Why you need to contact your MP

Reply to the comment left by "Richard of York" at "21/09/2015 - 17:58":

On your last point... they are not supporting the petition as the govt have told them it will be ignored even if we hit target.

I feel we should push it anyway, to at least prove our point if nothing else, but nobody seems especially keen which seems mad to me. Surely we should fight this every which way, and not give up on any potential path to success?

Reply to the comment left by "James Fraser" at "21/09/2015 - 19:53":

That's right James and I think it is shameful that the NLA have not supported a petition against the worst decision any British Government has made against landlords (probably ever).
It is bound to look better if we have 100,000 signatures rather than 30,000 and we should carry on pushing it, because it doesn't take long to send off the odd email or to mention it and provide a link when people are writing to MPs, journalists, letting agents and so on.

Reply to the comment left by "Nitzan Marinov" at "09/09/2015 - 18:37":

the number of first time buyers is at its highest level since 2007 and rising.

This line was interesting ,surely if we were pushing out FTB it would be decreasing.

I also believe it is right that home owning should be encouraged where possible as I also believe it encourages self-sufficiency for the family that owns their own home.

But sole trader landlords who try and build a business for self sufficiency are condemned

So I sent this letter (email) to the MP in Redditch County (where one of my properties is):

I am writing to you as one of your constituents.

I am writing with regard to the latest attack on landlords in the Budget, through the proposals to restrict 'tax relief' for landlords.
Many landlords have been confused about the terminology "tax relief", so many still don't realise the effects this would have on their businesses and on the wider economy.

After seeking clarification from HMRC, I have realised that what is really being proposed is that the cost of interest, which is our biggest cost in running our businesses, has been re-defined as 'income,' which can be taxed. Obviously, this makes no sense, and this is the verdict of the chief economists who reported to the Treasury Select Committee on the Summer Budget.

If this is to be a new principle of taxation, why aren't all businesses in the UK facing this bizarre proposal?

Buy-to-let is not a simple, 'hands-off investment' as it is sometimes portrayed; it is a very labour-intensive business, often very stressful and for many of us constitutes a full-time job, whereby we work and are on call 7 days a week, including evenings.

Unfortunately, the failure to understand our business (ignorance, by another word), has led to the Government announcing this illogical and unjust proposal.

I am hoping you can use your influence and your vote to help quash this measure.

You will find more details of the proposal on this link to the
Property118 landlords forum - LINK >>>
http://www.property118.com/?p=76936

The information there will help you to be fully informed, but if you have any questions please let me know and I will endeavour to answer them.

And this is the response I received:

Dear Nitzan

Thank you for contacting me about private sector landlords.
I fully appreciate the concerns that landlords have in the private sector and on the issues raised.

All landlords should have a tenancy agreement in place which sets out the rules and rent with their tenant which provides important legal protection. Fundamentally, landlords have two main routes in order to regain possession of their property under the Housing Act 1988, including for rent arrears and anti-social behaviour. I believe these are adequate protections against bad tenants, however, the Government has issued guidance to make landlords better aware of their rights.

As you are aware, the private rental sector provides a home to 9 million people and the Government is determined to root out the minority of landlords that give it a bad name. Councils have been given £6.7 million to tackle rogue landlords in their area and the new Model Tenancy Agreement will help tenants agree longer tenancies with their landlords to give them more stability. In addition, a new industry Code of Practice will make clear the legal requirements and best practice, leaving landlords in no doubt about their responsibilities. The Government is also empowering tenants through its How to Rent Guide, last updated in May 2015, by raising tenants' awareness of what their rights and responsibilities are.

On the issue of selective licensing, local authorities should always be mindful that additional regulation does not have a detrimental impact on the prosperity of local communities. Selective licensing is intended to address poor management by a minority of private landlords, and anti-social behaviour by a few tenants. However, the Government does not support the use of licensing across an entire local authority and I am encouraged it is considering how it can roll back its blanket use.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me. Yours sincerely
Karen Lumley

If I'm generous, I will explain the blatant lack of relationship between my letter and the response to an administrative mix up with another landlady's letter.

Any other reasonable explanations :-)?

Reply to the comment left by "Nitzan Marinov" at "08/10/2015 - 19:44":

Absolutely bizarre. It was like you'd asked her what was being done against landlords and to protect tenants? Ironically, it shows how much landlords are expected to do to run our 'non-businesses.' I think you should write back to her and explain how there has been a mix-up and she answered a different letter and can she please answer yours? Of course the best thing of all is going to see them, but I don't know if she would if you are not her constituent. You could always ring her assistant and ask, if you felt like it...

Oh dear! She hasn't ever read your letter...!

What's happened there is a harassed assistant has spotted the word 'landlord' in your letter and emailed the standard response to 'landlord complaints' found in the public-responses folder on the constituency computer.

I think your plan to ask her to answer your email and not somebody else's is the best way to bring this to her attention.

Good luck!

I just wrote back giving her the benefit of the doubt 🙂

I will not be going to see her as it's too far and, quite frankly, she's probably a waste of time...

1. Name of MP - Oliver Dowden
2. Constituency of the MP - Hertsmere
3. Date e-mail sent - 26 October 215
4. Whether you have spoken to the MP face-to-face and/or made an appointment to see him/her in their surgery. - No

Sent copy of submission by Councillor James Fraser about Clause 24 and asked him to read and respond to me.

1. Contacted Chris Stephens MP
House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
Tel: 020 7219 6381
Email: chris.stephens.mp@parliament.uk, by email but not had a response at all.
2. Constituency of the MP.
3. Date(s): 26.08.2015.
4. Not spoken to him personally.

1. Wrote to Chris Stephens MP (Glasgow South West)
House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
Tel: 020 7219 6381
Email: chris.stephens.mp@parliament.uk

2. City of Glasgow, Scotland.
3. By email on 26.08.15 but had no reply whatsoever, emailed a fresh one today.
4. Not spoken to him by person but asked him to email details of his surgery in order for me to pop in to see him.