To think rent is so bloody unfair

[Tar19891]

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?

Yep, complete fantasy sadly. The only way would be to engineer a gradual decline so that prices stayed static and would not rise with, or above inflation.

The problem, however, is that house buying is often emotional. If you really wanted that beautiful home, and there were numerous parties interested, then market forces will always drive up value.

The easiest way to get to reduced house prices is to have large scale social housing at sensible rents

That destroys the current private lamas lord buskness models

And if you can get a reasonable house to rent at a good price you will think twice about spending loads more for your perfect home

@mudgetastic

The easiest way to get to reduced house prices is to have large scale social housing at sensible rents

That destroys the current private lamas lord buskness models

And if you can get a reasonable house to rent at a good price you will think twice about spending loads more for your perfect home

Large scale social housing is exactly what we need. Affordable rents will enable some people to save and get on the housing ladder. Those that can't save or need help from benefits longer term can have longer term security - it's good for society on all levels to have stable homes for kids to grow up in rather than moving schools etc all the time depending where you can get decent private rentals or people being forced into emergency accommodation miles from family and schools. I absolutely cannot understand the short sightedness of selling off and winding down social housing.

@Whammyyammy

If you think rent is too high, and mortgage much cheaper, then surely just buy is the answer 🤷‍♂️

Gosh why hasn't everyone thought of that?

[quote Tar19891]@Chestofdraws I pay tenants insurance already. I appreciate that I don’t have to pay for cost of repairs but TBH they’re not 4.2k per year are they?[/quote]
The Landlord will also pay Buildings insurance. The contents insurance you pay only insures the contents ie your possessions. The Landlord has to pay Buildings to cover if the roof collapses or if there's a fire for example.

I'm staggered at your lack of knowledge

@LardyDee

if mortgage balances were also reduced downwards so that no one ended up in negative equity, it would benefit most people.

We do seem to be entering the realms of fantasy here. I wonder how this would work. Who is going to fund this debt write off for people who paid too much for their houses? (One possibility of course would be to tax landlords properly and to get the money back that way.)

It would certainly require government intervention. Precisely how it would be paid for is of course a tricky question - but unless you discuss an idea and consider if it would work in theory, you can't get onto the practicalities.

I was largely replying to the idea that falling house prices are a bad thing for all home owners, which I don't think they are.

In a situation where house prices were capped you'd also need to cap the number of houses any one person can own. Else you'd get wealthy people speculating on the market by buying up lots of newly 'cheap' properties and then hoping that the price cap policy would be dropped eventually and they'd make oligarch level profits.

A large scale programme of building - both social and privately owned homes, preferably as I outlined in a post on my last thread - would be the most sensible option as making supply exceed demand would naturally cause house prices to fall. But some people would still end up in negative equity.

@Whammyyammy

If you think rent is too high, and mortgage much cheaper, then surely just buy is the answer 🤷‍♂️

Of course. Why didn’t we all think of that?🙄

@Jobseeker19

I have yet to meet a landlord who pays insurance.

They'd be crazy not to pay buildings insurance! It's their property. If something happens then they lose out

If most people want more social housing on this thread, then why are the same people having a go at private LLs? Your frustrations should be directed at the government.
people are scrutinising LLs for being money grabbing by charging high rents and profiteering from those who are unable to afford their homes, and the same people are also annoyed when LLs are selling up as they then can’t find a rental home. You can’t have it both ways.
It’s not the private LLs that are propping up housing prices (most of the LLs on this thread and those you may know personally). It’s having access to cheap credit and the big property companies and banks that are keeping house prices inflated. Hence why rental rates remain high. It is the government who are enabling this. Private LLs have just been savvy and chosen real estate as an asset investment. If it wasn’t that, it would be stocks and shares

In 2018 I came back to the UK in debt but with a goal to buy a property in the next few years. I specifically made sure I pursued a career with decent prospects & saved as much money as I could by doing things many might say were "tight". Admittedly I was lucky that I could live with family paying 75% market rent & bills, but realistically I could have (and did) find cheaper places a bit further out. I have now bought a 2 bed flat on the outskirts of london

I have quite a few friends saying i'm lucky to be able to buy, but honestly they've just not put in the amount of work/sacrifice that I have. I don't own a car, go on cheap (

@strivingtosucceed like you said could live with family have the ability to have a good career not all have those options so stop being so judgemental

@Fretfulmum stocks and shares wouldn't affect me though , people buying multiple houses do
My brother just been house buying bottom end of the chain they lost out on so many houses as private landlords were snapping them up cash
Also some let out shocking houses in poor states

@DietOrDie I am not sure she did ban the money being spent do you have a link for that
And again she hasn't been in power for 30 years or so we have had plenty of time to build
Many have been built my housing association house is only 10 years old but not built as quickly as out population has risen
Also many councils do not have houses they are run by housing associations in many places now
Whats stoping more being built is it would affect house prices and provate landlords as many are only in private because they have to be

@worriedatthistime you know that one of the things people buy stocks and shares in are property management companies right?

