9:11 AM, 20th April 2021, About 4 years ago 48
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Shelter is urging the government to bring forward the Renters’ Reform Bill based on two survey samples of only 553 or 551 private renters, both possibly skewed by how the data is collected
Shelter go on to extrapolate in their press release:
New figures by YouGov released today show 39% of private renters, equivalent to 3.2m people, say they have been forced to live in dangerous or unhealthy conditions because they fear complaining to their landlord will trigger a retaliatory eviction.
And almost half (46%) of private renters, equivalent to 3.8m people, whose homes have needed repairs or improvements said they have not tried to resolve these owing to these fears.
Because private landlords can evict tenants by serving a section 21 ‘no fault’ eviction notice, where they don’t have to give a reason, losing a private tenancy remains a leading cause of homelessness.
And while the coronavirus pandemic has made our homes more important than ever, 35% of private renters say their housing situation has made lockdowns harder to cope with. A fifth (21%) had suffered with damp, mould, condensation, poor insulation or excess cold in the past month alone.
In light of these worrying findings and ahead of the Queen’s Speech next month, housing charity Shelter is urging Boris Johnson to honour his pledge to deliver a Renters’ Reform Bill that transforms private renting. This should include abolishing section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions which would give renters the security they need to challenge poor conditions. And creating a National Landlord Register, which would force landlords to prove properties meet essential safety standards.
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said:“Our broken renting system is overdue serious reform. For years, renters have paid through the nose for neglected properties, left powerless and paralysed by the fear that complaining about basic repairs could see them out on the streets.
“Over the past year, our homes have been our first line of defence against coronavirus. Yet this pandemic has exposed the grim reality that too many of the country’s 11 million renters – including key workers, families and the elderly – wake up every day to mould, pests and dangerous hazards.
“The Renters’ Reform Bill offers us a once-in-a generation opportunity to transform private renting and create a fairer safer system for all renters – we must seize it with both hands.”
Between March 2020 and March 2021, Shelter has seen a 35% increase amongst private renters who are contacting the charity’s helpline and web chat services for advice about poor conditions.
All survey results are based on a survey of 3,588 people in England (553 currently private renting), online, weighted, 18+, 7th-9th April 2021 or on a YouGov survey of 3,603 people in England (551 currently private renting), online, weighted, 18+, 28th Jan – 1st Feb 2021. Numbers of people are estimates calculated by Shelter using the survey results in conjunction with official statistics on population sizes. Shelter estimates there to be 8.2 million adult private renters in England, using analysis of published English Housing Survey (MHCLG) figures for 2019/20 and raw data from the same survey dated 2018/19.
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NewYorkie
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Sign Up13:15 PM, 24th April 2021, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Landlord Phil at 24/04/2021 - 10:17
Shelter doesn't provide housing, it is just a loud mouthpiece. Why should it be funded by taxpayer money? Look at Polly Neate's salary!
Badger
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Sign Up13:55 PM, 24th April 2021, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Ian Narbeth at 20/04/2021 - 15:12
"... badger gassing ..."
Oi! 🙂
Badger
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Sign Up14:00 PM, 24th April 2021, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by LaLo at 20/04/2021 - 18:04
" If we all it do he'll soon get fed up"
Unfortunately, having tried this on a number of occasions and also having observed that others get exactly the same treatment when they write as well (to judge from the standard form letter response that one gets in return) one's letter never even gets as far as the minister's desk let alone see him read it.
I think it may be time to invoke the spirit of Guido Fawkes...
Landlord Phil
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Sign Up14:14 PM, 24th April 2021, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by NewYorkie at 24/04/2021 - 13:15
NewYorkie, that's my point exactly. Shelter don't actually appear to do anything to help anyone. They seem to exist as an organisation to lobby for whatever change the current government wants, criticise & help set populist agenda. They shouldn't be allowed charitable status. They draw funds from public donations that could be doing genuinely good work. They draw funding from the taxpayer, or to put it another way, from us. What are we getting in return? Moaning, whinging & landlord bashing. I just fail to see the value this organisation brings to the UK. What is her salary out of interest?
NewYorkie
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Sign Up14:42 PM, 24th April 2021, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Landlord Phil at 24/04/2021 - 14:14
£122,500 when she was appointed in 2017. I'm sure it's much more now... because she's done so much more landlord-bashing over the 3.5 years.
Leics Landlord
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Sign Up15:06 PM, 24th April 2021, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Bill at 24/04/2021 - 10:31
I'm not sure this is the killer argument you think it is.
Landlord Phil
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Sign Up17:59 PM, 24th April 2021, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Leics Landlord at 24/04/2021 - 15:06
Oh I don't know. Over £122k per year and we still have a homeless problem. It's called Shelter, & yet it doesn't do anything like that. It's kinda like marketing gin as an infusion of healthy botanicals. That wouldn't be allowed, despite part of it being exactly that. But because it suits a political agenda, all is OK with Shelter. Utter rubbish.
Leics Landlord
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Sign Up19:14 PM, 24th April 2021, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Landlord Phil at 24/04/2021 - 17:59
The Government wants to prioritise home ownership over renting. We might disagree, but in a democratic society it's clearly something that they're entitled to do, and we're hardly disinterested observers. Telling the Government that you've sold your property to FTBs isn't going to persuade them they're wrong, because it's exactly what they want to see.
As for Shelter bashing, heaven knows I'm no fan, but they're held in high regard by the public and we're not going to change that, because our opinions on them seem to the man in the street as being motivated by naked self-interest. Calling for them to be abolished just makes us look like Scrooge. Worse, it makes us look like we have no respect for private property - why should anyone else have respect for ours if we want a private organisation abolished by Government diktat? I don't suppose they give a toss about our opinions on their CEO's salary, either - it just looks like jealousy on our part. And it's not entirely dependent on public funding, either.
Frankly, every time we bash Shelter we probably improve their reputation. Ordinary people probably think they're doing a good job if they've got our backs up. Our task is to improve our reputation by being decent landlords and by driving the rogues out of our profession - starting by being able to acknowledge bad behaviour when we see it and not just responding with "but what about Shelter" or "what about Council housing" or "all the problems must be caused by the tenants really." Or worst of all, "why don't the tenants move if their properties are that bad?." Qu'ils mangent de la brioche?
Old Mrs Landlord
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Sign Up20:16 PM, 24th April 2021, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Landlord Phil at 24/04/2021 - 14:14
Shelter employ lawyers with a forensic knowledge of housing law to exploit any loopholes or minor mistakes in landlords' applications to evict non-paying or anti-social tenants for whom they can obtain legal aid. This prevents or at least delays landlords from regaining possession of their properties so that the state does nor have to bear the burden of housing less than perfect tenants. This leaves landlords carrying the can for longer and paying more fees, but saves the government money and boosts the income of the legal eagles. From the point of view of the defaulting tenants, they have had their eviction staved off and therefore have been "helped" by Shelter.
Chris @ Possession Friend
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Sign Up21:14 PM, 24th April 2021, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Old Mrs Landlord at 24/04/2021 - 20:16
They don't just exploit every piece of law, they play dirty as well. Grassing a landlord up to various agencies