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?

I've listened to landlords moaning all week on various radio phone ins about the new rules.

So many hard done by stories. Not one of them mentioned the plus side - the reason the majority of them do it -for the huge capital gain in the value of the property.

I’m not angry at all.

A gain which is rightly taxed when you sell

You sound pleasant.

No, I could have sold it.

So what?- why should I give a flying fuck about what some random online person thinks of my choice - do you ask strangers online for permission before you sell things that legally belong to you?

Good grief- the hypocrisy on this thread is mind blowing.

I suppose you would just give away any house that you inherited would you, for free? 🤣

Yes- I’m a bit infuriated at the landlord who posted earlier that she was subsidising her tenant because her mortgage and costs were higher than what the tenant was paying - no one forced her to be a landlord or have a BTL mortgage - many do indeed do it mainly for the longer term capital gain and are now a bit pissed off as most house prices are now static or falling slightly. I am paying quite a lot more than my landlords mortgage by a very large margin indeed as my landlord is very nice and we chatted about it . It is what it is and My lovely 4 bed semi is their fallback retirement ‘downsizing house’ after moving to some massive country place -

I rent out my house as I am currently a carer for my elderly mother. One of the tenants who has just moved in isn’t working but she does have an income from investments. The amount invested is less than the value of my house but the investments are yielding more than my rental income- but minus the work, risk and stress.
i am very attached to my house but it does make me wonder whether I would be better off doing what she has done. When she moved in, her father told me he had just sold all of his rental properties.
Increased renters’ rights sounds great - until the landlords vote with their feet - which I think many of them are doing.
The left wing ideology sounds great, as long as no proper scrutiny is applied.

No one has to be a landlord. Most people don't have a choice in renting.

You think your knowledge of 2, means they all will? 🤣

That doesn’t sound likely at all. Pension companies want to buy outright complete buildings, not random flats here are there subject to unknown maintenance and service charges.
They are also not buying random 120 year old solid wall terrace houses.

I read this whole thread and now I think anyone wanting to be a landlord is insane.

It’s illegal to accept or require 6 months rent in advance!

250k LL's have sold up in last year up to March. Many more have now given section 21 and will be selling up in next 6-12 months. I belong to a LL forum and know many of the LL's personally. None are buying and about £5 percent are doing as I am doing and selling 2 or 3 properties each year until all but 2 house sold, as mortgage terms expire. I have 12 houses rented out housing 26 adults, 21 DC and a set of twins on the way as well as many cats and 3 dogs. In 3 years all will be sold. The EPC is too difficult for Victorian terraced houses, and I have 4 of those, as single skins and internal cladding would cost between £11.5-13.5k depending on if 2 or 3 bedrooms. It can't be done whilst tenants are Insitu either. All so tenants can save less than £200 on heating per annum. It is not financially viable. I've been a Landlord for about 25 years now. I've been invited to several tenant weddings and I'm a Godmother to one DC, which is the only house I won't be selling. I've only ever used section 21 twice. Once for a nightmare tenants who trashed the house and once last Friday as I've got a tenant who complains the rent is too high on almost a weekly basis. I have not put up the rent since they moved in. They will be the first to go and then 2 more houses over next summer as mortgages expire. I'm going to retire from being a landlord. Incidentally these very restrictive new laws have failed in other countries as so many LL's leave then it just gets reversed again.

At the moment it is not after May 1st it will be.

I’m a “small” landlord who had 2 properties. I am in the process of selling one property because the tenant was moving out. The other property has a lovely family in it and will only be sold when they want to move out.

I think I am a pretty good landlord, rent is fair, any problems are sorted out quickly and the selective license inspection report praised the communication between myself and the tenants.

However, good small landlords are leaving the business by the truckloads. What the government is doing is so shortsighted. The rental properties are being bought up by corporations, slum landlords will do what they want, the rental market will shrink and rental prices will go up. In the end, the renters will pay the price.

Agree 100%. All ready less private rentals on the market, pushing up the price. Landlords are selling up and cashing in leaving good tenants with very little choice, it’s a win for ex landlords with more cash in the bank and a loss for good renters. Sad times and will only get worse as the years go on

All evictions had to go through court, always did. The only actual change is that there isnt an automatic one now that will be granted once you get to court almost without fail (it was actually possible to delay for various legitimate reasons, but it was rare and for genuine need).

This will free up plenty of space on it's own meaning things will be done faster, not slower. And you can still apply for a couple of grounds for rent issues.

You are completely wrong to say there are only two reasons to serve a S21.

No reason is needed to serve a S21 hence its moniker ‘no fault’. (Though in reality no sane LL serves a S21 on a good tenant.)

Anyway, as of tomorrow, S21 will be a thing of the past…

Feeling disheartened and anxious after reading this thread. I’m a tenant after living in a mortgaged house for years. A single mother of young children. We have been fortunate that we are renting from friendsbut this property is being sold next year. I receive universal credit. I always pay my rent on time. I’ve repainted parts of the house (with permission) and I have improved the house since we moved in. I even own a carpet cleaner and clean the carpets monthly! I treat the house as if it were my own.

I am worried I will have a dreadful time trying to rent next year. I do not earn a huge salary and rental prices here will be around £1800 to £2000 a month. I can afford to pay it and I have been consistently reliable but I fear me being on universal credit will put landlords off.

I think it’s crazy we’ve got to the point where people have to carefully tax plan so that their grown up children can live in their garden. I’m genuinely not having a pop at anyone or any particular group here, but do we not think that state intervention has got just a bit out of hand here?

"You will not be able to evict your tenant in the first 12 months of the tenancy if it’s because you need to move in or sell your property." How is this fair? If a landlords circumstances change they have to wait 12 months, but tenannts only two months. Im also not a fan of the pets clause. If I was happy to allow pets it would be stated in the advert. Before people start criticising me for being a landlord. Im also a tenant. I am looking to cease being a landlord ASAP.

@Lotterywinner100 ”How is this fair? If a landlords circumstances change they have to wait 12 months,”

Guaranteeing a minimum 12 months shouldn’t be that precarious, and if it is, they shouldn’t be in the business in the first place.

All these choices have trade-offs though.

You expect property owners to just adjust to this new reality, and to an extent they will. But that’s likely to involve:

• Higher rents to cover the risks of non-payment (this is what you seem to expect if you think landlords will all insure. That increased cost base then gets passed on to tenants)
• Much more picky on tenants (as the eviction process is how much harder, taking a chance on renters with a patchy record or no history is not going to be viable, or perhaps not insurable)
• Rent arrears no longer being settled flexibly (it’s now an insurance matter, even for the large majority of landlords who would prefer to be flexible and reasonable where they can).
• Many owners deciding not to let at all, especially if it’s a short period.
• Rents rising relative to house prices (benefits those who can afford to buy over those who must rent).

All of the above help some renters and hurt other renters. Those hurt are disproportionately the poorer, more transient, less well-documented or less well-trusted.

I’m a mortgaged ‘accidental’ landlord and I’d be more than happy to rent to you, but it just isn’t possible anymore. Nobody can really do it now unless it’s a large company and they will require over 7% yield for it to make sense. It doesn’t make sense to me, but it’s where we are.

Not all landlords are intentional landlords with lots of properties. I used to offer 12 months contracts with an option to break contract after 6 months. This benefitted many tenants who were contractors and moved for temporary work. Im now on my last tenant. Lots of blame for landlords from people who have never been one.