Council houses owning brand new cars?

I also never said I thought being disabled should be make harder, I’m not sure how you took that from what I said. You seem very cross and I’m sorry if I caused that. I shall as you say consider if my comments appear ableist in future. I’ve only recently become disabled and it’s something I’m finding my way through

Goodness I’m sorry you were so offended by my comment I was in no way passing judgement on anyone, and didn’t quote any statistics all I said was that I’m disabled and I don’t claim benefits. It’s wonderful that the system is there for those who need it and the reason I don’t claim is because personal.
im very sorry you were so upset by my comment it was in no way meant to upset you or anyone. I dont think calling people names is helpful though- I wasn’t trying to upset anyone

I leased brand new cars for a few years. Felt I ought to be more frugal in the car front and bought a 7 year old car. Makes me think car leasing was better value.

Yep but i believe the role of the individual private LL in the European model is limited, it was in Sweden.

It takes far too long to evict bad tenants, with little chance of ever making up for lost rental and damage, i don't agree with Labours proposed reforms.

I have always advocated for a more European style of rental, where renting is considered the norm' and owning houses more rare. Guaranteed long term rentals for tenants, but tenants held to a higher level of behaviour and accountability too.

I’ve been disabled all my life. Spina Bifida. Affects everything from continence to mobility - lost a leg to it when I was fifteen and it has gradually put me mostly in a wheelchair. I also have rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis and the cherry on the cake, a cancer diagnosis last year.

I’ve also worked most of my life as a disability adviser and I can tell you from first hand experience that being disabled doesn’t make you immune from being ableist yourself. You got the figures wrong and demonstrated a complete lack of understanding of what disability benefits are designed to do. That you don’t claim them is up to you, but that doesn’t give you the right to sit in judgement on those who do and post incorrect information about a scheme which has helped thousands of severely disabled people to be better integrated into society, and in many cases to work.

Disability definitely isn’t ‘fun’ but you seem to think that it should be made harder than it needs to be. Why is that ?

No, not all, we agree on that... but it comes back to the simple fact that one day most LLs will evict a tenant from their home, through no fault of their own, yes of course the LL has every right to do so, its their property after all but its the tenants home - i'm talking about long term rentals, not people renting for contract work etc.

I maintain that we need a much larger social housing model to avoid this happening so often.

Its heart breaking reading the pleas for a rental in my area as yet another family is evicted as a LL and this is where we agree, Govt policies have been driving this, not LLs.

I'm not against LLs - i'm against the narrative that makes out they are all somehow hard done by, poverty stricken folk, doing their best for the vulnerable

Fair enough, I accept that. And I'm against the narrative that LL are all callous, money grabbing shits.

Yes until or IF Govt ever start building council housing, we will rely on private LLs.
The laws on tenancies and the stupid EPC changes "apparently" coming in over the next few years are bonkers & time/cost taken to evict a bad tenant is mad, the court system for this is broken.
The LL register isn't for tenant protection, its about making sure LLs are paying tax but the register will be paid for by the LL - more cost, less reason to be a LL.

The new renters rights bill, says a tenant can demand a new kitchen or bathroom after 10 or 15years, even if in excellent condition.

BTW HB can be paid direct to the LL, no need for these tenants to be in arrears, anyone taking on a tenant like this should have arranged this to be done prior to the tenancy put in place.

@Arraminta I 'm not against LLs - i'm against the narrative that makes out they are all somehow hard done by, poverty stricken folk, doing their best for the vulnerable.

I'm so glad you've written this. The sheer depths of spitefulness and the reveling in your poor friend's horrible misfortune is chilling.

I sincerely hope she is in a better place now.

