Renters rights bill

[MoneyNeverSleeps]

A question for LL’s please - what changes will you make in preparation for Labours Renters rights bill please? And what do you see as the wider consequences?

For those who simply wish to hate on LL’s, please don’t bother posting.

You re mistaken, the bill was dropped because of the GE and lack of Parliamentary time, the then housing minister said it would be brought back if the Tories won the GE, it was in their manifesto!!

The issues with LLs leaving the sector in droves started under the TOries, hence my relative being evicted after 15years, the LL told her is was due to all the extra costs being imposed on her by Govt.

Accepted, in part.

I would like Labour to let the woman on the radio know after ten evictions why they think a choosier, more risk averse market at a higher rental rate be good for her

And then let her know where she'll be instead.

Oh cmon, they had five years.and it was never ever coming back as it was.

Yes sorry I also accept in part. The second part.

All that happened to her, the 10 evictions, happened over several years, under a Tory Govt.

I don't quite see why your blaming Labour.

The woman was obviously chosen for the multiple eviction angle. It inadvertently shows how screwed she will be with this bill in place.

Anyone can see the rental market will decrease. Rent will go up

People will be choosier. So when this same woman can't get her next rental property what then?

She isn’t blaming labour for the evictions, she’s blaming labour for putting the bill back on the table which is resulting in landlords selling up. Making the situation a million times worse.

Because this

you simply cannot try to turn private landlords into social housing and tax the fuck out of them, because many will chose to exit, and for those who stay in, the tenants will pay for the additional costs.

Honestly how do people become so blind to outcomes. It's bizarre

I did say much earlier, that the bill needs to be withdrawn, i don't support it.

My point is the lady facing so many evictions suffered this long before renters rights bills or any Labour Govt.

TwentyEA say LLs selling has increased over recent months, interest rate rises, costs and uncertainty are the main drivers.

So even without the 'bill, LLs are still leaving the sector.

I hope very much they will withdraw this bill or at least make some changes.

A lot of them would have left anyway due to their advancing age, and because they can’t cut corners like they used to. The Renters Reform bill is a handy excuse.

LL have been selling up since taxation of interest started, the sell off went into overdrive with the hike in interest rates. Some LL are still in cheap fixes, once they expire, they will also have to sell.

Then there’s a whole lot of other compliance that just made it more profitable and less hassle to put your money in the bank.

Yes, agree, as said earlier nearly a million less in three years, it’s already too difficult for many.

i think with the lack of social housing Theresa may thought she’d leverage private landlords to fill the gap. Of course the tories then kicked it into the long grass, knowing rhe repurcussions. Labour has come in and wants to run it.

however it’s simply not possible for it to work. Increased costs will always go to the tenants, and they are coming down the line like a freight train if this passes , and the risks associated with renting a property now is huge,

woth a shrinking market, millions more people will need to be court evicted, as there is no simply where for them to go when a landlord sells up, in many places we see people saying they see so many adverts but when they call, the place has already gone, demand is that high. Properties go within hours.

You will need deep pockets to cover the risks and requirements as a landlord. And deep pockets as a tenant to be able to afford to rent.

it is feasible to be a landlord with the new bill, but the old days of individuals doing buy to let, and having good relationships with their tenants are going. Now it’s becoming a cold business for the professionals. and they will need to charge hard rents to cover all their costs and off set their risks, just like any other business.

So given we are in some sort of agreement: what should the Government do?

I would suggest keep the sect 21 changes, fund councils to enforce current law on condition etc, build far far more SH and fund councils to buy up properties LLs are selling.

Scrap the rest of it, the reg database, is a huge turn off for LLs as is decent home standards as thse costs will just be passed to the tenant.

TBH more easily accessed resolution where either a tenant or landlord are failing their obligations would work for me. I shouldn’t have to wait literally a year to remove a tenant that is preventing desperately needed repair. And a tenant shouldn’t fear eviction for raising an issue with the condition of a flat.

That requires more than housing regulation though. It requires huge investment in a dedicated tenancy type court or tribunal service with relatively low cost fees, quick resolution, and teeth to enforce decisions.

Sure, that’ll be it.

The building numbers they are talking about is utter bollocks. Private/public partnerships are invariably difficult and that’s before you run into LA’s, planning, input costs, labour availability, infrastructure.

Private public as PFI was?

The taxpayer absolutely lost out there, the hike up was huge

There are 1000s of empty SH's left empty due to HA's not having the funds to buy them from developers.

We've built Council houses before, there is no reason why we cannot do it again, v defeatist to say its not possible.

But it is a very long term aim, which is why i said this bill is putting the cart before the horse.

I'd reverse the interest rate rights off too, need to make being a LL pay, need carrot and stick.

iwishihadknownmore - I work in construction consultancy, and have spent much of my career involved in SH procurement. Governments and councils are reducing funding for new builds, despite increasing the specification that has to be built to, to meet net zero. I'm in Scotland, and that has happened since the SG and numerous councils have declared housing emergencies. This reduction in funding has been happening for 20 years, with no signs of reversal.

What @MoneyNeverSleeps says is very valid. We have an aging workforce, and the numbers they're suggesting they will build (even taking the funding question out) are impossible.

Then reverse the funding cuts....

So much defeatism.

iwishihadknownmore the industry has been campaigning for that to happen for more than 20 years. Occasionally, there will be a slight increase (less than inflation), usually around the time of an election, or they announce they're providing X amount of funding, but it's still at the same funding level. Many developers have stepped away from the sector, due to lack of funding. Some Housing Associations are looking at alternative methods of procurement, but many are just stopping developing and concentrating on their existing stock, whcih doesn't help reduce the housing waiting lists.

Similar to the promised 6,500 new teachers, Labour think one can simply wave a magic wand, and hey presto.

Well, thats down to the decisions made over the last 14 years.

We need aims or targets, the next 10 years are going to happen, start encouraging people either into or back into teaching, build more houses, release more funds OR we will have the same old in 10 years time....

Same with NHS, lets get on with stuff that should have been done years ago, we all know skills take time but prevaricating isn't going to conjure them up either.

Lots of this for Labour, it was part of the pre GE campaign.

There is a shelf life of looking back rather than at their own policies, for most people anyway