to think those who demonised BTL landlords are (partially) responsible for rental crisis

[LargeDeviation]

Many small landlords are selling because:

• mortgate interest is now only partially deductible for tax
• S21 evictions are being stopped, meaning it will be impossible to kick out bad tenants; the courts are too backed up to actually enforce any evictions even when it's allowed anyway
• Onerous EPC rules coming in which will cost huge sums to rectify
• More and more registers, inspections and paperwork

At the same time, landlords have spent the last few years being jeered as being unethical - and many MNers haven't been shy to raise their voices about that.

The tiny minority of renters fortunate enough to be able to afford a deposit and mortgage might be happy; they will have a bit more choice and a slightly lower price. For other renters they are having real problems.

Shelter and other housing charities should be campaigning for more landlord friendly policies such as easier tenant evictions and restoring full mortgage interest deductions for tax if they want to improve housing availability on a large scale, but they won't because PR-wise it will be a nightmare as their changes will be seen to disadvantage individual tenants.

Yes, there are other factors too - large scale immigration; planning system broken; not enough housebuilding; more singletons/split families and fewer intergenerational families - but landlords selling up because of government policies and societal ostracism is a major cause.

I am not a landlord but have been in the past - there is no way I would become a new landlord in the current environment.

Those who called landlords rent-seeking scum or similar should feel ashamed.

@Beezknees housing associations are landlords - it’s just a differnt ownership structure.

housing association properties can be just as appalling as private landlords. And individuals also make a LOT of money from housing association properties.

@Beezknees one of the reasons why there are such problems with mould with social housing is that massive works are needed to repair the properties - but there is not enough money to do that. So in fact the rents for a lot of property is not enough to pay for the works that are needed to maintain the property. It is a massive problem in the social housing sector. So either rents need to be higher or government needs to subsidize.

Nope.

The people to blame are the Tories.

Thatcher decimated the supply of safe secure affordable rental property with her disastrous right to buy scheme.

The current lot have had 12 years to improve things but haven't.

Love this question!

It's a ridiculous question and you're just making yourselves look silly 😂 my home is my home, I pay for it and live in it myself. I'm not charging someone else rent to pay for it.

There should be enough money to do it. Councils are making more in rent than they're spending on maintaining the homes. The loans for the houses were paid off a long time ago.

You are in the minority then, most social housing tenants receive benefits so are definitely not paying for it themselves.

@Beezknees - im embarrassed for you. You are incredibly ignorant. There is not enough money and there are social housing tenants suffering accords the country in shocking conditions.

but you’re all cosy and okay so it’s not a problem is it?

I work full time. I don't get any money towards my rent. I get tax credits, but I'd get them even if I had a mortgage.

I'm aware of the problems, but saying there is no money to fix them is bollocks. There's money, it's just being spent on the wrong things and the government should be sorting it.

@Teenyliving.
I live in a housing association property, don't experience mould or any issues getting repairs and required inspections all upto date.
Where are these terrible housing associations you keep referencing.

Some HA properties I have been in were in an absolutely dreadful condition. Some were lovely. The worst is local authority homeless accommodation, I felt dreadful that the LA felt it was suitable but there was little we could do to challenge it.

The PRS fulfills a need in the marketplace. Rents have gone sky high due to high demand and little availability, that's how a market works and the dysfunctional housing market is the fault of governments not landlords.

That might be the case if more disabled people and pensioners are in social housing. The benefits going to the social housing rents are used to maintain the housing or in the case of council homes it goes back to the treasury so to the general coffer. Others on benefits do actually work as well as receiving benefits.
Private landlords receive more in benefits than councils or housing associations do as their rents are higher, then use it to pay their mortgages or as extra income.

If there were rent caps, fewer benefits would be given to private landlords for personal use.

You are in the minority then, most social housing tenants receive benefits so are definitely not paying for it themselves.

I have worked all my adult life, my immediate neighbours all work around me, you are talking nonsense.

Sorry, it quoted the wrong piece. It was a response to the pp who said social housing tenants work less.

@cawfeee google the itv report on mould in social
housing. And the housing ombudsman has recently released a report. It’s a huge problem.

Same here. I don't know anyone in my estate (300 flats) not in work other than disabled residents and pensioners, nearly all of whom volunteer in the local community regularly and are well-known members of the community.

@Beezknees housing associations are separate from government - you understand that don’t you?

so you’re saying that government should subsidize housing associations.

I made that comment purely because someone said it's not hard to raise the deposit simply remortgage your house there is no work involved.
I did not say renters do not work hard! I've never said that. I said I did not just release money from my own home I worked for the deposit.
But you read what you want into it if it suits you.

I don't want to start googling. You basically watched a sensationalist TV programme and now think it's representative of all housing associations.
If as you say the ombudsman is now involved then they will be investigated, what do people in private rental do in similar circumstances ?

Well it seems BTLs will have to find another way to grow their investments/pension pots other than on the backs of Tenants. Housing provision in the UK is pretty fucked anyway and needs radical action so if a few BTLs have to cash in and invest elsewhere it's hardly a hardship.

Sorry for not crying buckets.

There are very few LLs with a social conscience and those few are unaffected by the finance market and will probably continue to rent to their goodly tenants.

Until the LL dies and then the property gets sold.

I'm with one. Black mould, some repairs outstanding for almost two years now.

Yes, that's what I'm saying.

Ah, so the state is actually paying for some of your rent then, it to put it another way, other families.

You can’t claim to be paying for it yourself if receiving tax credits. You pay some, the rest comes from the state.

People who work will often receive benefits too, so of course it’s not rubbish.