manders1

PLEASE PLEASE HELP/INFO NEEDED GUYS!!!

We live in a Housing association property just outside of London, we have had a few exchange properties offered to us from over there via different websites.

We have just been told by our housing officer that we will NOT be allowed to do a houseswap due to Ireland's housing laws?? Is this correct??? Im positive Ive heard of others who have managed to do this.

ANY INFO GREATLY RECIEVED GUYS AS HEART SET ON COMING OUT THERE

sickntired

Sorry don't know anything about the above. But how would you pay the rent and living costs without any work or social welfare benefits?

manders1

not planing on coming out just yet, partner has couple of options lined up work wise and we have substantial savings to fall back on. We could afford to buy a property out there but that would leave us with nothing to live on for couple of years so thats why we need to do house exchange to a council property

sickntired

There seems to be a lot of websites that facilitate swapping of houses from UK to Ireland, so perhaps it is just yours that does not allow these swaps.

http://www.councilhouseexchangelist.co.uk/ireland/

manders1

ah rite,was worried that may be the case. They did say they had never delt with this before. Thanks for the link also.

\mabey we should consider moving to a council property first and then try to move out??

Would contacting the Irish embassy and ask if they will be abel to confirm the laws on this be any use?? will they talk to me??

sickntired

I don't think the Irish Embassy would be interested in your dilemma. You could try

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/

If you're so keen on coming here why don't you rent somewhere for 6 months and see how you get on with the place. Of course keep the place in London so if it turns sour you can always go back.

Cuthbert Rizla

I'm genuinely amazed.
Let me get this right - there's a website where Irish and English spongers can swap council houses ?
I'm amazed.
Really I am.

sickntired

Yes Cuthbert old chap there is a website to facilitate the likes of. Also they are given a substantial grant to furnish the council house if they are on the Social Welfare / Protection.

You can also rest assured that council tenants won't be paying any property tax either.

Tootle pip.

steve_kelly_and_boys

can i ask ?

why are they spongers because they live in a housing association house ?

manders1

EXCUSE ME!!!!! IM no bloody sponger!!!!! I have worked my entire adult life and paid my taxes. I have NEVER claimed ANY benefits EVER!! not even after my divorce,after which myself and my 4 kids were forced into social housing as property prices are so high in London I couldnt afford a morgage and bring up my 4 kids on my own!! To have any quality of life at all for my boys I held down 2 weekday jobs and a cleaning job at the weekend<all possible to a fantastic support network of friends to babysit. I CAN HOLD MY HEAD HIGH and take real exception to your vile comment Cuthbert!! you dont know me so how dare you make a general assumption that anyone that doesnt own their own home is a scrounger??!!!!!! And FYI there are many people in private rented housing that have NEVER done an honest days work in there lives!!!!

manders1

'sickandtired' thankyou for your advice and the link,do appreciate the help. We did consider doing as you suggested but after looking into it further i wouldnt be an option. By housing rules we are not permitted to be absent from the property for more than 12 weeks running. That plus as just stated to the small minded moron before we pay our way and its not finacially viable to be paying £500 a month rent plus £65 council tax a month on top of all the expences out there. We would also have to bring our horses out with us and finding a feild in London if we had to return is like finding rocking horse shit!!

sickntired

Sorry didn't realise that the rent and council tax was as high as that - I wrongly assumed that the rent would be 20-30 quid a week, how wrong I was.

Looks as though you might be stuck with no option but to stay put - it might be a blessing in disguise.

Domino

how much do you expect to pay to rent a house ??

as a landlord I can tell you that the £500/month I charge for a 3 bed semi in nice area adjacent to all schools and shops is actually at the bottom of the band (location edge of the Fens) and also comparable with local housing association rents for similar properties.
mind you, that doesnt include enough space for horses

manders1

Yeah its not cheap here either thats why other blokes comments pissed me off so much! we pay for everything, deff not 'Spongers'!
Im starting to think you have a point sadly.
Do you really think its such a bad idea??

manders1

Domino... Do you mean in the Republic??
I dont have any complaints about what we pay,we have a 3 bed Housing association house which as i said is way cheaper than a morgage I
was mearly pointing out that we couldnt go for the option suggested as paying 2 lots of bills wouldnt be possible.

That of course and pointing out that not all people that for whatever reason in social housing are SPONGERS a lot of us pay full whack.