Have you seen Shelter’s latest video? SCANDALOUS!!!

I think it is a shame that Shelter feel the need to use their funds to produce a video that generalises about an entire group of people. Would this be Ok if it was about a minority group?
No one has cautioned that all tenants are the same, but a small minority can cause problems as in any walk of life.
http://www.property118.com/index.php/tenants-from-hell/#more-5598

I think the video is self-defeating. The point of the petition seems to be to protect tenants from landlords who appear to be reputable but are conmen. The video is making the point that even though the landlords is clearly an arse, the shortage of housing options means the couple have no choices. This is an entirely different issue.
I looked at the petition. To me it seems to be asking us to vote for yet another system which will be another cost for reputable business people whilst the less reputable ones will simply ignore it. There is already tenant protection in a tenancy agreement. This probably fails because it is reliant upon the tenant having the knowledge and resources to take a complaint through the legal system. Further I know of any number of plumbers and electricians who subscribe to all the ofgas, ofwhatever fees at considerable expense and still find themselves quoting against tradespeople who remain unregulated because there simply are no resources to police the regulations in place. So what is the revenue used for that the system has generated?!
From a purely marketing point of view it might help Shelter more to talk about the positive impact of a good landlord and get them on side to find ways to self-regulate the industry. A good landlord will be as keen to improve the industry's image as any good tenant.

I cannot believe that landlords like this exist..i have nice homes rented out with very happy tenants..
along with emergency numbers and replacement/repairs to appliances ect within 24hrs MAX
I hate this sorty of video it tars and feathers us all..

What about the rogue tenants? Will someone create a video about them? I - like others I am sure - have had some horrendous tenants at times. Most tenants are great, but this video is very lopsided.

David

Absolutely perfect

This is exactly the video we need to get the government to support legitimate and responsible landlords.

I recently had an eviction case. The tenant didn't turn up. The judge had a reasonable concern that he had not received notification so decided to postpone the case for a month. I told him that after maintenance and management costs, voids etc. the average property only makes about a months profit in a year and that I had already given a months notice and waited another month for the first hearing. He agreed to a three week postponment, but in the event I was heard five weeks later.

I pointed out to the courts that if they put landlords like me out of business, they are playing into the hands of landlords who don't bother with the courts.

At the second hearing, the judge was extremely polite and gave me possession in two weeks as opposed to the normal four without me even having to ask.

Donald Holden

I always thought Shelter a bunch of lefties responsible for the excessive benefits for single by choice mothers rather than decent married families. This proves it. Of course it is bad but what about bad tenants? You have profiled enough on your site. The "moonlight flitters" leaving massive rental and utility debts, damage and dirt, massive amounts of rubbish oozing out of bags, other fraudulent debts that years after they have left are still being sought and trouble new tenants and landlords with loads of post with heavy debt collecting letters threatening "enforcement Officers will call. And this from Banks and Utility companies via renta-mob.

We let only new builds but still get the odd tenant who is scum for want of a better word. These people/animals have no conscience for their actions whatsoever. Chasing them is difficult and expensive and they have been referenced by specialists! Professional debtors obviously.

Have Shelter never heard of Gas Certificates, HOMO regs, ASTAS, legal repossession delays, 2 months notice for landlords but only 1 needed for tenants, the list goes on. To my mind the law favours tenants too much. Non payment of rent should be a criminal offence as are the failure to meet these landlord regulations.

By all means weed out Rogue Landlords but we also need to weed out and identify Rogue Tenants.

Hi Toplets

Thank you for your comments rant. I mean that totally respectfully. I have a rant at least once a year about tax.

You may find this post comforting

This video is so one sided it comes over like a bad comedy.. The landlord appears to have trained under David Brent in The Office and the prospective male tenant comes over as a complete sop.
Shelter could have conveyed their message better if the video had been more gritty, and showed the real issues for real people rather than this comedic flat of horrors which no-one in their right mind would touch. 1/10 for this publication.

Hello all

I have re-tweeted this article. Please will you share it too? The more landlords that speak up the better the chances we will be heard.

Please use the email, Facebbok, Twitter icons just below the article

Thanks in advance.

Mark

Not sure I could reply respectfully to a rant which is so offensive. Back to the 80's where the nations ills rested on the shoulders of that demon the 'single mum'. I wasn't aware this video made any point whatsoever about the benefits system.
As for 'respectfully married' is the rant suggesting that married people are never bad tenants and single parents always are?
A fair point very badly made.