Tory candidate slammed for ‘Tents’ comment!

Tory candidate slammed for ‘Tents’ comment!

15:23 PM, 19th November 2019, About 5 years ago 21

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BuzzFeed News has reported on a Facebook video post made by Tory MP candidate for Ashfield, Lee Anderson, who said he would force nuisance tenants who make people’s lives a misery to live in a tent if he was voted in.

Anderson is an ex-Labour supporter driven out by far left momentum views and now Tory candidate looking to overturn a marginal labour seat.

He would have them “6 am every morning back in a field picking potatoes, in for a cold shower and lights out 6 o’clock”

Unsurprisingly this has gone viral and been picked up to much criticism. The video is below:

https://www.facebook.com/LeeAndersoninAshfieldEastwood/videos/658102801263763/

 

However, our own Property118 member and contributor, Dr Rosalind Beck has offered her support saying:

“His is a rare, brave voice speaking up for the victims of anti-social, non-paying and/or aggressive tenants – landlords, other tenants & neighbours across the country. Most MPs shy away from this, afraid of the anti-landlord bigots who shout down any mention that there are in fact thousands, if not tens of thousands of rogue tenants who play the system and cost landlords an estimated £10 billion in arrears and damages every year; as well as untold misery, stress and financial loss to others. Defending these bad tenants – as Shelter does – and advocating the scrapping of Section 21 – as many do – is only playing into the hands of the bad tenants, prolonging the misery for landlords and also for tenants forced to share with these criminals, when they cannot be evicted speedily.”

What do other members think of his stance on nuisance tenants?


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Neil Patterson

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15:34 PM, 19th November 2019, About 5 years ago

What he is talking about is ant-social criminal behaviour. It just won't be considered PC, because the perpetrators happen to be tenants.

Ian Narbeth

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15:41 PM, 19th November 2019, About 5 years ago

Ros, where does the figure of £10 billion come from? According to the ONS https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/710382/Dwelling_Stock_Estimates_2017_England.pdf in England, at March 2017, making up the 23.9 million dwellings in the country were 15.1 million owner occupied, 4.8 million private rented, 2.4 million rented from private registered providers (housing association) and 1.6 million rented from local authorities.
So with 8.8 million tenanted properties the average arrears and damages per property would be over £1100 per year or over £2000 if the figure is just for the PRS!

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

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15:59 PM, 19th November 2019, About 5 years ago

My solution would be to treat them like any other person who commits criminal damage, anti social behavior etc.

I agree they should be evicted and if living in a tent or a car is their only option after the judicial system has dealt with them then so be it. As for being forced to “pick potatoes or any other seasonal vegetables, made to get up at 6pm and having a 6pm curfew after a cold shower”, well that’s just taking things to far!

It scares me that any political party would consider a candidate with such strong views eligible for election as an MP. Surely the Conservative Party must have a better option than to have this man standing for election as an MP in his constituency?

It scares me that ill considered, but well intentioned social media activity by Tory candidates could result in Corbyn obtaining power.

We should be grateful he is not threatening to Nuke North Korea at 3am in the morning by Twitter!

Dr Rosalind Beck

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16:14 PM, 19th November 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Ian Narbeth at 19/11/2019 - 15:41
Hi Ian
The only time I have ever seen this calculated was in 2015, so I use that as a ballpark figure. I don't believe anyone else collects this data. It was reported here:

https://www.landlordtoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2015/9/landlords-lose-9-9-billion-to-rent-arrears-and-damage-every-year

Ian Narbeth

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16:22 PM, 19th November 2019, About 5 years ago

Hi Ros
Even in that article the average figure of £6600 per landlord per year doesn't seem right.

Dr Rosalind Beck

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16:30 PM, 19th November 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Ian Narbeth at 19/11/2019 - 16:22
Hi Ian
Well I don't know what their methodology was, but obviously this is an average and would include landlords who suffered no loss and others who had whole houses trashed. One year my tenants turned a house into a cannabis factory and the house was set on fire. The damage and lost rent was nearly £30,000 and I would have suffered other arrears and damage that year. Other years the figures would below the £6,600 mark...

A lot of landlords also operate at the 'bottom' of the market and I know one landlord who regularly has her houses 'trashed' - as in, they smash up the kitchen before leaving etc...

So it appears impossible to get a 100% reliable figure. The £10 billion could even be an underestimate, but I use it as it is the only data we have.

Jay James

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19:23 PM, 19th November 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Mark Alexander at 19/11/2019 - 15:59"My solution would be to treat them like any other person who commits criminal damage, anti social behavior etc."
Spot on.

Robert M

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9:26 AM, 20th November 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Dr Rosalind Beck at 19/11/2019 - 16:30I've also had tenants who cause thousands of pounds, and in some cases tens of thousands of pounds, worth of damage, then add that to the rent arrears and legal costs, and these few bad tenants can soon push up the average cost/loss. I currently have two properties vacant where damage done by tenants has been over £20,000 in each, and they both also had rent arrears!

Clint

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11:14 AM, 20th November 2019, About 5 years ago

I would have said that in most years I lose more than £6600 but this year has been an exceptionally bad year due to tenants not paying their rent and have a tenant owing me over £11,000 who is due to be evicted and several over £5000.
I also potentially have to pay legal costs of around £35,000 on just one case where I tried evicting a tenant using a section 8 notice and he was represented by a legal aid solicitor and barrister where the case ended up being a litigation case. This major financial loss was also due to my solicitor being useless and negligent and causing me to pay 3 times the deposit as he was so bad that he negligently left the deposit documentation out of the bundle. I am now looking for a solicitor who can act against a negligent solicitor on a no win no fee basis. If there are any out there, please contact me.
In respect of damages to properties, I have been lucky in that I believe only two were deliberately wrecked since I first started renting although, many have been left in appalling states.
Fortunately, after all this I still manage to make a living even after paying the tax but now after almost 25 years intend on getting out of this business.

reader

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11:27 AM, 20th November 2019, About 5 years ago

Dear Ros and Ian,
If you have ever had to endure residing near anti social behaviour the cost in pounds, is not quantifyable as compared with the misery and stress anti social behaviour causes to neighbours. The police and council are rarely interested but when they do act the inconsiderate neighbours normal stop their nuisance while the 'criminal' could not care less brigade carry on regardless.
My eyes have been opened to the tenants point of view, as a relative rents in Cathays Cardiff. Twenty years as a landlord tells me £'s are saved through thorough refencing.

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