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.

Rtft?

Read the fucking thread?
Maybe others should do that too.

Oh, I see. You just want to rant.

I'm not saying there haven't been judgemental posts posts on this thread, however I do believe most have been pulled up (apart from poii10, who I think should be deleted).

I for one have challenged the notion that all landlords are bad, but I think we are all allowed to discuss policy in terms of rent restrictions, are we not?

I took your "can't fess up?" comment to be slightly belittling of anyone who might not be on benefits. Apologies if I read you wrong there.

anyone who might be on benefits

I wasn't even thinking of benefits. I was wondering who works for a company that is squeaky clean.
Yes, we are allowed to discuss policy, that's what we were doing.

I think we were before it started to get personal.

we are discussing the lack of regulation in the private rental market, my profession is therefore irrelevant.

If I were a landlord I'd seek to maximise my profits just as I would in any other area of business

The company that I work for operates within the law, as do landlords.

The issue is that the law need to be charged because the private rental market is dysfunctional.

Yes, we all work within the law.
There are many companies that are worse than my little operation, maybe yours is one on them, but you don't want to say.
The rental market may be dysfunctional, but don't tar us all with the same brush.
Off to bed now.
I provide homes for people who want to rent them. They are nice, safe homes. I hope you spend your time so well.

I dont know why you are so defensive Kitten, I have said that I am not judging or blaming individual landlords, as have other other posters.

However Wallison do remember that on the Continent, tenants are expected in return to do far more for themselves - providing your own kitchen isn't unusual in Germany and I have friends and have lived in rented accommodation in both Holland and Germany which is considered very desirable but compared to the average rental in the UK would be considered a death trap. For instance, my German patent lawyer friend in Munich lives in a flat in which the radiators are broken and heat to such a high temperature only when on that if you brush against them, you burn yourself - I did. She won't complain to either her landlord or thouht the building hausmeister as its not a good idea to get a reputation as a moaner. She just puts up with it because its a one bedroom apartment in a good area in Schwabing. In Holland, many rentals come with narrow staircases which just wouldn't ever comply with UK safety regulations. Things like working ceiling lights are a bonus!

Also be aware that its even harder to find a rental property than here because people do not move on and you have to pay agency fees equivalent to at least a month just for them to find one for you, if not more as "bribes".

Then some properties for rental are much, much cheaper to buy than in the UK. So I don't think you would see so many landlords willing to buy properties and comply with both strict regulation and rent controls in the UK where properties to rent cost a fortune - wheres the incentive?

In fact, DH are probably going to buy a couple of rental apartments in Germany because it is far less regulated than Scotland - where landlord registration, HMO licenses, gas, electricity and energy efficiency certificates are required, along with mains operated smoke alarms in every room, self closing doors with smoke seals and in some cases, sprinkler systems - far stricter than required for social housing let to families with small children, ironically enough.

Wallison 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

Actually in The Netherlands, many local authorities have implemented a policy which compels tenants to move on who "under-occupy" larger apartments in desirable areas ie one person in an apartment which could technically house a small family. And the following policy is likely to be implemented soon: www.theguardian.com/housing-network/2013/jun/21/netherlands-britain-social-housing-provision

I think its fair to say that its the rent payable for housing and not necessarily the quality of the housing or furnishings that is regulated in the Netherlands. You may have to pay money on top of the rent to hire any fixtures or furniture in a rental apartment!

I don't think you would see so many landlords willing to buy properties and comply with both strict regulation and rent controls in the UK where properties to rent cost a fortune

No, but isn't strict regulation together with rent control the business of social housing? And these are successful, only there are not enough of them. Would fewer private lets really be an issue if there were more and better social housing?

Perhaps house prices would come down due to private letting becoming unattractive, and more would be able to afford their own homes. Perhaps Housing Associations would be able to increase their stock in an affordable way, rather than having to build new homes (and decimate more of the countryside).

You may have to pay money on top of the rent to hire any fixtures or furniture in a rental apartment!

This is often the case here and now. If tenants had security of tenure, then it is worth the investment, which often isn't the case at the moment. I couldn't get excited about redecorating or making improvements if my landlord could evict me in 6 months time and get better rates due to my work!

House prices come down?

policies which would further that end surely seem unlikely?

Imagine the chaos with bank balance sheets, negative equity and over leveraged property owners etc

Very unpopular I agree. That's the issue.

I think the state/banks would have to compensate in some way. I see it more as taking responsibility for letting things get out of control.

As said upthread, I rather that than £40 billion on a high speed railway, or as Wallison said, £20 billion less on HB being forked out to working people who can't afford their homes.

I do agree that more social housing would be a good thing, just can't quite see how we could easily transition to that from the current situation?

£20 billion, or whatever the actual figure is.

x post.

And no, it wouldn't be an easy transition. But no bigger deal or cost probably (guessing, admittedly) than this unsuccessful revamp of the benefits system.

Bank take responsibility?
They don't exactly have a good track record for that sort of thing!

We're probably heading for a crash at some point anyway. Why not manage it properly?

^Bank take responsibility?
They don't exactly have a good track record for that sort of thing!^

And you're right there! But they have got off scot free so far. Iceland manage to put them in jail.

But who knows, sensible things might happen.
I live in hope :o

Yes a crash
The bigger the bubble the bigger the pop!

Yes, with you there in hope