To think we should ban private renting?

[honeyrosesandwich]

AIBU to think this is a great idea?

Imagine if private renting was banned. All rented houses were done under social housing / housing association. There are already over 4.5 million houses rented under social housing, so it's on a huge scale already.

It would mean rent would be affordable for everyone and effectively help the cost of living prices. I live in a housing association house and my 2 bed is £520 a month. My brother, who private rents, pays £1100 for a 2 bed in the same area.

Repairs for my house are done by the HA's own company. I just put in a request online for it.

People that want to stay in their privately rented home will be free to do so but they put a ban on any new tenancies. The owners will have the opportuntiy to sell the house to social housing or keep it for themselves, but not rent it out further. If sold, the tenant will be allowed to stay.

I've been thinking about this randomly today and haven't come up with any negatives so far. Is it bad to monopolise housing? Well, there are already certain housing associations which own hundreds of thousands of houses.

Exactly, who is paying for this. Housing Associations use cross funding from private sale and grants from the Government IE all of us to pay for their housing.

The reason rents are cheap for housing associations is because it is subsidised by all of those paying tac. There isn't a money tree to pay for everyone to live in subsidised housing. Pay your own way in life.

There is a 'new' build near me, been on market 2 years. Its not sold. It should be compulsory put into council stock, and an arrangement where a proportion of rent goes to developer and rest to council. It's criminal its empty when there are thousands on local waiting lists.

I am currently living in a privately rented house, I have a specific need for a short term let of probably around a year. I wouldn’t qualify for social housing anyway, what was I supposed to do ? Plus my landlords are fab, nothing is too much trouble for them. I don’t begrudge them a penny, I don’t suppose they’re exactly making a fortune out of me.

@SleeplessInWherever We are also private renters too, but would give anthing to be able to afford to buy!
Is this the same for you?
We both work but it's out of the question.

So instead of having to pay my mortgage, maintenance and everything, I can just opt to rent - and as private renting is banned, I can get a housing association property, for very little, get someone else to pay for repairs and maintenance.

Sounds brilliant, and when I need to relocate, I get a new one, and someone else footing the bill again.

what's not to like

No they aren't they are not for profit or charities. They fund th build by cross funding from the sale of private flats and houses along with government grants. The rents they charge you are then also subsided.

You may well live in a HA flat but you don't even understand the basics.

We would like to, I’d buy the house we’re in now tomorrow.

Saving for a deposit with the outgoings we have would be very difficult, and the house prices here are insane.

But - we’re also both each other’s second marriage, have had property in the past with our respective exes, and are relatively speaking happy with the situation we’re in, comparatively.

Call it healthy perspective 😂!

@theneighbourstolemyteacup Indeed!
And as a privately renting is banned, myself and my family are now homeless and so will also need a cheaper SH property please!

There are a lot of people who rent for a short period and are happy renting privately. Students. People seconded to an employer for 6 months or a year. Recent graduates. They don't WANT a "forever home".

How would the Housing Associations and councils cover their running costs if the rents are to be so low? where will the money to reimburse current private landlords come from to pay them for their properties? Your funding model is fundamentally flawed I’m afraid. It would need Housing management and maintenance teams on a considerable scale - and they will need offices and IT equipment and HR and payroll etc etc. How would the properties be advertised and allocated? There is such a massive amount of privately owned housing- it is nowhere near as simple as the OP describes! Made me laugh though - so thanks for that !

@SleeplessInWherever Exactly the same situation here! We are 45 and 50 but we will never be able to afford to buy where we live now (without winning the lottery!)
But we love this place and treat it as our own ❤️

Don't bother the OPs happy little socialist utopia daydream with inconvenient truths!

It’s 80% in Singapore so it can definitely work.

Secondly, what about people who want/need to rent but aren’t vulnerable enough to qualify for social housing?

but under that scheme, EVERYONE will qualify for social housing. It has to be. When the only option is there, private renters will just get a housing rental instead, for much cheaper.

The ones currently privately renting should be able to stay where they are anyway 😂

thatcher’s government allowed this private landlord monopoly,

No it didn't.

prior to this it was far more common for regular citizens to rent from the council than it is now.

Only since the Second World War, and mostly from the '60s and '70s, when the really big council estates were built.

Up to the Second World War, by far the majority of housing was privately rented. The proportion was declining, but that was as much due to increase in owner occupation as increase in council housing. In 1939 only 10% of housing was council housing.

What if you don’t want t buy but you are a high income earner?

In my 20s I moved every two years across the UK for work - major city to major city. I wanted to rent flats that came furnished to a decent standard with easy onboarding and off boarding if a new job came up and I wanted to move fairly quickly.

You are missing all the professionals who want to rent for medium term stays.

Everyone who owns 2 homes should be tarred and feathered - well you can come and try it!

YABU. Where the fuck would I have lived when I had to move across the country every 6 months to a year, for junior doctor training? Some of us absolutely need private rentals.

I can get a housing association property, for very little, get someone else to pay for repairs and maintenance.

Except that it won't be 'someone else' paying for repairs and maintenance. It will be you, as a taxpayer.

@nocoolnamesleft Exactly and you need furnished places - it’s nice to have options to pick something that suits your taste and budget.

I agree. I think the issue you raised is not one that will be resolved by banning landlords. Lots of wealthy people rent- because they move around for work or just don't want to buy. Why should they get social housing or be forced to go through the hassle of buying and selling every few years? The problem is lack of affordable housing. So maybe limit housing benefit to a certain level and keep HA and social housing at a low level. At the moment we are paying a shed load of housing benefit out to private landlords when it could be used to go back into not for profit HA's and council properties.

just humour the OP will you😂

The rent people pay for their propety pays for the repairs and maintenance too. Have we really gone to this place again.. 'people in social housing live at the taxpayers expense!' and 'people in social housing are given free housing?!' YAWWWWWWN 😴

.

Singapore have recently built a massive dormitory for their migrant workers where you get to rent a bed in a room that sleeps 12 people.

i’m not sure this is social housing I’d want to rent.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32297860

I don’t agree with people having multiple houses and renting them for extortionate prices BUT we live in a capitalist society and this is the deal we make for the freedoms that allows us. Social housing isn’t there to make profit so the government would soon make a huge loss providing cheap housing for anyone that can’t afford to buy.