ODFOD
A young woman trying to make a living by investing money in property and providing a home to a vulnerable person. A vulnerable person on benefits that many private landlords wouldn’t accept and who was waiting for council accommodation.
The tenant was months in arrears despite receiving housing benefit and was so out of it on drugs, there were squirrels in the property.
The poor young woman ended up having a miscarriage and spending time in hospital due to the stress of it all. She will never rent out property again after that experience. So now there’s one less property available to rent.
But you carry on and make nasty comments.
There are good landlords and bad landlords just as there are good and bad tenants. And the profit margin on rentals can be remarkably low or indeed, may end up costing you thousands.
I was incredibly lucky for the few years that I rented out a property with great tenants but the way the laws are now and after hearing about the case above, I’ll never rent a property out again.

Yes, I knew you meant it collectively, but I still think it's important to put across the other point of view. There are good landlords out there.

And, I can't recall a single time I ever argued with any tenant. As I'm sure you'll be relieved to know.

Yes, this.
My parents have only ever been in SH. They have been in their current house for about 35 years. If they owned it, it would have been paid off by now. They are both pensioners but my mum still works as she, in her words "likes to have nice things".
She has her own small company and leases a car... which will be new every 3 years.... which ties into the OP title really.

So you’re not allowed a home, for your kids to Grow up in and you to grow old in, just because you can’t afford a mortgage.

Your privilege is showing.

My parents (both worked their whole lives in blue collar jobs) have been in the same property for 55 years, they have never missed their rent once in those 55 years, the house is gorgeous and spotless, they keep the garden neat and planted with flowers. They have been there since the day they got married and have probably paid for it by now in rent.

tell you what kick them out hey.. 77 and 80 years of age, let them go and private rent on a state pension

Dont blame them Flats are sweat boxes

They could do that, but you can't evict a couple from a 3 bed house if there is nowhere for them to go.
My parents are in a 3 bed house. They were offered money to move to a 1 bed... except there are none. 1 bed places are in huge demand.
They could do a swap, but they can only swap to a 1 bed, and someone in a 1 bed wont be eligible to go into a 3 bed. Also, DM is a keen gardener... they don't want a high rise flat.

But people would just go onto benefits to keep the house! My sister in law works on the tills in Tesco and her adult son and daughter live in the house. She would rather keep the house than anything else. She would give up her job if that's what it took. And then you would have council estates where no one works, leading to a cycle of deprivation. What a crazy idea.

💯 agree!

I’m disabled, I pay for my own car and claim no benefits..

try being disabled for a day, not a lot of fun let me tell you.

I grew up in a counsel house and I think it’s important to know that just because they are in counsel accommodation doesn’t mean they’re on benefits! My parents both worked very hard at blue collar jobs, and never took a penny other than child benefit my whole childhood.
we didnt though really have any money. We didn’t go on holiday my entire childhood bar 1 week in Blackpool, we had an old car (hire purchase) and my mum worked overnight in a carehome in the run up to Xmas for extra money. Everything came from “the catalogue” and was paid off weekly at the post office. I didn’t go on school trips and I never had new clothes except for my “Christmas dress”. That was in the 80s/ early 90s. Thing was though, all my mates were the same, apart from the “rich kids” at school (about 5 of them in a class of 30!) we all just had the same lives and it was amazing.
Now everyone wants to have the best all the time…

Jeez some people are very difficult...

I said "YOU" meant LLs generally not you specifically.... god help your poor tenants if you re so argumentative 😂

I never took advantage of anyone less fortunate and neither did I fleece them, thanks. But what's the point even discussing it, as never the twain shall meet.

FFS living in a capitalist society doesn't mean we take adv of the less fortunate and fleece them... you seem happy with that?

We didn't use to have such a large BTL sector and other capitalist countries don't have this either.

You do know we all live in a capitalist society, yes? And that is never going to change, despite all of the righteous rhetoric on here.

The point you - i use the word YOU to cover LLs generally, not you specifically - seem unable to grasp is that you control someones life, you decide the rent, you decide how long they'll stay in their home, if they'll have a new bathroom or kitchen, in many cases, the paint scheme or even being able to hang a picture.

BTL became so popular because it was a money money making scheme, low interest rates, high rents, soaring house prices.

We ned more Council houses, less reliance on private LLs, give people some security.