To think that Landlords have a bad name.

[Arewe29]

NC for this.

Is it just me or are all landlords frowned upon a MN.

We own and rent out 3 properties all our properties are rented out to young families, just under market rate, we allow them to decorate their homes how they like, and if there is any issues or problems they just call us and we sort it out ASAP.

I know that there is some terrible landlords out there, that should be dealt with but there are thousands of other that are decent that follow all the laws and their tenants are very happy.

I'm absolutely fine with being challenged.

You have been a little bit punchy on this thread my lovely.

@PeaceOnThePorch I have read through the whole thread as I can’t sleep. You haven’t been a ‘dick’ at all. Ignore that poster saying you have.

Hi - I'm afraid your comments on this thread have really underlined why people have issues with landlords.
Firstly ask yourself if so many people love to rent, why do you not rent yourself? As someone who rented for 10years I can assure you the majority of people do not want to rent.
I wonder why -
Yep it's having zero assets and security, losing a third of your income every month, and the risk of rent rises and section 21s.
You congratulate yourself on being able to save up a big deposit. Ask yourself if you could manage that today. Don't lose sight of the fact that young people today have been disproportionately hit, trapped in high rents and unable to save. Ask yourself how you are using your privilege. You are locking young people out of the housing market and making a profit from it, leaving people in a precarious situation. Stressed, starting families later.
'Market rate' is not a fair rate, and charging below that is not a fair rate.

Ultimately you are profiting from people who just don't want to be homeless. And you are taking houses from the market that somebody else could own and live in. You do not deserve a big well done for investing and maintaining your own property. You didn't build the house you have contributed nothing you are just taking from people that can't afford to buy. It's really not okay.

Also just to flag on those comments where you are speaking for all owner occupiers. That's not true - I wouldn't mind if house prices didn't rise.

I do think you really need to seriously consider other perspectives here. From your comments you seem completely closed off to these. Why do you think this is? There have been comments of not a great tone and it's important to be polite - but you do need to recognise that those comments are coming from a place of pain, hurt and being sold a myth of home ownership that has been stolen from our generation. Landlords are a major component of this - ALL landlords. These people's home and security is at risk. The only thing at risk for you is one of your four assets and maybe a bit of carpet.

…and to add to that, you’re allowed to decorate a council house and have pets, people on benefits because they’re sick or disabled can actually have a roof over their heads as most private landlords who flood the market now don’t accept housing benefits, leaving people up 💩 creek.

I know the OP said she accepts LHA but the majority won’t, even though they’ve hoovered up a lot of the ex social houses which struggling people lived in🤣🤣 There’s no comparison to be made!

I’m sure you are lovely and a great landlord but

A - so many people buying to let is making the market so much harder for people to buy for themselves, especially young people/young families like your tenants.

B - so many landlords are fucking cowboys and never seem to face any consequences and it’s disgusting!

We once viewed and signed a contract on a rental with 2 bathrooms. There were 4 of us living there.

when we actually moved in one bathroom was locked and the landlord refused to open it because the toilet wasn’t working. They genuinely tried to tell us there was only one bathroom and then later admitted this toilet didn’t work which is why they had closed the bathroom up, over fixing it.

after a lot of backwards and forwards they finally opened it and you would not believe the sight. The previous tenant had obviously vomited all over the bathroom with a non working toilet and then rather than clean or fix the problem they just closed the door on it. I don’t know how long it had been there but it had all gone moldy. It was all over the loo, down the walls, in the sink.

we cleaned it/called a plumber ourselves in the end.

reported to everyone possible, with pictures, but nothing ever happened.

That is absolutely vile. I'm sorry you went through that.
We had slightly similar happen to us, but not as gross. When we viewed the property we were told the driveway and garden were ours. It was a masionette type set up so not immediately obvious. We never would have rented that place if it didn't have parking and a garden. These things were absolutely essential for us.
It quick became apparent after we moved in that the landlord had told absolutely everyone they could use the driveway which he then started calling a "carpark" (it was literally the size of a double drive). His friends, family and himself would turn up to park there and go shopping. It was a town centre property so parking literally anywhere else was impossible. I was late for work countless times because my childcare would turn up and not be able to park on "my" drive. Then another tenant moved in downstairs and they told her she could park there too. It was just a free for all, first come first served. I complained countless times,, they ignored me. I parked over their vehicles, they would hammer on the door and shout at me about how they own the building so they can park there. I said you own my home too, I don't expect to come home and find you sitting in my sofa. They just did not get it and insisted I was being difficult. Similar story with the garden, he'd told all and sundry they could use it and I'd look out the window to see random teenagers sitting in my garden, on my chairs or just lying on our kids trampoline, another would sit there fixing up his motorbike. They all seemed to think they had a right to be there.

