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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think rent is so bloody unfair

999 replies

Tar19891 · 02/04/2022 20:43

My rent is 800 per month. A mortgage on the same value flat would be 450 per month. Not in London obviously. It’s not fair is it?

OP posts:
BambinaJAS · 03/04/2022 01:46

@SquirrelG

What do you want to happen OP? If there were no landlords, where would you live? There have always been people who rent, it's a fact of life. Of course we all want buying a house to be more affordable than it is at present, but there isn't anything we can do about it.

I'm heading for 63 and have to face the fact that, unless house prices drop dramatically, I will never own another house. There is no point in whining about it.

There most definitely is "something you can do about it"

Vote the Tories out

Campaign for a massive social house building drive

And thats it. House price growth will stop

maryso · 03/04/2022 01:54

Well things would work better if we tore off the artificially low interest rate drug we're addicted to. Land prices will fall. The Bank of England has only one job and it cannot even do that.

The fault is almost all ours. We demand that our politicians keep us in life support, and pretend that our inability to function normally has nothing to do with our choosing not to get on with the painful rehab without which there is no healing or normal economic functioning.

It is not only the Tories who have failed to run our nation/s competently. We need more than false flags, Competence would be a good start. Given we are not a collection of swampy villages without enough drinking water, it may even take us a relatively short time to get back on our feet.

maryso · 03/04/2022 02:03

@SquirrelG I agree that whining is a red herring. We need to learn, then to demand better, and accept that we also have to put in the effort.

Only the helpless whine. Learning and then acting is far more effective.

Enzbear · 03/04/2022 02:14

We rented, then we didn't want to rent anymore so we saved up and bought instead.
We worked loads of hours to do this which didn't give us any time to moan about the price of property or start threads encouraging others to whinge along.

NumberTheory · 03/04/2022 02:20

@BoredZelda

And were you taking not just the mortgage interest but the payments to principal inthe "costs" you took off before you calculated your profit? If so, your return also includes the direct increased equity from lowering the amount you were borrowing - not much in the first few years of a mortgage, but significant later on.

My property was in negative equity so there was no profit in selling it. I rented it until I broke even on what I had paid for it ten years prior.

So you gained the difference between what it was worth when you started renting it and what it was worth when you sold. Was that significantly more than £500?
nosafeguardingadults · 03/04/2022 03:27

@SquirrelG

What do you want to happen OP? If there were no landlords, where would you live? There have always been people who rent, it's a fact of life. Of course we all want buying a house to be more affordable than it is at present, but there isn't anything we can do about it.

I'm heading for 63 and have to face the fact that, unless house prices drop dramatically, I will never own another house. There is no point in whining about it.

Need safe landlords so need social housing cos not safe private. Like abusers, landlords can do whatever they want illegal unsafe things & get away with it cos otherwise tenant is homeless and also private landlord can be dangerous bad person, rapist or anyone and has no checks no criminal checks and has key to tenants house. Don't care about owning but need renting to be safe & affordable. Living in fear everyday of physical violence & abuse or living in fear everyday of private landlord making us homeless. Person that said just work hard and buy has no idea of reality. Abuse or disabled or other bad things that mean impossible to afford to buy.
blinkler · 03/04/2022 04:45

I kind of agree. I have a house I rent out but it's for in 20 years will be paid off as a retirement income as I won't have a pension. But will do whatever I can to make to tenants happy and looked after in their home. It's not just money it's a family's home and their future too so need to make it the best for both of us x

blinkler · 03/04/2022 04:52

Though I have been in some rented houses and they are basically mouldy rotten squalor houses which are should never be rented out. That shouldn't be allowed ever!

lightisnotwhite · 03/04/2022 06:47

@SquirrelG

What do you want to happen OP? If there were no landlords, where would you live? There have always been people who rent, it's a fact of life. Of course we all want buying a house to be more affordable than it is at present, but there isn't anything we can do about it.

I'm heading for 63 and have to face the fact that, unless house prices drop dramatically, I will never own another house. There is no point in whining about it.

I’ve got a solution.

Everyone is allowed to be a landlord of one home without restrictions. That means your elderly parents house or a student investment home or second home is fine to rent out at any price.
More than one property and you can only rent it out at HA rates.
More than three and you need to take people off the housing register.

LndnGrl · 03/04/2022 07:06

@Tar19891

Plus the landlord is building equity. Come on, we’re all adults as you say. Just admit to profiting off the situation
Why shouldn't they profit? Hey are providing a service to you. They aren't a charity. But at 800, they will probably just be breaking even.

