Can age restrictions on properties for rent be waived?

GinaGee123

I have been looking to move properties for a long time now due to my current property not having a secure garden for my assistance dog. It's causing me a lot of stress.
With my disability I have mobility issues so require a ground floor property with a secure garden for my dog and also need to be near my family who I'm dependant on.
I appreciate this narrows down my options but I require a certain type of property to suit my needs.

Council are refusing to prioritise me as they are saying my current property is suitable for me so theres no need to move. (I assume they just mean because it's ground floor)

The properties that I'm seeing advertised are not suitable for me, the only ones I find that seem suitable are the flats and bungalows that always have age restrictions on (usually over 55s only).

I have been advised that this is pretty much set in stone, has anyone had experience in This?
It's frustrating me so much as I feel like I'm being discriminated against simply because of my age (I'm 30).
Is there any wiggle room on this rule at all?

I feel like I should be eligible for a property like this ... there are so many brackets for people who are homeless, people with kids, elderly People, but no bracket for younger people who are disabled?
It's incredibly disappointing and I'm losing hope with it all, it's making me miserable not getting anywhere with it.

It's hard because my current property seem suitable for me because it's on the ground floor and the building itself is fine ... that's all the council are taking into consideration. But from my side the property isn't suitable because there is no secure garden for my dog, so it doesn't meet my dogs needs (exercise, privacy etc) and in turn that means it doesn't meet my needs.... if that makes sense?

Would love some advice or guidance on This! It's been a long time of fighting and working and still getting no result! 😭

GinaGee123

Hi everyone, my name is Gina and I have only just signed up...
I am wondering if anyone has any experience of housing rights with owning an assistance dog? I need to move properties and I am not being given any priority but I need a suitable property for both myself and my dog. I have been down many avenues already and have moved properties multiple times in the past so I am aware of the usual processes but I am feeling like the fact I have an assistance dog should help me get a little further with this matter. Any advice would be much appreciated! 😊

Alex_Alumni

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has a guide on your rights to Accessible and Adaptable Housing in England, but I'm aware the format might not be accessible for you, and you might not live in England, so please accept my apologies if either is true!

AssistanceDogs.org has and FAQ section on Access to Housing, but I don't think it directly addresses your query.

It may be worth contacting Citizen's Advice as they might know a bit more about the process.

I hope the above links are useful for you, and do say if you're still unsure of anything

Alex_Alumni

Hi @GinaGee123 I posted some hopefully useful resources over on the other thread you started, it might perhaps be more helpful to merge the two. I'll do that now.

As a fellow 30 something disabled woman I can also relate to the struggles of finding suitable housing, as it seems everything that would be right for me in my area is limited to over 55s as you say. 

GinaGee123

Dear Alex,

Thank you so much for This, I really appreciate the help! I've just had a quick scan at the links you sent over and there's definately relevant information on there, according to what it says I cannot be refused a private rented property with a "no pets" rule as my dog would class as a "mobility aid" not a "pet". So that's good to know.
Only thing is I can't see if the same rule applies with the council.

I will look further into this information as I am also trying to look further into the whole "over 55s rule". Again it seems like this can be waived with private rented properties but maybe not so much with the council, I will certainly try to find out more though!

Thanks so much, this information is super helpful and has restored my faith a bit. It's opened up some options that I didn't know were available to me so I'm ever so grateful.

I think it helps to know that you can also relate with being in similar circumstances ... would you mind me asking how did you resolve your situation? Did you manage to get the results you wanted in the end? I certainly hope so 🤗

If you or anyone else has any other advice or comments then please let me know ... I'm keen to hear and learn as much as possible to help my situation! 😊

GinaGee123

woodbine said:

Hi I suppose the first question is how old are you? I think most councils age restrictions are pretty much set in stone, usually for good reason, sorry thats not what you want to hear.

I am 30 years old, yes it seems there is no wiggle room with this rule for council properties. However it does seem a bit more flexible with private rented.
The frustrating thing is why can't someone my age be eligible for a property like that? Why is it so strictly over 55s only?
I'm assuming the rule is in place as they are looking for tenants that fit a certain ctiteria and maybe have a certain lifestyle (like when other properties are over 30/40s only or don't accept benefits/no pets/no children etc). They are obviously looking for a certain type of tenant, someone who is financillay stable or has a secure job, who won't cause damage to the property by having kids or pets.

I know that I don't meet the age criteria for those age restricted properties of course but I feel like I would meet their requirements in every other aspect.
I may only be 30 but I literally have the lifestyle of a 60yr old woman, and I have the same mobility issues as someone that age.

It seems there are simply no brackets that support disabled people who are under the age of 55, and that really confuses me 🤔

poppy123456

Privately rented properties are completely different to socially renting. If you claim for help with the rent from benefits then you'll be very lucky to find any landlord that will accept you as a tenant, even if you didn't have a dog.

