The Fightback – Tories have been woeful

The Fightback – Tories have been woeful

10:32 AM, 3rd July 2018, About 6 years ago 13

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The regulatory attack on the PRS by Central Government, and Bankrupt Local authorities has been relentless. I don’t need to remind Property 118 readers, but Sect 24, Selective Licensing, and now 3 year tenancies have hammered landlords, both portfolio and small landlords.

We have the NLA today saying that they have been mislead by the Government. Any Landlord with a finger on the pulse can see how absolutely useless the organisations have been. Their idea of a victory for beleaguered landlords is an extension of an expiry date on a gas safe cert. After all,this is the landlords unions. We are at the stage where Labour cannot be much worse. I do not advocate voting for Comrade Corbyn, I simply am pointing out that the Tories have been woeful.

Let us now show the Government that they have created massive problems.

Perhaps we abandon AST tenancies and insist on tenants taking Company lets. A company can be set up online for approx. £25.

As regards Benefit tenants, we can start refusing them or insisting on House Owner Guarantors.

What about offering potential tenants a two tier tenancy scheme? Tier one rent is X per month and they get a 3 year tenancy or tier two is for nice students who get a 6 month tenancy at the student reduced rate. They sign a separate statement acknowledging that they are students. Read between the lines, Michael and Co and don’t fret too much. Time to fight back. What about putting a clause in the agreement that in the event of a default on rent, the tenant pays the £335 cost of court proceedings? This sum is collected upfront perhaps instead of a deposit or on top of a deposit. If they leave and no sect 21 or 8 has been issued they get this refunded.

On Selective licensing inspections, obviously some tenants will allow the Council zealots in, but where good relations exist between landlord and tenant, then the tenant can simply give the council their marching orders. We should have an addendum to new tenancies allowing very frequent inspections, but tell the tenant that we will forgo such inspections where they behave and we can let them have quiet enjoyment otherwise we inspect them very regularly and use the council licensing scheme to show them what life is like with constant council involvement. We must use legislation to fight back and use it regularly.

As regards deposits. Who can be bothered. Give tenants the choice of refundable court fee and they sign as no deposit paid or show them the door. What about a database of every judgement obtained against a tenants across the UK. Then we act in consort . Refuse them accommodation . Let the Government and Council house these deadbeats.

Perhaps to some, this sounds like too much aggro. Perhaps it is and they should exit the industry, but to the remainers, its either fight back or drown under the tide of BS regulations. Time to fightback. The best way to deal with a problem is to create more problems for those who seek to impose such draconian measures which impinge on our property rights.

Larry


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Peter Jones.

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9:21 AM, 4th July 2018, About 6 years ago

A few years ago I used to circulate a bad tenant list here in Peterborough. It was very successful! Landlords would send in the names of bad tenants, bad payers etc. and an SAE to receive in return a full up-to-date list of bad tenants. I can tell you it sorted out the problem of bad tenants.

M H

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9:51 AM, 4th July 2018, About 6 years ago

Love this article, well said Larry, I’m up for fighting, but as a full time landlord I’m already exhausted!

James Mann

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10:23 AM, 4th July 2018, About 6 years ago

There is only one landlord association that brings court action onto councils and is politically on the ball. It was called Southern Landlords association and now goes by the name ‘iHowz’
I have to say that without landlords contributing through membership and fighting fund donations there will be very few legal challenges or judicial reviews. Landlords do not seem to want to put their hands in their pockets to, for example sort out the improper use of licencing schemes.
Ihowz is however bringing court action to Brighton and Hove council in relation to unlawful licensing schemes being implemented. Funds have to stumped up for this type of action.
The NLA seem to just accept everything that government throws at us and I am not sure that that landlords protection is even on their agender.

Mick Roberts

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10:37 AM, 4th July 2018, About 6 years ago

Can you Landlords please sign this & forward to all your contacts.
A small hope, we have to try anything & everything.

I'm sure we not get 10k signatures, but the more Licensing & Govt start to see these things, who knows.

“Petition calling for a review of Nottingham City Councils Selective Licensing."
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/223039

Heather G.

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11:20 AM, 4th July 2018, About 6 years ago

I've signed the petition.

Luke P

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12:07 PM, 4th July 2018, About 6 years ago

Was only thinking this morning on my way to my office about why it is we use ASTs. I think it might have something to do with the protections we are afforded (s.21 was what I was thinking), but if that is taken away from us, then why not change the type of agreement we use.

Whiteskifreak Surrey

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12:12 PM, 4th July 2018, About 6 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Luke P at 04/07/2018 - 12:07
Lots of lenders will insist on AST, I think.

David Dorset

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16:49 PM, 4th July 2018, About 6 years ago

This is a great article. Of course the best way is to demonstrate that every action has a reaction.
We discussed this in an earlier thread about charging a higher rent but no deposit and do away with the DPS. It works for many.
P118 is a great site to bring together landlords and share experiences - only annoyed that i didn't think of doing it myself!!
Totally agree that if we stand together we can cause the trouble makers alot of trouble.
Well said Larry!

Annie Landlord

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15:10 PM, 5th July 2018, About 6 years ago

Insightful article, thanks. Re deposits. I decided a few years back not to take a deposit from a young family who desperately needed somewhere to live and couldn't afford the deposit as well as one month's rent in advance. When they did a moonlight they left not one, but two skip-loads of rubbish for me to pay to have cleared and gave no notice, so I had a void period. So now I take deposits. One solution I think deserves exploration is the use of Indemnity Insurance instead of a deposit. Councils could offer this for low income tenants on benefits, or tenants could pay a small insurance premium every month, rather than having to find several hundreds of pounds upfront.

Richard of York

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12:04 PM, 7th July 2018, About 6 years ago

Excellent article, Larry. Attacks on the PRS do seem to be relentless! Why don't politicians ever come and talk to landlords? In fairness my own MP has met with me several times and is gradually beginning to get the picture, whether he can/will do anything about it remains to be seen.
I had thought James Brockenshire may be a new broom, but his quote earlier this week about '.....homes and castles for everyone....' makes him just another poorly informed Tory chasing votes who rarely leaves the south-east. I'm sending him some photos of the condition of a 'castle' recently vacated by one of his hard done to 'barons/lords'.

We haven't taken deposits for years - HB/UC tenants require a HOME Owner as guarantor. Most of our tenants have been with us for years, starting on 6 month AST's with no rent increases until very recently. Why would I ever evict a good tenant who pays the rent, looks after the house and gets on with the neighbours? Do politicians think we evict people for no reason? Maybe we need a few more business people in parliament and fewer career politicians with legal backgrounds.......

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