nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

Child Item

Buying Next Door to Social House

[Deleted User]

Just hoping to get some opinions here as I'm not sure how much of a concern this should be.

My husband and I have been looking at houses for months now and have finally had an offer accepted on a house we love. So far so good.

We have just discovered that the house next door (which we would be attached to) was recently bought by the local council for social housing. It's currently vacant but presumably won't be for too long.

The estate overall is a mature one, built in the 70s, generally pretty quiet.

I know that the vast majority of social housing tenants are decent people who would cause no trouble, so this is absolutely not meant as a bashing thread. However there is surely a risk of getting a really awful neighbour? And if that happens, how seriously would the council deal with complaints?

We love the house and really want to proceed, but I'm wondering if we're taking a bit of a gamble here. Would be great to get some opinions from people who have been in similar situations.

Find more posts tagged with

Quick Links

Comments

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119605980#Comment_119605980

It is a fair assumption that we all look after possessions we paid a lot/continue to pay a lot for, better than something we got for free, isn’t ours, never will be, and that we could lose. I suspect if you talk to the people in the LA responsible for housing, they will tell some eye opening stories, going back generations.

There is a high probability that the SH neighbours will be good/keep their house well etc, but it is still lower than for an owner occupier. So the op’s concern is understandable. Having said that, personally if I liked the house and could afford it, I’d buy.

[Deleted User]

How does the social house look now OP? If it's in reasonable shape and the person living there isn't 95, chances are you will be fine. Do some snooping to see what the people are like. Some owner occupiers are neighbours from hell too. Why is the current house for sale? I reckon the house I bought 20+ years ago was because they didn't get on with the neighbours (both owner occupiers), as they are pretty prickly on one side but I just ignore them, and as it turned out there was a dispute with the council where we would have had to pay €20k each (it's an old council estate, but mostly privately owned now) and those prickly neighbours really came in handy!

That should inform your decision.

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119606237#Comment_119606237

The council house is vacant, per the OP.

Why is the current house for sale? Well, how often do houses next door to each other in 70s housing estates go up for sale within a few months of each other? Maybe it's a coincidence and the current owners are selling up for other reasons, but maybe, just maybe it's because they now find themselves next door to a council house.

Cuddlesworth

Its amazing the amount of people who don't get the concept of risk.

"I live next door to council tenants and they are fine"

"I live next door to council tenants and they are awful"

"I live next door to private and they are awful"

And on and on and on.

There is a risk of your neighbour being a awful. There is a substantially higher risk if the tenant is a social welfare tenant, because that's where the majority of the nightmare tenants end up, the council has a obligation to house them.

Its the biggest purchase of your life, don't run into it and ignore the risk completely. It should go into the pro's and con's, including the potential cost of "moving" again because of it.

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119605980#Comment_119605980

I would agree that social tenants took more pride in the properties provided to them in the past, but a very small minority currently do. So I think it was a valid observation unless the OP has access to a time machine.

I live in a housing estate where there are 30+ social houses, only three are kept nice and tidy by the tenants. So in my experience the OP currently has a 9 in 10 chance of buying a house beside a house that will not be maintained very well in the future.

The social houses in our estate are always renovated between tenants but go down hill quickly. The tenants don't repair any damage, cut the grass, wash windows, clean gutters, weed the garden or driveways and often leave all their stuff littered around the property or on the road outside . The tenants often tend to be more anti social than owner/occupiers throwing outdoor parties on work nights well into the morning.

The OP asked for opinions I've provided mine, now I've also included my reasoning to back it up. I'm not bashing social tenants I have friends that avail of social housing but I do find the ones that work tend to have more pride in their community and interest in their children.

ELM327

Run, run away. This is your (presumably) lifetime home. Why should you pay a mortgage to live beside someone getting the same house for free.

rob316

I lived for 12 years in a social housing block of 6 houses, I was a council tenant myself, we had fantastic neighbors, kept pride in the complex, nearly all worked. Far friendlier people than the private estate I grew up on, everyone helped everyone, in and out of each others houses, I really miss them to be honest.

But there was one house that was a lone council house next to us that consistently had bad tenants, drugs galore, parties, fights, cops always in and out. OP if I was buying and knew there was one next to me, I'd walk away, most of the time you will get fine neighbors but you are at high risk of getting some really bad ones. The council are obligated to house these and they are constantly moved around the place.

Brucie Bonus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119606201#Comment_119606201

People are unlikely to chose to live in squalor. Do you view all renters the same or just council ones? Also many council tenants have bought their home.

