16:20 PM, 11th December 2014, About 10 years ago 47
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Both landlords and tenants have rights.
At Property118 we provide FREE help for landlords and tenants in dispute. Perhaps more importantly though, our impartial mediation seeks win/win solutions for both landlords and tenants. Please don’t risk cutting off your nose to spite your face – read on.
Very few landlords are outright criminals but sadly, crooks can be found operating in every sector.
We want to help YOU!
To find out why and how please keep reading.
Coming from somebody like me, a landlord myself, the above probably sounds a bit strange or even far fetched. However, like most GOOD Landlords, I am frustrated at how landlords in general are so often demonised by media and propaganda organisations. Some of the worst offenders have been housing charities!
Worse still, I despise organisations who promote and relish in conflict, and profit off the backs of other peoples misery.
Neither landlords nor tenants want legal battles, so why do so many organisations strive to build a “them and us” culture?
Surely it’s better to be solution conscious?
No tenant deserves to be robbed of their deposit or illegally evicted, I think that’s a fair starting point for us all.
By the same token, no GOOD Landlord wants their hard work and investments to be governed by unnecessary additional red tape and bureaucracy.
Sadly, when extremist organisations get their way, and when more legislation is introduced, this results in rent rises to fund the additional costs of compliance. In extreme cases this can lead to less availability of quality rental property, e.g. landlords choosing not to invest further, or even disinvest in some areas (Newham in London is a classic example).
Tenants don’t want more red tape, bureaucracy and costs any more than landlords do, hence we must look for solutions together.
GOOD Landlords like me are happy to help tenants who have been unjustly victimised. Together we have an opportunity to put things right and perhaps even put some of the bad guys and the criminals out of business, and of course teach those who are naive and/or greedy their responsibilities.
Wherever possible, we prefer to help landlords and tenants to patch up their differences amicably. Only in the most extreme cases will we recommend legal action.
Here at Property118, landlords who subscribe to our forums have helped several tenants by providing them with free advice and, where appropriate, we have even introduced tenants to specialist solicitors, some of which will even consider taking on cases on a no-win-no-fee basis.
Property118 was created to facilitate the sharing of best practice amongst UK landlords, tenants and letting agents. The GOOD Landlords Campaign was created to raise the necessary funding to pursue this mission.
So here’s my proposal …..
Tell me your story by completing the form below and I will personally look into your case and do all that I can to help you.
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Robert M
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Sign Up21:09 PM, 16th December 2014, About 10 years ago
Reply to the comment left by "Mark Alexander" at "16/12/2014 - 10:16":
Average properties and nice tenants are great, and this type of letting suits most landlords, but someone has to house the DSS/LHA tenants as the State certainly won't do so. I've been homeless, I've lived on benefits, I have friends who have gone down the route of drug/alcohol addiction, I know people with serious mental health problems, and physical health problems, or have debts, but none of that makes the person less deserving of being housed in decent accommodation, so I (and other DSS landlords) try our best to give people that chance of decent accommodation. Yes, it is high risk, and sometimes it backfires and leaves us very much out of pocket, but if we did not help them then perhaps they would have to squat in the nice average houses that are otherwise denied to them (otherwise, where else would they live?).
Benefits Britain reflects "some" DSS tenants, not all of them. Some are much worse, but most are much better.
I also have tenants in Birmingham and the West Midlands, so if you don't want to come up to meet my HMO residents in Sheffield, I'm sure I could introduce you to some in the West Midlands, the next time you are visiting your old home area!
Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118
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Sign Up11:32 AM, 17th December 2014, About 10 years ago
Interesting article just in, please see >>> http://www.property118.com/can-claim-money-landlady/71153/
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Monty Bodkin
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Sign Up11:53 AM, 17th December 2014, About 10 years ago
Reply to the comment left by "Robert Mellors" at "16/12/2014 - 20:42":
"Most of the properties I let are probably in the lowest 20th percentile"
Are you charging lowest 20th percentile rates or as much as the 30th percentile LHA limit will allow?
-Nothing wrong with that, it reflects the higher risk of your tenant type.
That condemns the unfortunate, the sick, the disabled, to a life living in the lowest 10th percentile of properties
No it doesn't.
It condemns the highest risk DSS to the lowest 10th percentile (arguably, that is the place where social housing should be allocated).
There are many different types of 'DSS' tenant, some very low risk, I let 50th percentile properties to DSS within your area.
David Asker
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Sign Up16:18 PM, 17th December 2014, About 10 years ago
Robert, Yes, 3 visits is the norm but I meant that it is explained to the debtor that the creditor has the right to instruct us at any time in the 6 years.
When this is explained carefully and the debtor considers that their circumstances might change for the better in that time we often find that they will at least warm to the idea of setting up an arrangement.
Kulasmiley
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Sign Up23:48 PM, 17th December 2014, About 10 years ago
Reply to the comment left by "Mark Alexander" at "16/12/2014 - 10:27":
Hi Mark, I'm confused by your reply to my post.
I asked what was the percentage of illegal evictions in the UK?
OR was your reply meant for someone else??
Me?? I have mixture of rental properties throughout South Wales, some good, some bad, some great - a mixture. No agents. Time will tell if I've done the right thing BUT every one of my tenants will say (except the one that I'm evicting)..that I am a caring helpful and hardworking landlord who goes the extra mile. I do care for most of my tenants, they are people with children like you and me. I don't just see them in terms of money. I phone them ask them if the're ok. I say it is better to know the people who rent your properties. I will get burnt, (it's only money), but not in hell. I teach my child to have compassion even for the ones that have no compassion.
Oh yes, I get a good yield overall and I will enjoy myself in 2015!!
Robert M
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Sign Up5:51 AM, 30th December 2014, About 10 years ago
Reply to the comment left by "Monty Bodkin" at "17/12/2014 - 11:53":
Hi Monty
Most of my self-contained properties are probably above the 30th percentile in terms of quality and house value, and indeed I have some in Worksop which are let to DSS/LHA tenants, which I would say are above the 50th percentile. I agree with you that some DSS tenants are low risk and some are higher risk, and the standards of accommodation provided tend to reflect the risks involved.
You have previously stated (in a different post) that you let properties in the Manton area of Worksop, and while the properties themselves may be fantastic (?), the area itself is generally in the sub- 30th percentile category. If you are charging 50th percentile rents to DSS tenants then I assume the properties are of a higher standard (even though in a lower cost area), and this is fine because you are then providing added value and keeping your tenants happy.
Some of my HMO properties are below this benchmark 30th percentile (in terms of the property's value, compared to other properties of the same size and in the same broad rental market area), but the way these are let is very different (as are the risks and costs involved). Again, even within the HMO properties, the types of DSS/LHA residents can vary tremendously, and those who are high risk can cause higher costs to be incurred by the landlord, which may be higher than what is covered by the HB/LHA rents received.
Landlord Geoff
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Sign Up13:30 PM, 30th December 2014, About 10 years ago
Mark
Your original opening post on this thread seems to have lost its way and drifted into another subject matter. Perhaps you should start another one. I think your aim has much merit and if you have responses needing hands on help in my neck of the woods I would be pleased to assist.
Geoff