latest gov't advice re: renting

[RaisedByWolves]

Re the above: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachmentdata/file/464910/HowwtoRenttOctober20155_FINAL.pdf

In addition to carrying the usual blindingly obvious, patronising and generally useless messages the Home Office specialises in inflicting on the great unwashed with sadistic vigour (sorry but not a fan) the latest booklet titled "How to Rent" contains the following priceless paragraph:

"Think about how much rent you can afford to pay: 35% of your take-home pay is the most that many people can afford, but this depends on what your other outgoings are (for example, whether you have children)."

I've just done my calculations and in the area of London I live in (outer peripheries) rent is a diabolical 66.66% of my take home pay. I rent the smallest cheapest space I was able to find - so at the bottom of this market. Looking at ratio of average pay in London to average rental prices it becomes obvious that a lot of other people are in the same boat.

Great pamphlet, I feel suitably advised! I shall obviously adjust myself to my income levels and seek to rent where I can reach that mythical 35%!

Is it unreasonable of me to want to shadow what Victoria Coren recently said, and recommend that all of us over 35% tenants simply leave London and refuse to any longer support an economy that permits the industrial scale exploitation of cash cow tenants?

I can picture it now, 5 years in the future. David Cameron is sitting in his chipping Norton house, he's being visited by the ex president Barack Obama. Unfortunately he's done a massive shit and blocked his toilet by the front door.

Aid: sorry mr Cameron the plumber is stuck on the m40 in traffic. A car broke down as a doctor thought it was a good idea to attempt to change his gearbox and engine as there was no mechanics left in the city.

DC: could they not just get the car recovered to clear the traffic?

Aid; no sorry the recovery driver is coming from 'trade town', so he's got at least three hours Before he gets to the doctors car.

DC: is there no one local?

Aid: no they are all on jobs, one did say they'd drop their job for £5000 their emergency call out fee.

I live in Scotland and my rent is 55% of my income so it's not just a London thing. I wish it was 35% that would be amazing!

Just had a look on RightMove, there are 180 houses with 5 miles of me for less than 35% of my income £720 pcm. Not all of them I would like to live in but many I would. I live in B92 if you want to look

be aware that every time you renew or start a tenancy, you'll be given a copy of this booklet. Also a copy of the EPC (really useless) and your smoke alarms will need to be checked. As well as protected deposit, of course.

that said, there are plenty on here who seem unaware that rental properties need gas safe certs, smoke alarms, protected deposits, to be kept in a good state of repair etc etc that there is clearly a need for the booklet.

yep, London is screwed. Plenty that could be done but no government seems to want to.

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Yes we need plumbers, bus drivers, cleaners, shop assistants, nurses etc to live in London. In a perfect world we need them at exactly the same density as the rest of the country. It's not them that are pushing up demand or prices in London but those mysterious highly paid people who work in The City who probably do nothing but stare at screens all day abs could work anywhere. So why do we put them all in one place pushing up demand? What exactly are all the jobs that are only in London and why do they all need to be there?

I agree with a PP who says that the last thing we need is to further incentivise people to live and work in London