National Landlords Alliance meets Sefton Council

With 15 year’s experience as a Landlord I have homed a number of benefit tenants. Unfortunately my experience has taught me that the benefit segment is high risk. In the past the level of risk associated with the sector has only been acceptable due to the existence of Section 21. As soon as Section 21 is removed I will raise the minimum wage we expect tenants to earn as well as look for those in more secure employment. I’ll let the Government and Shelter look after these poor unfortunate people in future.

Clearly because of the section 21 situation i will be selling my entire portfolio which is roughly 150 houses. I have had enough, in the mean time i will only be letting the houses to working professionals, No housing benefits, dss etc, Had enough

Its great isn’t it, a big organisation like Shelter won’t take the risk of housing people on benefit and won’t even offer to stand as a guarantors. Even the Government won’t build council houses for these desperate people. The Government tells us that Large Institutions will build homes to boost the Buy To Let Sector. But they are not interested in the Benefit Sector of the market, its unattractive and risky.
This is all a real shame as the removal of Section 21 will make renting to those on benefits even more risky. In fact so risky I’ve decided to sell any properties I can’t rent to other less risky sectors of the rental market.
In my case its not Section 21 that is causing homelessness, it’s the Government not providing housing for people, its Shelter not offering guarantees to Landlords to house people on benefit. When will these people take responsibility for their own actions?

I am 60 this year, I and my family have worked hard, gone without and saved all our lives to buy HMO houses and flats in London. I provide housing for 35 people. The large proportion of my rental income goes on bills, maintaining and improving the properties and this in turn provides business for local tradesmen and women. What little is left I rely on as my sole source of income. If my business folds I will be without income. If a tenant doesn't pay his rent it comes out of my pocket, the bills still have to be paid. I cannot afford tenants who are not going to pay. My costs are increasing. The ever increasing rules and regulations are taking up more and more of my time. I no longer have the time to do anything but the simplest of DIY tasks myself. Over the years I have become more and more selective on who I trust with the keys to my property to to become my tenants. With the introduction of the Tenants Fees Bill and the lickley abolition of Section 21 I have less and less power to persuade my tenants behave themselves if they chose not to.

So, I am tightening up my selection process ever further, I have started taking deposits again, I will ask for house owning guarantors, I have started collecting rent by Direct Debit and my rents are increasing. All of these things mean only the well off can afford to rent from me now. I can no longer be kind to hard up prospective tenants, I can't afford it. It's not my job, I'm not a charity. (Shelter is!) I don't know who will house them.

I have said it before, the answer to the housing crisis is "BUILD MORE HOUSES".

Don't bash landlords, we provide much needed accomodation for those unable, unwilling or not ready to become property owners themselves. I am only aware of a few of my tenants who are saving to be buy, the majority of my tenants choose and enjoy living under the roof that I provide for them.

And I don't just provide a roof, but I fix any problems with those roofs too, I provide constant heating and hot water, cooking and bathing facilities, drainage, rubbish disposal, maintained gardens, council tax, water rates, free unlimited internet and WiFi, carpets and curtains, properly maintained fire alarm systems, gas safety, electric circuit and appliance checks, legionella risk assessments, HMO licences, beds with quality mattresses, furniture, interior and exterior decoration, I mediate between housemate disputes, I fix toilets, replace shower hoses, fix door bells, clean communal areas, replace cookers, fridges and freezers, I fit top quality Miele washing machines (boy are they heavy). I joke that I draw the line at replacing light bulbs but it's surprising how many I do! It's 9:30 pm and I haven't finished working yet.

God, I wish I was one of my tenants with a landlord like me. They don't know how lucky they are.

If Section 8 isn't fixed or they bring in any more nonsense regulations, that's what will happen, I will sell up, put 35 people out of their home and go and live a nice easy life under someone else's roof.

A couple of years back I took on a family with lots of CCJs but with 6 months deposit. They would not have had a home with 5 weeks deposit, from me or anyone else. I have 2 benefit tenants out of 5. I’m now, with S24 over the 40% tax bracket but after mortgage costs, with very little profit - well under! Should I give up my day job? I spend hours each week keeping up with legislation and respond quickly to all my tenants’ needs. I have had my fair share of rouge tenants and those whose lives unfortunately went tits up but felt they had a right to a home for free. I had hoped these properties would be my pension and eventually house my children but enough is enough - if S21 goes, I lose control of my incredibly expensive, time consuming, much loved assets - so all the tenants will be served with the last few S21s and I may well rely on the govt for my merge pension. Sad days.

Shelter campaigns to abolish Sec.21. so as I will not be housing benefit tenants any more as they are just risky, I'm sure will step up to the plate and use some of their £60m pa income to home these benefit tenants -won't they?

There is social housing and there is the PRS two entirely different beasts, there is clearly not enough social housing so organisations are successfully campaigning to make the PRS, social housing. The problem is the PRS is owned by individuals normally as an investment and when the investment is no longer viable they will move the money elsewhere, leaving people homeless. it is not the duty of the PRS to provide social housing, it is the duty of the councils and government.

How many businesses will suffer if staff can rent a place near enough to them, a lot of people take one or two year contracts, rent out their own home and rent somewhere closer to their employer.

It really is a case of Ready, Fire, AIM by the government.

I house 26 people in 7 properties and now that S21 looks likely to be scrapped I will never take on a tenant on benefits, only those with good jobs will I house. I simply can’t afford a non paying tenant whom I can’t reasonably remove if they stop paying the rent, it will financially ruin me. Due to this reason I have also decided not to take on any families as I feel they are a higher risk than a group of single people. I’m also going to be increasing my rents as quickly as possible due to the impending tenant fees ban which has forced my managing agent to increase his fees. This relentless war on private landlords by the Government is ruinous to the interests of both landlords and tenants.
I can’t really decide if the UK government is either completely incompetent or driven by some ulterior motive to destroy the Private Rental Sector, which is it PM May?

Well done on the Sefton outcome.
Just the discussions of Banning Section21 will result in hundreds of S21 being issued and blockup the courts not to mention the homeless bill increases.
The government should collect the data as to why S21 are being issued. Speak with the court bailiffs to how many houses they repossess that are trashed. Speak with the councils to how much they are paying out in bond money because the houses are coming back in disrepair.
Many landlords will be running for the door. landlords will not take any tenants that are high risk. This will be all tenants on benefits low income and credit ratings not clean.
Saying No DSS in adverts will do nothing , they are high risk and cant afford the rent.
The onslaught of the PRS is disgusting . I suggest the government offers to buy out any BTL landlords who wish to sell at Market rent with reduced CGT and house the homeless .

The consultation will be a farce like Section24 was. The government are weak and untrustworthy.
How is it right that the government can bankrupt landlords by tax rates higher than earnings , then make it impossible to sell.

The court system favours the tenants , tenants should be made to pay for all arrears and damage. This could be done by getting the employment details from HMRC and deducting at source and repaying the landlord.
Well done government you have destroyed the PRS .

I have 75 units and am selling a huge proportion over the next few years I have just evicted a family who have had to go and live with there parents due to the council not being able to re house th all down to government and local councils bleeding me dry it’s just not worth it. I was happy to let to DSS tenants and even considered UC. The scrapping of s21 is the final nail in coffin and will not be considering them. What’s happened to our industry is a disgrace and has really put me off what was was once a fulfilling occupation.