To think that if you private rent your life should not be dictated to by the landlord whose mortgage you are paying

[Nursejackie1]

So many of us are stuck in private renting with no choice paying over the odds, while landlords are making a mint. Most landlords have all these rules that you can’t decorate without permission, can’t even put a wall hanging up without asking. Often can’t or need permission to have pets, have regular inspections. I pay loads for my home and due to that cannot save a deposit. My kids have never had their bedrooms decorated in the way I would like.. having to stick with plain magnolia. Why should somebody else decide whether my kids get to grow up with a family pet or not? AIBU to think that if you are paying somebodies mortgage for them then while you are in that house you should be able to treat it as your own within reason and not have your life dictated to and controlled by them?

I had to go work away from home, initially for one year, but due to circumstance it ended up being 4. I had a mortgage but no extra cash. So I rented my home out. Didn't want my home super changed as I thought it was only for one year. The tenant misrepresented her circumstances but my letting agents were pretty useless (who were taking home a cut of my so called profits) and didn't realise this for over a year. The tenant started missing her payments a few times and because she had kids I gave her time to pay. She ruined a year old carpet in the house and expected me to pay to replace it. Massive stain. I said no, this was up to her to sort out. She proceeded to continue to fail to pay while on her Facebook I could see she was going on holidays and concerts. Eventually I had enough. I got my house back trashed, dirty, an entire sheds worth of dirt and detritus and a bucket of vomit. There was 2 inches of grease in my oven and 4 months unpaid rent. Her and her partner cut down beautiful plants and hedges in my garden. Had to pay to get some of these things fixed and the rest I had to do and clean myself. While she was paying my mortgage as such I was BY NO MEANS raking it in. Ended up significantly worse off for it. Please dont assume just because a landlord is a landlord that we are in some way minted. It is sometimes due to circumstance we have to rent out a property. While I'm sure there are unscrupulous landlords believe me there are alot of tenants out there that bring alot of the mistrust on themselves by their actions. While I was in my predicament I spoke to many landlords who had had their houses trashed by tenants, and i had spoken to solicitors who had to be brought in to try to get them removed from their property because of not paying rent or trashing property. I used to rent a long time ago in various houses. Respected the property kept them clean and handed them back the way they were given to us. My house was clean and well kept, relatively new carpets fixtures and fittings when I got it back I did what I could but immediately sold it I could never feel the same way about it or put myself through that again, I will NEVER rent out any property again.

This post has confirmed what I’ve always felt. People truly look down on renters. In the UK we used to have housing for all. Council houses, which were rented, were people’s homes and communities were built on estates where everyone was in the same boat. Now we have so few council properties available, rising private rentals and more home owners but the point is, these are all people’s homes and this is what’s forgotten. Of course tenants should be able to feel at home and put pictures up/ paint etc. Appalling lack of empathy and understanding shown on this thread.

I was a landlord - not because I could afford more than one house but because my husband was in the forces and we lived away. My tenants had to ask permission to do all the things op mentioned and all but one took advantage and did what they liked, probably with the same attitude as op and subsequently things done to my house such as rooms painted random colours hammering holes in walls, shelves where I wouldn’t put them and damage caused by pets (that I didn’t allow) and not put back the way they were or rectified each time a tenant left cost me a lot of money over the years.

All the whinging landlords on here - if it’s that difficult and you don’t make a profit, you could just sell the houses? Agree with the PP who said the rental sector should be social. In fact I think all housing should be state owned - abolish home ownership completely and let everyone have access to housing

People keep mentioning European countries where landlords have to allow more leeway with things like decorating or owning pets and tenants have longer, more secure tenancies, and personally as a landlord, I'd prefer a system like that.

But what is it that makes the difference? The laws, obviously, but if tenants don't pay the rent or damage the property what happens? Landlords here have to start out strict because the law gives them no support at all if those things happen, they're on their own, have to pay a fortune to evict and fix problems, and are at the mercy of the overcrowded court system so it can be a very expensive and stressful time if you get a bad tenant.

I would hope that a system that gives tenants more rights would also do more to protect landlords. If the law supported landlords here, they could afford to allow tenants to make their properties feel more like home.

Bad landlords give the few decent ones a bad name.

Bad tenants give the few decent ones a bad name.

The solution is for government to significantly restrict letting to only those circumstances where it works well and to enable through rent controls, taxation and subsidy even average earners the right to acquire decent homes where they work and where their families live.

We are in a situation where a many professionals in medical care and teaching plus all the other forces are looking at an old age of penal servitude to greedy landlords.

And taxpayers will be funding this - who else funds civil service pensions!

I am talking about not having my life dicatated to

So you don't want to be told to drive at the speed limit, not steal or any one of a myriad of things that allow all of us to function together? It isn't your house, so you have to abide by the LL rules or go somewhere else. LL don't have these rules to make your life difficult, they do it because someone before you took advantage. Blame them.

I’ve rented for a number of years and was always surprised at how grateful the landlords were to see that I had looked after their properties well. Apparently its the exception rather than the norm. And it’s not always the worst tenants being low paid workers or the unemployed. Some of the tenants who don’t pay rent or trash the properties are professionals, so please don’t make it a class thing, because it really isn’t. People rent privately for a variety of reasons and it’s not always about not being able to afford deposits to own..

