I pay £542 in rent for a huge council house with a garden – people are stunned at how cheap it is but there’s a reason
A WOMAN has revealed that she pays £542 a month in rent to live in a huge council house.
Not only does Beth’s home have two bedrooms, but it also has a garden too.
Posting on social media, Beth, who has a daughter named Maeve, gave her followers a breakdown of the costs of her home.
But the mum-of-one explained that there’s a reason why her home is such a bargain – and it’s all down to the storage space.
In a clip shared online, the content creator shared a tour of her home, as she said: “This is a full house tour of my two bedroom house.
“Our house is two up and two down, and we pay £542 a month on rent.
“When you walk in, on your right is the living room, and this has kind of turned into the playroom as well because my daughter’s toys have taken over.
“I am fully aware that we need a new carpet – it’s completely worn and we’ve been saving up for a few months now.
“Moving forward, we then have our kitchen – now this is really reasonably sized and I love this kitchen.
“Coming out to the back, we then have our downstairs bathroom – this is really nothing special and it’s where we keep a lot of our cleaning products.
“Under the stairs, we keep our coats, shoes and hoover.”
As Beth showed off her bedroom, she explained: “Upstairs to the main bedroom – this is the biggest room in the house and this is also at the front of the house.
“Over in the corner I have my study corner – the room is nowhere near big enough to have wardrobes so we both have rails.
“This room does a storage cupboard where we keep our bedding and miscellaneous bits.
“The one downside of this house is, I would say there’s really not much storage at all.”
How can I get a council house?
To apply for a council home, you need to fill out and hand in an application to your local authority.
To find your local authority, simply use the Government’s council locator tool on its website.
Once you have access to your local council’s website, it should offer you guidelines on how to complete your application.
After applying, you’ll most likely have to join a waiting list.
Bear in mind, even if you are put on a waiting list, this doesn’t guarantee you a council house offer.
Your council should also offer you advice on how to stay in your current home and solve any issues you might have, such as problems with a private landlord or mortgage.
You are eligible to apply for council housing if you are a British citizen living in the UK providing have not lived abroad recently.
Each council has its own local rules about who qualifies to go on the housing register in its area, but it is based on “points” or a “banding” system.
For example, you’re likely to be offered housing first if you:
- are homeless
- live in cramped conditions
- have a medical condition made worse by your current home
- are seeking to escape domestic violence
Once you are high enough on a council’s waiting list, it will contact you when a property is available.
Some councils let people apply at the age of 18, while others let you apply even sooner at 16-year-olds.
EU workers and their families and refugees may also be eligible.
A council house is reached through a points system, so depending on your housing needs, you may be considered low priority.
The council will contact you about any available property once you are high enough on the waiting list.
There is no limit on how long you can expect to be on the waiting list.
But despite the general lack of storage, Beth showed off her young daughter’s room, as she continued: “Coming onto the landing, we then walk into my daughter’s room – my daughter is 18 months old and I would say that her room is probably the most finished one in the house.
“She doesn’t currently have curtains because she kept pulling them down.
“So every single room in the house is pretty much a work in progress, but it’s pretty much finished. I mean, we’ve only been living here for 18 months now.
“In Maeve’s room, she does have a walk-in wardrobe – and this is where we keep a lot of her old clothes.
“Then as you come out there on the right, we do have the upstairs bathroom – again, this is nothing special, but I would like to do this up in the summer.”
The reality of living in a council house
LEANNE Hall, Digital Writer at Fabulous, has discussed what it was like growing up in a council house, and why those living in such properties are often judged...
When I was a child I grew up in a council house, and was blissfully unaware of the discrimination that came with that, until I became an adult.
My younger years were spent running up and down the stairs of my flat, meeting with other friends who lived there and making the most of the communal garden.
But now, it seems no matter your circumstance, everyone has something to say about why you shouldn’t be there.
Living just outside of London like I did, rent prices are still high, and as my mum was at home raising three kids at the time, it wasn’t easy to find a job that fit around that.
People in council houses are often labelled as ‘scroungers’ or ‘lazy’ but it’s nothing of the sort.
Most families in council homes experience overcrowding, and let’s not even mention the horrendous amount of damp and mould that comes from living in old social housing that hasn’t had work done to them in 50 or so years.
It’s not ideal for many, but it does provide a secure home without the fear your rent will shoot up every single year, which I would argue is vital to children growing up on the poverty line.
SOCIAL MEDIA USERS REACT
The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @maevesmummy, has clearly impressed many, as it has quickly gone viral and has since racked up 1.4 million views.
Social media users were left stunned at Beth’s home – and many were gobsmacked at her ‘cheap’ rent, which people took to the comments to express.
That’s so cheap
TikTok user
One person said: “I’d love a council house, private rent is killing me and I’m not allowed a cat and can’t decorate my daughters room.”
Another added: “Wow that’s insane, I paid £550 for a room in a house share.”
Rules on transforming your council house
According to Gov, the kind of improvements you can make to your council property depends on the type of tenancy you have.
Introductory tenants are usually limited to minor improvements like redecorating inside.
If you’re a secure tenant, you have the right to carry out improvements to your property. These include:
- installing a new bathroom or kitchen
- building an extension
- putting up a garden shed or greenhouse
- installing a new gas fire or fireplace
- cavity wall insulation
- redecorating the outside of a house
- fitting an aerial or satellite dish
You might need your council’s written permission for work you do. Contact your council if you’re not sure.
A third commented: “That’s so cheap.”
At the same time, someone else asked: “That’s not including Council tax is it? With water and bills, how much is it approximately?”
To this, Beth replied and confirmed: “Council tax £110 a month, water £50, electric £65.”
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