Sadiq Khan’s latest ^brainwave^

vegansrock

Surely 5 years is long enough for probate. Maybe extensions could be applied for genuine problems. After that any tax/ fines could come out of the estate.

I wasn't meaning a few weeks . Long enough to be realistic, and yes, with a right to apply for an extension if there are genuine reasons (ie not deliberately over -pricing so it doesn't sell) but not long enough for it to decay whilst not offering shelter at a time when people are sleeping on the streets.

Surely 5 years is long enough for probate. Maybe extensions could be applied for genuine problems. After that any tax/ fines could come out of the estate.

I once lived near a very nice house which was empty for fifteen years due to a disputed divorce settlement. Eventually one of the owners died and the other one put the sadly dilapidated house up for sale. a bargain for a builder and a loss for the surviving partner.

Doodledog

I couldn't agree more. I think that after a grace period to allow people to sell or rent out empty houses they aren't living in (eg after a divorce or when they are inherited) there should be a prohibitive tax on them to deter people from hanging onto them as investments.

Putting a time frame on selling a home after parents/relatives have died is a step too far in my opinion.

The entire probate process, clearing out a loved one’s belongings and maybe IHT is stressful enough, without a clock ticking away.

I couldn't agree more. I think that after a grace period to allow people to sell or rent out empty houses they aren't living in (eg after a divorce or when they are inherited) there should be a prohibitive tax on them to deter people from hanging onto them as investments.

Maybe there should be an honest conversation about how many empty homes there are. In my one small street there are 3 houses that are empty. One is a large family home that has been unoccupied for at least 5 years. It is a large family home but is in need of renovation. It’s been on the market for ages but potential buyers are put off by the £1.8 m price tag and the fact it will need a huge amount to make it habitable. There are also numerous homes in London which are bought as investments by foreign buyers and lie empty. Surely there should be some way of taxing homes which lie empty for years, even banning foreign investments in U.K. housing which are just left empty.

GrannyGravy13

Doodledog maintenance on council properties from the mid 80’s until now is more expensive than private rentals/home owners. They have strict H & S protocol (rightly so) which is non negotiable.

The procurement procedure was/is very convoluted, they buy from who they know which in most circumstances is not the cheapest.

(Our business has been involved with LA procurement since the late 70’s)

Ah right, thanks. Were repairs and so on not carried out safely before?

Either way, I know that those paying full rent don't have a particularly cheap deal, and that tenants were/are able to look on their house as their home - ie not worry about being turfed out when the children left home, or forcibly downsized to a small flat. I appreciate that families need housing, but had the houses not been sold there would, in theory, have been enough in the coffers from rent to build new ones suitable for households of all sizes.

As it is, because the only people with enough points to get social housing tend to be poor, they don't pay full rent, and there is less money in the system. Not only that, but social housing is now run by HAs, and I assume that they will take a cut as they need to make a profit, too?

Good grief- now we're blaming the housing shortage on elederly people still renting the same council house?

Unbelievable.

I totally agree with Sabrina that under-occupancy of council accommodation is a huge problem. The focus is always on Margaret Thatcher’s right to buy scheme, which removed houses from the social system. However, so many council houses are still occupied by the same family from 50:years ago, most of whom have now left home leaving a sole elderly occupant. The bedroom tax tried to alleviate this but was widely vilified.
There is currently much discussion on how to move on older people occupying their large family homes in the private sector. Let’s look again as encouraging council tenants to do the same.

Doodledog maintenance on council properties from the mid 80’s until now is more expensive than private rentals/home owners. They have strict H & S protocol (rightly so) which is non negotiable.

The procurement procedure was/is very convoluted, they buy from who they know which in most circumstances is not the cheapest.

(Our business has been involved with LA procurement since the late 70’s)

As I understand it, council houses paid their way and were not about dependency. Those not on benefits and paying full rent paid a fair rent, which went to the LA and covered repairs, which could be done more cheaply than in the private sector, because of numbers, and because they employed their own teams.

Selling them off didn't do away with the numbers on housing benefit etc, but meant that instead of rent going to the LA, it went to landlords, some of whom had bought council houses at a discount. Most charge a market rent, which is not the same as a fair one, and don't necessarily keep the houses in good order.

