Property expert reveals the truth behind landlord exodus and top tips for preventing e-bike fires

Is the supposed landlord exodus just a myth?

In an exclusive interview with Property118, property expert Julie Ford says the doom and gloom of the media is exaggerated and landlords are still continuing to invest in property.

Julie also tells Property118 about the risks of e-bike fires and how a few disposable vape batteries led to disaster for one rental property.

All by accident

Julie’s journey into the property world didn’t start conventionally as she dreamed of being a police officer.

“It was all by accident,” Julie says.

“When I was at school all I wanted to be when I grew up was a police officer and then I went to university and did law because I wanted to be a criminal barrister.

“None of that came to fruition. Instead, I started to get part-time jobs, became a new-build sales girl, and tried to help sell luxury apartments, but soon learned I couldn’t sell to anybody who didn’t want to buy.”

Julie says she discovered her passion for property when she started diving into the practical side of things.

She said: “When people bought properties and faced issues like a tile falling off or a faulty bath seal, I was in my element. I could fix it—finding a plumber or handyman and solving the problem immediately.

“That’s when I realised, I was a fixer and a problem solver. From that point on, I moved into property management and really found my niche in property.

“I still had my love for law and I got really stuck into housing law. That led me to work with Citizens Advice and a homelessness charity as a relocation agent.

“I found properties from landlords to move people who were homeless off the streets and into accommodation. We supported them for two years, helping them eventually find a place of their own.

“I now work as a consultant in the industry and as a trainer for a number of organisations.”

I’m not seeing a mass landlord exodus

Julie says the media is creating a lot of noise when it comes to landlords selling up and many individual landlords are still looking to invest in property.

“I’m not seeing a mass landlord exodus,” Julie tells Property118.

“I was at an event with small portfolio landlords and asked the question how many were looking to sell up this year or how many were looking to add to their portfolio and everybody said they were looking to add to their portfolio. No one said they were selling up.

“These people were individual landlords not big corporate landlords with around one or two properties – the ones the media are talking about selling.”

Julie acknowledges that some landlords, especially those who are older, are looking to sell their property portfolios.

She said: “That doesn’t mean some landlords out there are looking to sell. There are definitely some landlords that have decided this is all getting a bit too much and were going to sell up in five years time but have decided to sell up now.”

More young people entering buy-to-let market

Julie adds she is seeing more young people enter the buy to let market.

She said: “The mortgage brokers I talk to are seeing more people, especially those between 25-35, opting for buy to let mortgages as their first mortgage.

“More people are entering the market as landlords with their first property, rather than as homeowners. The market now seems geared towards a younger audience.

“Everything moves so quickly and keeps changing, which can be overwhelming for landlords who’ve had their properties for 20 years and have been doing things the same way.

“For someone entering the industry today, though, they’re jumping in with things as they are now, so there’s no major adjustment.

“You’re already using apps and online systems to manage things, making it easier to be a new landlord today compared to someone trying to adapt from the old pen-and-paper methods of the past 20 years.”

Risk of e-bike fires in rental properties

E-bikes are becoming more common in rental properties, and the London Fire Brigade has reported that firefighters in London have responded to more e-bike and e-scooter fires in 2024 than in all of 2023.

Julie says it’s all about communication to mitigate the risks of e-bike fires.

She explains: “If you’re a landlord with a designated charging area, make sure it’s clearly communicated to the tenant.

“It’s important to understand the laws in place to protect you. In many cases, if a tenant is charging an e-bike on the property, it can raise insurance concerns.

“If the e-bike’s battery explodes, it cannot be extinguished easily – even the fire brigade can’t put it out, as the battery needs to burn out on its own.”

Julie adds: “What you need to make clear to the tenant is that if you find an e-bike being charged in the property without permission, you have the legal right to confiscate it. Many landlords are unaware of this, but under the Interference with Goods Act 1977, this is allowed.

“The landlord can take the e-bike away legally but they must store it safely. Landlords are going to have to adapt as more and more people have e-bikes and e-scooters and charging them at the property.”

Disposable vape battery exploded

Julie says she has spoken to one landlord whose house was destroyed after a tenant had a serious issue when a disposable vape battery exploded.

Julie said: “The tenant had been doing exactly what they should be doing putting it in the recycling bin outside and with the hot weather, we’ve just had, a couple of those vapes exploded in the bin and the whole side of the house went up in flames.”

Julie says it’s important landlords explain the consequences of an e-bike fire to tenants and introduce some fire precautions in the tenancy agreement.

“It’s in our daily lives even phone battery chargers can explode so landlords need to learn to adapt and communicate with the tenant on the consequences of fires in the property and conduct regular inspections to make sure e-bikes are being charged correctly.

“The landlord could introduce fire precautions specifically saying to the tenant you can only charge items that have been brought from reputable suppliers. Not buying an item from the internet as you don’t know how good that is.”

How to increase rent whilst keeping tenants happy

Julie says a common question she gets from landlords is how to raise rent while keeping tenants happy.

She says it can be tricky, but the key is to do annual rent increases every year.

