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.

You clearly do care , as come across quite aggressive.
Is she renting to someone who has no choice or to someone who wants to rent? (for whatever reason they choose)- I don't know the Tennant or their circumstances.

Renting suits some people, the same as buying does too, we're all different and with differing needs.
You're very lucky to have a secure HA tenancy, many yearn for the same, why not be happy with what you got instead of blaming other people for what you haven't. Come across as vert bitter I'm.afraid....

Do pp want no private rental? Or what proportion if smaller

I wanted to rent privately when younger, not HA. I didn’t need tax or other help, just to pay market rate and given the competition others wanted this too.

It probably has changed a bit since then with some people preferring to buy but maybe not given prices

Anyway should there be a private rental market at all?

Yes? I've got no issue with people buying houses, paying for them with their own money and selling them to other people. My issue is with people buying houses and then renting them out.

I don't care that I don't own a house. This isn't about me. Where did I say it was? I'm happy with my situation. I'm sad for the people who can't afford to put the bloody heating on because landlords are charging them so much rent!

I could yes and it’s certainly something we’ve discussed, but morally I just don’t know

@Beezknees you appear to be shockingly ignorant of how awful some housing association properties are

I don't disagree that there should be far more social housing available. I think that is where the real problem lies. I don't think the option to rent privately should be taken away from people though. There are plenty who do it through choice for all sorts of reasons.

Shelter and other housing charities should be campaigning for more landlord friendly policies such as easier tenant evictions

The govt is the problem, not charities like Shelter whose literal mission is to support tenants and the homeless.

I live in one, so I'm pretty sure I'm not.

I am a landlord, I agree with you. Its not really making me any money. Still have mortgage on the property. Tenants are crazy and demanding, wants bubs chnging and constantly moaning about heating despite having a new boiler. they called out engineer 10 times in 1 month as they cant get their head around instructions. Nightmare

@Beezknees isnt hoarding multiple resources. It’s one home for one family.

it’s owning multiple finite basic needs that’s the problem.

This is true, she makes money from rent, then makes money from selling her property. Let's send her to a gulag, reposess her house and divvy up the proceeds......
Fix the housing shortage overnight....

I know that some people private rent through choice, I actually work with someone who does. Private rents do have their place. But it needs to be far more tightly controlled, and much more social housing needs building for those who need it.

They have. I took part in it.
there is not the appetite, as frankly people are far worse off than not having a stable secure home. It takes its mental toll and will affect the housing benefit and care home fee bill in years to come. But you have a roof over your head, you can’t get a mortgage “boohoo, poor you”. It’s beyond shit renting as a family, but it’s very first world problem day to day. As, you have a roof over your head.

plus, as we’ve seen here, it’s divisive. Everyone has a legitimate reason they are a landlord. Some people have made a lot of money from it and don’t want to give that up.

It's plain to see that you really haven't a clue what being a landlord entails.

We are good landlords we own and rent out the semi detached cottage that is attached to our home. We fix things quickly and have never raised the rent when we have tenants in situ.

The property is a cottage built in the 1800's it will never meet the EPC regulations that are due to come in. Luckily we are due to pay off our mortgage on our home soon so we will probably stop renting the property out and use the money we were using to pay the mortgage on our home to pay the mortgage on the rental property.

We don't want to take the risk of selling and having problem neighbours attached to us. So it will be one less rental property avaliable.

It was the Government for the middle class, sole traders and entrepreneurs that taxed the BTL into oblivion.

Same Government that accuse another of being financially irresponsible and having a magic money tree that found said Magic Money Tree to defraud the public out of billions which was siphoned off to chums of the Government.

Look at track and trace and not one person held accountable for this fraud.

Lloyd bank aim to be the biggest landlord in X amount of years.

If the penny is dropping than there’s no hope.

@Beezknees do you understand that other people have different experiences to you in housing association properties?

@Beezknees akso you know that ceos of housing associations earn on average around £400,000?

they’re not for profit in the sense that they don’t have shareholders etc - but there are plenty of people who make lots of money out of housing associations

I'm not sure what your point is. What does it have to do with the landlord discussion?

@Beezknees id recommend watching the itv expose on mould in social housing properties. I think it would
be informative for you

@Beezknees the point is that social housing landlords can also be horrific.

Again, what does it have to do with the discussion about landlords?

Oh yes, they can. That is a separate thread entirely though. But at least they're charging affordable rent.

I agree. Sold my BTL. Think I was a nice landlord too. Did anything the tenants asked for anyway and house was in great condition.