To think the rental industry puts too little responsibility on landlords?

You're providing a service that many people (like me) need.

People get angry that they're not able to own their own property, let alone a second or third and unfairly, take it out on the people than can.

I've rented from probably 8 landlords (I own now). To man they were all scum, happy to take rent but would drag their feet with repairs, problems etc - and not little things - moving into one place with 4 cracked windows that didn't get fixed over 2 years, another severe subsidence meaning there were gaps off around a cm between wall and window making it bloody freezing, failing to provide sufficient heating then complaining about mould...

Obviously this isn't OK, but this isn't always the case. I've lived in properties that were managed by an estate agent and issues or repairs have always been attended to quickly.

There was one time the landlord did manage the property himself and while he wasn't scum, he certainly did drag his heels more than agent maintained properties.

Renting is a two way partnership. Why an earth did you move into properties in disrepair? Did you not do a due diligence? The landlord should do repairs but surely the onus is on you to not accept such conditions in the beginning.

Renter here and I completely agree, OP.

Some awful life events has meant that although I earn a decent wage, I'm not in a postion to save for a deposit, so, renting is my only option. My landlord is selling the property we currently live in and looking for something else has been eye opening. What's going to happen to renters that don't qualify for HA if the government put people off being landlords? It's really concerning!

Maybe because they're paying through the nose to rent? Why shouldn't they expect something promptly?

I've rented from probably 8 landlords (I own now). To man they were all scum, happy to take rent but would drag their feet with repairs, problems etc - and not little things - moving into one place with 4 cracked windows that didn't get fixed over 2 years, another severe subsidence meaning there were gaps off around a cm between wall and window making it bloody freezing, failing to provide sufficient heating then complaining about mould...

@WaryCrowwhat do you mean? I don’t expect sympathy. I’m fine with the new changes as it doesn’t affect me. I can still get a tenant out if they break the conditions of the lease or stop paying rent (though I will lose loads of money in the latter as there is limited recourse). I do everything possible to make sure my properties are of a standard I’d be happy for my own children to live in, and take care of any issues immediately. I know a few other private landlords who are the same. Of course there are bad landlords. My DD is a student renting at her uni and it’s shocking the condition of some student housing!

But there are many reasons people decide to rent. How am I exploiting them exactly? They need a home, I provide them with one. My first tenants were on secondment from another country. My second wasn’t interested in buying as didn’t want the responsibility. My current tenants are wanting to test the area and want to rent a small flat so they can save for their bigger permanent home. I’ve also rented to students - not an HMO but wealthy foreign students whose parents wanted a high spec place. They were the best tenants! None were in the market to buy. So many people don’t want to or can’t afford to buy - and renting may mean they can live in a much nicer area than they could afford to buy in. In many countries it’s the norm to rent. Maybe we shouldn’t stigmatise those that do!

Yet still there are more landlords coming in.

It is certainly better than renting all your life: why do you presume to expect sympathy from the people you exploit?

HA try being a private landlord. There's a reason so many of us are selling up.

I started as a landlord 10years ago, I have increased my rents from £650 pcm to £900 pcm AND my profits have reduced (that means may take home pay at the end of the month has continually reduced in the last 10 yrs). Extra costs have reduced profits through increased regulation, higher taxes, and increased maintenance costs. All of this has been inflicted on the landlord and hence tenants.
governments have vilified landlords and hurt tenants. Increasing taxes only benefits the government.

This.
I was a proactive kind and reasonable LL.
I’ve just sold up because Govt doesn’t want small landlords like me.
Govt want corporate LL’s they can tax to the hilt.

Im so relieved I’m out of the mire of legislation and tax the govt foisted on us, not to mention disrespectful, rental debt incurring and defensive vandal-tenants (not mine) in some properties. Being a LL is not all it’s cracked up to be.

With the new Renters Rights Act coming up, struggling landlords will hopefully bow out, making way for corporate to step in and, hopefully, do better.

Your landlord is such a jerk.

I suggest doing thorough research to understand your rights, finding people who can help you, and looking for another place to live that will be comfortable for you.

If that is your preference, rent from large corporations. It is not compulsory to deal with private landlords.

The problem is Joe public trying make a ‘business’ out of renting homes to other people. Of course tenants expect good service, because they are paying through the nose for it. Meanwhile, most landlords rent out shitholes that they can’t afford to properly maintain, expect to charge top dollar for it, and think that they are entitled to ‘profit’.