Age restrictions don't exist as such with privately rented either.

janer1967

Hi there 

Just to add my experience I live in social housing bungalow and moved in when I was 50 due to medical reasons 

I was assessed by ot who reported I needed a bungalow or ground floor flat 

My council has an over 55 policy for most bungalow but this is waived if for medical reasons 

My neighbour also in bungalow is about 25 and no disabilities god knows how they are eligible buf I don't make the rules 

GinaGee123

poppy123456 said:

Privately rented properties are completely different to socially renting. If you claim for help with the rent from benefits then you'll be very lucky to find any landlord that will accept you as a tenant, even if you didn't have a dog.

Age restrictions don't exist as such with privately rented either.

Hi, yes this is very true. I would much prefer to stay with the council as I feel more secure and it's also cheaper. I can't afford a lot of private rented places as my benefits will only cover rent up to a certain amount. And like you said, a lot of private rented places want a tenant who is in paid full time work.
It seems like I can fight the no pets rule due to the face that my dog is an assistance dog but I would prefer a council property anyway and they generally don't have problems with pets

GinaGee123

janer1967 said:

Hi there 

Just to add my experience I live in social housing bungalow and moved in when I was 50 due to medical reasons 

I was assessed by ot who reported I needed a bungalow or ground floor flat 

My council has an over 55 policy for most bungalow but this is waived if for medical reasons 

My neighbour also in bungalow is about 25 and no disabilities god knows how they are eligible buf I don't make the rules 

Thank you so much for sharing this, these are the kind of stories I was hoping to hear as it makes me feel like I've got more of a chance.
I'm willing to fight for it, unfortunately we don't get these sort of things handed to us as I'm sure you know (I had to fight for years to even get my benefits that I'm on now).

So if you don't mind me asking ... who assessed you and said you need that type of property? OT... does that mean occupational therapist? I hope you don't mind me asking ... I'm just thinking it may be relevant to me as it's clear I need someone to back me up as I'm not getting very far on my own with it. Do you know who I could go to to help back up my case?

I'm willing to work and fight for the right place for me and my dog as it will be worth it in the end. It's just hard knowing where to start really. There's so many complications that I'm just getting overwhelmed with it all ☹

janer1967

Hi again 

Yes it was occupational therapist I was referred by hospital when I lost my leg . However you can self refer . 

It's called a care needs assessment and you refer from the gov website 

A ot will then come out and assess your needs and make a report of recommendations.  If you need a certain type of property you can use the report to send to housing and then they should change your banding accordingly so you can bid on suitable properties 

It did take over a year to find something luckily there were some new build bungalows in the area that had just been made available to social housing I know I was lucky 

GinaGee123

janer1967 said:

Hi again 

Yes it was occupational therapist I was referred by hospital when I lost my leg . However you can self refer . 

It's called a care needs assessment and you refer from the gov website 

A ot will then come out and assess your needs and make a report of recommendations.  If you need a certain type of property you can use the report to send to housing and then they should change your banding accordingly so you can bid on suitable properties 

It did take over a year to find something luckily there were some new build bungalows in the area that had just been made available to social housing I know I was lucky 

Ah ok thank you that's quite helpful,
I was put in a certain band when I applied for my current property 5 years ago as I was lodging in a house with stairs and had risk of homelessness so I was prioritised quite high.
I am looking into getting someone to stand beside me and help fight my case, we discussed social workers but I'm not at that point yet though I may have to consider it in the future.
I need some help beside me as council aren't willing to consider me for priority as my current property is already suitable according to them as it's a ground floor flat. That is true to an extent but it's not suitable for my assistance dog as it doesn't have a secure garden and I'm not allowed to install higher fences so it's an issue when it comes to exercise/training.
That's my strongest point at the moment, the fact that it's not suitable for her means in effect it's not suitable for me either. I'm hoping I will get something out of this.

I have been advised to look into advocacy so I am going to explore that soon although I'm not sure exactly what it entails 🤔

janer1967

Unfortunately I would imagine the councils only consideration would be that you are in suitable housing and not take into account your assistance dog 

I'm not saying this is right but can imagine that is their stance 

Have you got any advice from cab or any where else 

I'm not familiar with advocacy but think they deal more with clients unable to communicate for themselves 

Try cab if not done so already 

GinaGee123

Teddybear12 said:

Hi @GinaGee123 Some of the over 55 bungalows have shared gardens how would this work for you? Are there any over 55 bungalows in your area for social housing ? Could the council not allow you to have secure fencing round the garden you have. Because you already have a ground floor flat you will not be priority with the council. Did you have your dog when you were first allocated your flat? Sorry so many questions.  Contacting an Advocacy Service in your area might help you to see where you stand an initial chat cannot do any harm. Take care.

Hi, no that's great, the more questions the better! That's the only way I will get proper help 😀

Yes I have seen many properties available to rent with this age restriction on so it's disheartenening not being eligible for them as they are very suitable for me. And most of them are with the council too.
I am aware that most of them have a communal garden, obviously I would prefer a private garden to myself but if I have to compromise and accept a communal garden then I guess there nothing I can do about it. I have yet to see a suitable property with a private garden that isn't a house (which would be too expensive for me and I would struggle with stairs anyway)

So I moved into my current flat over 5 years ago, I had 2 dogs at the time when I moved in, they have both since passed away so I got my current dog last year.

