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.

Who is asking anyone to feel sorry? Where did I say that?
I'm simply pointing out that there's more work to it than you seem to think.

they absolutely should not have left your dads house in a state. But trying to get a council home, I can’t blame them and this is the only way you can get a secure home if you can’t buy one. It’s a shit situation for everyone the tenant and for the landlord.

absolute scum bags for trashing the place

YABU

Landlords don't provide housing, they simply hoard existing housing stock. I've certainly never seen a landlord building houses, and houses don't vanish when they aren't owned by a landlord!

Greedy landlords competing with first time buyers is what locked many young people out of the housing market.

A better solution would be tighten laws around turning laws into air b&bs

There really isn't much work in it. Not compared to a farmer working 7 days a week or someone in a developing country working in a factory all day to make clothes. But carry on pretending it's such hard work to be a landlord.

Or you could work hard and save for it like I did

I am a landlord, and I absolutely agree, OP.

You're essentially saying here that people who can't afford a deposit aren't working as hard as you.

You could. But most don't so the poster doesn't have to concede that all landlords do.

I feel the same about electric, public transport.

as for food, if a handful of people bought all the food to keep and only threw out a few carrots every now and then. Yes. It would be a good analogy. But thankfully foods perishable so greed can only get you so far.

Ah so you rent it out for free? or only rent it to people with trust funds? Because its highly unlikely your tenants aren't working hard to pay their rent 🙄

Lets not pretend you are somehow a harder worker who is more deserving just because you own more than one property

Again. ive paid out over £260,000 in 15 years of rent.
im Intrigued how I’ve not worked hard enough

And all the people buying second homes. I have less of a problem with landlords who at least rent out a house as a home, than I do with second home owners.

I also think a lot of landlords have to deal with really awful tenants. And both sides have to deal with dodgy lettings agents.

Always tickles me how desperate landlords are for people to feel sorry for them.

"We're providing a serviceeeeee to people who need it!"

I would testify in a court of law that the number of landlords who decided to rent their house out to other people for money out of the goodness of their hearts and wanting to give people a home is zero.

"It's really hard work you know!!"

Poor you! Stop doing it then :)

"I treat tenants SO nicely"

Congratulations on being a decent human being to other people even though they don't own a home, I guess?

A better solution would be tighten laws around turning laws into air b&bs yes this too, or generally holiday lets.

I agree

Is the state or a corporation inherently a better landlord? It’s not been my experience. Small-time landlords are usually more flexible and empathetic.

Some of the comments in here make it clear why the U.K. has a vanishing middle class. Aspiration is considered parasitical. Very different to my home country, which I find fascinating.

This

Its like the small business owners on here (only some not all of course) who when the subject of a living wage comes up claim that it would be unfair to force businesses to pay their employees a living wage because then they wouldn't be able to afford to run their business.

Sure lets have whole hosts of people unable to afford to eat properly or heat their homes just to stop your business from failing, why not?

I have one property I rent out. I wanted ti move but couldn't sell it, even with a huge reduction (no private garden, just after lockdown), so I let it out and rent somewhere to live myself.

My tenants have just stopped paying the rent. I'm about to go on maternity leave - I need that to pay my own rent. What can I do? Absolutely nothing. There's basically no way to make them pay or kick them out quickly and get people in who will honour a rental agreement, without a lengthy expensive court process. How is this fair or balanced?

There are many ways to be aspirational without exploiting other people.

You CHOSE to move. Nobody forced you to move and rent out your property.

The UK isn't anti middle class or anti aspirational.

People are generally against those who use a priviliged finanical position to exploit others.

Things like food, shelter/housing, oxygen, warmth. These are all things that people need to survive. Try to monopolise things like these to enrich yourself personally at the expense of others - there is obviously going to be some pushback.

I have an empty flat..it was mine before I met dh, I used to rent it, but a few bad tenants put me off.
With these new rules that can protect a Tennant from being evicted for non payment of rent etc, there is no way on earth I'd rent it back out.
I rent it's parking space, but that's easy, non payment and a bollard goes in.
Landlords need protection as well.

I completely agree OP.

People have been banging on about getting more rights for tenants and now that tenants have so many rights they’re coming out of their ears, landlords have obviously been incentivised to protect themselves and their properties as much as possible.

Bad landlords might be partly responsible for tenets being given so many rights, but most of the blame lies with bad tenants. If it weren’t for the bad tenants, landlords wouldn’t have to pay more on their insurance or mortgage (if allowed) for taking people on benefits or who have pets.

Landlords would be more willing to take a risk on the single parent with young children or the couple with a dog if the government gave them support they need when tenants damage property or fail to pay their rent or overstay on their contract.

If pushing BTL landlords out of the market was supposed to solve everything because house prices would drop and everyone could afford to buy a home, why isn't that happening? BTL landlords are selling up, and there are far fewer rental properties available (hence the problems for people renting) so presumably, people are now buying those houses to live in which is what people wanted.

Could it possibly be that house prices weren't driven by BTL after all?

The newbuilds being snapped up and rented out are probably being bought by companies that own vast amounts of property. Not by BTL landlords that own and rent out a couple of houses to provide for retirement.

I think people are directing their anger in the wrong direction. Affordable housing should be provided by the government, not by private landlords. Private landlords should just be there to provide an alternative for people prepared to pay a bit more for something different. People should have the choice to rent something that is not social housing. As people have said upthread there are all sorts of reasons why people may choose to rent and not buy. Getting angry at private landlords is like getting angry at private healthcare providers. Healthcare is a basic right too! Well, I think it is anyway. The problem is people are being pushed into using these private services when they should have access to affordable housing/NHS healthcare. Be angry at the government for failing to meet people's needs.

Where do you stay on holiday?
I don't camp and I want more space than a hotel room so I rent a holiday let