[Elcie]

Hi everyone, does anyone have experience of a housing association saying yes to chickens?  I have emailed mine today to ask for permission (GuinnessMidsummer) and just wondering if I have done the right thing?  Looking through my tenancy agreement it says that permission is required for anything, including dogs, which I know people don't seek.  Have I just set myself up for them to say no?

[cathangirl]

Nothing ventured, nothing gained Elcie.  Fingers crossed for you.
cathangirl

[GrannieAnnie]

The couple down the road who bought 6 of our Amberlinks got permission off their housing association, so fingers crossed for you!!!!

[Kevin S]

unfortunately some councils and  associations don't take too kindly to chickens on estates

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/7926539.stm
and
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/7672719.stm

[too many girls]

personally i wouldn't have asked them in case they said no, got the chooks, bribed the neighbours with eggs and hoped, then at least you could feign ignorance ( i'm so terribly sorry i didn't know) but then i'm evil and your probably not.........................

[Elcie]

Interesting articles there.

To be honest TMG I wish I hadn't asked and feigned ignorance.  I haven't had a response yet so that is a phone call and an emal so far without any reply.

Personally, I feel that it is often ignorance that these responses are refused or neighbours compain.

I have done something rather impulsive though.  After having considered this on and off for the last year, yesterday I emailed the HA and today I purchased an Eglu, oh dear!  I couldn't resist as I have been looking on Ebay for ages and I was offered a really good 'buy it now' price and the man lives 3 miles away from me.  I have also booked myself on a BHWT chicken keeping course that was suggested on the Eglu site.

On the one hand I am so excited as now I can start to think about the chickens we are going to get (OH and I are undecided about ex-bats or not) but on the other I am worried that the neighbours will complain and the HA will say no.  Would be devastating.

If the HA respond to my email and say no, what do you think are the chances of me feigning ignorance, not replying, and saying I never read a response so just went ahead anyway?  Oh, it gets worse!  Oh dear.  Will let you know what happens.

[too many girls]

i don't think the neighbours would complain unless you got a cockerel, personally i would vist them and say very nicely you are thinking of keeping a few hens (say 3) ask them would they have a problem with this? and you'd be more than happy to pass a few eggs their way for any inconveniance, if you get them on your side have the battle would be won, if the housing association confronts you, you could say " the neighbours don't mind, i really don't see the problem" but ony you can take the risk, i'm just saying what i would do.
or you could say they
a, didn't reply to you, or
b, took so long you asumed there was no problem,

[Sassy]

Agree with TMG.  Good luck

[andreadon]

unfortunately some councils and  associations don't take too kindly to chickens on estates

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/7926539.stm
and
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/7672719.stm

Although the article is true - the couple did not ask for permission before getting their hens.
That's the risk you take if you don't ask.
So although I kind of agree with tmg on the "don't ask they'll never know" stand, if they did find out you could end up losing your birds.

[Deano27]

i work for a local authority housing department and don't recall getting many requests such as this.  as someone has said most people tend to do things without asking for permission.

issues that might crop up could be:

1. what damage might they do to the garden (i've got chickens and they'll tear up whatever they can, this could be an issue is you decided to move out in the near future)
2. how built up is your area (they have to balance any requests against rights of  your neighbours to live without nuisance - personally i don't think the noise chickens make is annoying, but others might see it differently, especially as some get up when it gets light and start making noise - as happened at 6am this morning)

It often depends what's in your tenancy agreement.  Ours does have minor references to livestock as long as permission is granted.  Normally they wouldn't just refuse out of hand but its usually a case of getting a fair balance.  If you've already got your neighbours support that might add some weight to your request.

all the best

dean

[Elcie]

i work for a local authority housing department and don't recall getting many requests such as this.  as someone has said most people tend to do things without asking for permission.

issues that might crop up could be:

1. what damage might they do to the garden (i've got chickens and they'll tear up whatever they can, this could be an issue is you decided to move out in the near future)
2. how built up is your area (they have to balance any requests against rights of  your neighbours to live without nuisance - personally i don't think the noise chickens make is annoying, but others might see it differently, especially as some get up when it gets light and start making noise - as happened at 6am this morning)

It often depends what's in your tenancy agreement.  Ours does have minor references to livestock as long as permission is granted.  Normally they wouldn't just refuse out of hand but its usually a case of getting a fair balance.  If you've already got your neighbours support that might add some weight to your request.

all the best

dean

Thanks for that.  Still no response from the HA here, but I have spoken to one of my neighbours and she was fine.  I have said to her that I would like her to try it out for a month and if it really isn't working then I will be willing to dig up some of my raised beds at the allotment and move them over there into a wooden coop.  Her main concern was the chance of rats as we have had problems with them before but I did emphasise that I wouldn't leave food out for them in places the rats could get to.

[Deano27]

that is an issue.  i've had the problem twice in 2 years and it was the council who came out to sort it out (though it was cleared up pretty quickly as long as you nip it in the bud).

best to not have any food out at night if at all possible.

all the best

dean