Generation Rent claims renting harms a tenant’s mental health

814 is an incredibly small sample and unlikely to be in any way indicative of the overall picture.
Anyone renting from a long-term portfolio landlord is highly unlikely to be worried about eviction. It's our job and we need our customers (especially if they are decent human beings who treat the property with respect and pay their rent).
Small scale landlords are unlikely to evict decent tenants unless it's time to sell up and retire.
Corporate landlords are unlikely to evict anyone who adheres to their tenancy agreement.

Therefore why do "80%" of tenants fear eviction? Could it be because of the completely unfounded scaremongering from the activist groups?
The idea that 50% say their landlords behaviour has made them feel unsafe is ludicrous and highly insulting.

The problems would be overcome if the Government stopped pushing the entire residential letting system to a short term position. In many other countries tenants are able to remain in the property for as long as they wish to do so and abide by the terms of their tenancy agreement. Professional landlords wishing to sell do so to other professonal landlords within an established market. In the UK the drive is always to shorter and shorter lets that serves to destabilise the market. Obvously there is a market segment seeking short lets but there is also a need for a stable long let provision. That used to be filled by the public sector and institutions such as Peabody and Guiness in addition to concerns such as the National Coal Board and British Railways. Those housing opportunities were removed by 'right to buy' and lack of investment and interest in others to take on the role. Housing Associations did start to fulil this need but it appears most are now more interested in profiteering. There is some interest by large investors now (such as John Lewis) but they are being thwarted by planning and other restrictions. A 'long let' agreement with suitable protections for both parties is required to enable the private sector to fill this need.

Reply to the comment left by Jo Westlake at 15/10/2024 - 10:09
I agree with this. In fact, all that I would add is that typically small portfolio landlords used to hold rent down a bit in order to reduce the risk of a void period. All the pressure for rent controls mean that agents now advise you to put up rent while you can.

All the pressure for rent controls from pressure groups and unions damages the interests of tenants.

https://www.livingrent.org/living_rent_and_trade_unions_send_open_letter_calling_for_rent_controls

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/oct/10/ministers-urged-to-introduce-rent-caps-to-tackle-housing-crisis-in-england

https://www.bigissue.com/news/housing/rent-controls-labour-housing-crisis/

Simple solution - please buy your own house and give up renting then. I am fed up with being blamed for all of societies problems.

Yes Every Day there is a different pressure group demanding this and that. Most if not all of them actually House NO ONE.

Without Private Individuals Putting their Hard earned Wonga at risk by Investing In Property which they rent out to millions of Tenants. Millions of people would be Homeless.

Would being Homeless help any bodies Mental Health.

Since Politicians have been listening to the Activist Groups there are 300000 fewer properties to rent and rents have had to increase to meet they constantly changing Legislation and Taxation.

The trigger words here are 'mental health'.

It is the younger generations new go-to answer for anything they don't like.

There was a frightening article in the Sunday Times written by a University professor, who was spending so much time catering to the demands of students who self-diagnose with miscellaneous 'mental health' issues, that she is unable to do her job properly for those students who just get on with life and want to learn. The numbers are huge, and her view is, by pandering to these students without a medical diagnosis, university life and education is doing them no favours when they enter the world of work with huge debt and poor job prospects. These 'renter' claims are simply are extension to that.

Please stop giving Ben Twomey exposure. He is a communist. It is not renting that is harming mental health - it is the struggle to pay rent. As the struggle to afford groceries or energy. That is the fault of the government with austerity and net zero, not landlords.

I am sorry Generation Rent but to put it bluntly the world does not owe you a living you have to work to pay for it. The article says “More than three-quarters of private renters worry about affording their rent each month”. I wonder how many of those capitalists who are buying houses on large mortgages worry about paying them each month and worry about losing their home if they can’t pay? How many feel stressed when they actually have to pay for their own new boiler? A large proportion I expect.
Why should there be ” improved social security support to help address the spiralling costs of privately renting.”? I am afraid that renters are not a unique case and should have to stand on their own two feet like everybody else.
Section 21 going is not going to give tenants more security. Landlords do not issue Section 21’s on a whim, there is always a reason behind every eviction. Many landlords faced with a problem tenant will now just sell up to evict as it will probably be the easier option, reducing rental supply and making the ex-tenant homeless. Many ex rental properties are cheaper ones ideally suited to first time buyers, they will be snapped up by hard working middle class couples possibly supported by the bank of mum and dad.

I am not aware of any genuine effects of renting on tenants' mental health, but I am aware that Generation Rent affects Landlords' mental health.

Never mind dear Keir & Co will fix it for you and landlords will end up paying your rent, completely refurbishing and upgrading the property, paying your moving costs and whatever you demand.