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.

Shitty accommodation?
New rules say new rentals from 2025 should be EPC band C or above.
A band D or E property is not shitty accommodation. I think my own house that I own is a D.
I'm a landlord, the property I rent out is a D and believe me it's far from shitty! It has brand new electrics, brand new boiler, brand new flooring throughout. Any repairs or issues are dealt with immediately.
So I won't need to worry as such, but it will cost me a few thousand to bring it up to a C whereas my own house will remain a D.
I suggest you look at an EPC certificate and look at the recommendations that they make to improve it. Then look at the the cost of the outlay v the savings it will result in. Some of the suggestions are in the thousands and the expected saving is something like fifty quid a year! It's ridiculous.
I fully agree that there are too many people not being responsible for their rentals and I fully agree that there should be more accountability which is why I'm so conscious to get any repairs done immediately but the way they've gone about it with the EPC improvements is very ill thought out

@MarshaBradyo Yes, I have friends who rent because they move around a lot for their careers so it doesn't make sense to buy and they prefer the ease of renting. They are high earners so they definitely don't need to be in a subsidised council property!

The lack of rental properties is absolutely affected by the government’s treatment of landlords, which is driven in large part by public sentiment.

People were angry at landlords making a profit, the government cut their profits, and inevitably some landlords stopped renting their properties out.

This is exactly what those “private landlords are scum” people wanted.

Wrong. Pretty much all of the money has been recouped over the years. There isn't a subsidy any more.

What a strange point of view. Do you feel the same about food and clothing?

Abolishing s.21 won't mean that you can't evict bad tenants - there are separate processes for that which will remain unaffected.

Thank you. We have a smallish portfolio of rental properties and are fortunate that there are no mortgages. We have always gone out of our way to treat our tenants well, our properties are very well maintained. My dad became an accidental landlord when he came to live with us after my mum died (he needed the money for care costs) his tenants were appalling, they knew every trick in the book to get what they wanted which was a council house and forced my poor dad to evict them which was a nightmare and very expensive. The final insult was the disgusting condition they left my dad’s bungalow in.
I know there are some awful landlords but we shouldn’t all be tarred with the same brush.

This

Not to the same extent, no. People who provide food and clothing put in a lot of work to do so. Landlords don't, they sit there and collect the rent.

There is a difference between achieving a 6% yield on an asset owned outright - and scummy amateur BTL landlords in it for the capital appreciation, STILL expecting a profit on letting AND reading that their employer gave them a pay rise and feeling you’re entitled to “cream it off”.

BTL landlords are the pits.

If they are renting to you for less than they could get on the open market then it clearly is a subsidy.

Hopefully the law will change soon so that this subsidy is removed and you start paying a fair market rent. It’s apparently being looked at.

@Lentil63

There is no such thing as an "accidental landlord".

Simply a person who isn't willing to sell a property for the price the market is willing to pay for it.

Accident implies lack of choice.

😂😂 what a nasty, greedy piece of work you are.

What next, Aldi has to raise their prices because Waitrose throw their toys out of the pram!

I’m not someone in receipt of housing benefit. But I am a private renter, as are millions of other families.

if there were council houses it would take some of the rental market away, it would give families secure homes. It would free up rentals for people who need the flexibility, it would bring down the cost of rental as there would be less competition. This would mean some landlords sell up as it’s not so profitable anymore which could bring a few more houses on to the market meaning that the prices may be more attainable for those like me who pay out more then the equivalent mortgage.

So you don't think there's any work involved in buying and renovating a property?
A buy to let mortgage requires a 25% deposit for a start. You don't think they worked and saved for that? Renovation costs time and money, either doing the work yourself when you're not working so therefore not getting paid or paying someone else to do it which is more money again.
I despair that you think it's not work.

Precisely. Yes, there are other issues stopping people owning houses, but that doesn't mean landlords shouldn't be far more rigorously regulated and overseen. The state of the rental stock in this country is shocking and, as I work (tangentially) with landlords and have access to the kinds of places where they talk openly about their motivations, a HUGE number of them are keen to do as little as possible for as much money as possible. And sure, we'd all like that: but not when it involves the living standards of millions of people with no other options because, as you say, the housing market is fucked.

They provide a service. They should do so properly. Private renting isn't even a choice for lots of people - that makes it especially important that it's properly regulated, because many people cannot vote with their feet to force higher standards.

What an appallingly grasping and selfish outlook

How on earth did your father accidentally forget to sell his property and instead rented it out. I mean I've done a few things accidentally before but I've never forgotten to sell a house 🙄

And what do you think would happen to the housing benefit bill?

I don't feel sorry for anyone that can afford to buy more than one house. Nice try though.

It is incredibly easy to remortgage your own house, release some equity and use that as the 25% deposit, with no income checks, just proof of expected rental income. Buy yourself landlord insurance and, ta da! That's not work.

Totally agree
bring back rent tribunals so tenants pay a fair rent
my daughter's landlord removed her fire escape without warning so he could put a parking space (that he could charge for) at the bottom.

Won't happen, by the way. It would be carnage.

I agree and I am not and have never been a landlord.

I think we needed regulation to protect deposits, make sure that landlord do the repairs needed and that properties are safe (gas certificate).

But beyond that I never understood the rational of expensive property licences that some councils started to demand and of taxing landlords to the point where they choose to get out of the market.

The ones that are affected are small landlords who probably were maintaining their properties well and treated their tenants correctly and the only people left in the renting market will be landlords/companies with a huge property portfolio who don't care about the welfare of their tenants.

It also benefits everyone if dodgy tenants can be evicted quickly. They usually cause problems to neighbours as well as the landlord.

I think the housing market as a whole is a complete mess but there was a need to strike a balance to protect both tenants and landlords but it seems now many landlords can't make it work so they are selling off.

And now it is becoming a catastrophe for people who want and need to rent as there just isn't enough social housing to make up for the shrinking private rental market.