So there is a front and back garden at the flat where I live, unfortunately I have no rights to the back garden as it falls under my neighbours tenancy (who lives above me on 1st floor). I have enquired about using the garden and I am willing to pay to install secure fence panels at the back so my dog can have space to run around but unfortunately they won't allow me to do this as it's not part of my contract.
Only the front garden falls under my tenancy (Its pretty much a double driveway so not much of a garden really). The fence panels are only a couple of feet tall so my dog can easily jump over them and anyone who walks past can easily reach over to her too. I have enquired also about installing higher fence panels all the way round to make it secure for my dog too but they also won't allow this as it would cause a "sight obstruction" on the street and also a blind spot for drivers as it's a corner flat.
I'm just stuck.
It's incredibly frustrating.

GinaGee123

janer1967 said:

Unfortunately I would imagine the councils only consideration would be that you are in suitable housing and not take into account your assistance dog 

I'm not saying this is right but can imagine that is their stance 

Have you got any advice from cab or any where else 

I'm not familiar with advocacy but think they deal more with clients unable to communicate for themselves 

Try cab if not done so already 

Yes that unfortunately does seem to be the case ... they aren't really taking into account the needs of my assistance dog. That's what got me thinking though ... could that not be grounds for discrimination? It's like denying someone help or priority because they have a wheelchair, a hearing aid or a walking stick (which I also have). I understand that there's not much room for things like this on an official basis, to them she is simply just a pet. But according to disability law, she is classed as a "mobility aid" or "disability aid" so she should be treated as such. They moved me into my current flat because my previous property had stairs and I have a walking stick and mobility issues so they agreed to prioritise me. So why can't they prioritise me now when my current property isnt suitable for one of my "disability aids" (my dog).
Do you know what I mean? It's a very hard thing to try to argue but I do think it's valid. Or it should be. I'm not saying it should put me at the top of course but it should at least give me some grounds to be moved.

Yes I have spoken to CAB a few times, they are actually the ones that recommended this Scope site. Unfortunately they are struggling to fit me in for another meeting as my local braches are fully booked.

I am going to look into the advocacy thing also just to get more information and see if they can help in any way.
I'm willing to consider pretty much everything at the moment, it's all worth a check.

I'm just sick of feeling miserable in this situation ... being stuck in the middle and not being able to shift in any direction. Its affecting both my mental and physical health in a very bad way. I just want a nice place for me and my pooch to settle down properly 😢

Alex_Alumni

Hello @GinaGee123 I'm glad to hear the information I found for you was useful In answer to your earlier question, personally I'm still living with relatives, but hope to find somewhere for myself and my partner to live independently, that is also wheelchair accessible.

Unfortunately sheer the cost of renting or a mortgage, whether disabled or not, is a massive barrier to our generation finding somewhere to live independently. It's a frustrating thing I know.

Certainly over the last few years, I've been trying to focus on the positives of living where I am, rather than the imagined positives of living somewhere new, if that makes sense. Are there any positives to your current situation you can call on when you're feeling very frustrated? I know that approach doesn't work for everyone, but it might help.

If there's anything else I can assist with, just shout

Rosie10

I have a housing association 2 bedroom bungalow with a garden my dogs have always enjoyed recking.   I was living in a private rented house when i was involved in an accident which resulted in me losing my leg.  The house became impossible to get around it was on many levels with a steep staircase.  Suddenly I became involved in the world of the council housing department, they where vile they would turn up at my home as and when, mentally and physically I was in a terrible state.  Things got even worse when they announced that they where going to put us into temporary accommodation, i was told no pets.  I went absolutely mad screaming and shouting threats most where ridiculous considering I was in a wheelchair but still she refused to come back into the house by herself and demanded a mediator just to talk to me.   By now my OT was involved she came with me every time they offered me a place most I never even got inside as they where so bad.  One day her boss came along to a viewing, we were inside this dreadful place the man from the council was filling in the paperwork when her boss started to speak she informed him that if they did not offer me accommodation that was suitable for my needs within 1 month she would start legal action  she informed him that she had worked for another London council for many years and had successful taken action over a similar matter.  I was offered this bungalow a week later a letter arrived in the post.  I do realise I was very lucky to have such a brilliant OT she stayed with me for about 2 years did more for me than I could have ever thought possible.  I’m afraid like so much in life you have to find the strength to fight, never give up and if possible get backing from the right people if not an OT try your local councillor or even your MP.  

Luchia

Hi

I'm in my 30s and just got a wonderful 2 bedroom Bungalow from the council, my current flat couldn’t be adapted so was given highest medical banding priority, they did say it’s very very rare for them to make an exception to the rules but due to my medical needs I was able to bid on Bungalows, it took a total of 7 weeks of bidding and 14 weeks to finally move in 

[Deleted User]

I would love a council property  but have been privately renting for 20 years. The letting agency I'm with no longer gives  tenancies to people claiming benefits. The only reason I can still rent properties off them is they know I'll pay on time and look after the property(been with them 15 years)but any new potential tenants on UC or HB have got no chance of being accepted. It's getting harder and harder for people claiming benefits to get decent properties privately anymore.