On the one hand we hear how ownership is an outdated concept and on the other renters are looked down upon.

If you and your family lived in a council house or rented privately would you treat the place like a dump?

You said "generally they don't look after their houses". You made this up.

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119607341#Comment_119607341

That is not what I said, please read my post before posting more ****.

I said we all tend to look after items we own and paid a high price for, better then those we don’t own, got for free, and may only use on a temporary basis.

I don’t look down on all renters, I do look down on bad ones though.

byrne249

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119606295#Comment_119606295

I will pipe in here. Everything about this is a red flag. Sold a 70s era house myself in what was/is a social housing estate. Next door neighbours, lovely people, sold theirs, both went up on the price register in the same month last year. The house opposite had been vacant and sold twice in 2 years. I would hazard if two houses next door are selling there is something fundamentally wrong with that spot regardless of who takes the council house.

OP: I did the same thing and lasted 2 years before selling to the council. My other Neighbours 'owned' their house. They were hell on earth. The neighboorhood kids kept trying to break in to my car and house, succeeded with the car on one occasion. They were always playing in my garden, climbing into the back garden, kicking ball at my car. Nothing I could do. Dreaded leaving or arriving back to the house. Stay away if you can.

I also loved the house until I very much did not!

Brucie Bonus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119607376#Comment_119607376

My mistake I was quoting someone else.

Brucie Bonus

The 'back in my day it was better' is a myth. Do people remember Ballymun and the heroin? Finglas and the heroin? Fatima Mansions and the heroin? I grew up in and around social housing. IMO things were much worse in the 80's. There were numerous no go areas were the Garda wouldn't even go. Joy riding was very common too.

The vast majority of people just want to live and get on with their lives. Yes there is an antisocial problem, certainly, but we shouldn't assume the worse about people because they don't own a home, especially in today's crisis.

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119608172#Comment_119608172

I'm not sure this is the ringing endorsement of having local authority tenants next door that you think it is.

Brucie Bonus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119609765#Comment_119609765

I was not trying to. Not every comment is an effort at 'a win'.

The idea that council estates were better during an economic recession and heroin epidemic is unlikely.

Most people just want to go about their lives without people making assumptions based off an episode of love hate or Fair City.

I personally know a former minister of state, Garda Sargent and school principle who grew up in social housing. For every bad family who make the papers there are literally thousands minding their own business.

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119608172#Comment_119608172

The OP was looking for some advice regarding buying beside an unoccupied social house, it would appear that a majority recommend avoiding purchasing the house. Buying beside any unoccupied house will always be a higher risk but beside a social one even more so.

I don't disagree with you there are good and bad people housed by the councils all over the country and every social tenants situation is different but areas that have high levels of social housing tend to have greater social issues and generally social housing is not maintained to the same standard as housing with owner/occupiers. That being said there are owner/occupiers that don't take pride in where they live but the ratio tends to be lower.

You are picking extreme examples by highlighting those estates, drugs were a major issue. Those estates were generally fully council owned and you had a mix of good and bad people. Unfortunately the bad tended to exert control of the estates and the areas got terrible reputations. Council policy now is to spread out social housing to prevent ghettos. This often results in anti social people being housed in developed areas so instead of having major social issues contained to single areas the councils have spread them out throughout the counties making it more difficult to provide supports or policing.

Stretching back decades there have been schemes throughout the country where those on low incomes could get a social house and go on to purchase them when their circumstances improved and therefore looked after them well as they intended staying in them for life. Villages all over Ireland are full of them. There are still people in that situation and there are also those who are down on their luck and make an effort. There is also a cohort that rely on the state to provide and do everything for them including maintaining their council properties, anti social council tenants also know that if they cause trouble they most likely wont be moved and if they are another house will be provided. If you don't look after your social house or cause issues in the community you should be removed and left fend for yourself there are plenty more deserving of that home.

Brucie Bonus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119611371#Comment_119611371

I'm am responding to specific comments and were i was commenting on the op I did so directly.

My examples are based on what I've seen. Also the resession(s) and heroin epidemic is well documented. Essentially I was responding to people assuming or claiming council tenants don't look after or care about their homes, (which many later buy).

In my experience you are morelikely to get difficult tenants in private year on year rentals than families living in a long term family home. Not that antisocial behaviour isn't a problem but I know people who've had to deal with air b and b party houses and students etc.

You seem to be agreeing with me. Yes there are many thousands of decent working families for every dodgy council family. I was specifically speaking on the idea that somehow council tenants 20 or 30 or more years ago were different to today en masse.

ballyharpat

Run away from it-dont walk away, RUN!!!!

