Renters rights

TerriBull
Thanks for your knowledgeable input on the using an agent to let premises and the potential costs involved of being a landlord.

I agree TerriBull something fishy about this…

I have a certain amount of scepticism regarding the Labour landlord. He said, his apartments were managed, who was he using a mate? The letting department of an estate agent manages mine for which they charge 11 and a half, plus vat. When there's any issue that needs to be addressed they contact me, and it is expected to be sorted asap, which it is. I've just had a new pump put in the shower room which involved removing the old one, supplying the new one and a certain amount of tiling was also required to make good the access area, it was pretty costly, but that's it, it's a landlord's obligation to make sure everything is in working order and to generally maintain the state of the property. It just doesn't make any sense to me that he didn't know about the state his properties were in, or his -mate or whoever managed them wasn't keeping him informed of their disrepair.

I have 2 small apartments that I let, they are only suitable for singles possibly a couple but no outdoor space. It’s easy to be mobile if you don’t have children, so new legislation won’t bother me
If you have children, moving is a big deal, often involving moving schools, it causes a lot of disruption. There does need to be some kind of restriction on landlords, automatic possession is too open to abuse.

Boz

One likes to be fair, but some of the ideas to protect the renter are worrying; allowed a pet? From a goldfish to a baby lion - the mind boggles.
You will need to go to the courts to prove anti-social behaviour or get your rent arrears.
All too complicated; no wonder people are reluctant to rent their property and after all this, guess what, people will still be unable to meet the high cost of renting because landlords will put up their prices to cover all the aggravation.

One always had to go to court to get rent arrears or anti social behaviour.

In terms of pets, that’s easy, take a slightly higher damage deposit AND ask the tenant to take out contents insurance which specifically covers damage done by pets.

Private renters, in many cases, pay way over the top in rent and need protection, just as landowners do too.

There are two properties in my street...privately rented. The tenants are dreadful and have created issue after issue i.e antisocial behaviour.

There has been police and council involvement...even planning as one of them decided to make his own alterations to the property . For some reason....the landlord has refused to act.
Neighbours renting have moved, those of us who own would find it so difficult to sell because of what is happening.

So while I have every sympathy with some renters who really do suffer with bad landlords, people in my situation and I'm sure I'm not alone in this, have no redress whatsoever!

I blame Mrs Thatcher for this mess.
Yes, it is a good idea for people to buy a house but forcing people onto the private rental/house buying market by selling off council houses was not the way forward.

Rental property is already in very short supply and landlords will not want to have to cope with the new restrictions. Also the rise in interest rates make it a less attractive proposition.
When interest rates come down landlords still won't want to buy to let or rent out inherited property in the same numbers.

I would think no fault evictions in England will follow the Scottish model. You can evict if you want to live in the property or sell it. The red tape involved in letting in Scotland has caused many landlords to sell. Not everyone can get nor wants a mortgage so selling doesn't alleviate the housing crisis just means fewer rentals for the many (who tend to be the poorer in society) that need them

Not all landlords have entered into this situation as a business venture. When we were farming we lived in a house which was tied to the farm and bought a cottage ready for our retirement - in the meantime it was rented out. In due course we opted to retire to a new area and sold the cottage - we would have been unable to buy our new home if we hadn't been able to sell the cottage.
Now our DS owns a house which is rented out - it was his home before moving in with his new partner. Having been made virtually homeless when his marriage broke down he was understandably reluctant to burn all his bridges.
I fully understand that tenants need some security but if measures are too much in their favour I foresee some landlords becoming homeless whilst their tenants sit pretty

Not all landlords are disreputable. I have a flat which I rent out (well under market rent value, I might add), but the ever-increasing rules and regulations and red tape involved in renting mean that if I could sell, I would. Unfortunately, because it is part of our main property, I can't. There's a world of difference between someone like me and landlords with a big property portfolio, who don't care about anything other than the money side of it.

A lot of landlords have sold up already due to concerns about the erosion of no fault evictions and also for when the new EPC ratings are introduced.

I can see this results in more properties being available to buy, but whose going to buy them?

In my seaside town I fear that this will fuel the drive for landlords to move their property to holiday lets/ air B&B's.
I understand the thinking, but there may unlooked- for consequences.

Maybe he’s hoping all the landlords will sell up and free up housing.
The landlords will lose their income, but I’m not certain he’d care.
And yes, Smileless2012 and Boz, your points do seem to have fallen below his notice.

One likes to be fair, but some of the ideas to protect the renter are worrying; allowed a pet? From a goldfish to a baby lion - the mind boggles.
You will need to go to the courts to prove anti-social behaviour or get your rent arrears.
All too complicated; no wonder people are reluctant to rent their property and after all this, guess what, people will still be unable to meet the high cost of renting because landlords will put up their prices to cover all the aggravation.

Not so great if you have a property in the UK that you rent out and work and live abroad, retire and want to live in the property you own in the UK.

Not so great if you're in a job that provides accommodation, and the property you bought for retirement has a tenant who you're unable to evict. Where do you live? I suppose you'll have to hope that there'll be sufficient rental accommodation available, not owned by disreputable landlords so you can rent.