@Porcupineintherough they but them in all sorts of things but its funny on here people moan about fair but think its ok someone owns 20 houses whilst another lives in an unsuitable house , works hard yet can't even afford to rent a basic house
Even council / ha tenants no longer get secure tenancies

@Porcupineintherough the whole point here though is its not old poor landlords here who are suffering like many are making out
Some of us are stuck down the bottom for various reasons with no way to get back up
Rent is what is causing many to go hungry as in some areas its so out of control

[quote worriedatthistime]@strivingtosucceed like you said could live with family have the ability to have a good career not all have those options so stop being so judgemental [/quote]
I'm speaking about my own friends whose lifestyles & finances I know for myself. Funny enough they all have decent jobs, doctors, dentists, IT professionals etc

What i'm trying to say is, everyone has advantages and disadvantages. I started from debt and managed to pay that off and save £20k+ in 2.5 years by making my own sacrifices. All my friends live at home, so even though they may not make as much as me(most do) they have good opportunities to save. Some have inheritance or money from their parents.

I am originally from a 3rd world country, maybe thats why i'm less sympathetic than most. Most of my cousins would bite their arm off for the opportunites over here.

@DietOrDie

The other option is not “sleeping in a tent”, you’re being dramatic about that

If I couldn't find a landlord willing to accept a self employed dog owner (which is likely - it took 3 months to find this place when I was a well paid traditionally employed dog owner)

If the council won't house me (no kids, dog owner - well I can point to a fair few people fitting that description sleeping in tents on my local high street) or will only put me up in the local homeless hostel where one resident recently stabbed another to death.

... Where exactly do you think I should be living? I've no family in this part of the UK, and friends are renting with a no pets clause in the contract so I couldn't even sofa surf without risking their tenancy.

100% right she's not being over dramatic. If no children, lots of councils don't house or if anything it's unsafe slum homeless temp that is often more dangerous than streets. Violence, rapes, drugs, lots of danger and no privacy or dignity.

People saying don't have children and then all no problem is rubbish cos if no children is big reason why lots are homeless cos councils don't house often singles. When I was I was in refuge, literally first question on housing application form for council is are you pregnant or do you have children. I'm bit older and remember helpless fear when problems started happening with landlords buying homes that used to be bought by first buyers and making them too expensive. If I'd had children would've been housed by council cos was still happening at that time but no children was bottom of list. So big rubbish blaming people renters for having children.

Not saying is ok for when there's children though cos homeless housing still often bad for families and very bad for children not having safe longterm home. Also if all people waited to buy then lots could never have children cos high private rents stop saving for buying and also lots of income too low for mortgage.

Also domestic violence situations where there's children and lots of it happens after pregnancy so don't say people shouldn't have children in that situation and victim blame. Also sometimes pregnancy isn't planned or it is planned but dad walks out.

People saying they worked hard and saved up no idea ignorant of illness disability or domestic violence or other bad things happening. Can work hard and save but all gone quickly if get ill or have disabled child or domestic violence or other bad thing happens.

It’s true that lost of landlords won’t take tenants on benefits, but at the same time on this thread landlords are accused of making all their profits because of people on benefits. Which is it, because both can’t be the overwhelming problem.

It's the slum landlords who making profits from benefits. I returned to domestic violence after refuge cos safe rehousing is postcode lottery and my council sends homeless far away to isolated slum temp to rot for years so not chance of recover or rebuild. So lots stuck on benefits cos not given chance to recover and contribute to society. It's real slums was even in papers and think Jess Phillips has spoken about it. Illegal dangerous conditions and all put in together domestic violence victims with violent ex prisoners and drugs and very dangerous slum condition housing.

I don't blame all landlords for this. Know not all bad though wish wasn't prejudice ignorance lumping all benefits in together. I paid rent years and years never arrears. Is some damage from violent abuse but not my fault and wouldn't happen if in own safe new home.

Someone said I was blaming the landlords for domestic violence murders but not true. I blame the places and people who lie to domestic victims and tell us to leave not caring about consequences of not enough safe housing. Also upset about victim blamers who say to victims they should've left and it's their fault for not leaving. Cos where do we leave to? Refuges temporary housing so then what? Need safe homes and if that's not happening, shldnt be blamed if can't leave or go back.

@Tar19891

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?

I have 800 per month available to spend on rent. A mortgage on the same value flat would be 450 per month but I’m not yet ready to buy/want to live here temporarily/need somewhere to live urgently. No properties exist that I can rent. It’s not fair is it?

[quote Tar19891]@Chestofdraws I pay tenants insurance already. I appreciate that I don’t have to pay for cost of repairs but TBH they’re not 4.2k per year are they?[/quote]
Repairs can easily cost that.

In the past councils gave their tenants life long tenancies
However, this can mean that over time, you could have a single elderly person living in a 3 or 4 bedroom property. Where the property was previously fully occupied.
I believe that some councils have now changed to 25 year tenancies or less, to attempt to keep their properties fully occupied

@Tar19891

Plus the landlord is building equity. Come on, we’re all adults as you say. Just admit to profiting off the situation

Profiting off what situation?

The one where you need somewhere to live temporarily?

You make it sound like a giant conspiracy to screw you over. Maybe you should stop fuelling the market and then rental prices will come down.

I don't understand the comment about rent being "unfair"

There are alternatives;

Find a job, that includes free or reduced rent accommodation

Live in a camper van, boat, yurt

Live in a commune or other multi shared type of property

Live with someone where one person works days & the other nights, so that you don't see one another

Move to a cheaper area

Buy

What are your solutions ?

There has never been a time where everyone owns their own property

I own quite a few and my main priority is not profit short term. I want people to feel at home in their home and safe. We chose an agent who shares our values and, yes, we are clocking up value on our purchase but we are also providing homes with DSS and pets welcome and if the boiler goes, instant fixing. Our rentals don't weild huge profit and neither should they.