New renter rights act is a bloody good thing!

Same here, I was served two S21s, two years apart. Completely uprooted my children the first time after living in our house for 11 years. New area, no family support, new schools etc. 2 years later the same thing happened again. Nothing to do with the RRA. Both landlords said they were selling and immediately relisted the properties at much higher prices. Neither asked me if I'd be willing to pay more first.

Neither time I've been able to access social housing, I was told we could be put into an emergency B&B 50 miles from home which was no use as my daughter was in the middle of her GCSE's at the time & they'd have had nowhere to be after school when I was at work.

I earn a decent enough wage & have rented privately since 2006 (have never missed a rental payment, never damaged anything) but am a single parent so was overlooked for endless properties before I eventually found replacements at the 11th hour. We've now had to move out of area again and am commuting for school/work because I couldn't move them again. My youngest has now missed out on a place at the high school the older ones are at as we're now out of catchment. It's impacted us in so many ways - financially, emotionally and I'm physically exhausted from the extra travel every day. The stress has been unreal. I've had a lot to deal with in life - but this last S21 pushed me to the brink of suicide too, I genuinely thought my children would be better off without me as I couldn't keep a roof over our heads and I didn't know what more I could do to change it.

And then you have people saying private renting isn't suitable for everyone...like it's a choice we make, while disregarding some other supposed option.

They've lived in the houses several years and (presumably) caused the LL no issues. But they've evicted the tenants because... what? What about the new act makes them think they'll have a problem with their tenants when they've had none so far?

What, for a fraction of its value that won't cover the outstanding mortgage? Why?

Couldn’t agree more!

I’ve not read any responses as I was the victim of a section 21 just over two years ago and it almost drove me to suicide, so I know if I read any post sympathising with landlords I won’t react well, but I’m just so relieved that they’ve gone and sad at the same time that it came too late for us, it’s kicked up a lot of emotions for me today.

Just another landlord bashing thread.

Or sell it at auction?

The truth is though that landlords aren’t renting out properties out of the goodness of their hearts.

They’re either doing it because they’ve got an empty property that they don’t want to sell, or they are running a business.

They more difficult things are made for the good landlords they will simply not do it anymore and will sell up. A lot of the bad ones will turn to renting HMOs because they are more profitable.

As a pp said private renting is not suitable for many people. The whole stay is broken and I doubt these new laws are going to make things any better for renters.

I know 3 people who are all being evicted having lived in the houses for several years.

Of course there are. My friend has an apartment he doesn't want anymore after moving into a house but can't sell it because it's un-mortgagemable due to having the same cladding as Grenfell. So his only option is to rent it out or it sits there empty while he's still paying a mortgage on it (he bought it before Grenfell).

And no, he can't replace cladding because he doesn't own the whole block.

Oh, and there really is no such thing as an 'accidental' LL.
It's a financial choice/business decision.

Really? Ok, but let’s be honest.,,nobody is buying that. The pp even described it as karma. Everyone knows what it’s about, the same as the farmer tax, education tax, employer tax, ending salary sacrifice and stealth income taxes. The consequences are on those who pushed for these things.

There’s absolutely nothing fair about taxing costs.

Naturally landlords have some justifiable concerns/questions but those that are up in arms about the whole thing are completely bloody immoral. The slum landlords have spoilt it for the good ones and the decent landlords should blame them and not the government for protecting people.

If you arent aware of the actual points of the bill - I've listed them below. I cant see how any reasonable person can disagree that it's just enforcing the most basic human decency and regulation.

• End to no fault evictions: landlords can only evict renters if they want to sell, move in themselves, move their family into the property or there are serious rent arrears. They have to prove they are selling too - they cant just say they are!

• Rent can only rise once a year, any rise above market rate can be disputed fairly and 2 months notice is given.

• Landlords can't refuse you for having children or being on benefits (if you prove that benefits/finances make the property affordable). This isnt about being on full benefits either. Many single parents need benefits to top up income.

• Landlord ombudsman - tennants can raise fair disputes and repair issues for free online and landlords cannot just ignore it/grey rock. Repeat offenders will be visable in the database. Landlords legally must act on the complaints.

• Faster action must be taken on damp and mould. Basic human rights! No more shitty emails from a middle man letting agent just blaming the tennant for not opening a window - when actually (for example) a house needs its brickwork repointing.

The only legitimate thing I have empathy for is the concern that it will be more of a process to evict non paying tennants as it will need to go through a court. However - this is why landlord insurance exists!!

Please ask yourself - if your child was renting - wouldn't you want them protected like this?

Where are all the tenants going to go who have been served section 21 notices in the last few months? Why did the Government not come up simultaneously with some helping right to buy products? So that some of them can buy instead?
None of this makes any sense to me.
Landlords probably used section 21 for unreliable tenants who paid sometimes but not other times and as others said, do not report damage, treat the property badly, are genuinely just clueless and dysfunctional? I mean surely the “dysfunctional” type of person is around, we all know that, and they need to be housed by the State not imposed on the private sector that is run for profit. It is just never going to work.
And if people are going to rely on insurance, surely insurers will start wanting to know the identity of any tenants and any tenants that puts a foot wrong will become insurable? Could this have impact on other types of insurance for some tenants?

I’m only sharing my experience.

We could have started eviction proceedings however the estate agents were supposed to do regular inspections. They did but they never reported any of these things.

It was only when dh went round that we knew what was going on.

I’m purely sharing my experience.

If it was up to me there’d be enough social
housing for those who need it.

Having pets and redecorating were both breaches of your contract and you could have served a S8. You don't need the letting agents permission for that.

Unfortunately for lots of people renting privately is the only option - I don't know anyone that would choose it if there was an alternative.

We rented out a house.

The tenants were terrible. The reason we let was because we were in between deciding where to live permanently. We were completely honest that it would be a one year contact at a time.

The house was immaculate, fully refurbished and spotlessly clean, garden landscaped. We let through an agent thinking that this would be better all round.

We specified no pets/no smoking/no redecorating other than touching up paint which we provided.

All fine for a while until the tenants started making complaints. They said that their child had a dust allergy and that we needed to change the carpets for wooden floors. We refused as the carpets were brand new and only in lounge and bedrooms.

They stared complaining of damp and mould. We’d lived in the house for years and never had any damp or mould. We went to check and it was quite clearly mould from drying washing, no windows open, no heating on. So we bought them a dehumidifier.

Then we found out they had a dog and cat. Even though it was no pets.

They’d put wallpaper up and painted walls different colours. They weren’t supposed to completely redecorate it was in the contract. The house was absolutely filthy but it was never picked up by the estate agent.

The estate agent always took their side even though they broke their contract.

In the end we gave them notice. When they left the house was absolutely disgusting. They hadn’t vacuumed in the two years they’d been there. Every door, wall and surface was thick with grime. They’d obviously had pets and been smoking (all out of the contract), the carpets which had been brand new were completely trashed with huge stains all over it looked like they’d been having food and red wine fights. Their children had drawn all over the walls.

The bathroom like like it had never so much as had a wipe over.

Tye estate agent didn’t want to know and said we had zero chance of keeping the deposit as it was all wear and tear.

Luckily it went to an independent to decide and we showed evidence before and after and an inspector went in. The tenants didn’t get a penny of their deposit back we got it all for cleaning and redecorating.

That was my experience. There should be enough social housing for those that need it.

Private renting isn’t a suitable option for families that need a long term home.