My house was valued at 120, my mortgage is 463. But with life insurance , boiler cover etc it costs just under 800. If your landlords cost are roughly the same as mine and they are also paying landlord insurance and a letting agency, I doubt they are making a profit.

NortieTortie · 03/04/2022 07:21

Yep. Landlords artificially inflate the housing market and are simply leeches. In my experience they don't give a toss about their tenants, only the cash lining their purse. I developed asthma as an adult because one was too cheap to sort out the damp!

BottleOfSun · 03/04/2022 07:27

I’m abit bias because my landlord is actually dead. So I’m effectively paying a dead man atm. Currently saving up to be able to move (property has gone to probate) but the rent has got so high where I live :(

BottleOfSun · 03/04/2022 07:28

And also - I haven’t had a light in the front room ceiling since before Xmas as it shorted out my electric and because my landlord has died I’ve been left with nothing. Our letting agent doesn’t give a shit.

ivykaty44 · 03/04/2022 07:30

More than one property and you can only rent it out at HA rates.

HA were renting 2 bed apartments at £187 a week, at the same time I could get a 2 bed flat for £650 a month

lightisnotwhite · 03/04/2022 07:34

Why shouldn't they profit? Hey are providing a service to you. They aren't a charity. But at 800, they will probably just be breaking even.

Because a society where people have a home should be a basic right. Like having water. Sure you pay for it but they should only ever be breaking even.

lightisnotwhite · 03/04/2022 07:40

@ivykaty44

More than one property and you can only rent it out at HA rates.

HA were renting 2 bed apartments at £187 a week, at the same time I could get a 2 bed flat for £650 a month

HA rents are 80% of the average price of the area. My new government would ensure this was reflected in the rental price every year.
ItsYabbaDabbaDoTime · 03/04/2022 07:44

I do feel for you. It is so wrong. I suppose you have tried all the usual routes to getting a mortgage (including going to specialist brokers)?

Is there any chance you can move to a cheaper area?
Round my way (the North) you either rent or buy a house with a garden for about £550 a month.

M0nica44 · 03/04/2022 07:45

@MrsTerryPratchett

But you don’t live in a communist society and when people can’t afford a home the the council will house them.

Do you think Singapore is Communist you dingbat?

And have you applied for Council housing recently?

Let them eat cake, right?

Mrs TP i do love you! Often wondered if you would consider running for ruler of the world, or just as an MP in the UK, you know if you would rather start small and work up to the big job?!
LndnGrl · 03/04/2022 07:46

@lightisnotwhite

Why shouldn't they profit? Hey are providing a service to you. They aren't a charity. But at 800, they will probably just be breaking even.

Because a society where people have a home should be a basic right. Like having water. Sure you pay for it but they should only ever be breaking even.

Rent from the council then.

And utility companies don't break even. They are crippling most of the country Confused

rugbunch · 03/04/2022 07:48

Rent from the council then.

OMG! why has no one thought of this, what a good idea!

Chestofdraws · 03/04/2022 07:49

@lightisnotwhite

Why shouldn't they profit? Hey are providing a service to you. They aren't a charity. But at 800, they will probably just be breaking even.

Because a society where people have a home should be a basic right. Like having water. Sure you pay for it but they should only ever be breaking even.

Such entitlement. Isn’t food, clothes and heat also a basic right? Where does your basic rights stop in terms of what you think you should be given by the tax payer?

If I worked down Tesco I’d know full well that people will be shopping in there on benefits, people who can’t make ends meet. I also know that Tesco makes a profit on every loaf of bread it sells. Some of that profit goes to me in wages. I have fun nights out with my friends, when I’m buying a round I’m using some poor bastards money to do so. I’m profiteering.

The same If I worked for a housing association. The wage I’m paid is pure profit off the rents people pay.

We live in a capitalist society, this is how it works. Every single thing, from your clothes to your food to heat is done for profit. Including the people who work for those organisations and claim a wage which is more than jist covering their basic needs.

If you want communism then pop off and live in China and then tell us how much better it is.

rugbunch · 03/04/2022 07:56

Such entitlement.

It's not entitled to want shelter. Plus wanting a fairer system doesn't equal move to China 🙄

Chestofdraws · 03/04/2022 08:00

@rugbunch

Such entitlement.

It's not entitled to want shelter. Plus wanting a fairer system doesn't equal move to China 🙄

But she has shelter. And if someone can’t home them selves then the council will give them shelter. This isn’t about homeless people. This is about people wanting cheap rent.
rugbunch · 03/04/2022 08:04

This is about people wanting cheap rent.

No it's about people wanting affordable rent & others greed.

stuntbubbles · 03/04/2022 08:05

And if someone can’t home them selves then the council will give them shelter.
Are you quite quite sure about that.