Private Landlord Service started by Cheshire West and Chester Council

It is great to see some joined up team working 🙂

trust noone

Sounds like an encouraging breath of fresh air and a realistic way for the auth. to deal with the problem. Given councils' general unhelpfulness however, I wonder if their actions will speak as loud as their words.

Councils do what is in the interests of Councils (or their relevant departments) and I've never known one do anything for the benefit of private landlords. In fact, experience teaches me the opposite, particularly concerning evictions. I suspect Hell will freeze over before they change. To quote Groucho Marx... "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member"

What a fecking cheek

I just can't trust anyone that says they want to improve my service to my tenants, especially from a Council that doesn't like HMO's, wants selective licensing, double council tax on empty property and full tax on property being renovated.

Give it a week and some twang of a councilman will denounce the PRS industry, because an unmarried mother of 7 gets evicted for having a cannabis farm in her loft and a tap washer not being repaired within 24 hours.

I expect they will announce an amnesty for all defaulting tenants and squatters at some point.

I note and take pleasure that they now need the help of the PRS, more than ever.

But it's too late folks for tenants on benefits, they will now be consigned to benefit ghettos, as the rent rises start to pile in.

They may have noticed their housing situation getting a lot worse and it hasn't even started yet, as it's going to accelerate into overdrive as the small BTL landlords get ground into the dust under this government.

So perhaps they might consider supporting the abolishment of Section 24, Direct Payments of Universal Credit to tenants, Advising tenants to ignore court orders of eviction and the 3% stamp duty surcharge for the PRS landlords.

That's the support that the PRS needs, not this pathetic clap trap of a press release.

Ask them to support the abolishment of Clause 24 and I might consider trusting them, on second thoughts though they can Feck Orf as I try to save my business from political stupidity from all sides of government.

I wish them well but I anticipate the road will be extremely rocky

My heart is always willing but I`ve tried for 18 years to work effectively with my council but 95% of the time they act against mine and my LHA tenants interests. It would require a sea change in their culture to work together with landlords. Its very hard to work with an organisation that is dismissive of my needs and will seemingly consciously go out of their way to treat me as the enemy.

I worked for 30 years in a multi agency environment. The council struggled more than most to work in a collaborative manner as an equal partner. They wanted to control outcomes and dictate working practices. Sharing information and listening to the needs of others and acting on those needs is counter intuitive for them.

They are as a result an excruciatingly frustrating body to work with with a painfully slow turnaround

They wanted some of my properties once. When I said one was coming up and offered them a shot at it they didn't reply for 10 days then when they did they said they maybe would pop by next month to have a chat and see if we could work something out..

The void on that one costs me £24.65 per day. I filled it within 3 days . They would have cost me £750 before I even blinked. Because they only handle tax payers money and not their own they have no sense of urgency.

Business and the public sector have widely differing goals I find .

Like oil and water they more often than not just do not seem to mix

But best of luck to Chester Council I hope they find a system that works for all and then roll it out countrywide so we all benefit. But with LHA freeze / sec 24 / UC I fear it is way too late now.

10 years ago I offered to set up emergency B&B accommodation to house the homeless as they didn`t have enough . My council said thank you but they didn`t want ` short term solutions` .10 years on I am still waiting for any solutions from them to resolve the homeless crisis. In the meantime the taxpayer pays for the taxis to take the kids on a 20 mile round trip twice a day to the schools and back . Crazy

Reply to the comment left by "Jonathan Clarke" at "05/01/2017 - 07:18":

Jonathan, you get my vote for 'Comment of the Year' and we're only five days into the 2017!

An exceptionally accurate assessment and one LAs should take note of.

Reply to the comment left by "Jonathan Clarke" at "05/01/2017 - 07:18":

OPM=other peoples money

I know a friend who has let to Oxford City who Guaranteed rent and so far is happy but would not go above 25% of portfolio because of problems listed in previous posts