To be a bit shocked at the landlord who is evicting 200 families because they are on housing benefit

[wetaugust]

Heard this and 'Wow' - I was shocked.

He's being interviewed on C4 News.

He'd rather rent them to Eatern Europeans who are working.

He said that if house prices go up then rents should go up.

He said he's not the only landlord doing this.

Wow!

So some local authority will have to find new housing for all these people.

Where will this end?

I am stunned.

And Cat the cynical me also thinks the other awful alternative might be that these homeless feckless people on benefits (they will all be called this since conveniently there is no accurate data to prove the number of those "working" as the government can't be bothered to collate such useful stats) get shunted somewhere cheaper, such as in the north etc.

Where they will become a different authority's problem and leave the south east free for "hardworking" (this WILL be evidenced of course) and possibly exploitable others who put up and shut up because they have no choice, or it's slightly higher up the human rights scale, so better than when where they came from.

And yes, Lazysuzanne, it's thoroughly shameful our society has allowed this to occur.

nosewiper - we really DO know how many HB claimants are in work! That's the easy bit!

Yes but not new claimants!

And doesn't info about new claimants this term tell us more about the current situation and effect of government policy? Or am I barking up the wrong tree?

As a landlord, I have to point out that we are not all bad. I have had one house rewired, another checked by an electrician before renting them out. I cover the houses with smoke detectors, comply with gas check legislation, provide co2 detectors.
The houses are in lovely condition.
I won't rent to people on benefits, though if an existing tenant lost their job I wouldn't evict unless they stopped paying rent. For long term tenants with a good record I would be patient, too.
Anyone who thinks we're all bastards, well you can just fuck off.
I worked hard and sacrificed a lot to get in this position. I am constantly on call and have done a lot of the work on these houses by myself, sleeping on mattresses on the floor while I've decorated, sanded floors etc.
Not to mention the whole stress of buying and selling, which has actually been so bad it's made me ill.
We are currently renting ourselves as we need to live in another town and I appreciate our decent landlord.

Why? I mean, why do you have to point that out? What difference does it make to anyone? Does it mean that landlords are regulated? Does it mean that rents are regulated? Does it mean that tenants have security of tenure?

No, of course it doesn't.

It's a facile and meaningless thing to say.

There has been a certain amount of demonising of private landlords, on this thread and elsewhere.
So as a result I think that, no, it isn't a facile thing to say.

Well it says a great deal about the the industry as a whole that ensuring your house isn't a death trap and complying with the law makes you a 'good' landlord. I'd consider that the bare minimum.

Yes, so would I.
But the implication here is that we don't even do that.

Btw, I lived in one of those houses for 8 years and want to retire to the other one.

Of course some landlords are benevolent and have a consciousness, so what?

The point of business is to make a profit, any rational business will make as much profit as it legally can regardless of who is being exploited, it is the job of govt to regulate industries so that vulnerable people cant be exploited.

So? What do you want us to do? Give you a fucking medal?

Whether there are so-called 'good' (ie those that comply with the minimal legislation that there is) landlords is neither here nor there - it doesn't change the fact that landlords should be properly regulated. And they aren't. Whether or not you are a 'good' landlord is immaterial.

conscience not consciousness

As a landlord, I have to point out that we are not all bad. Of course you aren't all bad, there are some fantastic landlords about.

However this thread is about a landlord who is ridiculously bad!

the implication here is that we don't even do that. no, the implication was that Mr Wilson definitely doesn't do that

No, there have been several comments on here implying that we are all 'evil' or 'scum'.
What would you like us to comply with?
I'm open to suggestions, but, yes I do want to make money.
I don't exploit anyone,btw, any more than our current landlord is exploiting us. He is providing a need service.

Needed

If I were you I'd just get on with counting my money and not worrying about what society thinks of you.

Or, alternatively, if being a landlord makes you feel so bad that you need to seek validation from a bunch of strangers on the internet, sell your houses and give the money raised to Shelter.

Ok then. Maybe I'll keep the London house empty then. It makes money as I sleep.
Would that be better?

I don't feel bad, just intrigued.

Yes, you felt intrigued enough to tell us that you're a 'good landlord' because your tenants aren't burning in their beds, and that anyone who doesn't agree with you 'can fuck off'. That's quite some level of intrigue going on there.

Why don't you just tell me what you want? Or would that be too sensible?

I think it's pretty clear what people want. First, for this arsehole not to be let anywhere near tenants - he has no business to be providing housing. Second, for landlords to be properly regulated - to be required to register with the local council and for the council to inspect homes to ensure that they comply with safety and welfare standards ie not just wiring and gas but for appliances to be properly checked, doors and windows to be secure, lockable and with keys provided, roofs not to leak and in the case of furnished properties for all furniture provided to be in good working order, clean and free from infestation. Third, for rents to be regulated again by the local authority, just as they used to be prior to Thatcher and as they still are on the Continent. Fourth, for tenants to have complete security of tenure with a break clause ie they can stay in the property as long as they like barring death/insolvency/need to sell/moving back into the property on the part of the landlord and this to be determined by application to a court, but with the tenant able to give a month's notice; again, this is as it used to be before and still is in much of Europe.