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​Family Leave £300k Council House Vacant Because Area Is 'Too Posh'

​Family Leave £300k Council House Vacant Because Area Is 'Too Posh'

When someone inspected the house, they found that there were barely any personal belongings and a completely empty fridge

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

A family has left a three-bedroom council house vacant for six months after deeming the area 'too posh' for them - something that proved to be such an issue that they never even properly moved in.

They apparently also found that there was 'insufficient room' in the semi-detached £300,000 property in Leeds, and decided to stick it out in their original home, which they'd originally said was 'uninhabitable'.

In a new Channel 5 series, Housing Yorkshire: Somewhere Called Home, Neighbourhood inspector Jas explained: "She [the mum] finds the area too posh and she can't have her family round to come and stay because there is insufficient room."

Jas was called to the home to inspect the house, and found that there were barely any personal belongings and a completely empty fridge.

Channel 5

In the programme, which follows people on the frontline of one of the country's biggest social housing providers - Jas confronted the family, who had initially been classed as 'high priority'.

The tenant explained that she didn't want to move into the property as it was 'too posh'. Instead, the family wanted a four-bedroom house closer to the woman's mum and sister, which also apparently has a downstairs loo at the front instead of the back.

The woman and her husband have three children - one of whom is disabled - and have been accused of obtaining the property to sell it for property under the Right to Buy housing scheme.

People like Jas are sent out to investigate a whole bunch of issues, including noise complaints and if tenants fail to pay their rent.

However, in this instance, Jas believes that the family was planning to buy the property at a reduced rate, only to then sell it on.

Channel 5

On the show she expressed her anger over how people are given properties but don't use them, as there are many, many others in the UK in desperate need of suitable housing.

Jas added: "When I'm meeting people for the first time, I know when they're trying to pull a fast one.

"When I first started the job I had these lovely rose tinted glasses on.

"I think you do learn, you just know when something is wrong or something is right."

Jas also had to speak to neighbours and take photos of the energy meters as part of her investigation, and also visited the 'uninhabitable' house that the family claimed they couldn't live in.

Featured Image Credit: Channel 5

Topics: UK News, Housing, Channel 5, UK