Shelter ask for Landlords views

Reply to the comment left by Seething Landlord at 15/06/2019 - 11:46I've done about 7 Sec 21's over last 7 years or so. All for rent arrears & damage to house. As to go another route would have been having to provide proof & evidence that we know Judge would chuck out & give tenant longer to do more damage & rent arrears.
Yet my Sec 21's would go down on their books as No fault.
I've only this week been talking to the Hierarchy in the council saying the Homeless Dept are STILL NOT asking the Landlord why he issued the Sec 21. There is no record.
I've said if u ring him AFTER the tenant has gone, you will find out why. Not always before as he may lie as to not delay the process.
But afterwards, we get the truth.
As in Nottingham, most I am seeing are cause of Nottingham Selective Licensing http://www.selectivelicensingtruth.co.uk

Reply to the comment left by Binks at 13/06/2019 - 17:36
I have completed the survey. Difficult not to take the opportunity to have a rant about them being anti-landlord etc. etc.......

Reply to the comment left by ameliahartman at 15/06/2019 - 00:44Unfortunately, having read your first paragraph, I don’t think you are really aware of what Shelter are trying to achieve. The very fact, where you admittedly stated that Shelter provide legal representation to tenants who owe thousands of pounds, show that Shelter have no interest in supporting Landlords and are in fact only antagonising them, and treating them like it is their duty to house anyone, irrelevant of the fact that the tenant/s are not paying rent. Shelter do not take into consideration that landlords also have to make a living and are not a charity.
All your second paragraph tells me is that Shelter attempt to help people who are threatened with homelessness to find new tenancies or to keep the ones which they already have to the detriment of the poor landlords. In this process, do Shelter concentrate on the real reason why the tenant has been made homeless? I doubt it. The reason is more than likely to be rent arrears. I quite agree that Shelter try to keep tenants in accommodation they already have no matter what, even if they are deliberately not paying rent and causing the landlord to become bankrupt in the process. I know this to be the case as it has happened to me where an anti-social tenant who was in months of arrears was fully supported by Shelter with a barrister and solicitor where the money was coming from the taxpayer. I am happy to say that fortunately, I have not been made bankrupt.
Your third paragraph says it all. If they are trying to help homelessness, I for one would definitely accept these tenants if Shelter acted as a guarantor and with the money that Shelter are provided with, I cannot see why they do not provide homes and act as a guarantor. Shelter are of course well aware that they would never be a guarantor as, they would go bankrupt but want the landlords to take all the risk where certain tenants are high risk.
By my books, section 21 is by no means a revenge eviction. I have been renting since 1996 and over that time have evicted many tenants and I would say about 95% were for rent arrears and about 5% for being an absolute nuisance. I cannot see where the revenge evictions come from. As a landlord, it is in my interest not to have empty properties and only evict when absolutely necessary. At present, I have numerous tenants who are in arrears due to Universal Credit but I am not evicting them as, it makes sense from a business point of view to sometimes just lose two months’ rent and to arrange to have the rent paid by UC directly to the landlord. So all in all, I find it is better not to evict a tenant if one is getting some rent as in the whole process of eviction and finding another tenant (who may once again not pay the rent), a landlord is more likely to lose far more in terms or cost and time spent. Unfortunately, it is the government and bodies like Shelter that have created a culture where tenants who do not pay their rent are sympathetically supported and often get discretionary payments to pay the rent money they decided to go out and spend.
I believe that the National Landlords Alliance have done an extremely good job in exposing Shelter in showing what they actually do which has been destructive. Shelter are now trying to do something in having been exposed by starting this landlord survey which hopefully will lead to something constructive in respect of good relationships with Landlords which should hopefully lead to working together for the good of all.
Amelia, I am not attempting to offend you in anyway but all I have written is from my perspective and from what I have experienced or witnessed over the years.

Reply to the comment left by Clint at 15/06/2019 - 18:08
Well put Clint.

As a portfolio LL and letting agent I have answered and offered further input.
I only see engagement as positive- I’m a bloody good landlord and they need to know that most of us are!!

I have an uncomfortable feeling about Shelter talking as though with legitimacy they have no right to and this survey is part of that propaganda. They aren't part of the government or an authority on anything. Yet they are the 'go-to' big mouth opinion-giver for the media and councils.
The new 'How to Rent information' we supply to tenants even has Shelter contact details alongside Citizen's advice's details. Why not other charities, why does Shelter get first preference? The only thing it beats other homeless organizations to is the amount of money it takes in, not its effectiveness by any measure.

Reply to the comment left by Clint at 15/06/2019 - 18:08
Well written Clint. Bang on. In discussions where Shelter is being lauded as a wonderful charity who stand up for the poor tenants against greedy uncaring landlords I ALWAYS wait and play my trump card which is: 'So, if Shelter have faith in these tenants why don't they just stand guarantor'? And that puts an end to it.

Reply to the comment left by Darren Peters at 15/06/2019 - 19:35
Absolutely spot on Darren!
"They aren't part of the government or an authority on anything. Yet they are the 'go-to' big mouth opinion-giver for the media and councils."

My definition of a charitable organisation is one where the organisers, managers and workers all have a day job and then contribute part of their spare time pro bono in running the charity. Not one where the staff and top dogs are paid almost as much and often much more than the Prime Minister.

I don't think there is a single 'charity' that passes muster by this definition. Yet they all solicit money from the public et al for 'charity'.

Perhaps Ms Polly Neate might like to lead by example, get a day job, give up the £122,000 odd she gets from 'Shelter' (provides no shelter to anyone), and work pro bono for the cause she purports to love so much.

Or am I being too radical?

Reply to the comment left by paul landlord at 14/06/2019 - 15:50
Hi Paul

I was sceptical, but had a look at the form anyway. I have filled it in anonymously, and taken the opportunity to give the recipients some home truths, in answer to the question “How do you think Shelter can work better with landlords?”

Get senior managers to stop lying on TV and in writing:
https://www.property118.com/misleading-shelter-finance-report-figures/

https://www.property118.com/truth-not-matter-shelter/

Get Beales to stop bullying letting agents:
https://www.property118.com/shelter-shocked-result-10-no-make-4-7-maybe-zero/

Stop trying to drive landlords and agents out of business:
https://www.property118.com/free-advice-shelter/

Stop enabling delinquent tenants to defeat eviction proceedings.

Leave the political agitation to political parties - donations and legacies should not be used for that. Act like a charity by doing charitable deeds - that’s what the donating public expect you to do.

Until then, landlords will call for Shelter to be boycotted for being liars and bullies as described in other articles that are listed at the end of this:
https://www.property118.com/boycott-shelter/

Brilliant summary AL. Of course the huge range of substantive points you make will not be answered, as they cannot be.