I'm a landlord but not through choice. I couldn't sell my home and had to move for work. The rent covers my mortgage but the excess goes towards the additional tax I have to pay each year.
My tenants can have a pet with prior permission and if they asked I would allow them to decorate and hang pictures etc.
I've lived in rented accommodation and used command hooks that peel off the walls when done and I don't dislike magnolia.
I'd like to think I could sell my house one day but I don't care to make a loss on it right now.
I've had two sets of tenants wreck my home and back garden and it's cost me dearly to put things right even with insurance.
Being a landlord isn't always a choice.

looking at an old age of penal servitude to greedy landlords.

And many LL like my sister, were brought to penury by a greedy tenant, who stripped her flat bare - including kitchen units - after not paying rent for over a year. But she still had to pay the mortgage and to repair her home.

In my experience, very few tenants treat their rental as if it were their own home. So LL have to have rules.

Yabu to think that every landlord has loads of money.
I was a landlord for a while as my tiny weeny little flat dropped so much in value that I couldn’t afford to sell it and I couldn’t live in it after having a number of kids. The rent just covered my huge mortgage and the bills. I also had my flat completely ruined by one tenant. So it’s not all money in your pocket. I also know of someone renting out their house so that they can afford a nursing home for a parent with dementia so again not rich, just in need.

Excellent post Birthday552. I wholeheartedly agree.

There's a huge basket of chips on the shoulders of both sides, now!

Rental income is taxable. So it does contribute.

I do agree that it seems some landlords, specifically in some areas and letting to certain groups are horrific and take the piss.

Here, however, we rented for years and the cost was fair. Many similar sized houses for really cheap rent. When you're looking for something bigger, it gets really hard to find something.

The silly LA fees are now better regulated. I don't think it's unreasonable to hang a picture or to paint a wall - especially if you're on a long term let.

Maybe that's the key? More regulation for long term lets. Allowing more hanging, painting, pets etc if you commit to 12/24 months? A 6 month let needs to be kept as it is?

LL need to take wear and tear into account and tennants need to not be scruffy buggers.

God, this thread makes me sad to read and happy to rent in Scandinavia. State-owned flat and with no rent increases for eight years, so far. We pay to redecorate and just return it to white walls if we move out. The deposit (and rent) is half of what I paid to rent privately in London in a flat, where I couldn't hang pictures and lived with LL's furnishings. I was kicked out after a year because they wanted to sell. It never felt like a home.

But then, in Scandinavia, while people aspire to own, there isn't the same obsession with it as I found to be the case in the UK.

We rented for years, now own and rent out a small flat. I agree it is unfair-we appreciate our tenant is paying off our mortgage however when we got a bill for 24K( we paid 88k for place) for listed building repairs we did not feel the benefits of being a landlord....can you move somewhere cheaper so you can save?
We now pay 1200 in interest every month to the bank-only 700 is actually paying the house off and we will never pay off our mortgage as we bought in our 40's= so it is like renting from the bank really but we have to pay all the repair bills!!

*Excellent post Birthday552. I wholeheartedly agree."

Me too.

Excellent post Birthday552. I wholeheartedly agree.

Me too

I think the desire to own comes from the worry that the LL will sell from under you.
In our area there is a stigma around renting HA / council ( not saying it's right, saying it happens!) So I really don't know how well received the state owned market would be. Might work in London, I guess?

When I first moved to a different city to move in with my now husband I rented my house out. I took the risk to buy a house instead of go to university. The rent was about the same as the mortgage, but once I paid fees and insurance it was less than mortgage.

My Tennant asked permission to redecorate.. Which I agreed to. She got bored half way through and when it came to selling, I lost money having to redecorate.

She'd also infected the house with fleas with the cat I hadn't agreed to. But this took a few weeks to discover, after she'd got most of her deposit back.

I'm a renter. My landlord had all the walls painted magnolia for when I moved in-but I've painted a few rooms different colours and done my childrens room up in a superhero theme. My landlord told me to decorate it how I like and said it's my home. Obviously pointed out I wasnt to do big jobs like add an extension-lol! I am allowed pets too. Previous tenant had a few dogs. I don't like private renting though, I still feel like it is not my own home, I prefer social housing. I felt safer there. I'll never be a home owner and I dont want to be. I think landlords vary hugely, just like tenants. Maybe time to find a new one OP?

More regulation for long term lets. Allowing more hanging, painting, pets etc if you commit to 12/24 months? A 6 month let needs to be kept as it is?

Yes, that sounds sensible. I wouldn’t have a problem with magnolia walls and no pictures if I was only somewhere for 6 months, but when it’s your home for years it’s a really grim way to live to feel like you’re a short-term guest.

In our area there is a stigma around renting HA / council ( not saying it's right, saying it happens!) So I really don't know how well received the state owned market would be. Might work in London, I guess?

It used to be the same here, but people soon get by the stigma when they have the chance to save £200 a month on some of the rents.

Plus once somewhere has a good number of social housing it becomes more just part of life. Especially when there’s not the same ‘estate’ mentality that there is in some places. Here, apart from the brand new ones, you can’t tell which of the newer houses are owned and which are social and which are mid market rent.

The main HA also quite cleverly offers owners the chance to pay for upgrades when they are doing bulk upgrades. So last year I know someone who got a good deal in new windows because they were part of 25 houses in a street being done so the company offered a good deal.

For those of you complaining about landlords, if you loaned or rented your car out to a friend for a week and got it back trashed with broken lights and no fuel and no offer of compensation would this be a problem or perfectly acceptable behaviour?

A lot of HA rents are now the same as private ones.

Affordable housing is not the same as social housing.