DSS Tenants – does this video say it all?

Sorry Mick, but this property reflects more badly on landlords than it does on tenants!

That house is in a disgusting state. It needs decorating for a start and there is a boiler in the 2nd reception room. I think there is a law against that and it would need venting to the outside.

If people are given a sh*thole to live in, their behaviour will reflect the conditions they have been put in.

If you give them somewhere nice to live, a large majority of them will respect it.

All that is needed in that video is a large skip to get rid of all the rubbish.

It's what is underneath that is the problem.

I hope the tenants had an inventory for THEIR sake.

Sorry Mick, but seeing landlords renting out these types of sub-standard properties makes me embarrassed to be a landlord. No wonder there is so much anti-landlord sentiment when people see that you are charging the taxpayer top dollar rents to house these LHA tenants in sub-standard properties ... not to mention how you had permission to invade someone's privacy with your camera.

Finally, its really unfair to tar all LHA tenants with the same brush. This same mess could have been made by a private tenant.

Landlords are often tarred with the same brush as all being bad, and I do not regard that as fair either.

hi
thanks for frankness but that i think is an immoral argument and possibly you are also breaking the law. you are effectively engaging the tenants to clear the rubbish. you have a moral and probably a legal obligation to ensure its properly disposed of. if you know that its probably going to be fly-tipped then you are part of the problem. that doesnt help with landlords bad reputation.

@Vanessa - it is unusual for us to disagree on landlord issues but in this case I can't support you.

I'm sure that both Mick and jonathan Clarke are perfectly capable of defending themselves but I have to say that I think your comments regarding invasion of privacy was out of order considering that Mick had already explained that his tenants had "done a bunk".

How can you tell from a video whether a boiler has the correct venting and whether the property has a valid Gas Safety Certificate?

As for the decor, it looks to me like the former tenant has has a few failed DIY attempts. Now if this was one of our properties, which we let to professional tenants, we would never get a new tenant if we tried to let it in that state. However, both Mick and Jonathan Clarke have explained their business models and just because they are very different to ours does not mean that one is right and the other is wrong does it?

I'm sure Mick and Jonathan could spend money on bringing their properties up to tip top condition but would that improve their returns? I doubt it would, these properties are probably in an area which is only of interest to a certain demographic and the rental value will be based on LHA. Therefore, why would they want to adversely affect their bottom line by investing into posh decor?

What we have to bear in mind here Vanessa is that they operate in a very different market to us. They have waiting lists of tenants who will take on properties through desperation. Providing the properties comply with legislation in terms of health and safety etc. I really can't see that they are doing anything wrong. It could even be said that they are helping the most vulnerable in our society. If Shelter had their way, they would probably stop this form of landlordism but how would that help the tenants, where would they live, on the streets, in tents?

All that said, rather them than me!

@Vanessa
I have some sympathy for your sentiments but also it does not matter how good a property you give someone they are never happy. I have lost count of the number of times a have presented and immaculate 'show house standard' property to a new tenant and they say: 'Can I decorate', 'Can I change this or that'. And within a month you would think I had not spent any time or money on it!

I do not operate in the way Mick does and I am proud of the standard to which my properties are presented, but sometimes wish I did as it would be a lot less stressful. If I let an immaculate house to someone and two months later it is trashed and looking like this whose fault is that? To any outside observer it will be my fault.

Many a time if you just give them the blank canvass they are happier doing what they want to do themselves - You and I would probably hate it but thats life!

That property needs decorating only because the previous tenant DID decorate - to about the same standard as most tenants decorate - poorly and unfinished!

And by the way the boiler is vented to an outside wall - its quite clear from the video.

@mark

First of all, I was not criticising Jonathan Clarke, so please do not put words in my mouth.

Secondly, I am entitled to my opinion. There are a number of health and safety issues in that property as well, which I did not point out in my original post.

LHA rents are set regardless of the condition of the property which means that a decent property will be let at the same LHA rate as a sh*thole of a property. That could never happen in private rents.

Therefore tax payers money is going to landlords who provide this awful standard of accommodation which serves to fuel the BAD landlord propaganda used by Shelter etc.

As someone who advocates GOOD landlords, I am surprised at your stance as this video does landlords no favours regardless of the circumstances and it is very at odds with your supposed stance on promoting good landlord-ism. It seems out of place on this site.

For clarification, I wasn't advocating "Posh" decor .. I was advocating some paint on the walls. A basic thing a landlord should supply imho.

I had a tenant do a bunk and was informed by the police that I still had to store her items for one month before throwing them away.

People suffer all kinds of crisis like family deaths, mental breakdowns, relationship breakdowns ... they should be given a chance to remove their personal belongings imho.

@Vanessa - what makes you think the tenants were not given a chance to remove their belongings? That's quite an assumption.

I do consider Mick to be a GOOD landlord, as do his tenants, I've seen real evidence of that on Facebook, so we will have to agree to disagree on that point.

