Landlords response to Labour proposal

[Stellaris22]

Surely it’s becoming increasingly difficult to defend landlords.

In response to proposals to make renting fairer and better for tenants landlords have responded with typical ‘we’ll increase rents’.

Yes there are good and bad tenants just as there are good and bad landlords. LLs need to stop the saviour attitude of thinking they’re helping people who can’t afford to buy. They can’t afford to buy because of their high rents!

Good to see Labour (hopefully) tackling the private rental sector.

Market crashes and then LL's will buy the stock again as the yields will be high.

I had to work away for a year, I couldn’t afford to leave my flat empty as despite the protests of ill informed posters on here, we aren’t all loaded.

Same.
Except we inherited our Tennant from our mother. Think she's been there 45 years. Rent is less but absolutely no hassle.

Don't be too unworried. We've had similar in Scotland for years and it is a problem. One of the eviction clauses is that you can evict to sell. One of my LLs wants to do this (bereaved, wants to clear debts and move overseas) and the tenant is refusing to budge, has got free solicitor and the Tribunal keeps asking for more info (from both sides). My LL is about £2500 down on legal fees and still no eviction date.

Well of course we'll raise rents.
Any other appropriate response/reaction?

Because you've had the tenant for so long, it won't apply to your current tenant anyway (unless you put them on a new style lease).

The Scottish government tries out crazy housing policies so the UK doesn’t have to. The rent freeze sent rents increasing faster than anywhere else in the UK. It also meant that the plug was pulled on some major build-to-rent construction projects. Disastrous.

@wombat15 I have not interrogated them on their health issues obviously. I rely on minor remarks. They intimated that Life Insurance for the period of the loan is impossible.
Do you doubt otherwise? They have been with me over 6years.

its easy to do that when you start young. I bought when I was 26 and DH was 29. that plus fertility issues mean that we are still fairly comfortable in our 2 bed flat and don't need to move (but even I started looking at larger flats when we were thinking of ttc but its not really necessary if we don't have kids or our only kid is much delayed).

the average FTB is in their 30s now and fertility can be a ticking time bomb (plus most couples even in their mid 30s seem to conceive faster than us). if you live in somewhere for 2 years you would hardly build equity.

what planet are you on? the vast vast majority who privately rent would prefer to buy and have security. most cannot as the high rents make saving for a deposit impossible.

That was how we were able to rent {at approx 50% less than going rate} a lovely 1 bedroomed flat near Richmond Park.
It was 'Landlady's'' home, {She was elsewhere } and she just wanted it lived in - we stayed there for a year.
Zero security, and nothing in writing - it seems crazy now, but it worked out for both parties.

Totally agree - the minute that rents could be raised (when tenants left), they were.

This has meant increased rents and tenants feeling unable to move (as they'd have to rent at a far higher price).

The reason LL's hugely increase rent when the flat's vacant is because when it's let, there is a 12% rent cap - so they increase whilst they can.

It's a shit show.

This doesn't actually solve anything though does it. The underlying issues are still there. You can hate landlord all you want but they haven't caused this issue.

They don't have to have life insurance for a mortgage. While some lenders might ask for one it is certainly not all.

Thanks@wombat15, I learn something new everyday. We have always had Insurance. Thought it was standard.

Being a landlord is a job, a profession, and should be treated as such. I'm hoping that those wishing to be landlords understand that better. It's a long haul job and should not be undertaken on a whim
What about tenants who treat their home like a trash house?

I had a respectful couple moving in. All on the surface. The reality is:
They decided to repaint all the room themselves and the quality was so poor, even my kids would have done a better job. It had all been professionally painted before they moved.
They decided to cut a square foot hole in an original door to let their dog out in the garden.
They failed to ventilate and dried clothes on radiators,and all the rooms were full of mould (was never an issue before, nor after).
They left the garden in such a bad state, branches were growing through the vents.
They cut down two beautiful trees. Claimed they'd fallen down during a storm. Neighbours had another story.
They failed to pay for two months, but always made sure to pay something to not go over.

Do you really think landlords should put up and shut up with tenants like this who gradually destroy the property through neglect?

With regards to terrible tenants who don't pay I do like the idea of rental payments being shown on your credit file. Maybe then there could be some kind of scheme where if you've paid on time in full for x number of years you could get a 100pc mortgage or access to some kind of help to buy deposit scheme.

That would be a great idea.

Did they not have a deposit left against damage?

This is why a lot of landlords won't allow children or pets.

Cutting a hole in your door for a dog flap is so cheeky and sounds like they were leaving the dog for hours on it's own - plus dog flaps can be easily accessed by small people for burglaries.

A female murderer in USA infamously gained access via her victim's dog flap.

I had to give up work due to illness that lead to disability. Got my first job at 13 and worked till 40.
Did hope and pray the NHS would act in time to prevent the illness becoming a permanent disability, but hey thats for another thread.

The only thing keeping me from being homeless destitute and starving, is the small amount I earn in rent.
The system doesnt see fit to provide disabled claimants with enough money to eat and keep the heating / lights on. But again, thats for another thread.

Yeah, proper scroungers us LLs. Workshy, lazy, absolute parasites. How dare we.

Max deposit is 5 weeks rent, its unlikely to cover all that.
In many cases just repairing and repainting walls (unless normal wear and tear) can cost more than the deposit

This will only work if they prevent massive property funds buying up the released buy to lets, which is what has fucked the US property market. I reckon they should cap property ownership eg no more than 10 properties, including those held by funds (never gonna happen).

small landlords like me, letting out my old flat as my dh massively out-earns me and the flat is my back-up plan and pension, tend to care about our tenants and look after the property as I previously lived there and will one day again. Same as those forced to move for work. Most of the recent legislation impacts us disproportionately, when it’s large-scale landlords and property funds that run the majority of the slum lets and price gouging and they still get away with it, and can afford to absorb the cost of legislation like this trough economies of scale.

Or maybe the foreign investors will buy them and leave them vacant or use them as holiday let.

Definitely not.

Couldn't have said it better.

Unfortunately the worst landlords and the worst tenants make the whole rental sector worse for all the decent tenants and landlords.