Private Rental Housing – A Hole In The Bucket

UPDATE

The report is now published - see https://media.property118.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/6G0YKMd1Wf.pdf

So far this campaign has raised £781. Thank you to all who contributed.

The amount raised was less than we needed to have the report printed and posted so we have had to come up with a plan B.

The new plan is to acquire a database of all MP's Lords, Councillors & Housing Charities and to send personalised emails with a link to the report as follows:-

Subject line: Housing Crisis

FAO name
Title
Organisation
Address
Town county
Postcode

By email only

Dear

Please see below a link to our report regarding Government legislation we believe will make the UK housing crisis worse.

I would be most grateful if you could let me have your personal thoughts on this matter and advise generally on how we could work together in order to convince Government to repeal the legislation scheduled for phased implementation from the 2016/17 tax year onwards.

Link to report >>> https://media.property118.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/6G0YKMd1Wf.pdf

We look forward to receiving your considered reply.

Yours sincerely

Mark Alexander
for Property118 Landlords Group
"The Landlords Union"

We have a team of 14 helpers to consider all responses.
.

Just pledged £50.

Every little helps as the saying goes.

Every private landlord needs to 'muck in' and fight the tyrade of attacks that have been coming from all quarters for the last few years otherwise we are all going to be slaughtered

Reply to the comment left by "paul landlord" at "11/11/2016 - 19:36":

Thank you Paul ?
.

Donated £50. Thanks for coordinating this.

Your briefing document is comprehensive and well drafted. I've got nothing to add save to highlight my particular irritations.

1) Even those who should know better have become so fixated on bashing the PRS that they totally ignore the consequences for those who either have to, or choose to, live in private sector accommodation.

2) Allied to that the impact of proposed policy changes is usually pretty simple. Certain measures either increase or decrease the supply of housing, whilst other increase or decrease the demand. Help to buy, for example, increases demand (bad), routine planning objections to making property work harder via HMOs reduces supply (also bad).

3) Random licensing increases costs to no great benefit to the tenant and ultimately reduces supply in the rental sector. Personally I would prefer that all landlords were licensed on a consistent national basis rather than being vulnerable to local officials acting out their hostility towards landlords. I think tenants are entitled to feel confident that a property they rent meets certain standards. Persistent and deliberate breaches of the rules will result in sanctions.

4) Corbyn's "subsidy" thing is also irritating as my experience has been that social or HB rents are actually lower for private landlords than the open market.

5) If it was deemed desirable to punish leverage in the PRS, one of the stated aims of the whole mortgage relief reduction thing, it would be far more honest to restrict the availability of interest-only mortgages rather than make a market distorting grab for revenue.

6) And finally a small point on rent control proposals. I fully accept that it is desirable to avoid sudden and disproportionate rental increases. What concerns me is that attempting to over-control the situation will result in annual index-linked increases in rents becoming the norm. It is my experience that most landlords tend not to increase rents for sitting tenants. So in simply trying to avoid isolated cases of gouging, you risk all tenants being subjected to annual increases. You can see what the campaigners are trying to get at, but their lack of understanding of how things actually work in practice means they again risk damaging those they are seeking to protect. Ultimately the only way to drive down rents is to increase supply.

Reply to the comment left by "Stuart Trow" at "12/11/2016 - 10:21":

I agree with you on all of the points you have made.
.

Donated £50 plus a lifetime member of the Landlords Union.

I believe your action and the amalgamated views of the contributors will only strengthen our position The more pressure is put on the government and local councils to show that the private rental market is not the problem but the solution to a string of their failed housing policies. Instead they are treating us as cash cows and portraying us as the evil landlord to be kicked and prodded for cheap point scoring.

Only by uniting and creating a lobby group can we be recognised as a force to contribute towards helping the housing problems.

Don't forget the donation and membership are legitimate expenses so claim the tax back!!

I have pledged £50, because this is important. This is not only about the Tenant Tax. We must constantly push the message that the Private Rented Sector, which is us private landlords, is providing a service that no one else seems able to provide. We put our own money at risk to provide many of our fellow citizens with a roof over their heads. I think I am correct in saying that over 20% of households live in privately rented accommodation; about 2/3rds of evictions from rented accommodation are in the subsidised "social housing" sector; that if we did not exist or turned our portfolios over to holiday letting, local authorities could hardly scratch the surface of their waiting lists - you already have to be on the list for years in most local authority areas; and we provide HMOs with bedsits for single people including those on benefits who only qualify for single room rate. Local authorities generally don't provide this sort of accommodation. Certainly there are a small proportion of "rogue landlords". I am sure there is at least as large a proportion of "rogue officials" in local and national government, and almost as large a proportion of "rogue members" of our two Houses of Parliament.

I've donated £30. The Property 118 website is providing a very worthwhile service and opportunity for landlords to communicate, share good practise and co-ordinate initiatives. Thank you Mark.

Just pledged £10. Like Mandy, not really affected by S24 but do not agree with government actions.

All donations very much appreciated, thank you
.