n
( in Britain ) a house provided by a local council at a low rent. Council houses and council flats are mainly occupied by people with lower incomes. The first ones were built after World War I . They are often on council estates , areas with many houses and/or flats/apartments. Council houses and flats can still be rented, but many are now privately owned since people were given the right to buy the home they were renting from the council in 1980.