Clearly there are LL out there that can afford to risk taking on HB tenants because they have sufficient monies to cover the losses that HB tenants tend to cause.
I say good luck to them.
The vast majority of LL cannot afford to risk taking on these types of tenants,
If I had loads of money I would have no qualms about taking on HB tenants; I DON'T and so I CAN'T.
One wrongun tenant would financially destroy me; most small LL are in a similar position!
Fortunately there are LL out there that have robust finances and if you you take HB tenants you need them!!!
They take the cost benefit analysis and their risks combined with their DD and determine that such a business model will work for them.
These types of LL are a minority in the PRS.
Which is why they will always have people after their properties.
Perhaps if I attained loads of money i could and would join their ranks as the returns are definitely there.
Only those with money can take the risks though.Most LL are incresingly taking the view that HB tenants are just too risky and exit that market.
They can't be blamed as the 'system' presently conspires against them!
This will never be changed; so that HB tenants will continue to find a shortage of property available to the likes of them.
Not because they are HB tenants but because the 'system' will compromise a private LL everytime should there be any issues with a HB tenant.
Until eviction laws are changed and criminal damage and theft caused by tenants is treated as such most LL will avoid the HB market.
They are of course missing an opportunity;' but you can understand why they don't wish to be involved in that part of the lettings business.
Those LL that are content to accept and be able to cope with the risks will have NO shortage of HB applicants for their properties.
I say all power to their elbow; however as a small LL I will not be joining their business model, it looks like I am stuck with 'normal' private tenant for the foreseeable future.
Sorry HB tenants I just cannot risk your tenant type presently!!

No, not hard to get Landlord insurance at all.
Yes, rubbish u r correct, but I do try to insist certain things, often a fire for them on back garden is cheapest thing.
You'd be surprised how versatile people can become when funds are short. Necessity is the Mother of Invention.
Oh Dear, Vanessa is having a go at me & I do like what I see of her video work. Best looking female Landlord ever.
How do u know the house wasn't mint 3 years ago? Same old thing, just like Facebook, people misinterpret things wrong 'cause don't know full story & not actually talking. It’s a sh_thole, I do agree. Obviously my tenants couldn’t afford your houses & would still be homeless-I give them a choice.
Unfortunately, giving some people somewhere nice to live & respect it doesn’t always work, with a lot of HB tenants, again not all, but a lot.
I have the best name of Landlord in Nottm amongst HB staff, Environmental Health, tenants, mates etc. etc.
I do all required building work & more. 2-3 years ago brand new kitchen, full rewire, new combi condensing boiler, new windows & doors where was asked & needed.

Mark’s hit the nail on the head about area etc.

Env Health actually went in this house 18 months ago for the tenants bed bugs, not mine-In fact, she had bed bugs in the last house as well, again not mine. And Env Health once can see past all the junk, could see Landlord had spent where needed to be spent. Vanessa, if I took u round this house slowly & critically, I think u would feel different. None of that mess is mine whatsoever.

And I am helping a LOT of vulnerable people that are homeless, have nowhere to live, no funds, the Council have nothing for them, the Govt have sold all the houses. They have no deposit & are in dire straights. U could see some of my other youtube houses that are not mint out the brains because I have done my bit & the new tenants have done their bit-I can’t control how everyone lives. I would like it if everyone left their house mint, ‘cause then I too would have an easier life-But unfortunately we’re all different.

I han’t got to live in it, u haven’t & nor will the new tenants live in it like that. Video was done to show how TENANTS wreck & leave stuff.
Shelter has actually wanted to do story on me how I have helped vulnerable tenants & what obstacles vulnerable tenants have come up against with these benefit cuts & finding accommodation & how I am one of the few Landlords that helps these people with warm safe up to regs spec accommodation.

She is assuming again, tenants have had over a month.

And now I’ve broke my rule of coming on computer after 5pm.

Oops, I missed Paul Barretts comments, he must have been typing same time as me. Another Man I am impressed with, he says it how it is, in fact, I thought I said it how it is, but he’s worse than me ha ha & braver.
Yes one wrong un can destroy u-It nearly did at the beginning.
I’ve had Govt people out with me, senior HB staff-They came out beginning of LHA to see how it was affecting people & they said much worse than they thought & much worse on real ground level in real life in real peoples homes, than they ever imagined.

And I do think when I am perhaps 55, & I wish to keep my best houses, I will probably exit the HB market as much as I like to help them, I don’t think at that age, I’d want the grief that it sometimes brings.

I can see why you were rattled Mick. Vanessa obviously saw your video as an attack on DSS Tenants, probably didn't read the title properly and jumped to all sorts of conclusions, the wrong ones at that in my humble opinion.

I know what your intentions were, i.e. to provide an insight into the life of a landlord who actively seeks to rent to tenants on benefits and provides vital homes for the needy. If it wasn't for landlords like you Mick your tenants might be living in beds in sheds.

There are two sides to every coin. I rent posh houses to posh tenants but that does not make me immune to tenants from hell either. Remember my blog about the perfect tenant of six years who became a heroin addicted prostitute? Well she was an accountant when I took her on - full story here >>> http://www.property118.com/perfect-tenant-evicted-prostitute/29056/