To think we should ban private renting?

I think there's a misunderstanding

If private rental is banned, then we HAVE to give accommodation to anyone who wants and need one.

We are not going to make everyone homeless are we?

So professional, students, everyone will have the same right and will have council accommodation as needed.

That's an argument for not letting people live in houses that are not larger than they need or against 2nd home ownership, but the internal standard of flats being lower for everyone doesn't open up more housing for those who need it. For that we simply need to build more housing where it's needed.

It's a very British idea to think you need ownership to have security. In Germany for example less than half the population owns their house but rental regulations are stricter in ways that many wouldn't be able to imagine. They can't just raise my rent, they can't kick me out if they sell, I have first right to buy if they do want to sell too, even if it were sold to someone else the new owner can't just kick me out because they bought it because they knew I was in there when they bought it. I don't feel more insecure as a renter in Germany than as a house owner.

Of course, none of that solves the actual problem: lack of housing stock.

And funnily, there laws and regulations and permits can actually change and this is something the government should be able to do - unlike buying all the housing stock!

"It’s part of our free market economy to be able to make use of an asset you own."

Maybe that's the problem

Some sort of coup

I don’t disagree with other people need secure homes - so better solutions needed for that but banning private renting is bonkers.

It’s part of our free market economy to be able to make use of an asset you own.

I can buy a bunch of cars and charge people to rent them as a business.

If I bought a penthouse with a Thames view in London and decided to live in it six months of the year and rent it out as a holiday rental the other six months that’s another form of business.

If the system is failing at different points and people are suffering - you fix those points. Tackle at local and regional levels to improve housing stock, beef up regulations and protections, create more incentives for businesses to establish themselves away from big cities so that workers can live in more affordable areas and have lower commutes.

I reckon they'll tax everyone but the very rich out of private home ownership and corporations will buy the houses and rent them out with some tax going to the government who will allow the parasitic corps access to our housing market.

😂

So you don’t mind housing association is making a profit

But you do mind that some individuals who are often very nice people are making a profit - or maybe not making a profit because circumstances led them to rent their house out and they are just getting the mortgage paid. You really object to that for some reason. Which you don’t want to share with us.

I don’t get it

Because other people without secure homes need homes more than you need somewhere "lovely".

What about people who want to pay more for a nicer rental? Must we all have the same standard of accommodation unless we are in a position to buy?

But to be fair, they do in other countries, like Germany.

Highly qualified professionals are living in HMOs in London. They do have swanky ones where you have poker nights and a mini cinema for residents but they are HMOs all the same. I've seen the cheapest ones going for about a grand a month with working space, gym, shared kitchen and bathroom. The more expensive rooms are ensuite.

The state, @Zov, cannot afford it. Many people want to rent for different reasons, and no they don’t want to be told where. So a French executive of some big company want their £10,000/month Fulham house as it’s near the Lycee, they don’t want to live elsewhere and does the council have the £4m that was paid for that house? Plus they’d have to account for inflation at the very least and more likely current valuation.

And do people really want to live in the depths of Cornwall or Isle of Wight where there are fewer jobs? And are you wiping out all self catering holiday lets? Do you understand how some communities rely on that income the tourists bring? And all the flats in London that have hefty service charges paid by the landlord? How is it decided who gets the three bed fourth floor walk up in Brixton and who gets the three bed with lift and porter in Mayfair?
How will the state afford to administer all the housing? And afford to lose the tax paid on the income from private rentals? Social housing only accounts for 46% of rentals. 9 million homes are rented. Make the money work.

Except their isn't enough state housing. There is even less than there was because the state didn't want to pay the upkeep of maintaining a vast housing stock commnding the low rents you have described.
So, where are you putting everybody when you have done away with their privately rented homes?

That’s bonkers - why shouldn’t I be able to spend the money I earn renting a lovely apartment that suits me?

The problem isn’t private renting - the problem is there’s not enough affordable housing for those who need it.

If social housing is the only option we would surely have to remove the council's right to evict people, otherwise where will people that break their tenancy go?

No probably not. But you only have money to rent and/or you aren't committing to that area by buying so your choice is more limited. You know like when you are offered a social housing property and you only have so many chances to refuse, if any at all? Well kind of like that. You need a rental property near enough to your new place of work. You'd have to take what is going.

You might get lucky.

I don’t think you’ve thought this through. If social housing is available for absolutely anyone who wants to rent for whatever reason, where does the money to provide all these houses come from? If it is restricted or availability limited, what do you do with all these people who currently can’t or don’t want to buy, not only because of costs but also because they are in the area temporarily for work or studying?

So I’m going to be able to find a fully furnished flat in a really nice part of London, commuting distance from my job - newly decorated and furnished to a decent standard within a month of my start date?

And then the following year find the same thing in Edinburgh - how much choice will I have about the fixtures and fittings of my rental?

What if my boss sends me aboard for a year and then to Lincoln for a year? I won’t be in the system to have a house to swap with anyone?

Who would be taking on those roles if highly qualified professionals are expected to live in HMOs?

Can a married couple have a house/flat each or should it be just one property per couple?

What about when one of the couple works away from home for part of the time? Will they as a couple be allowed to own a home in their home town and another in the town where one of them works?

What about MPs who own homes in their constituencies and in London?

There would be plenty of people in your position. You might not get exactly where you want all the time at short notice but you are renting so hey ho.

If there was a ban on private renting the housing market would crash.

There’d suddenly be thousands of landlords needing to sell their properties and renters who wouldn't necessarily be able to immediately afford to buy or have the credit rating to borrow.

You’d end up with substantial numbers of people left with negative equity and unable to move home as well as empty properties because former renters couldn’t afford to buy.

As well as direct impact on housing prices, estate agents would go bust, the mortgage market (and therefore a number of retail banks) would be destabilised, not to mention pension funds.

When house prices fall consumers tend to spend less money generally, which in turn leads to job losses far beyond just the housing sector.

The pace of construction would have to slow considerably, leading to further unemployment and a fall in land prices.

Allied industries in home improvement, furnishing etc would also be impacted.

Due to the difficulties in house sales and the lack of private renting people can no longer easily move round the country for work (including new entrants to the jobs market)

Loss of stamp duty means loss of government revenue. Reduction in consumer spending and increased unemployment also impacts government income.

Messing with the housing market is complicated.

Of course they shouldn't have a house each. 🙄 Not if they are married. Why don't the children have a house each too. And one for each of the dogs, and another one for the cat?!

As for people working in different towns for some months..... (As several people have mentioned....) They can stay in council run HMOs, like uni students.