I’m a single mum & skint – I’ve been offered a council house but I’m going to refuse it, the garden’s like a drug den
A SKINT single mum has told how she wants to “refuse” a council property because the garden is “utterly overgrown” and looks like a “drug den.”
The anonymous woman explained how she and her children have been in temporary accommodation and have “moved around a lot” for three years.
However, after finally been offered a council house, she expressed her disappointment after discovering it looks like an “absolute s***hole.”
In a post shared to Mumsnet, she penned: “I have to bid weekly on properties that become available through the council.
“I bid on a property in a town 3 miles from me – the town itself it’s absolutely lovely.
“”So I realise I was number 1 out of 128 people, got excited drove to the address, however the council doesn’t provide a house number etc so I walked around trying to find an empty property.”
The woman told how she eventually stumbled upon the property, only to be horrified by what she saw.
“There it was in all its glory an absolute s**t hole – there is no garden as it is completely and utterly overgrown and I mean like a forest, both front and back,” she said.
“I looked through the windows and from what I can see it has been treated like some kind of drug den, dirty mattresses and rubbish on the floor, two of the windows are boarded up with planks of wood.”
There it was in all its glory an absolute s**t hole – there is no garden as it is completely and utterly overgrown and I mean like a forest, both front and back
Aninymoys Mumsnet user
She went on to say that the “very old council property” also has pathways leading up to the front and back doors that are “covered in junk and rubbish.”
Meanwhile, she claims that one of the small windows has been left open so you can “smell the stench of wee” as you get close to the house.
The woman, who says she works as much as she can but is “constantly skint,” went on to note that while she doesn’t expect the property to be perfect, she’s concerned about the price and amount of work that’s needed on it.
However, she worried that if she refused the house she may get thrown off the list or told she can’t bid on a property for over a year – something she wouldn’t want because she’s “sick” of being in temporary accommodation.
It wasn’t long before the post was flooded with comments from social media users, with many urging the woman to just accept it.
“The council will remove all the rubbish and the house should be in reasonable order when you move in. You will have to tackle the garden yourself though,” one person reassured.
How to apply for a council house
You can apply for council housing through your local council.
The application form to apply to join the Housing Register is online on our HousingOption website.
Applicants need to upload supporting documents after completing the application form including a copy of your passport or, if not, a copy of your full birth certificate, which shows parent’s names, and 1 form of photo ID.
They will additionally need to provide identification for every person on the application. The documents that can be accepted include:
Full Birth Certificate
Passport
Driving Licence
European Union Identity Card
Immigration documentation
Applicants will also need to provide proof of the household income for anyone over 18 by uploading:
3 of your most recent payslips / proof of benefit awards and
3 months of bank statements
A second commented: “It will be as clear inside as any other council property.
“The garden is SO not a reason to turn down a council property! You can pay someone to clear it eventually or get some shears and a green bin and do it yourself. It will be hard work but doable.”
A third penned: “If it is in a nice place I would take it. As PP have said the council will go in and strip it all out before you move in.”
Meanwhile, a fourth added: “The house will be cleared before you move in and if it’s as bad as you say they might hack back the garden too.”