Why are people so against private landlords?

[StopRainingNow]

I don't get it (and I'm not a landlord), no one shouts at Tesco that it is disgusting that they make money off selling something (food) to people on UC, when people need food TO literallysurvive/ live. But if someone has a business renting houses to people who need them, they are the devil. It makes no sense to me.

To make it worse, Tesco are also making profits by not paying a living wage to employees who then have to claim UC to top up their salaries and so benefit from profit from employees and customers.

Why do private landlords get such a hard time? They are providing a service to people that need it - AIBU?

Have all the landlord bashers on here thought what would happen if most of the landlords all decided to sell up? All those tenants who were unable to buy would be left up shit creek.

Because they’re generally awful and hoover up housing stock thus making unaffordable for those who want to get on the housing ladder.

They would if supply exceeded demand. If being a private landlords was so lucrative then you would have more big investors piling in to profit from it. If you could raise capital for a pittance and not reduce rents then the return would be enormous and preferential compared to other investment vehicles. Supply would grow and this would eventually lead to a lowering of rents.

The fact that there is a huge problem with lack of private rentals in this country prove it isn't the big profit maker you seem to think it is.

Well if housing works on a supply and demand basis then, should this highly unlikely event happen, house prices will come down and more people will be able to buy.

@Marshmallow4545 I favour rent controls like other countries & would like some more social housing to be built.

We spend far too much on housing in this country, it's not productive & it's not good for the economy.

Are you fine with the status quo or do you have any realistic solutions?

I was originally an accidental landlord, which is a term used to describe someone who didn't intend to become a landlord but was forced into that position. I agree I am not anymore.

I said I wasn't making a monthly profit, I am aware I will make money in the long run, which of course I should as it takes effort/investment to be a landlord if you do it properly.

The fact that your argument is "if I couldn't make a profit off my tenants, they'd be homeless" doesn't paint you in the positive light you seem to believe it does

The fact that there is a huge problem with lack of private rentals in this country prove it isn't the big profit maker you seem to think it is.

Where did I say it was a big profit maker?

Food comes with enforced high standards.

LLs are not held to standards, there are laws and guidelines but getting them enforced is nearly impossible.

Would you go to work for free? Why would a landlord run a business if they weren't making a profit with all the time, effort and a investment that's required. That's not living in the real world unfortunately, as nice as it would be!

@Purpleturtle45 it's a nonsensical phrase made up by landlords because it sounds better then I can't sell for a loss.

That's a different point altogether.

Other countries? You mean like Scotland? How are rent controls in Edinburgh working out?

It helps to know the subject matter you have an opinion on.

Ok

If she does this then a family will lose their home. @Purpleturtle45 sounds like a good, caring landlord providing a stable home. We need people like this. What is the realistic alternative for the masses of people that can't afford to buy or simply don't want to?

There will be someone making a profit from every single essential service provided to you unless it is provided by the State (who even then may have subcontracted this out to a profit making entity). A consultant operating on you to save your life will be earning a big salary. The medical equipment used in the operation will be bought from a supplier who earns a profit on sales. The food eaten in hospital whilst you recover will be bought from farmers that make money. This is how a capitalist economy works. Noone is going to pump in a finite resource (their time, energy or money) for no profit unless they are a charity.

@Purpleturtle45 may well have made more money if she had originally put her money into stocks and shares for tobacco firms, oil companies and gambling firms. Would this have been better for society?

Scotland is the only country in the UK that has rent controls and their rents have increased more than any other part of the UK. Landlords are hiking up rents in between tenants as they know that once they have a tenant in they can barely increase the rent for the duration of, what could be, a long tenancy.

The only answer is more social housing.

There is absolutely a need for good landlords, I have rented in the past but if people think we don't have a huge issue with housing in this country that disproportionally impacting young people then I'm not sure what to say. We never recovered from 08 & we made housing the only real driver of our economy with little investment in services and young people by businesses and government. The can was kicked down the road & now the jig is up. Through in the ageing population issue & we are a real mess economically.

Right and how have rent controls worked out for those other countries? You only have to look across the border to see how it's going.

Build more SH with what money? Are you aware we have a monstrous deficit that is costing two thirds of the NHS budget to cover the interest payments alone? Housing is hugely expensive to build.

I think we need more control and checks on private landlords. I think we should be encouraging good quality landlords into the sector and incentivising them to stay whilst driving out the bad landlords. I would like to professionalise the sector more and encourage bigger organisations to get involved.

@Jennps no, I mean other European countries where my family is from.

It helps to know the subject matter you have an opinion on.

Do you have an opinion on anything? I haven't noticed anything of note either way.

I have rented most of my life, apart from a short time when married and we bought/sold (never again, but another story).

I choose to rent and have rented some lovely places in various parts of the country (and for that matter, abroad too, but not relevant here).

I have always had lovely landlords, and always rented decent places. I can't understand the landlord bashing on here at all.

In later life the places I choose to rent tend to be converted country houses or parts of a large estate that the family can't possibly live in and so see renting out a portion of it as an extra income stream. They are usually let out for below the market rate....they are grateful for someone quiet, who will be long term and won't keep bothering them for minor problems. They're also happy for tenants to re-carpet, re-decorate etc. as this means they're tenants who will take care of the property. In turn, I'm happy to be allowed to use the place as my own.

My current rental is a large place divided up into apartments for older people. It's absolutely lovely, in the countryside and with beautiful grounds. The landlord manages it for the owner but we deal directly (not via any agency). Our rent is way, way below current market rates as many of us are on a pension, and the landlord contactable directly by email if we want anything done.

I couldn't ask for a better landlord, and haven't had problem landlords in the past either. Nor do I have any problems paying my rent to a landlord, they are allowing me to live in their property and in return I am providing them with an income stream. What on earth is wrong with that?

I’m sure there will be some nice private landlords however I now live in a council house my last private let was twice as much rent then as now (back in 2015) and I was paying for a place where the kitchen window was broken (single pane illegal and he wouldn’t fix) a patio door that just fell off and I had lifted and placed back in and locked so unusable and a front door that kept popping open had to be bolted inside that’s beside the kitchen pipes leaking that caused damp in there spreading into living room.. issues like that are not rare I know too many people who’ve dealt with landlords that simply didn’t care deliberately hid issues until tenants were in and then stalled resolving. @Earrump call environmental health and report

In what way is social housing “massively discounted”?

Right and how have rent controls worked out for those other countries? You only have to look across the border to see how it's going.

Which border are you referring to? Numerous European countries do have better housing models.

Are you aware we have a monstrous deficit that is costing two thirds of the NHS budget to cover the interest payments alone? Housing is hugely expensive to build.

Shit really? Until you mentioned this I had no idea! It doesn't mean that we don't need to build more housing because the lack of it is already damaging our economy.

I think we need more control and checks on private landlords. I think we should be encouraging good quality landlords into the sector and incentivising them to stay whilst driving out the bad landlords.

So like they do in other European countries? How is that working out?

Where are you from?

Look at Germany and France too to understand how ineffective rent controls can be.

Yeah, the only answer to failures of socialist policy is….wait for it…..more socialism.

Genius.