9:16 AM, 21st May 2024, About 6 months ago 42
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In a pointed one minute video message, Nottingham landlord Mick Roberts has responded to Ben Twomey, the chief executive of Generation Rent, who has criticised landlords and the Renters (Reform) Bill.
Mr Twomey argues that the bill does not deliver on the government’s promise to end Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions.
He said: “Everyone deserves to feel secure in their own home, which is why the government committed to end section 21 no-fault evictions over five years ago.
“The Renters (Reform) Bill does not deliver the original promise that landlords will ‘no longer be able to unexpectedly evict families with only eight weeks’ notice’.”
However, Mr Roberts offers a different perspective, and, in his video below, he says: “I’m with you Ben, I want my tenants to be able to move to cheaper rents.”
He suggests that the current rules and regulations aren’t working and proposes a different approach, asking landlords what they want to prevent them from selling their properties and charging high rents.
Mr Roberts argues that landlords are an important part of the housing equation and says: “They are forgetting to ask arguably the most important person in this – the person supplying the property, the housing provider – what can we do for you, so you supply this property in the first place?”
He suggests that if landlords could get their properties back in one month, they would be more willing to rent to anyone, thereby increasing the availability of rental properties.
Mr Roberts said: “You’ve got a landlord/landlady who has not lived for five years, no holidays, luxuries, saved up the £40,000 deposit for a house. Then another £30,000 and three months on the refurb till 9pm every night, and you then telling him he can’t have his house back?
“This is why Ben, the tenants can’t get houses. The housing provider is doing you a favour and you then want to keep the favour forever?”
He adds: “You talk about two months Section 21 ‘no-fault’. Who says it’s no fault? Do you EVER go ask the Landlord why they evicted?
“By the way, that two months is Codswallop, it takes TWELVE months to evict and that’s if you’ve got every bit of anti-landlord paperwork perfect.”
Mr Roberts concludes his message by suggesting that councils buy back houses from landlords, stating: “Get the councils to come and buy the houses back off us, there’s many of us that want to sell them but are trying to be loyal to the tenant, but we are getting older, and you are wearing us down.
“You’ve then got council houses back in your control as such. And then get them to stop selling council houses.”
Mr Roberts told Property118: “There are landlords wanting to sell their houses but can’t because the tenants can’t get anywhere anymore. So, let’s help tenants get homes.
“I want landlords and Generation Rent to pass this video to renters to understand why they can’t get houses and rents are shooting up.”
He added: “Why would you ever supply a property to some Tom, Dick, Harry, you don’t know, especially if you didn’t know if you were ever going to get it back?
“When this Renters (Reform) Bill doesn’t work, what will Generation Rent think of next?”
Peter Charon
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Sign Up9:51 AM, 21st May 2024, About 6 months ago
Quite right Mick. It’s madness how the Government, Gen Rent and Shelter seem to forget in all of this that the PRS is just that. Private. We are not social landlords. We are entitled to a decent profit. If we can’t make a decent profit then it’s not worth the hassle. S24 and the massive increase in interest rates alone have made many properties no longer viable. The moment S21 appears to be on the way out, or a Labour Gov is on the way in, I’m serving the lot in one hit. I’ll give the maximum notice I can under the law. Then they are all going on the market. Imagine if all of us do the same thing, at the same time!!!
TheMaluka
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Sign Up10:05 AM, 21st May 2024, About 6 months ago
Mick you stand a better chance of convincing Prof Richard Dawkins that there is a deity.
Throwing in the towel LL
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Sign Up11:42 AM, 21st May 2024, About 6 months ago
I recently served two out of my three remaining tenants S21s - the third ones being served in a couple of weeks as Im in my 70s and dont need the hassle now. Luckily the first found a place straight away and, with my consent, left before her rental period was up but the second was advised by the Birmingham council that she would be making herself intentionally homeless if she left under the S21 so she immediately stopped paying (the under market value) rent and is still there and now owes £6,000, and Ive just paid £1,000 to an eviction agency and almost £400 to the court to get her out of the apartment she's wrecking. So S21s do not work anyway when you have councils advising tenants to stay put. But to be honest Im even more worried about the third tenant who has never defaulted on her rent and keeps the place nice because if the no fault S21 is abolished and I have to use a fault system how would I ever get her out of my property when there has been no fault?
Reluctant Landlord
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Sign Up11:58 AM, 21st May 2024, About 6 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Throwing in the towel LL at 21/05/2024 - 11:42
you can still gain possession now if you wish to sell using S21 while it is still here.
Even when S21 is gone, under the 'new' S8 there is a mandatory clause for LL selling up. It's going to be a well used ground I can tell you for many once S21 is abolished....
Stella
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Sign Up12:27 PM, 21st May 2024, About 6 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Reluctant Landlord at 21/05/2024 - 11:58
Unless I am mistaken there is no mandatory ground under section 8 for selling up.
This is what these negotiating on our behalf said there would be but under the RRB it is to be a discretionary ground.
This is what worries me.
What happens when a Judge does not give us permission to sell?
I would like someone to tell me that I have got this wrong because but I don't think I have.
Throwing in the towel LL
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Sign Up12:31 PM, 21st May 2024, About 6 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Reluctant Landlord at 21/05/2024 - 11:58
Thank you for your reply, appreciated, but I think a tenant could still dig their feet in and push you to a long drawn out, expensive court eviction especially as councils are even now advising this (:o( I told the tenant I needed to sell but it did not make any difference. And it does not ask in the S21 what the reason for the issue of the S21.
moneymanager
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Sign Up12:44 PM, 21st May 2024, About 6 months ago
'Chirf Executive"?
Reluctant Landlord
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Sign Up14:40 PM, 21st May 2024, About 6 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Stella at 21/05/2024 - 12:27
Part 1 of the Renters Reform Bill (“the Bill”), if passed as currently drafted, will amend the various sections of and Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1988 (“the 1988 Act”), replacing the current provisions enabling landlords to determine assured and assured shorthold tenancies in order to re-take possession. Here are the key points about the proposed changes:
Private landlords who wish either to retake possession so that they or a family member may live in the premises as their only or principal home, or to sell the property, will benefit from mandatory grounds for possession on those bases, albeit they cannot be relied on during the first six months of any tenancy.
Reluctant Landlord
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Sign Up15:21 PM, 21st May 2024, About 6 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Throwing in the towel LL at 21/05/2024 - 12:31
tenant can always do that - nothing new here. S21 does not allow a reason to be given so therefore it cannot be contested in the literal sense.
The court times/delays are the crux of all this. The Bill is one thing - application is quite another. If LL's could be guaranteed a set timescale for possession (for ANY ground) that would make a huge difference I suggest.
Mike231
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Sign Up15:21 PM, 21st May 2024, About 6 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Peter Charon at 21/05/2024 - 09:51
Absolutely I'm in the same mindset, luckily I don't owe a penny, apart from CGT I walk away with a few pounds, unfortunately good tennants will suffer, but hay ho it's my property's!