The rental market would work much better if run by proper professional businesses, who have the free cash flow, and management structures in place to deal with issues. Not John from Bolton who wants to top up his pension by renting out some craphole that is falling apart and hasn’t been updated since the 90s.

Yes, that's what happens when you run a business that someone else is paying a significant sum each month to utilize. You have to ensure that your customers are getting the service they pay for.

Just as I wouldn't expect my mum to cook me breakfast if I were staying at her house, but I would expect it to be provided to me if I were staying at a B+B I'd paid to stay in.

If you can't afford to maintain your rental property, or ensure your tenants have hot water when they need it, then you aren't very good at being a landlord.

I own a house, btw, so I'm well aware of the ongoing costs and hassle of maintenance.

💯

Tenants with no personal responsibility but happily blaming landlords will be in for a major shock when their wish of no private landlords becomes a reality. Do you really think the big corporations will stand for a tenant who trashes a property or withholds rent. No, the tenant will be out on the street.

Be careful what you wish for.

Private renting has only been an ‘impoverishing factor’
because successive governments have seen fit to ignore the ongoing elephant in the room (lack of social housing) and outsource their housing responsibilities to the private sector.

When people complained, rather than addressing the issue of a lack of affordable and social housing, they started hammering landlords with more tax and more regulation to make it look as though they were taking action. The so called housing charity, Shelter, joined in. (Great to see their disgrace of a CEO has grovelled her way into the Lords.)

So landlords started selling. They were pilloried by the left for doing so; the Guardian are particularly angry that they are daring to sell up. They are continuing to sell and we have spiralling rents and a homelessness problem which councils can’t cope with given the added joy of population growth and no houses for any of those people either.

But yes, the problem is the Overton window.

We seem to have a big problem in this country with people understanding that they are responsible for themselves. Many seem to believe that the state and everyone else exists to just support them and sort out their needs asap. Whilst there are clearly bad landlords there are many excellent ones who try to provide a good home. The increase in rules and regulations has made it very difficult for many to make a profit and the new rules in 2026 will add to the burden hence many leading the market and by the way house building has flown/stopped due to massive increase in costs and gov red tape. The housing market isn’t going to get better anytime soon.

I think many tenants have never actually owned their own home so don’t know how much responsibility and cost it is. Many people simply don’t do maintenance as they can’t afford it, when they do they often have to wait ages for a tradie as they are in short supply. Yet tenants seem to believe that when they need a plumber they should arrive at a time that suits them and virtually immediately otherwise the landlord is rubbish. So crack in OP, moan about landlords but don’t be surprised when there aren’t any properties left to rent or they are run by big corp who will ensure rules are changed to ensure they can remove tenants quickly.

Tenant wellbeing 😂 😂 My mortgage provider doesn’t give a shit about my wellbeing, they’re just concerned whether DH and I pay the mortgage. It’s just how your landlord feels about you paying your rent. Maybe you should be concerned about landlord welfare and what happens when tenants don’t pay rent, meaning the mortgage can’t be paid and the stress that puts on the landlord. Most landlords aren’t Mr Moneybags, they’re just regular people who aren’t making anything, possibly losing money in fact.

It sounds like your landlord wanting to do a good job running his business but government legislation has begun to make it too difficult and expensive. The responsibility for landlords leaving the sector in droves and making renting harder for tenants lies purely with the government.

AIBU to think that if someone owns rental property, they should carry far more responsibility for standards, maintenance and tenant wellbeing, and that the system currently lets too many landlords off the hook?

What, specifically, do you suggest?

Of course you’re right op. Private renting has been a major impoverishing factor since it was reintroduced 20 years ago. But this has always been a website of landlords and for the rich, and the Overton window has shifted far far away from the working classes. All you get from the idle rich is ‘poor me’and excuses for them to take more.

Im not really sure what to advise other people without family support to buy to do in Britain now - get a trade and get out of the country yes, but the doorways are closing at the moment. Let’s hope others are correct to say it’s just a downturn.

No, tenants being expected not to cause mould, give notice when they are leaving and report repairs when they need doing is not too much to ask of them. If they are grown ups capable of living away from their parents, then they should be able to fulfil those basic requirements without too much hardship.

Paying rent, or getting the council
to pay it for you, doesn’t mean that someone else needs to become responsible for your wellbeing.

I can only assume you know absolutely fuck all about the rental sector.

Landlords should be responsible for tenants wellbeing? What on earth? You are responsible for your own wellbeing I’m afraid.