To think ending the eviction ban just as the Indian variant is spreading is a very bad idea

[Tealightsandd]

Hundreds of thousands of families and vulnerable individuals could soon become homeless all around the same time. Just as the Indian Covid variant is starting to spread...

It's a potential public health issue - and a taxpayer one too. It will cost loads to house them all in expensive but cramped (ideal Covid spreading conditions) temporary accommodation.

Rent arrears can't just keep building and landlords need the rent paying. But mass evictions during a pandemic aren't the answer.

Lots of people have lost their jobs or are too ill with Long Covid to work. Many are struggling to pay their rent.

The solution is an increase to housing welfare benefits so that tenants can afford private rents.

Separately, rent arrears and severe anti social behaviour aside (which should be dealt with by the police as well as landlords), currently England allows no fault evictions. Tenants can and are evicted, despite being fully paid up on rent. Bad at any time. Potentially deadly during a pandemic.

We were served a section21 during lockdown. It's just they had to give 6 months notice not 2.

Rent control instead of increased housing benefit is what's needed. The council keep saying we should try and find private rentals, but that leaves us £200 short per month. Rent control makes it more affordable for everyone and allows them to save to buy easier.

Also there shouldn't be a savings limit to get UC unless on jsa. This was never the case with working tax credits.

Tealights but that will make no difference now for the situation that’s current. And also if no rent whatsoever is being paid, then it’s not about the amount of rent. The majority of the backlog is going to be caused by claims already in the system prior to the pandemic, that were halted just before the bailiffs appointments were applied for. Those people were already not paying their rent, let alone any difference in rent crated by a shortfall of hb. And of course a great many weren’t/aren’t in receipt of hb anyway, and were already shafting their landlords.

@Tealightsandd

No we need the opposite. Reduce housing benefit and stop paying out these ridiculous amounts for temporary accommodation.

You want children and the disabled on the streets?

Or we could just open up the economy so that people can earn the, money to pay their rent.

There are ways to solve these problems but tweaking laws and increasing HB aren't it.

A massive overhaul of the entire housing system is required. Housing must no longer be a commodity, rather an essential service like schools and fire brigades. I favour the Singapore model where the government builds and sells apartments at low prices to people, instilling pride and a sense of community. Services are built in preventing ghettoization and breaks are given to people who live with aging relatives.

However that goes against the laissez faire, money grabbing shit storm that is the government. There's no way they'll give up the property cash cow just to prevent homelessness and needless deaths.

The issue is treating housing as a bank not a home.

The Mn view on landlords is that they're all fat cats and can afford to just not receive rent and should be grateful that the tenant is living there.

Problem is that isn't every landlord. Our first house we rented round here was from a lovely lady, who was renting her mum's house. The rent went directly to pay for her disabled mum's care. If we had stopped paying, she would have struggled to pay for care.

One thing I think that could help is just raising wages. If people earn more, they are less reliant on top up benefits, the decision between paying rent or fixing the crisis (car breakdown etc.) that may have happened would not be there, savings could be amassed to deal with said crisis issues when they arise, deposits for mortgages could be obtained etc. Of course there will always be those that just refuse to pay their rent.

Do you know how difficult it is to get a section 8???
Practically impossible.

My friend rented out her mother's house when her mother went into a care home, to partially pay for the fees. When she lost her job during the pandemic, she was struggling to contribute towards the rest of the care fees, but couldn't sell the house as she couldn't evict the tenants. When the tenants heard she wanted to sell, they stopped paying rent.

It's time for this system to end.

@SparklyLeprechaun

My friend rented out her mother's house when her mother went into a care home, to partially pay for the fees. When she lost her job during the pandemic, she was struggling to contribute towards the rest of the care fees, but couldn't sell the house as she couldn't evict the tenants. When the tenants heard she wanted to sell, they stopped paying rent.

It's time for this system to end.

bloody hell! yes, i agree...time for it to end. get those buggers out! how dare they

YANBU.

Weird that the stamp duty holiday ran at full discount until end of June, and then a bit of a discount until Sept.

Oh did I say weird? I meant to say of course the Tories would prioritise house prices over humans.

The mass evictions won't take place for over 12 months for most since the court have a huge backlog and will also be prioritising those with over 6 months rent arrears, no housing benefit should not be increased it bad enough they cover rents to the tune of 3k a month in some areas and most housing benefit covers rent just not for those who live in expensive areas, more social housing is required and they should stop selling off houses unless they replace them, also downsize tenants when need ie some around here live in a 3 bed and only 1 person lives in the house

You don't actually want a sensible conversation about this, do you? As soon as someone says something that even slightly disagrees with you, you shoot them down saying they don't care about the disabled or children.

