Sub-Letting of SFA

[Sniffer]

Interesting letter from DACOS Com Spt has just been released explaining how surplus/empty qtrs will now be sublet to private tenants to generate income. Whilst I understand the logic behind it I'm not sure how I feel about this as I like the fact that on a patch you are surrounded by military families. Disputes and issues can be dealt with through the CoC and can usually be nipped in the bud quite quickly.

I'd like to think if this is the route they plan on going down then the offer should be put to Service personnel first. IE: Those individuals who dont meet the Marital Status requirement for SFA entitlement. Im sure there are many singlies and unmarried families that would jump at the chance.

It also opens a whole can of worms with regards to the legal term "tenant" whilst we as Service Personnel would remain licencees in SFA. As a tenant your property must meet the Local Authority's Housing Health and Safety Rating Scheme which assesses 29 different elements of a property. Having worked alongside my local council in inspecting some private landlord properties under this scheme, I can almost guarentee that many SFA properties wont come up to scratch, especially when looking at the Excessive Cold and Damp elements. Under this scheme the local council can issue an improvement notice on the landlord (The council will then issue a bill to the landlord for the simple act of raising the notice and then additional costs are incurred for every problem found). If these arent rectified within a reasonable amount of time then they will be fined.

Given this, I can see the sub-letting idea dying a death prettty quickly.

 

[FOMz]

They tried something similar at a secret maintenance base in south wales when I was there in the late 90's... Barry Council rented all the surplus quarters and dumped all the 'problem families' from their area in them. East camp quarters becomes a sink hole estate overnight, I really felt for the service families over there.

 

[Tin basher]

The could be further issues with getting the tenants to move out when there is say a service need for the property, or rent is way behind or the family circumstances change and many other reasons. Getting them in could be the simple part.

 

[Sniffer]

I suspect like most big bright ideas we see, this one won't have been thought through or had the right people involved in the planning.

 

[Witty_Banter]

Interesting letter from DACOS Com Spt has just been released explaining how surplus/empty qtrs will now be sublet to private tenants to generate income.

Surely this would only generate income for the military purse if the properties belong to the MOD (there aren't many!)?? Most belong to Annington Homes, don't they? And therefore, the income would go to them? Not sure how it works if the AH owned houses are behind the wire - though RUMINT from a big Lincolnshire airbase suggests that the perimiter fence will be moved so that the SFA sit OUTSIDE the gates.

 

[Sniffer]

Annington own them but the MOD lease them whether occupied or not. The letter in question referred to the houses being sub-let so dosh should go into MOD pocket.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

[ace_rimmer]

Sounds very beleivable

Sounds very beleivable

Sounds like exactly the kind of thing i'd expect to happen, as I understand it the plan is to eventually get rid off all the SFA and subsidise people's private rent.
As for mixed civvy/military patches, they have that at Wyton - the mod sold a load of the houses off a few years back, then realised they needed to keep the rest.

 

[Teh Wal]

...
As for mixed civvy/military patches, they have that at Wyton - the mod sold a load of the houses off a few years back, then realised they needed to keep the rest.

Kinda the same down at Chivenor back when it re-opened in the 80's. I was in a MQ and had civvies living next door to me... mind you he was an WW2 ex-Lancaster pilot and thoroughly decent chap

 

[Sniffer]

Selling them is one thing but sub letting them and expecting the "tenants" to be happy to move out at the drop of a hat if we need them back is never going to happen. It wasnt that long ago was it that the MOD had to go to court to evict an Ex Wife who decided it was her "right" to stay. I think that took somewhere in the region of 6 years to sort out.

Also worth considering that the only people that would be happy to take on this sort of precarious living arangement would be those who have little other choice and if the TV programmes are to be believed these are also the sorts of people who think the world owes them something, whilst they give very little back to society.

It'll end in tears I tell yer