Comments that homeowners make to renters

[malificent7]

Here are a few gwms:

Of course homeownwrs take more pride in there homes and tidy them more (my rented house was messy as i was depressed)

Oh you SHOULD get a mortagage... with what? Peanuts@

The landlord cant even be bothered to tart up your kitchen... the doors ate hanging off. ( One door is sliggtly hanging off after being repaired repeatedly.

Its a shame that all your money is going to the landlord.

Aibu to find such comments very irritating?

[RocketQueenP]

"renting is dead money"

I own a house (well, have a mortgage now) but this one used to really grind my gears

[gobbymare]

No comment from friends or family but the woman who lives next door always looks down her nose at us because we rent, but fails to see that the home we rent is twice the size of hers much nicer too and we work hard to have a nice home whilst she sits there talking to her dog and curtain twitching.

[boreddrinker]

Loads of things are dead money 😂

Cars, nights out, gym memberships that never get used, having hair and nails done... you never hear anyone saying "bought a bag of potatoes? Why buy when you can grow your own? It's just dead money"

Bore off

[SmilingButClueless]

I think it's wrong that renting is somehow considered 'less' than home ownership. We need to get back to tenants having more security of tenure - not everyone wants or can afford to buy; it doesn't mean that they don't need somewhere they can make into a long-term home.

I recently bought after renting for a few years. I liked the place I was renting, had a good landlord and would have happily stayed for the long-term. But I could only get a series of 12-month fixed term contracts, and couldn't make the place my own (no decorating etc allowed). I'm lucky I had the ability to buy, but I'm paying almost as much 'dead money' (i.e. interest) to the bank as I was in rent - I didn't have a huge deposit and live in the SE, so had to take on a stupidly large mortgage.

I think the people who got on the housing ladder before about 2000 / 2001 don't realise how hard it is now. And allowing high LTV BTL mortgages hasn't helped - nothing against landlords, but I think that's a large part of why rents have become so high: they have to cover a mortgage that the renter could afford (as they're paying the rent), but often isn't able to borrow.

(And, yes, I got a lot of comments about "why don't you just buy" from various relatives. Yes, I know your DD bought her house for £30k. I'd need to find £175k to buy the same thing. That's why.)

[dingdongthewitchishere]

I managed to buy my first place because you didn't need a deposit then, just got a 100% mortgage. I have a few friends who have interest only mortgages (I don't think they exist anymore). If they can't pay off the mortgage eventually, they'll just sell. With the increased value, they will be better off.

The property market would have to suffer an almighty crash for home owners to lose out, it's very unlikely. Plus, if the prices go down so much, we will be in position to buy to let more easily.

To be fair, some people moan about the lack of money (talking about work colleagues who were earning the same than I was) but didn't stop going on holiday abroad, have a car, have sky, gym membership and expensive mobile phones. For these, it's a choice, they are happier with their lifestyle and obviously won't consider saving for a deposit.

[TheTantrumCometh]

Thisisstartingtoboreme

Because you're asking the exact questions and making the very same comments that the thread is about.

You're speaking like the only reason people go into renting is because of some mistake they've made. Because they don't earn enough, or just left where they were living on a whim to go into renting.

Usually these comments are made by people who bought their first house pre-90's. The average house prices in my area is over 200,000. Our combined wage would have to be pretty big to cover that with lending how it is now. Not to mention at least a 20,000 deposit. Which I can't magic up out of nowhere! And it's not through lack of trying. I have a degree.

And it's the fact that some homeowners feel that they can ask these very personal financial questions to try and understand why the person they're asking is renting.

[krakentoast]

A couple of my favourites I've heard:

"If you cut back on things like lattes, you'd be able to afford a deposit in no time" (yes because obviously, even though you haven't seen my bank statements, you can tell that because I'm a renter I don't save any money and buy a hundred lattes a day instead )

"What's wrong with renting? I don't understand the greedy obsession with home ownership in this country" - has always been said to me by someone who owns at least one home and hasn't rented anywhere in years.

Our rent is relatively fairly priced but our landlord refuses to fix the flat's chronic damp and mould problem, claiming it's because we dry clothes on radiators inside (we do not). DH and I have almost saved enough for a deposit along with some kind gifts from family and a small inheritance and so we will be looking to buy somewhere in the new year, but I solemnly swear never to say any of the above bitchy comments to renting friends if and when we do.

[RocketQueenP]

oh yeah and people talking about "just renting" and "only renting"

Just used to make me feel so shit as if I was some sort of second class citizen

[gillybeanz]

I'm a home owner and LL.

I'm glad people rent as they look after my investments, so i only have to work pt if I want to work.
I like home owners as they buy the houses we spend time and money doing up for them.

