2 people pulled out it got me a bit worried and I wondered if I couldn't sell would I have options. There are more people looking at it today so please keep your fingers crossed!
 
Also of course investors can't buy these houses ( at least not in the first such sale from the original owner) because of clauses preventing this in the title so that's a whole market closed off too.
 
Hi there,
It's in a great location too.
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That will stand to you, give it time, I have a friend who has just sold her place in a social and affordable area. YOu must realise there is a down turn and all areas are affected.
 
Vanilla said:
Also of course investors can't buy these houses ( at least not in the first such sale from the original owner) because of clauses preventing this in the title so that's a whole market closed off too.
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I would say that only applies to me, not to someone who's buying the property for the market value. It isn't an affordable house then, it's a privately owned property and doesn't have anything to do with the council anymore....
 
Don't think so. The norm is that on selling both the purchaser and the seller have to obtain council consent- the seller covenanting not to be a burden on the council for housing in the future and the purchaser covenanting that they are in need of housing, don't own another home, are going to use this as their ppr etc. This new purchaser can then usually sell on without consent of the council though.
 
snickers said:
personal circumstances aside, it is not right that an affordable housing purchaser can rent out their house and move on to a new place having used the discount from the local authority to move up the property ladder!
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The discount provided is used to get on the property ladder in the first place! If you sell it ( as the OP is trying to do) there is a clawback to cover the original discount. So there is no way to use the actual original discount to trade up to somewhere else.

There seems to be a lot of ignorance around about affordable housing like people complaining that it brings down the price of their own houses etc. Total snobbery.
 
I'm in the same situation as the OP. I bought my affordable apartment before I even met my fiance but am now getting married this year. Trying to sell it with no luck but I don't think it's anything to do with it being affordable as the development is a mix. I also had two offers which I accepted but went nowhere! Lots of people are having difficulty selling places.
 
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