Keeping guns in Council property.

[Lozza79]

I decided to post on this topic as it's not something you see discussed often. I've been living in a council flat for 9 years now. Not one of those high rise council flat blocks, but a house that's been converted into 4 flats and mines on the ground floor.

Before I applied for my FAC I doubted my chances of being granted since I live in a council estate and in council property. Our tenancy rules state that we must ask permission before making any modifications (putting up shelves etc.) I also doubted my local borough council would grant me permission to install a cabinet and keep guns in my flat. They were genuinely surprised I asked as no one had ever made that request before.

So, basically I had two hurdles to jump. Firstly I needed council permission to keep firearms and also from the police. My council housing officer got back to me and said, to my surprise, that I could install a cabinet so long as I gave them written proof that the police had inspected and said it was safe to do so. The visiting FEO seemed fine with it also and now I keep 3 firearms.

I still worry a little though as what one housing officer agrees you can have, another may not. She may leave her post and the one who takes her position may decide they don't want firearms on site and say they have to go. Also they one day could implement new rules that say all weapons including airguns aren't allowed to be kept, however I shall cross that bridge if and when it comes to it.

I was wondering if anyone else here lives in council property who may have had similar experiences or even been refused a firearm or shotgun certificate because of their living arrangements. Gun ownership in the UK generally seems to be a sport only for the well off and farmers/land owners etc. However it seems that people from different backgrounds are now more open to the sport. Anti-gun liberals seem to think that only wealthy upper class people should be allowed guns, if anyone should keep them at all.

[Dark Skies]

I wouldn't have mentioned it myself. Not because they might not gave agreed but because you can't be sure of the discretion of people who work in their offices. I guess you have to weigh it against the chances of it being discovered and some pen-pusher creating about it.

[saddler]

I wouldn't have mentioned it myself. Not because they might not gave agreed but because you can't be sure of the discretion of people who work in their offices. I guess you have to weigh it against the chances of it being discovered and some pen-pusher creating about it.

This

Unless the tenancy agreement specifically states you cannot keep firearms, then what they don't know won't hurt them.
Yes, permission for shelves & the like as they'll likely be in communal areas (visible to guests)
Safes inside unseen void areas = nlt their concern.

[Pete]

Off topic, but I'm definitely a "liberal", and I have guns which I enjoy shooting regularly................

Pete

[Lozza79]

I wouldn't have mentioned it myself. Not because they might not gave agreed but because you can't be sure of the discretion of people who work in their offices. I guess you have to weigh it against the chances of it being discovered and some pen-pusher creating about it.

The council do yearly property inspections and would have found out anyway. I had no choice but to tell them.

[artiglio]

Having been found to be suitable to hold an fac by the police and satisfied their security requirements, council really have few grounds on which to refuse your request. Your council no doubt houses, drug addicts, alcohol abusers, ex convicts and many more who would no doubt be considered a greater risk.
To attempt to deny a llaw abiding tenant from pursuing their legal interests would be open to a challenge they'd have difficulty resisting.

[andrew375]

Plenty of council house tenants around here own firearms without needing to tell the council. Then again they don't do to the bother of asking the police for any sort of permission either.

[Blackstuff]

Just get a letter from the Council confirming its ok to have the cabinet in your flat. Then if there's a change in officer covering your area etc you've got something in writing.

I have to say though I would've just asked about installing a cabinet/safe in the flat and if they asked what it was for I would've said 'valuables'. Having worked in a Council for 14 years I can guarantee you that everyone in at least the housing department now knows you have guns in your property!

[hitchphil]

This is a growing trend that clubs may have to help deal with or provide storage facilities ....... I have a number of grad members from our company & they more often than not live in houses of shared / multiple occupancy or rented shared flats etc they have been denied cabinets or not been willing to ask agents / landlords & the likes, the couple that have were turned down, cited as damaging the building or safety / security etc. So we have organised a large cabinet in a club for them they share it; each gun is locked in on a wire & the ammo / bolt in a cash box. The FEO is quiet happy.

I have very mixed feeling about asking an organisation like a council. They are often politically motivated & many policies are influenced by that. They are also very narrow minded & risk averse to such things. Officials often ill-informed about things like shooting, very 'No' orientated, but they wield executive authority over their area. They are often not answerable to anybody, let-alone the renting public.

Because of above I would not have asked them, but fitted a suitable cabinet in a closed cupboard. or 'inside' a wardrobe where it cant be seen. Then made good on leaving the property. I have done this twice, with 2 privately rented flats & had no problems. I didn't want the landlord, agent, service handyman few if any of are vetted? knowing about the firearms. Landlords are not allowed to enter a rented property nor retain keys. Any & all visits must be supervised. It can be a pain my employer is OK if i need to work from home because a plumber is coming round, but many are less helpful.

Asking a council also risks the council making a decision & setting that as policy for all & any tenants. It may be illegal for them to do that, but then you need a shooter willing to stand up to them & with the funding to possibly do that in a court too.

But to all you that are club secretaries on here - do we need to start thinking about how can clubs help facilitate ownership when many strata of society are stacking up to oppose in any way they can? Club armories may become the only viable way to let many enter the sport, especially the younger generation who are now unable to buy property.

[snayperskaya]

My previous property was housing association owned and their view was as long as I filled any holes and made good upon moving they didn't have a problem.They were surprised I asked as much as anything.