You haven't produced any evidence to support your assertion that 100,000s of families will end up evicted soon. You seem to have just made that up based on the ban on evictions ending. But you haven't explained how you got to that figured or mentioned how, with the backlog at courts, it could easily take 12 months plus to evict a tenant.

There needs to be a serious debate about housing in this country. I'm just not sure you're interested in/willing to hear it.

@FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop

This is a very unpopular view on MN but maybe if people don't want to be evicted they should pay their rent? Landlords are not charities. Nor all they all fat cats with 600 properties.

Well you're not wrong. You wouldn't stop paying your mortgage and expect the bank to let you keep your house for free would you? Well some would, but they are stupid.

@MrsTerryPratchett

There are ways to solve these problems but tweaking laws and increasing HB aren't it.

A massive overhaul of the entire housing system is required. Housing must no longer be a commodity, rather an essential service like schools and fire brigades. I favour the Singapore model where the government builds and sells apartments at low prices to people, instilling pride and a sense of community. Services are built in preventing ghettoization and breaks are given to people who live with aging relatives.

However that goes against the laissez faire, money grabbing shit storm that is the government. There's no way they'll give up the property cash cow just to prevent homelessness and needless deaths.

The issue is treating housing as a bank not a home.

I agree completely.

But - in the short term, to avoid mass evictions of families and vulnerable individuals during a pandemic, we need to do something right now. Even if it's just a temporary fix until the longer term solutions can be put in place.

@Lollipopmum0183

Do you know how difficult it is to get a section 8??? Practically impossible.

Then it should be tracked to make it easier. It's not a reason to keep Section 21 no fault evictions.

*tweaked not tracked

@Doomsdayisstillcoming

YANBU.

Weird that the stamp duty holiday ran at full discount until end of June, and then a bit of a discount until Sept.

Oh did I say weird? I meant to say of course the Tories would prioritise house prices over humans.

The stamp duty holiday was a terrible idea. It's only served to push house prices up. Last thing most buyers need - whether first time buyers or moving up the ladder to a family home.

also downsize tenants when need ie some around here live in a 3 bed and only 1 person lives in the house

There's already a severe shortage of 1 bedroom homes. The bedroom tax policy has led to many vulnerable disabled becoming homeless.

The rent went directly to pay for her disabled mum's care. If we had stopped paying, she would have struggled to pay for care.

My grandmother sold her house to pay for her care.

I really dont think there are many many many landlords waiting to evict their rent paying non antisocial tenants "just in case". How would a landlordd even know if somebody lost a job and is on benefits if the rent is paid?

Are you sure this Indian variant is a big deal?

It feels like some people never want lockdowns etc. to end.

You don't actually want a sensible conversation about this, do you? As soon as someone says something that even slightly disagrees with you, you shoot them down saying they don't care about the disabled or children.

How am I shooting anyone down? I absolutely do want a sensible conversation. Which is why I asked questions of posters. Because I want to I know their solution. Not replying to a reasonable question and instead accusing me of 'shooting posters down' on the other hand...

So, what would you do about the children of tenants unable to afford rent and people too ill or disabled to work? Not answering Jr question doesn't make the issue go away.

We still dont learn from history even while the history is still happening (Covid)

a lot of public toilets are shut because of Covid so where do you think homeless people are going for a crap. Here its a certain alleyway they have been using. The more homeless people there are the more this will happen. We could end up with a bacterial infection spreading which would be much worse than Covid. And as a lot of public goodwill has already been used up on Covid there would be none left for another public health crisis.

There arent enough shelters or temp accommodation for the shitstorm that is coming.

Even the Victorians recognised the link between poor and/or lack of housing and sickness.

citymonitor.ai/fabric/very-brief-history-council-housing-3930

The earliest council housing sprang not from conscience, but from fear. Most Victorian politicians feared that intervening in the housing market would create a culture of dependence – but the poor sanitary conditions in the slums combined with the unscientific “miasma” theory of disease transmission to make action inevitable. Some wealthy Victorians wanted to improve the lot of the poor; many more were just terrified of getting sick. So cities, led by London and Liverpool, began to build

We need to start learning from history, both the more ancient and more recent.

Homes should be to nest, not to invest.
I think the rental market is disgraceful.

My ex mil buys up small terrace homes and rents them out, she goes to auctions mostly and buys repossessed homes.

Her new thing is to start evicting the tenants she has in north wales and turning the properties into air b&bs

Not quite sure why you started this thread OP, you seem to have a lot more to say than the people that you are "asking" if you are being unreasonable.

I think you are just looking for an argument.