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 agree, once they start talking about floor insulation it won’t pay back.
However there is a world of difference between a single skin Victorian house and a modern insulated one, or an insulated loft at 50mm to 300mm. Single glazed wood to double glazed UPVc. Oil or gas boiler vs ASHP.
When you look at a modern house, the radiators are usually tiny.

Of course there are! Two property owners decide to move in together and rent out the home they chose not to live in. The rented home was not bought as a rental investment but kept in case the relationship dissolves

So they chose to rent out the property. Not accidental at all. A choice.

You know full well what they mean.

That wouldn't be an accident though. They wouldn't trip over a loose paving slab and stand up to find they'd let out a house.

It would be a decision.

I disagree. It’s YOUR HOME. It’s just not YOUR HOUSE. There’s a difference.

(I’ve never rented)

You think when both parties agree that cant be easily avoided?

I do think property rental is a service industry in which the service provider is able to forget that's what it is and that tenants are paying customers who are paying for a home. Instead, tenants are often talked about and treated as naughty children despite in many cases essentially paying for a permanent and valuable possession for the landlord to own. Even if the rent doesn't cover the mortgage the landlord isn't subsidising the tenant as one poster on here has suggested - who gets what at the end of the arrangement?!

Presumably it's because property and class are so inseparable in this country, along with what the concept of home means (in terms of security etc).

“Presumably it's because property and class are so inseparable in this country, along with what the concept of home means (in terms of security etc).”

I get the exact opposite impression! Namely that because a few working class 1-3 property landlords sprung up people want to punch that way as they only want to be lorded over by the big “corporation ”
or the property baron with a 10 million plus property portfolio. How dare Keith from Blackpool get above his station and provide a service? Better push him down.

It is just entirely typical to punch the guy just above you and line the pockets of the super rich and the corporations further.

No. They don't want to be 'Lorded over' by anyone. That's exactly what I'm talking about.

People want to live in safe, secure homes in exchange for the rent they pay. I'm sure tenants would welcome Keith as a landlord if that's what he's providing. If he's blaming his lack of proper maintenance on people not opening windows, saying the place they're living is not their home, whining about how tired he is at having to carry out his responsibilities and pay a portion of his own mortgage, speaking about tenants as a class as if they are vermin, and making his tenants homeless at whim because he actually doesn't have the resources to rent things out properly then no he shouldn't be a landlord.

As tenants you should not be expected to provide a profit for your landlord AND behave as if they're doing you a favour at the same time. No other financial transaction requires this.

So often here women are advised to keep hold of their property in case moving in with new partner doesn’t work out.
Or advised to LTB, but trapped with nowhere to go.

But perhaps on balance it is best for the govt to slowly eradicate private rental as a system. Then people can choose between corporate landlords or the social system.

According to the FT this morning, about 700 properties a DAY are being put up for sale by landlords exiting the market.

Some 254,000 came on the market in the 12 months to March 2026, which is an increase of 9% over the same period 12 months before, and a 28% over 2024.

That is a lot of homeless households.

My landlord decided to sell because of this and the upcoming new rules on upgrading the energy rating and so I was made homeless because of this.
I only just managed to rent a one bedroom apartment flat instead of my 2bed house for the same money as I was paying under market rent. My son is at uni now & when he comes home he has no bedroom anymore.

Here’s a link on what is happening in Scotland, to see the knock on effects on this legislation within a few years: ie fewer landlords & more evictions:

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/fife/5482644/fife-homeless-numbers-rise-private-landlords/?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_campaign=echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwdGRjcARi-glleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEewG14NJmU1joSznly1eLJxWWzJ7Rx1ejN9sGvdPWZSHQcm_draJVXlRf7P60_aem_tHsAA2X_hmNNeb0PGkTFoQ#Echobox=1777702107

As I am neither a residential landlord nor a residential tenant, I can only say that I am not surprised that this is the result of stupendously stupid legislation.

I am a landlord, and I let property to businesses who prefer to keep money in the company and its development instead of buildings.

I am an accidental landlord. Bought my property at the peak prior to the financial crash of 2008. I needed to move when pregnant but couldn’t sell as I was in negative equity. So with permission from our mortgage lender we rented it out when we rented somewhere more suitable.

I haven't read the full thread so this may already have been posted!
The years long squeeze on small landlords is not to help tenants. It is because large corporations want to muscle in and control the whole of the rental market. I wish renters good luck with that..they won't be able to mess around e.g. sit in a property for months without paying their rent, trash homes, expect all repairs/problems to be sorted promptly etc. Rents will increase. There will be different rules for these corporations (just like housing associations/social home providers get away with mould, leaks, dangerous electrics..as the rules for private, small landlords don't apply to them) and tenants will, in the long run, have less rights, not more.

Oh come on the almost a million people (net) that arrived in 2023 have to live somewhere!

Best you stick to your areas of expertise then.