Election dilemma: the devil you know or don’t?

Election dilemma: the devil you know or don’t?

by Readers Question

Guest Author

9:35 AM, 10th June 2024, About 3 weeks ago 30

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This election, is it the devil you know better or worse than the devil you don’t?

Not having made law, the Renters Reform Bill, appallingly drafted and ill thought out, can be either quietly dropped or reworked to work with and not against/to crucify landlords if the Conservatives retain power.

Labour has said that Section 21 will be abolished and Section 8 Ground 1 (possession to sell or for the landlord or their family to live in) will be subject to a court hardship test, determining who will suffer more if possession is granted.

While Labour promises not to raise income tax or national inusrance contributions, they are likely to increase CGT and reduce allowances from £3,000 to £0. Labour could also introduce landlord fee based registers and further PRS regulations.

As in the last election, it’s got to be tactical voting to keep OUT who you don’t want, NOT voting in who you do.

Voting for Reform could let Labour in who are more anti PRS landlords than either the Conservatives or Lib Dems.

The PRS is a profession and should be treated as such by politicians AND landlords. It’s not a game, no one is an unintentional landlord as everyone one of us has made the decision to be one and should know from the outset the PRS legislation and regulations governing our profession.

It is not a profession to be learnt by mistakes. Doing the homework before entering this profession is even more important now than ever before.

If ALL the eligible people don’t vote then we could find we are governed by a Party who doesn’t have support of the majority of the people. So VOTE, even if you put a cross by every name on the ballot paper, people died to give you your right to vote.

Thanks for reading,

Judith


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Comments

JB

10:21 AM, 10th June 2024, About 3 weeks ago

I'm not taking the risk of Red Angela having her way. Three section 21's being served today - more section 21's to come later

Beaver

10:22 AM, 10th June 2024, About 3 weeks ago

So I can't risk this happening:

"Section 8 Ground 1 (possession to sell or for the landlord or their family to live in) will be subject to a court hardship test, determining who will suffer more if possession is granted."

Reluctant Landlord

10:23 AM, 10th June 2024, About 3 weeks ago

it’s got to be tactical voting to keep OUT who you don’t want, NOT voting in who you do.

Exactly!

It has to be the conservatives for me, not by choice, but by default. Labour will cause chaos but I don't think even with a majority they will be able to get through all the things they want to, there has got to be some watering down to their lunatic proposals especially in regard to making selling up a discretionary ground! Utter tosh.

I cannot vote reform, they are not a serious party and are only feeding off the undecided vote. They will jump in bed with Labour at any opportunity and Labour will let them if it works for them.

Along with my voting form to mark with an X, will also be draft S21's ready to go. Once the situation looks like it is about to turn, then off they go. Tenants will be told it is a direct consequence of the political situation as is and if they have an issue with it to contact their (probably newly elected) LABOUR MP!.

JB

10:28 AM, 10th June 2024, About 3 weeks ago

Reply to the comment left by Reluctant Landlord at 10/06/2024 - 10:23
No way will Reform jump into bed with Labour. I think there may be an outside chance if the Tories offer Farage deputy leader he may go with them.
I think there's a large silent majority who will vote Reform

Reluctant Landlord

10:31 AM, 10th June 2024, About 3 weeks ago

Reply to the comment left by Beaver at 10/06/2024 - 10:22
Any landlord will be able to claim mental health reasons due to stress of running a BTL these days. If you present all the evidence to show just why you can't carry on and need to sell, then a court cannot rule that selling would not be in the interests of the tenant! It's not always about financial reasons why you need to sell. Many BTL's set up for investment purposes and you have a right to sell up and invest elsewhere if you see fit. According to HMRC we are not officially a business anyway so how can a judge decide on what a private citizen can and cannot do with their own private investment?

