New renter rights act is a bloody good thing!

[Pineapplewhip]

Naturally landlords have some justifiable concerns/questions but those that are up in arms about the whole thing are completely bloody immoral. The slum landlords have spoilt it for the good ones and the decent landlords should blame them and not the government for protecting people.

If you arent aware of the actual points of the bill - I've listed them below. I cant see how any reasonable person can disagree that it's just enforcing the most basic human decency and regulation.

• End to no fault evictions: landlords can only evict renters if they want to sell, move in themselves, move their family into the property or there are serious rent arrears. They have to prove they are selling too - they cant just say they are!

• Rent can only rise once a year, any rise above market rate can be disputed fairly and 2 months notice is given.

• Landlords can't refuse you for having children or being on benefits (if you prove that benefits/finances make the property affordable). This isnt about being on full benefits either. Many single parents need benefits to top up income.

• Landlord ombudsman - tennants can raise fair disputes and repair issues for free online and landlords cannot just ignore it/grey rock. Repeat offenders will be visable in the database. Landlords legally must act on the complaints.

• Faster action must be taken on damp and mould. Basic human rights! No more shitty emails from a middle man letting agent just blaming the tennant for not opening a window - when actually (for example) a house needs its brickwork repointing.

The only legitimate thing I have empathy for is the concern that it will be more of a process to evict non paying tennants as it will need to go through a court. However - this is why landlord insurance exists!!

Please ask yourself - if your child was renting - wouldn't you want them protected like this?

It’s happening in my part of the SE now. It’s a London borough, the council can’t source private housing, there aren’t enough council homes, so homeless people get one choice - either move where we say (all over the country) or sort yourself out.🤷‍♀️

I know two families who have been moved to Newcastle. From London. All support, schools and work is now gone for them. 🤷‍♀️

Indeed - best be careful what you wish for.

The market will flooded in the short term only, the price dip only temporary, properties snapped up by corporations. Then a long term, permanent dearth of affordable rental properties.

Exactly.

You've always been able to give notice, report the landlord, get the council or ombudsman involved

What has changed is that now when you move out there won't be anywhere near as many properties available for you to rent

I used to watch "can't pay we'll take it away". Could they also file for the eviction AND to collect for the missed rent?

Both of those acts introduced and implemented by the evil Tories, I note

I’m a landlord and a tenant (via my DC at university) and I don’t live in the Uk.
I think in general it’s a good Bill. I’m happy my tenants have extra protections.

But there are a particular couple of issues that will affect a minority but are likely to be a big issue for them.

Tenants can’t pay rent up front anymore. As Uk passport holders who don’t live in the Uk we can’t be guarantors for our DC. So we used to pay rent upfront in 2 x 6 months chunks. We can’t do that anymore.
Fortunately we have a family member who willing to be the guarantor. But this is going to be very expensive for ppl coming to the Uk as the guarantor agencies are expensive. There should have been provision for this.

There should have been special provisions for students. Now rents will just go up for students or conditions/maintenance will get worse because the students can start tenancies in September not July and so landlords will just put rents up. I think this was a missed opportunity. There should have been a provision for fixed term tenancies for students.
Time will tell if we decide not to be landlords anymore. I suspect on balance we will stop.

You are completely wrong

Those are about the only two reasons you can serve a Section 21 notice

You are not on a Shorthold Tenancy Agreement?

they saw you coming, didn't they

Of course it will be factored in.... when setting the rent
When the costs go up so will the rent

You can't get a BTL mortgage unless there's a 7% return after costs

I think it would have been better to use the money/time to go after shit landlords rather than terrify good ones who only rent out one property.

My db rented a 1 bed flat from a woman who lived in the same street as him. She bought it with her adult child when her husband died as a sort of investment/revenue stream, with the inherited money. Everyone was happy for 9 years until the current government scared the shit out of this lady and my brother’s flat was sold.

You can think the renters rights bill is good and it might look reasonable on paper, but so far all it’s done is shit on my brother’s living situation, finances, time, mental health and wellbeing.

Well, this will just see the end of the small scale landlord and open the door to large investment firms, the likes of Blackrock (who Starmer had been keen to be in close partnership with 🙄) buying up all the housing. It will be end of home ownership as we know it. I feel sorry for the kids of this country. The future looks bleak 😔

Institutional investors own well under 1% of all UK homes, but around 2% of the UK private rented sector.

Are you suggesting they let it out free of charge?

You are so ill informed. My DH was going through a bereavement when we were battling terrible tenants, even before these new rules. These appalling tenants literally trashed our house and made it unliveable. It was so bloody hard getting them out but we were able to eventually. We had always been really respectful of tenants and did everything right. The stress was unbelievable.

My DH almost had a heart attack because of the stress. If these new rules had been in place then, they'd probably have been unmoveable. If you want to draw such bold opinions at least bother to do a bit of research first.

I think this poster was tied in for a year

Yes completely agree. It would be interesting to know how many situations where both parties (landlord/renters) were actually really happy with the status quo and this legislation has now upended it. I guess along with farmers, independent school children, employers and high earners that landlords are just some abstract baddie and enemy of the people. This country desperately needs some grown up input into policies.

You can

For the people banging on about insurance- not all landlords insurance covers loss of rent if the tenant stops paying. And most won't pay indefinitely.

My friend rented out her house to a couple she knew, at below market rate. After a year they split up and the man left, the woman stopped paying rent. It took a year to evict her, my friend had to pay for two court hearings and bailiffs. We live in a small village and a lot of people thought my friend was being unfair getting this woman put as she was homeless afterwards. A horrible situation.

Yes you can. Section 8 Grounds 1 and 1A.

I definitely agree with it, especially the benefits thing. I was on benefits to top up my wage when I was working at Wetherspoons, even on manager wage. Hours aren’t always there, especially during certain times of year when the beer garden wasn’t busy. I know lots of young people who are. We can’t all live at home till we’re 25 to “save for a deposit” or whatever. Not everyone has parents who can afford to not charge them rent.

Hopefully this will help young people get out their parents houses and live their life’s. Before someone says I moved out in 2017 so it’s not like it was cheap back then. Rent was still expensive. My first rental was horrible and full of mould, and when we tried to move out we really struggled due to being on benefits. I really hope they actually enforce this bill so people don’t have to fuck around so much like we did.

Sounds exactly what we went through a few years back. Just wanted to say that although it is excruciating you will get them out and this will pass. Its awful and lets nasty tenants like your and our old ones hold way too many cards, too long.

I was considering letting my own (and only) little house for a year or two, in an area where there is a horrendous shortage.

I’m now not going to bother, as a result of all the changes - every single one of which favours the tenant.

it’s going to be easier to let it stand empty.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4187666-To-evict-my-tenant-and-other-stories?reply=105412866

The damage to this property cost me 10s of £1000s. NOT including rent arrears. Knowing that nowadays it would've been even harder for me to get her out is nerve-wracking to say the least. Single Mum of small children, she just moved out and stayed at her Mum's. Refused to pay rent, refused to hand over the keys. Not to mention the emotional side of things for me, it was a very hard time. Small scale landlords are not made rich, the profits are minimal and the costs that keep increasing are just not worth it for many.

Landlords will just sell up. We already have a housing crisis. As a PP has said this is oversimplification and virtue signaling from a government who cannot be bothered with anything that would make a real change.