Summer Budget 2015 – Landlords Reactions

Reply to the comment left by "Joe Galvin" at "08/12/2015 - 12:23":

I think there are considerably more tenants in the country than there are properties to rent Thus while that exists I believe I have more power. I don`t want to abuse that power but i likewise don`t want the government to abuse their power. A union would keep them in check. Acas can mediate and keep us both in check

Where do tenants go when they are evicted? If you haven't got a roof over your head at night that is quite catastrophic surely. The floods in Carlisle have sadly shown that. Massive disruption and displacement over one night. Town halls have to be opened.

I believe my power as an individual yes is not that great and alone i cannot make that much of a difference. I don`t agree a union is a fantasy. History is littered with people power when they decide to form a common union.

Its just because we haven't formed one as yet that it may seem a long way off. It may be too much of an uphill struggle. Only time will tell. 200 years ago if you said that in the future people would routinely be carrying a small metal object in their pocket which they could talk to someone in Australia with they would be labeled as a fantasist . Today we all carry a mobile phone which can do just that

The potential power of unions is immense. Their power and political influence of the trade unions selected Ed Milliband as a leader rather than David Milliband. That wasn't a fantasy. That was reality. It doesn't have to be confrontational. Far from it - it can be a very respectable negotiation voice for our industry.

Governments will exploit the relative weakness of Landlords acting as lone wolves and not as a pack. Discussions such as these on a forum may become the pre cursor to the union in time. They may act as a catalyst. I appreciate Rome wasn't built in a day. Tenants are in the same predicament. If they got their act together then i believe (and support) they too could become also a formidable voice to shape future policy from their perspectives. We should work with them not against them. I prefer to be a progressive rather than a defeatist.

We could exert considerable influence on the politicians if we were better organised.

Reply to the comment left by "Jonathan Clarke" at "08/12/2015 - 13:20":

How could there be more tenants than properties? Where are those excess tenants living now?

I think these mass S21-s would be like the paris terror attacks, they do no real harm to the target group, but would draw huge attention to the initiators, who would then be punished very hard.

Reply to the comment left by "Joe Galvin" at "08/12/2015 - 14:39":

I should have said prospective tenants perhaps.

Excess prospective tenants are currently living in hugely overcrowded homes. cars . tents, prison, hostels, B&B`s , sofa surfing, sheds, garages, attics, migrants coming in the country today, caravans, streets, public parks, night shelters, temporary accommodation, temporary charitable run accommodation, refugee camps, squats, care homes. fleeing domestic violence etc etc

I have taken in tenants from the majority of these sources. There is a seemingly never ending supply. I dont see any end in sight even if the government achieves its ambitious house building programme. Previous promises of house building numbers by successive governments have failed to materialise
.

And I dont agree with your Sec 21 analogy I`m afraid
.

Reply to the comment left by "Joe Galvin" at "08/12/2015 - 12:36":

I find that comment bizarre. Why would any business plan for a policy which removed the basic principle of income minus costs equals profit?
It is ludicrous to suggest that landlords were stupid not to plan for this and it is also completely unfair for the Government to force a business into selling or trying to massively increase their charges in order to pay a potentially infinite effective tax rate.
This, despite what you imply, is not a normal business occurrence which should have been planned for.

Reply to the comment left by "Jonathan Clarke" at "08/12/2015 - 15:41":

Well, if there are that many people who could afford to rent, but still live in a garage, shed, tent, car, public parks etc..., why would they all suddenly change their minds and choose renting when you evict all of your tenants? There is no logic in this.

Demand can change quite fast, I think 99% of the migrants who rent will just leave if rents are too high.

Reply to the comment left by "Joe Galvin" at "08/12/2015 - 17:06":

These people don`t choose to live in these places. They do so largely because they either cannot raise the deposit etc but mainly because demand exceeds supply . They want to rent but no one has a house to offer them .

70% of my properties house the LHA market. These are the people I`m largely referring to but there are also many potential working tenants also living in crowded accommodation. Eg 29 year old working son lives at parents home but who desperately want to rent but simply cant find anywhere.

I turn away people every day because demand exceeds supply. Some areas will have no doubt more demand than others. I invest in an area where there is heavy demand

Where will those 99% of migrants go?

Maybe 20 persons scramble for each property I own
.

Reply to the comment left by "Jonathan Clarke" at "08/12/2015 - 17:22":

Back home with their savings or somewhere else, where they are financially better off.

Could you please show a town in the UK, where you cannot find a property to let?

Reply to the comment left by "Ros ." at "08/12/2015 - 17:01":

If you want to be handled like a business, you should incorporate like a business, I suppose that's the idea.

Reply to the comment left by "Joe Galvin" at "08/12/2015 - 17:35":

Explain why professional landlords who are not incorporated and have never needed to be should have to spend a fortune on this paper exercise and explain what the benefits are (apart from getting out of the ridiculous C24). Explain how it makes businesses more 'business-like.'
For example, I've known people go to the expense of setting up an office so that they can appear more business-like; I find that a waste of money and have never felt the need. For those of us landlords who scrupulously adhere to all the laws, the gas and electrical safety stuff, the deposit regulations, the licences and so on, how would being incorporated improve on that professionalism?
It's a rhetorical question, because of course incorporation doesn't benefit the landlord or the tenant.

Reply to the comment left by "Joe Galvin" at "08/12/2015 - 17:35":

Oh dear...