We left after just a year as he just wouldn't see the problem. Madness. Absolute madness.

Yes. But at least we've paid our way to get our profit. You've let other people do that

and by the time you’ve paid stamp duty/solicitors fees/done any renovation you are back to where you started.

we certainly couldn’t move without making some money on our house.

Why do you care?

it your a good landlord then the posts about bad landlords don’t apply to you.

do you want a biscuit and a pat on the back for not being a douchebag?

Say there are 100 houses and 95 people. When people move/sell their house they might make a profit but generally there is some flexibility/flow for people to be able to move.

now there are 100 people. It’s harder to move but can be done with a lot of negotiation and some people take advantage of that.

now 30 of the houses get bought by someone else and the 100 people have to fight each other for the 70 houses by offering more and more money

this is the basic issue people have

Some posters are saying ALL landlords are <insert insult here>

I understand why renters are upset. It would break my heart to be paying off someone else's mortgage every month and have nothing to show for it.

We rent one property and similar to you - have a young couple in, we allow animals, we get things fixed and let tenants decorate and rent for under market rate. We used to live in the property, the area has really come up since we started renting it but we haven’t been greedy. Our tenants have just signed an 18-month lease on their behest. Great for us as we don’t have to worry about finding new ones.

I'm not even paying off my LL's mortgage. It was his mums so he inherited it. I'm just paying for his boat now.

Yes of course I know there are some circumstances where people are happy to rent as I said in my post. I was objecting to OP’s assertion that “most people are happy to rent”. A lot of people are trapped because they can’t afford to buy - not enough deposit for example- meanwhile their wages are all spent paying off someone else’s mortgage- helping them accrue even more capital, which they can use to buy even more houses.

What an absolute load of tripe.
You have conveniently ignored the many posts about LL all selling up and there still being a housing shortage and prices are still increasing - doesn’t fit your narrative does it?
Also, your language is ridiculous?? Leeches? Blood-sucking? Cancer???
It is so emotional it makes me think you may have a touch of the green eyed monster

Why can't people afford mortgages? Because landlords acting as vessels for banks, have hoovered up all the housing stock, increasing scarcity and therefore price of mortgages. You are all scum.

Because it is so common to have landlords in this country who let substandard properties, fail to maintain them and do urgent repairs and who instead just evict tenants to avoid fulfilling their responsibilities.

Not to mention the extortionate rents.

Also the issue with people like you owning 3 rental properties and your own I that it means that there is less housing supply for buyers who just want a rough over their heads and that helps pushing house prices up.

There is something parasitic about many landlords.

The starting point has to be a default position that nobody can own more than one property. Those who do own more than one property should only do so for the purpose of being social housing providers.

I am by nature a free market capitalist. But anyone with any sense can see that housing is not a normal market, principally because we can’t make more land, and that there is an acute housing problem in this country. We really need to act. It would take a few years to phase in but I believe it could be done successfully.

Private LLs are the root of the problem.

If it helps I will explain, we rent out to a single mother of 3, who does not work and can't get a mortgage even if she did work because of her credit score.

She has a house that she loves, that is near to her children's school and her family.

She could have waiting for social housing but she would have waited 10 plus years in temp accommodation, hundreds of miles where she lived.

Landlords are the scapegoat. The real issue is that the UK population is growing far more quickly than the supply of new homes. Look at the statistics. The solution is to build more homes, not debate who owns them.

That’s great. But not all landlords are like you and in any case you can sell or change use more or less whenever you like, taking the home away from the tenant.

The reasons for the need for radical change are structural, not personal.

You just shouldn’t be allowed to own that house without much more stringent controls and protection for the tenant.

House building is not as simple a solution as people suppose. Available, viable land, infrastructure and NIMBYism (from all quarters) limits it enormously.

”One home is rented at LHA to a Mum on UC, that if we did not rent out to her she would be in temp accommodation and on the housing list for 10 years in an area with no local connections.”

Yes but every landlord on MN has a similar tale. I have my doubts that every one of them is true.

Sounds like you’re blowing your own trumpet too! 😂