15:12 PM, 19th April 2023, About 2 years ago 34
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The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and Generation Rent have smeared private landlords in a demand for an immediate Government crackdown on those who provide homes for tenants on housing benefit.
Mr Khan says it is ‘a scandal’ that billions of pounds is being paid in rent to private landlords who he alleges are letting cold, dangerous or dilapidated properties across England.
Mr Khan says that more than a billion pounds is being used from housing benefit to ‘line the pockets of private landlords’.
And he is calling once again for the power to freeze rents in the capital to help prevent bad landlords who, he claims, are profiteering from letting poor quality homes.
Generation Rent is also calling for action, and it says that ‘private landlords provide worse accommodation than social landlords’.
Mr Khan said: “It is a scandal that some private landlords are profiting from letting sub-standard housing that is unfit for 21st century living.
“Renters would feel more secure raising complaints about the condition of their property if they didn’t face the threat of arbitrary eviction, which is why I have long called for Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions to be abolished.
“The Government should also give me the power to drive up standards and introduce a rent freeze in London to help people during this cost-of-living crisis.”
Dan Wilson Craw, the acting director of Generation Rent, said: “It is an outrage that not only can private landlords provide worse accommodation than social landlords, but they get paid more for it.
“Increasing reliance on the private sector to provide housing has resulted in a higher bill for the public purse with nothing to show for it but poorer living standards.
“The government has an opportunity with the upcoming Renters’ Reform Bill to give private renters higher expectations of their landlord and introduce much tougher penalties for landlords who fall short of the Decent Homes Standard.”
On Twitter, Mr Khan tweeted: “Londoners are being priced out of their city. That simply isn’t right. How much longer will the Govt ignore my calls to fix this? Give me the power to freeze London rents.”
In response, Ben Beadle, the chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, replied: “FFS. You have all the powers you need to build and create the environment for new homes. Get on and use them. You are *literally* pricing people out of London through ULEZ and adding extra cost at the worse possible time.”
An analysis from City Hall reveals that in England, landlords are being paid £9 billion every year to deliver ‘non-decent’ rented properties, and £1.6 billion of this comes from housing benefit.
According to the government, ‘non-decent’ is the official government designation for a home that poses a risk to the resident’s life or health, is cold, in a bad state of repair or lacks modern facilities.
The research reveals that the highest rent spend is in London where landlords receive £3.5 billion in rent, of which £500 million comes from housing benefit for 180,000 private ‘non-decent’ rented homes.
The next worst region is Yorkshire and the Humber where landlords are picking up nearly £1 billion in rent, of which £130,000,000 is housing benefit for 160,000 privately rented, ‘non-decent’ homes.
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Ofer Moses
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Sign Up14:17 PM, 20th April 2023, About 2 years ago
Reply to the comment left by LL Minion at 20/04/2023 - 13:46
The councils requirements came after I had made the 1st payment of £240 for the licence.
I only received the licence after their recommendations were approved and paid the 2nd installment of £360.
Simon
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Sign Up16:19 PM, 20th April 2023, About 2 years ago
For someone that works in social housing and has a private portfolio of buy-to-lets this is misleading at best.
Have you looked at the state of most social property being let? No white goods, no flooring, no furniture and if you’re lucky a B&Q voucher to decorate.
What I let at market or near market rents are far superior. And the only reason private sector rents have to be higher, is that there is no public subsidy in the purchase or construction. If you want cheaper rents in the private sector offer subsidies or at least remove the harsh taxing regime on private landlords.
In fact this approach will do more for renters as it would increase supply and drive up standards!
JeggNegg
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Sign Up20:58 PM, 20th April 2023, About 2 years ago
Reply to the comment left by northern landlord at 20/04/2023 - 12:28
I am sure many LL could make as much profit pa from just investing in iSAs at 4% tax free no stress than managing some of their buy 2 let’s.
Sing Ye Lua
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Sign Up6:05 AM, 21st April 2023, About 2 years ago
The different government departments are acting on the own without any care of what the other departments are doing. The left hand is unaware of what the right hand is doing. The HMRC is doing their best to squeeze the landlords and the Mayor of London is blaming the landlords for raising the rentals. Please get your acts togather and come out with a consistant policy statement. From here the different departments can then draw up their plan. The landlords also need to make a living. If the government do not want to encourage PRS, just announce it with a time table and the government have to step in with their own housing program.
Mick Roberts
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Sign Up8:02 AM, 21st April 2023, About 2 years ago
And what are we doing for the tenants that have 0 problems & are paying way below market rent? Does Khan think freezing rents will help them? Aren't you watching Scotland who bought in the same? Tenants can't get a house any more.
Help 10 current tenants temporarily-You hurt 1000 more permanently.
LL Minion
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Sign Up8:51 AM, 21st April 2023, About 2 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Ofer Moses at 20/04/2023 - 14:17
that sounds wrong to me. If you are reaching the legal standard you should not have to do anything more.
Ofer Moses
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Sign Up9:14 AM, 21st April 2023, About 2 years ago
Reply to the comment left by LL Minion at 21/04/2023 - 08:51
Correct, but I would rather comply with the said requirements (although not legally required) than have to challenge the council and start a slanging match with them.
Ofer Moses
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Sign Up9:47 AM, 21st April 2023, About 2 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Ofer Moses at 21/04/2023 - 09:14It appears to me that selective licensing means that councils look to drive up standards, although not legally required.
For example, hard wired smoke alarms are not currently a legal requirement in England, however councils may request them.
On the advice of an electrician, we proposed interlinked smoke and heat alarms with built in 10 year battery which the council accepted.
So if on inspection, the council do not find anything that falls foul of the law, they may look for enhancements or improvements that can be applied to a let property.
Tom McGrath
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Sign Up12:47 PM, 21st April 2023, About 2 years ago
I think that no discussion of the state of the housing market can fail to mention the catastrophic effect that Brexit has had on the building trade. Hundreds of thousands of skilled workers, particularly Poles and Czechs, have gone back to Europe, driven away by Brexit and the 'hostile environment' fostered by successive Home Secretaries. Brexit has not stopped immigration--we now have record immigration figures-- but the people arriving are not skilled in the trades needed.
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till it's gone.
PH
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Sign Up13:04 PM, 21st April 2023, About 2 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Ofer Moses at 21/04/2023 - 09:47
As long as you meet the EPC grade and the eicr & gas checks are in date you are perfectly legal so whatever the council say is not relevant. They cannot force you to do anything. If they want to recommend things that's fine but it's your decision if you want to act on them. I'd be asking them if their properties are to the same high standards and tell them to get their own house in order instead of using the ' do as I say not as I do' policy .