Julie explains: “What landlords and letting agents often overlook is that when a tenant rents a property, they typically rent at the top end of their budget, not the lower end.

“They are already stretched, giving as much of their income as they can afford. Increasing the rent by £200 to £300 per month is usually not feasible for most tenants because they lack the additional income.

“It’s important to communicate with tenants from the start that there will be an annual rent increase. Many landlords, out of kindness, try to keep the rent as low as possible, but this isn’t good business sense for either the landlord or the tenant.”

Julie adds: “As a landlord, your costs are going up. For tenants, they get comfortable with the lower rent and budget around it. When a sudden rent increase occurs, it can become unaffordable and unrealistic.

“You then start to get angry phone calls from the tenant, and the relationship breaks down. Also, if the tenant wants to move on, they might see much higher rents. Whereas, if you were increasing the rent regularly every year, it would be much more in keeping with market rates.”

“The first thing we do as landlords is check someone’s affordability before they move in, yet we never check their affordability before we put the rent up.”

What should Labour do to help the private rented sector?

Julie tells Property118 that the Labour government needs to rethink its approach to legislation.

“I’d like to see common sense for once!” Julie says.

“The things that frustrate me about all the new legislation that keeps coming in is that they don’t actually resolve the problems they are trying to solve. It’s just putting a sticking plaster on an arterial bleed it doesn’t solve problems.

“We are still a sector that in 2024 we are still working with legislation from the 1700s. It’s no longer fit for purpose for society as it is today.

“For example, if a tenant hands in their notice and then doesn’t leave the landlord is entitled to claim double rent on a daily basis but we are relying on the Distress for Rent Act 1737.

“It doesn’t make sense as anything written in that act was based on life in the 1700s, not in 2024.”

Julie adds updating these outdated laws will help simplify and improve the private rented sector.

She said: “I’d prefer to see more deregulation rather than piling on additional regulations. It would be great to see some of those outdated laws disappear and be replaced with a more streamlined, up-to-date piece of legislation. That way, instead of referring to 169 acts and 400 regulations, we’d only have three or four to work with.

“The government keeps saying, ‘We’re bringing in new laws, councils will enforce them, and we’ll get rid of rogue landlords.’ But at the same time, they cut funding to local councils, so how can they enforce anything without the money to do it?

“What we really need is more common sense and proper enforcement of existing legislation, rather than constantly introducing new laws.”

Need a specialist contract if you are renting to a charity

Renting to a charity is part of the rent-to-rent model, where you lease your property to a charity, which then sublets it to someone who is homeless or an asylum seeker.

However, Julie points out that many landlords are finding they don’t have the right contracts set up, which is causing problems.

She explains: “If you’re renting your property directly to someone who will be living there as their main residence, there are relatively few things you need to worry about.

“However, when it comes to rent to rent, the key consideration is whether your mortgage allows for this type of subletting. Most standard mortgage products don’t, and you’ll likely need a specialist mortgage for that.

“If the property is a flat or has a lease rather than a freehold, you need to check for any covenants that might restrict renting. Most leases won’t prevent renting on an AST (Assured Shorthold Tenancy) since it’s intended to be someone’s main home.”

Julie adds landlords need a special type of contract if they are to sublet their property to a charity.

She said: “However, charities aren’t going to use it in that way if they are not living in it and only using it for business.

“It’s understanding that you are having a commercial relationship rather than a residential relationship.

“I see so many people signing an AST with these charities that’s not the correct contract you can not sign an AST with someone who legally not living in the property and isn’t an individual you can’t sign it with an entity.

“It has to be a leasehold management agreement contract. These contracts are much more complex and typically make the charity fully responsible for repairs.”

Important to do background checks

Julie says it’s important to do background checks before deciding to sublet your property to a charity.

She said: “Many landlords mistakenly believe they’re still responsible for things like the property’s maintenance and gas certificates, but that’s not the case. These responsibilities are handed over to the rent-to-rent operator or the charity. In the eyes of the law, they become the immediate landlord.

“It’s important to make sure the charity is using the property in the way they intended. It’s also important to do background checks and check how long the charity has been running.”

Despite the challenges, Julie says she would like to see more landlords rent out to charities to help people who may otherwise have nowhere to live.

“I think it’s important landlords do rent to charities as otherwise it’s going to be the council’s problem, and the circle starts again.

“It’s a great way for landlords to have a hands-off approach. They have rent coming in every month and don’t have to worry about voids or maintenance. It’s just important to look at everything before you start to make sure it’s the right decision.”

Future of the private rented sector

Julie says despite all the doom and gloom she sees a bright future for the private rented sector.

She explains: “I see a bright future because, realistically, the private rented sector will always be needed. There isn’t enough social housing, and despite Labour’s manifesto promise to build 1.5 million homes, I don’t see that happening.

“We’ll likely see a younger generation of landlords coming in, who may manage things differently compared to how landlords have operated over the past 30 years.

“It’s always going to be needed as there are millions in the private rented sector and if you got rid of it tomorrow where are all these people going to go?”

Editor’s Note: Please note that this video interview was done before the Renters’ Rights Bill was introduced to Parliament

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