Crazy.

^ Oh and Maggie should have insisted that all money from the sale of council houses was used to build more homes.^

More council housing was the very last thing that Thatcher wanted. She was trying to completely do away with any sort of dependency on the state...

2 of my friends, one divorced, the other widowed, live in local authority housing in Surrey. Their adult children left home long ago and they rattle around in 3/4 bedroom houses whilst the local council's waiting list is crammed with young families who would give their right arm for such a place. I made the mistake of mentioning this one evening when we were having a meal out. They closed ranks and were furious with me for suggesting they could downsize. Those houses were theirs as far as they were concerned. However, I feel anyone dealing with social housing must use their stock to best and fair advantage. No wonder waiting lists are so long if my local authority are the norm. Oh and Maggie should have insisted that all money from the sale of council houses was used to build more homes.

GrannyGravy13

Doodledog why is reporting what the Mayor of London has said at a meeting of the Crime & Justice Commission scarmongering ?

Apologies, GG13. I mistook the meaning of this post. Was rushing out to take the dog to the vet.

Grannygravy, yes!

There is also misinformation from some of the right wing press and television channels.

Right wing sources can be identified by who pays them. Right wing sources are owned by rich individuals.

I think it is fair to say that of many threads DD. It does mean discussions can become speculative and polemical and hostile very quickly, when the reality is that we are all struggling with a number of very difficult situations given the state of the country.

I hope so GG13. Everything seems so gloomy just now, and worry finds company, doesn't it?

It wasn’t meant as a negative, it’s important to have discussions on a wide range of topics.

There is definitely a feeling of worry in the air not just on GN, but in general.

Perhaps it’s to be expected with a change of Government after 14 years? Especially as they are repeatedly telling the electorate that things will only get worse in the near future.

Hopefully after the budget things will settle 🤞🏻

Wyllow3

Not personal, GG13, apology if it looked that way. I was trying to address the issue.

Me too, with my mention of the YTS in the 80s.

It's just that every thread these days seems to be 'I heard that. . .' and something negative. People are getting worried unnecessarily (or prematurely, as the case may be). I've never known it be like this - or never anywhere near as bad, at least.

Doodledog

MaizieD

GrannyGravy13

Doodledog why is reporting what the Mayor of London has said at a meeting of the Crime & Justice Commission scarmongering ?

The media presenting it as a done deal is scaremongering.

According to Wyllow it is an idea for discussion. I tend to believe her interpretation over the biased media.

Exactly so, Wyllow. Having an honest conversation is what should always happen. When the results of that conversation are known, people can rush to judgement.

I give up 🤷‍♀️

The media are not to my knowledge presenting this as a done deal neither was I in my OP!

I posted because I thought it was an important topic.

Not personal, GG13, apology if it looked that way. I was trying to address the issue.

MaizieD

GrannyGravy13

Doodledog why is reporting what the Mayor of London has said at a meeting of the Crime & Justice Commission scarmongering ?

The media presenting it as a done deal is scaremongering.

According to Wyllow it is an idea for discussion. I tend to believe her interpretation over the biased media.

Exactly so, Wyllow. Having an honest conversation is what should always happen. When the results of that conversation are known, people can rush to judgement.

That's very true GG13, but in the picture you show, look at the difference between the headlines and the tiny print.

It's all too clear what's being highlighted, and what impression is being conveyed.

Tweets following the "honest conversation quote" blast Khan without any reference to it being a tentative opening of discussions/negotitions.

If private rentals weren't so expensive then surely more people would be able to afford them?
The housing crisis is a situation of our own making. We were warned about it forty years ago and no one took any notice.
What do people really expect?

Wyllow3

Its misleading to talk about jumping the queue on family accommodation
When were are actually talking about single homeless men, different accommodation issues entirely.

I am only posting on an interview I heard this morning, please do not shoot the messenger

I thought it was of interest, especially since the Government has had to release prisoners early this week, and has said it will release more next month.

There is a shortage of social housing in London and private rentals are expensive, everyone should have a roof over their heads.