The council house that nobody wants to live in

This council house has been empty for a staggering 435 days, because nobody wants to live there. It has been offered to a total of 33 families, but each one has turned it down. It's not alone either: 66 council houses in Sheffield have been empty for 100 days or more - costing the council almost £150,000 in lost rent.

The Mirror reported that the house that has been empty for 435 days has been rejected for all sorts of reasons. The main issue is the area: 22 people refused to move in because they won't live in the locality. Others say it the home isn't big enough for their family.

It's a striking example, but it's far from the only one. Another property has been empty for 469 days, while several have been rejected more than 20 times.

Why?

Things aren't quite as bad as they seem: 23 of the 66 are empty because they need repairs and maintenance - and some were bought specifically to be renovated, so the council isn't concerned about them standing empty.

However, the other 43 are simply not considered desirable for prospective tenants. The Sheffield Star, which initially reported the story, heard from readers as to why the houses were being turned down. One pointed out that many of the properties were in a poor state of repair, and the work that needs doing isn't covered by the small decorating grant on offer. Another highlighted that when an area is considered unsafe, it will always be hard to find people who are willing to move in.

There have been several families to hit the headlines for turning down council properties around the country. We reported last month of the family of ten in Luton who refused a five-bedroom house because it didn't have a dining room.

A report earlier this year identified families who turned down homes because the garden wasn't big enough for a trampoline, a new-build was too dusty, there was a dog living next door, one property was on a busy road, and another had sea views that made the family feel queasy.

What happens next?

People who are on the housing register are not obliged to accept a council house. However, if they refuse, they need to explain to the council why, and they will assess whether it was reasonable to refuse or not.

There are some very specific grounds they will consider as reasonable for a refusal - such as access issues for disabled tenants - however, a need for a garden or a dining room will not be sufficient grounds.

If they decide a tenant should have accepted the house, there will always be consequences for refusing a place. The rules vary around the country and depend partly on the tenant's circumstances, but generally they will be allowed to turn down between 1 and 3 houses before they lose priority for housing and go down to the bottom of the waiting list - and in some cases they will be taken off the register altogether.

They will then be left to find their own private rental place, and pay for it through housing benefit - which is far harder and less secure than staying in a council property.

But what do you think? Is it unfair to force people to take houses they don't feel meet their needs? Is it right that families should be moved to areas they consider unsafe, or too far away from any prospect of work? Or are people being too picky? Let us know in the comments.