UK highest for homelessness in developed world.

That’s interesting Germanshepherdsmum, could it apply to all registered social landlords in that case? My worry would be it would potentially be detrimental if private social landlords decided to sell rather than rent, which could further reduce the rental housing stock?

At present most housing association tenants don’t have a right to buy. There were proposals to extend it to HAs but they haven’t gone through. A HA tenant who has previously a council tenant before their home was transferred to a HA has their right to buy preserved but I doubt there are huge numbers of them. I wonder if Labour consider that the right to buy should be extended?

I think one of the complications is that there are all sorts of social landlords. Housing associations are one type, then there are private social landlords with one, a few, or lots of properties, large and small. If the councils and housing associations all stopped right to buy it would definitely be a start though. Coupled with a building programme to make up the shortfall by councils and housing associations.

The statutory right to buy only applies to tenants of public sector social landlords, and as I said very few HA tenants would qualify.

Okay, that makes sense - I wonder what proportion of rentals are in each sector.

I have no idea I’m afraid but I doubt any government would be likely to try to legislate to restrict what private social landlords do - it would be a dangerous move I think, in terms of restricting private sector arrangements and potential loss of private sector involvement in social housing.

The big issue with private rental's is taxation.

Stamp duty on purchase
Income tax on rents
Capital Gains Tax on sale
Along the way VAT on refurbishment

Social housing providers have none of that because they are charities and can reinvest it all in more accommodation

I was talking about private social landlords Katie590, those registered with the council. As I understand it they have a guaranteed income stream from the council?

Casdon

I was talking about private social landlords Katie590, those registered with the council. As I understand it they have a guaranteed income stream from the council?

The vast majority of social housing providers are “not for profit” companies. I did look at a couple of for “profit” companies.
One was a developer managing the social housing element of their sites with shared ownership, rented and social housing. The rented/shared element of the business was loss making obviously made up by sales profit.

The other was a large inner city operation whose declared aim was specifically to end homelessness, it seemed to be nominally profit making, financed by ethical loans.

Wether they are representative I don’t know, company run schemes are a world away from an individual with a few properties

I was relieved that the proposal to extend right to buy didn’t go through.
If the sale of council houses can be stopped, good. I suspect the 70% discount on real value was introduced for tenants who’d paid rent for 30 years or more. That does need to stop.
In fact - stop the sales

I’m a tenant of the largest social housing landlord in the UK.

Although they are not strictly profit making, the salaries of the top-bods is pretty eye watering.😳

Rents have increased a lot - I currently pay £900 per month, and as someone living alone (widow), that’s quite a lot. Large 2 bed garden flat. Due to my state and private pensions, I get no benefit top ups, which is fair enough.

I’m happy here, but it’s not cheap.

But, even so, the private rental equivalent (in this area), is approx £2500 per month, so it’s cheaper than it might have been.(London/North Kent). That is pretty unaffordable, for many, without government/taxpayer support.

I don’t know what the answer is, as local hotels are being filled with homeless people, and new arrivals, and others are being sent all around the country, and it gets more chaotic every month.🤷‍♀️

DiamondLily - that’s a lot of rent for you to pay. I’m relieved housing associations weren’t included in right to buy but can see the arguments for this.
I’m living alone (with dogs) in the 4 bed semi we moved into 34 years ago. When my husband died, a number of people asked if I’d down size/buy a bungalow. It’s future proofed with a downstairs bathroom so i could live easily downstairs.
The bedrooms are used a few times a month when grandchildren stay over. I love my garden. I don’t want to move. I count my blessings that we were able to pay off the mortgage when we retired. If I’d to pay £1500 a month to stay here, I’d have to move.
We seem to pay higher rents and have less security of tenure than other European countries where home ownership isn’t such an important part of social fabric.

I’ve got security of tenure, for life, assuming I pay the rent, and don’t run riot.

But, although I’m a tenant, DH and I did spend a lot of money on this place. We had the bathroom torn out, and future proofed, at our expense, and we had the kitchen torn out and replaced.

Which cost a lot.

So, I’d be very reluctant to move, especially now I’m alone, and I suppose, if rents keep rocketing, I might be entitled to some help, although I’ve got savings, so I doubt it.

But, I’m local to DD and co, I’ve got great neighbours, which means a lot. 🙂

That's why I bought my council flat, because the rent, although reasonable, was taking well over half of my wages, and I was gradually falling behind with bills and expenses.

Everyone thinks it's done for sheer greed, but the flat is now a millstone round my neck, because its falling apart and so am I!

MissAdventure

That's why I bought my council flat, because the rent, although reasonable, was taking well over half of my wages, and I was gradually falling behind with bills and expenses.

Everyone thinks it's done for sheer greed, but the flat is now a millstone round my neck, because its falling apart and so am I!

but the flat is now a millstone round my neck
My MIL privately rented her house for 62 years, could have bought it at one point. However, she always said owning a house would be "like a millstone around my neck".

MissAdventure

That's why I bought my council flat, because the rent, although reasonable, was taking well over half of my wages, and I was gradually falling behind with bills and expenses.

Everyone thinks it's done for sheer greed, but the flat is now a millstone round my neck, because its falling apart and so am I!

Both ways have advantages and disadvantages really.

I never really thought Right to Buy was that wrong, but it would only have worked if social housing stock had been replaced, like for like.

That didn’t happen, under any government, and now, with the increase in population, and shortage of affordable housing, the whole thing is collapsing.☹️

I was not against people being able to purchase a Council-owned property as long as the money from the sales had been ring-fenced to build more social housing.

It really is.
I am constantly doing "bodge jobs" to try and patch up all the things which need doing.
I used to be reasonably good at diy, but now I can can barely squeeze a tube of silicon!

I swear the whole flat is held together with "No More Nails".

Callistemon21

I was not against people being able to purchase a Council-owned property as long as the money from the sales had been ring-fenced to build more social housing.

I agree. Thatcher forbade it to start with, but the following Labour governments did nothing either.

Land is very expensive where I am, and increasing truly affordable housing would need to be subsidised.

MissAdventure

It really is.
I am constantly doing "bodge jobs" to try and patch up all the things which need doing.
I used to be reasonably good at diy, but now I can can barely squeeze a tube of silicon!

I swear the whole flat is held together with "No More Nails".

To be honest, even with the rent I pay, the HA don’t do that much, without pressure.

They are so busy trying to sort out this mould and damp saga, in certain properties, they try and skip anything else.🙄

It’s blood, sweat and tears at times.😉

MissAdventure

It really is.
I am constantly doing "bodge jobs" to try and patch up all the things which need doing.
I used to be reasonably good at diy, but now I can can barely squeeze a tube of silicon!

I swear the whole flat is held together with "No More Nails".

We used to try to persuade her that the money she paid in rent could have been put to one side to pay for maintenance. But she wasn't having any of it!

It's when you get to the stage of can't be bothereditis it begins to show. I think we're there. House will be sold one day as a 'renovation project'.

I was just about to ask that, Diamond.

The council are certainly not the landlords they used to be, in terms of keeping our old properties in order.

That was my plan, calli.
What I saved in rent was going to do all sorts of wonderful things.
Then my girl got ill, then my mum, then I was back to being a an (old!!) single parent again, and now I'm not all that well....

I know.
Best laid plans and all that. ☹

Well, it is what it is, eh?
It's a lot more than millions of poor sods have.