Reluctant Landlord

10:34 AM, 10th June 2024, About 3 weeks ago

Reply to the comment left by JB at 10/06/2024 - 10:28clearly Reform will be seen as the countries 'protest vote' the trouble is, that's all it will say because those voting are silent. There is no clarity on why - and that's dangerous. They know they will be wanted for political gain nothing more so will bend with the wind of the day..

Reluctant Landlord

10:39 AM, 10th June 2024, About 3 weeks ago

Reply to the comment left by Beaver at 10/06/2024 - 10:22
if they also state that LL have to give 2 years notice too, then this will just mean more LL's serving notice immediately. After 2 years notice the LL has every reason to warrant 'suffering' more than the T who has had 24 months to find elsewhere to live and only has to give a months notice when they do!

Darren Peters

10:50 AM, 10th June 2024, About 3 weeks ago

Reply to the comment left by Reluctant Landlord at 10/06/2024 - 10:23
My view, Labour has already won. Sunak has done the heavy lifting for them (I think deliberately). So vote Reform and give the Conservatives the kick in the teeth they deserve. The reform vote plus the conservative vote will not outweigh the labour vote anyway so it's not like the landlords voting tory will save us from labour policies. Heck the worst anti-small landlord policies have come from the tories anyway.

Saying Reform aren't a serious party. Well that's a catch 22 argument and ignores the fact that despite not being in power, in their predecessor form, UKIP, forced a vote on EU membership. Whether you agree with them or not they did what they set out to do.

If the tories lose moderately it'll be business as usual for them in 2029, blue labour. If they are humiliated they will have to reform(!) or die.

Steve Shepherd

11:08 AM, 10th June 2024, About 3 weeks ago

I’m sorry to disagree but we cannot seriously be considering a Tory vote!?

Anybody remember the parties at Downing Street? I do!

Anybody remember changing the law to protect a Tory MP who was guilty of the offence?

Do you remember the proroguing of parliament in the basis of ANOTHER big lie?

Let’s not even talk about the mini budget hey?

After the utter devastation they have wreaked on every household in the country, I cannot and absolutely will not vote for the Tories. They are on course to be wiped out on July 4th. There is no way that they are going to get into power.

I think we need to consider what happens when Kier Starmer is PM. He’s not a fan of Angela Rayner so I’m not sure she’s going to be in a position to implement anything once Starmer is PM. Watch this space!

Perhaps it is time to accept the likely outcome and prepare to negotiate a solution that helps protect the rights of both tenants AND landlords? I think Labour will be more likely to take some time over this. The ultimate goal is to provide good accommodation at a far price. If we as landlords, step forward and show a new government that we are willing to work with them, that is a far better circumstance than starting off on an aggressive footing.

Seriously people, the country is on its knees after 14 years of Tory stewardship. Do you really want to risk them coming back and having another go?!

This is about so much more than our particular group. We need to get the country back on track and we will all benefit. I know I’m going to get shot down here but tell me I’m wrong! Let’s be more tenant focussed and see if we can’t get a decent deal for everyone involved in rentals. Customers and landlords. Also, it’s the decent thing to do from a humanitarian perspective. If we are seen to be being responsible and providing a safe home for people, perhaps we could talk with the new government about maybe being able to progress serious issues/evictions for the minority of tenants who are a problem. If we could trade better standards and understanding then the trade off could be, quicker removal of problem tenants and get back to renting it out to someone who will appreciate a good landlord.

Remember they are not “just a tenant” These are real humans we are dealing with.

It’s not all about us, for the good of the country, economy and the wellbeing of all of us, not just some of us.

Just MHO

Best,

Steve

Beaver

11:21 AM, 10th June 2024, About 3 weeks ago

Reply to the comment left by Steve Shepherd at 10/06/2024 - 11:08
I can't risk this labour proposal happening or anything similar to it:

"Section 8 Ground 1 (possession to sell or for the landlord or their family to live in) will be subject to a court hardship test, determining who will suffer more if possession is granted."

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