One back to the home owners is simply "wouldn't it be a shame if you lost your job" You know your home belongs to the bank?"

We/they all know that our homes need maintaining, that isn't really a problem, but losing your home is.

[FourToTheFloor]

If renting is so good why care what silly homeowners say?

I rented for a long time and never had such comments but I never talked about owning or disliking renting because I didn't feel that way about either of them.

We only bought when I was pregnant because that is the only way in this country the feel secure about your home - renting is at the whim of the LL. But I accept that as it's their property.

[Happyhippy45]

Funnily enough our LL looks down her nose at renters. We went up in her esteem when she discovered we do actually own a flat, it's just in the wrong part of the country.
We've rented our homes since 1998 and rented out our property since then. We treat out tenants a lot better than our current LL treats us. She comes and goes all the time, used to rearrange our bins. Its like being a teenager and having your mum coming round and telling you to tidy your room.
She is good at getting repairs done quickly though.

[DeleteOrDecay]

The fact it is dead money, well it is.

It's not though. I am paying rent so me and my family have a roof over our heads. If didn't pay rent we would be homeless.

Of course there is a difference between paying rent and paying a mortgage. But in my eyes I am paying rent in exchange for a place to live, I wouldn't call that 'dead money'.

[MissClarke86]

One thing I often wonder about - how do renters feel about possibly being retired and still having to pay for the foreseeable future? I think the main advantage of a mortgage is that once it's paid off, that's it.

[MissClarke86]

I get why it's not dead money, but it's "deader" than paying a mortgage where some of the payment buys you something to keep. I don't think there's a way of arguing that really.

[PeteSwotatoes]

"You're just throwing money away". Yeah YANBU!

[DeleteOrDecay]

That is something I do worry about MissC if we do find ourselves in that position (we do hope to buy one day), I have no idea what we will do. Work until we die perhaps? I suppose we could claim housing benefit, but that's hardly an ideal solution (and HB might not even exist by then).

[DeleteOrDecay]

Paying rent is different to paying a mortgage, of course it is. But I still disagree that it is in any way 'dead' but that's just me.

[BlurryFace]

My mum's great at this "we lived off baked beans for years to afford our first house" great, sounds very healthy and not at all depressing.

"If only you moved to England, you'd be able to buy a house there" lol, OK mum, you know DH's wage would drop from £11 per hour to £8 and that moving costs money, right?

"I borrowed the deposit from the bank in my name and your dad took out the mortgage in his name, couldn't you do that?" sounds dodgy as fuck.

[ThisIsStartingToBoreMe]

In the end everyone will be equal anyway. Those who need to go into care in their own age will have to sell their home to pay for it. Those with no home of their own will have their fees paid, so in the end, we'll all be at the same place

[dingdongthewitchishere]

That's a dangerous reasoning, you are not talking about the same care homes in both cases at all.

Retirement was the main reason I bought as soon as possible. Hopefully I can always downsize, but still have a lodger if needed and I will be able to survive. Its very scary to think about the days you are no longer able to work.

[ruthsmumkath]

I remember a neighbour saying to us - you rent - oh I am sorry. Also when telling us about a local place to visit - there's a lovely cafe oh but you can always take sandwiches with money being tight.

We both worked and she was on a pension - the fact she owned and we rented made us poorer apparently.

[SeparatedByMotorways]

Easier said than done but try to just shrug it off. My dp's family occasionally mention how they don't understand why we rent and I find that a breezy 'well, it suits us, we like the flexibility, I don't know where I'll want to live next year' shuts it down because we obviously aren't taking the bait.

[blue25]

Our main push to buy was thinking about retirement. We didn't want to be paying rent forever & want our mortgage paid off by 55. I can see lots of advantages to renting in terms of freedom to move, repairs paid for etc. However, friends who are renting won't be able to retire early with continued rents to pay and I know it worries them.

[boreddrinker]

Also not sure if this will hit a nerve with anyone but I think private rent is so expensive because there are no council houses thanks to right to buy... I have lived in a council house, private rented and owned but I don't agree with right to buy council houses, if you are in a position to buy you no longer need that house and can buy elsewhere to free up cheaper housing for the next people who find themselves in the position that you were in once... so it's not all 'blame the landlord' I think some blame lies there too

[Amethyst81]

I hate it when people are shocked when they find out I rent, almost as if I don't fit the 'type'. People I work with who have owned their own home for 30 years plus and paid off their mortgage are horrified and see it as irresponsible that I'm 35 and don't own, especially that I live in a gasp flat! Yes two failed businesses and stupid house prices mean that I don't have a choice, don't bloody judge me!