Disabled Tenant In DESPERATE Need of Good Advice

Dear Charlene

I was a bit spooked when I read your request for help, because my wife and I sold several of our rental properties last year and we also have a disabled tenant whose name is Charlene. However, I can assure you it wasn’t either of us that sent that letter and I know from your email address you’re not the same Charlene.

Coincidences aside, I can only begin to imagine how worried you must have been since receiving that letter, which is clearly heartfelt and must have been almost as difficult for your landlord to write as it was for you to read.

Unfortunately, I suspect thousands of tenants will receive similar letters over the coming months and years, because everything your landlord has said is absolutely true. However, most will not receive the courtesy and thoughtfulness displayed by your landlord. I think it’s far more likely they will just receive a notice of impending eviction or rent increase damand.

Please be very careful who you seek advice from. There are far too many law firms out there who just want to earn fees, without any regard for the welfare of you or your landlord. Also, many of the so-called housing charities are even worse, for example, some of the biggest such as Shelter don’t actually provide any housing at all. Many regard them as political mouthpieces who exploit the homelessness narrative as well as their volunteers and employees just to raise funds to line the pockets of their own executives.

Do you have a Welfare Officer, Benefits Adviser or Disability Employment Advisor you could discuss this with?

You might also want to make an appointment with your local MP to discuss this. Your local County Council might also have a Housing Officer who could give you some helpful advice. If they simply tell you to stay put until the Bailiffs turn up, please ignore them, the stress and financial ramifications associated with doing that are the last thing you or your landlord want I can assure you. On the other hand, you could be helping yourself, your landlord and many other landlords and tenants if you are able to have sensible conversations with the right people. In time, maybe you and your landlord will become well known for being the people who started the process of the Government changing its policies that led to this horrible situation for you both in the first place?

Last but not least, whilst I don’t wish to use this as an opportunity to tout for business, it would be remiss of me not to mention that Property118 has a team of 10 landlord tax planning Consultants and five specialist landlord tax Barristers. Your landlord might not be aware of this, so please tell him to visit our websiteand book a Landlord Tax Planning Consultation. If we can help him to at least resolve some of his tax problems, maybe that might make all the difference to his eventual decision, the prognosis of which, at the moment, sadly appears to be Hobson’s choice between him going bankrupt, asking you to find alternative accommodation so that he can sell up or increasing your rent. If it is the latter I suspect he has already realised that you cannot afford to pay more and will that you would eventually be forced to move on. His choices would then be to re-let the property for more money if he can or to sell it. He’s clearly worried because he obviously doesn’t want to do any of these things, especially as you have been such a good tenant and rented from him for so many years. He must really like you a lot to have sent you such a compassionate letter.

I hope that helps?

Most landlords are being forced to increase rents to cover the burden of increased interest rates, taxes and regulations, or have to give notice, so that they can sell their property and cut their losses.

In my opinion, it was nice of the landlord to write to seek your thoughts, so please give him a break. It isn’t his fault, it is the government’s.

Tell you landlord it is not as unusual as he supposes to have negative cash flow from a property investment at some stages of ownership. Ask him at what level he would consider a sale, free of agents commission, perhaps with some assistance from the City you might be able to put together a purchase

Have you checked the housing benefit allowance in your area ?
Are you paying that amount in Rent to your LL?
The Bank of Engkand has increased the base rate from 0.1% to 3.5% which has for many Landlords meant a doubling of the Interest only mortgages they are paying.
With the changes in Taxation introduced by the government some Landlords are now losing money.

It is a very unfortunate result of a Government policy. I suggest that you right to your M.P.

Brilliant letter,

Good template for many of us in same boat, looks non vicious & helps the tenant understand our plight.

I totally empathise with both your situation and that of your landlords. These are worrying times for both parties. Please take note of everything Mark Alexander has put in his comprehensive reply to your request for good advice. Everything he has stated is true so please follow it. Keep the open and positive dialogue between yourself and your landlord going and hopefully you can find your way through this horrible situation. Wishing both you and your landlord all the best.

Good letter and excellent reply from Mark, what a sad state of affairs this Government is putting good Landlords and tenants through

Have a discussion with your landlord. I do not know enough about his circumstances and yours to know what is possible. Speak to outside agencies to see what help can be given.

After decades of bad government policies on housing, options are limited.

I notice that our interest rate has gone up from 0.6% to 4.1%, so that could be why it is happening now.

Much good advice given above.
Your landlord has been very considerate and I am guessing it will have been very hard for him to write his letter, as it was for you to receive it.
As others have said, the financial situation combined with current and proposed Government policy and the anti landlord agenda is pushing many good landlords into dire straits, which is punishing good tenants such as yourself too.
If both or either of you wish to share your story more publicly, this forum is often contacted by journalists, most recently from the Daly Telegraph if you would like to reach out to them.