Ive been a landlord and Ive lived in houses with social tenants, sure, some are fine, but, social welfare tenants are less likely to care for a property, why should they, the council will have to house them anyway, they can't be left homeless, they know this. Re kids-monlkey see monkey do-I definitely would not buy a house with them near me, not to mind attached to me.

Private landlords are way more careful in selecting tenants, for the others saying it's different, maybe they have unicorns in their front garden as well.

chicorytip

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119623710#Comment_119623710

"Them near me". What are they? Lepers? How do you feel about gays, blacks, refugees ,addicts, the disabled and the mentally ill or even people with red hair and freckles? Would you allow any of "them" near you or live in your property?

riclad

I live on a street of 30 houses, the council never bought a house, maybe cos the houses are 150 years old. I think the council mainly buy in large estates, houses less than 50 years old. If people are dealing or causing anti social behavior you can contact the council. You have to balance the risk. Is it likely you could be living next door to a noisy or disruptive tenant. If it's a 2bed council will only give it to a parent with one child. You could buy a new house and theres 10 per cent chance of living beside a council tenant. I lived next door to a private house, it was always rented out to hap single mothers with 2 kids, I lived there 3 years there was no noise or problem from the tenants . The owner sold the house after 4 years to make investments, eg the house I was renting , eg nothing to do with the hap tenants

I thinks it's s tough market now since theres so few houses for sale in most areas

[Deleted User]

Gas isn't it...

I read on a thread somewhere on here today, someone complaining about about councils gutting housing stock between tenants and ripping out everything put in by tenants, including beautiful kitchens, flooring, bathrooms, windows, doors etc. Makes you wonder why any tenant would bother spending their own money on doing these improvements to their homes, when they don't care about them and only see them as merely temporary.

(by the way, the reason the Council's gut the houses, is for insurance purposes).

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119624623#Comment_119624623

Generally the new flooring and appliances are paid for using grants from Welfare.

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119624918#Comment_119624918

Thats total bullshit, and you know it.

A new tenant might get a small once-off grant towards basic needs at the start of a tenancy but Welfare don't provide ongoing grants for people to do up their houses.

They're certainly do not pay for the likes of new kitchens, bathrooms, windows or replacement flooring.

riclad

Welfare pay for fridge, cooker, that's about it. Re sound issues, is it detached or semi detached, it makes a difference if neighbour is noisy

Graces7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119624556#Comment_119624556

And please remember that far from everyone who is disabled or mentally or long term ill gets the support and practical help they need..... from the council if they have no living family .. Trust me on that. I decided on a no neighbour life after such treatment even when I owned my home.

surrender monkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119624623#Comment_119624623

The post was referring to a person who had sold their house to a council and saw all their fixtures and fittings in a skip when the relet repairs were being done. The kitchens and floors weren't put in by a tenant in that case, they were removed before a tenant was put into a house.

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119629530#Comment_119629530

The point still stands, whether it was a previous owner, or a previous tenant who put in the fixtures and fittings being removed.

Claiming social housing tenants en masse don't care for or take pride in their homes because they don't own them, is bullshit.

I also find it ironic, that when it suits, social housing is referred to as "a home for life", yet in the next breath, social tenants don't look after their homes because they see them as "temporary".

surrender monkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119630112#Comment_119630112

Make your points as you see fit, I wouldn't argue otherwise. I am simply pointing out that in the post you referenced the fixtures and fittings were being removed from a house that was purchased by the council from a homeowner. I didn't make any claims about social tenants myself so I'm not sure why you referenced my post and then added the bits about social tenants. Perhaps you are mixing me up with someone else?

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119630112#Comment_119630112

No one is blaming them "en masse"

However, in the probability of your neighbours being a nightmare, social tenants are very much in front, followed by private renters, while owner occupiers are by some distance the best people to live beside when buying your long term home.

That's the just the reality.

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119630160#Comment_119630160

The first paragraph was in reply to your post.

Anything after that, was for all readers of the thread - as is the nature of discussion forums.

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119630176#Comment_119630176

Oh would you stop. The scaremongering that goes on about social housing tenants on this forum is beyond ridiculous.

It seems to be forgotten that very large areas both north and south of Dublin now considered as "good" areas, began as social housing. Did all those social tenants suddenly change personality when they bought their houses?

My experience is that owner occupiers with massive chips on their shoulder and a huge sense of entitlement that they can dictate everything about the area they live in, including who their neighbours are, are the biggest nightmare to live beside.

And just to remind you, I'm an owner occupier.