Councils demand Right to Buy reform to tackle the housing crisis

council tenants have a right to buy. (though I'd like to see just how many did so in the last 5 years)

The issue is that councils don't rebuild using the proceeds. They dont have to ringfence it. Major mistake.

Even if the cost of building new can't reproduce the same sized property, there is no excuse for them not to use the money to build something smaller or even of a different structure - prefabs?

They could update or repurposing empty council buildings of their own (raising council tax in the process) or even by from auctions - it's what the PRS does!

Trouble is they are not interested. They don't really want to be landlords ultimately. They can't control the standards in the properties they have under their responsibility as it is.... Instead its easier to keep going cap in hand to the government for additional money and bailouts and blame it all on someone else....

Anything is better than throwing it down the drain on securing temp housing accomodation....

Council housing is a false market. Council rent is subsidised - and leaves councils without enough money to manage their properties, a cycle of failure.
Tenants who buy lose their right to council housing and less of a drain on benefits. They need an income and spend some of that money looking after their property. The difference is clear when you walk down a street with a mix of ownership.

I have already offered all of my 6 tenants 10 months rent back if they buy the property, I have even offered to give them a loan to pay for conveyancing. No one was interested - I won't evict them whilst they pay the rent so guess the properties are going to my grandaughter !

Reply to the comment left by GlanACC at 16/02/2024 - 17:01
Have you therefore made inheritance plans?

Reply to the comment left by dismayed landlord at 16/02/2024 - 17:25
Yes, I am in the process of changing the share structure of my LTD company (4 properties) - thats happening right now. My other 2 properties are in a partnership with the wife and I am leaving them alone. I also have another business which I am 're-arranging' as well (properties are not my main business but do have the most assets in them). I plan to leave my grandaughter my big pension pot as that escapes inheritance tax.

Personally I think no tenant should have ever been given the right to buy their Council rented property.

And to be able to keep for 3 years then sell at market price without having re repay the discount was a stupid mistake.

Opens the door to Labour bringing in right to buy a tenants PRS property, and at a discount! Who is going to pay the landlord back the discount?

I've never understood 'RTB'. It's an unfair advantage being given to a group. The 'assets' (the housing) is public property. It belongs to the tax paying public. No-one should be selling off the crown jewels. Because now look at the state of the place?! No reinvestment. They complain about nowhere to house people... but whose fault is that??!!

I don't think the government really want to be social landlords. They can't keep up with their ridiculously high standards... but they should spear-head a house building campaign. I have often wondered, why don't the government train people (get them off benefits), train them up in house building skills... and then at least you'd be paying people and receiving some public service/benefit in return. All people seem to do is sit on their arse with their hand out. And I'm not talking about people with serious illnesses etc., I see too many able-bodied, work shy people ... the government needs to get these hands to work.

Why is it that when I used to go to Spain there was always some development, rubble, building works going on??!! Everytime! I don't (genuinely) understand it. And then because everyone is in 1-person 'families' now... all individuals... the solution is more HMOs so that everyone can just rent a room and that's it... but they make even being in a house share to share costs 'difficult'... so what are people supposed to do? Struggle to get a 1 bed flat that they can't afford? Live on a friends sofa? I don't get it.

No-one is solution orientated. All very short term thinking... and pushing the can down the road. The tories are fully expecting this to be a Labour problem. There is no incentive for Tories to house people... and so they don't. Their voters already have a house ... several of them.

Is this just too simplistic thinking? No political will to solve anything. It's ridiculous. We need good people to stand up and campaign for human rights, instead of allowing career politicans, public schoolboy idiots to give their mates contracts and laugh at the rest of us plebs.

Reply to the comment left by GlanACC at 16/02/2024 - 17:01
On what basis would you offer your tenants 10 months' rent back for buying the house? Why not simply sell to another landlord and/or offer the tenants first refusal without losing thousands of pounds?

Remember that a lot of landlords got started through RTB, either they were in the properrt and bought it cheap or they bought it from someone who had purchased through RTB. I even know of landlords lending the council tenant the money for RTB on the understanding they would be sold the property at below market rate after the council tenant had taken a cut.

Reply to the comment left by L G at 17/02/2024 - 15:38
Because they are long term tenants (I have one who has been in the property > 20 years). and not all landlords are grasping for every penny. I don't need the money and I am mortgage free, so I am happy to spend money on decorating and repairs (all tax deductable) - so as long as the tenants pay the rent I have guaranteed they can stay in the property (even after I have pegged it). It will likely be my grandaughter whe inherits the properties. However I would encourage the tenants to buy the property, so why not give them a discount - the discount is only equivalent to estate agent fees etc.