DSS Tenants – does this video say it all?

DSS Tenants – does this video say it all?

16:11 PM, 19th June 2013, About 11 years ago 110

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I am a landlord specialising in renting to DSS Tenants – ask me anything 🙂

Update

You may remember the video’s I shared with you back in June and November? Well this is what the place I video’d in November looks like now, just three weeks later …

My original video’s from June and November are below.

Some people think I’m must be crazy to accept benefits tenants. Well maybe I am but it works for me and I have dozens of very happy tenants and a waiting list as long as your arm for my properties. I have no voids and never need to advertise. In short, this video does not tell the full story but I am happy to to tell you mine if you care to ask 🙂

Looking forward to reading and responding to your comments.

DSS Tenants - This video says it all


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Comments

Mick Roberts

18:11 PM, 24th June 2013, About 11 years ago

How did the tenants in that video get treated by the Landlord? Mark, please explain to him 'cause it looks like the minority think the Landlord told tenants to live like this in the video. Beggars belief how some people can't understand what happened here. Breaking news, Landlord goes in tenants house & throws everything all over 'cause he thinks that will make 'em stay there longer.
I think a few minority Landlords on here think the Landlord went into the house, stood the settee up on its end, threw everything out the cupboards onto the floor, turned bikes upside down in bedrooms, chucked all the clothes on the floor, yes that's what must have happened, because the Landlord did a video of how his tenants left the house, then we must assume that the Landlord made all this mess.
I'll ask again 'How did the Landlords treat the tenants in this video?'
Next please.

paul johnson

18:25 PM, 24th June 2013, About 11 years ago

That's Mick's comment below on the property in the video..

"And if I give it them, they are offering to move all rubbish, clean it up, pay for rubbish removal & take house as is. It’s a win for them as they get something as the ruddy Council han’t got ‘ote, & it makes things easier for me, I han’t got to project manage, nor pay for labour & skips & rubbish removal etc. And they know how many people are waiting for my houses, so they are grateful for getting this one."

I know exactly what Mick's talking about and I think his way of doing things is not only not good for me but also gives a bad impression of LL's at a time when people are screaming about "rogue LL's"
pj

Vanessa Warwick

18:47 PM, 24th June 2013, About 11 years ago

Hi Mick,

With respect, I never "put you on another website and slagged you off". You are most welcome to join the conversation on Property Tribes.

Furthermore, I am not an "expert" and have never claimed to be. I wonder where you got that idea from?

It seems that if I didn't apologise, I would be dubbed argumentative and arrogant ... and when I do admit I am wrong, I get a comment like yours.

My only agenda is to learn and be the best landlord I can.

I do not deal or understand in what I can only call the "very lower end of the LHA market". It's not for me.

It would be a boring world and there would be far less choice of accommodation in the PRS if we all thought and acted the same.

Different strokes for different folks. Just as it should be.

Joe Bloggs

22:43 PM, 24th June 2013, About 11 years ago

i cant see too much wrong with this house from my viewing of the video (other than all the tenant rubbish and damage) and this tends to back up micks claims of being a good landlord.
i do find mick's rather rambling writings difficult to fathom but he previously agreed that rubbish must be properly disposed of. jonathan clarke however is seemingly much more ready to abdicate this to the tenant and the last thing decent landlords want to see is tenants wheeling rubbish down the road in shopping trolleys and suchlike. i am therefore very surprised at vanessa's rather gushing view of mr clarke.
one of the justifications for (LB newham) introducing landlord licensing was PRS flytipping and based on the above attitudes they seem to have a point.

23:55 PM, 24th June 2013, About 11 years ago

Rubbish disposal is a perennial problem for this society.
It is very awkward to get stuff down to a 'recycling centre'
People of all sorts just don't have the money to dump stuff or the resources to get it to a dump..
Therefore the best way for items to be disposed of is by the council for FREE.
What do we all pay council tax for!!??
That will solve the rubbish problem!
Weekly rubbish disposal is inadequate for special large items like sofas and mattresses.
So councils should remove these for FREE on a callout basis.
Because councils DON'T do this for FREE fly-tipping occurs.
The answer to the problem is obvious.
Rubbish that has no apparent economic value will always be dumped rather than being paid for to be dumped.
The state has to remove rubbish for free otherwise it will just be dumped.
LL are best off purchasing a Transit type van as they can solve so many problems.
By doing various chores in my old van I more than made back the costs of running it and my wages!!!
Every LL should have a Transit!!!

GP

1:10 AM, 25th June 2013, About 11 years ago

Hmmm its interesting how with property programs we have been lead down the path of one colour carpets magnolia walls and the issue you have with that ie regular replacement and regular carpet fitters and regular tenancy gaps.
Reminds me of my fathers tenanted house with pattened carpets and curtains and it seemed to be far quieter in terms of the changing needs.
Clearly there is a gap in the market as the new majority of landlords have moved inline with the tv and this low cost approach in areas of high demand low rents is a refreshing practical solution. Rather enjoyed the debate and the riposts. For my two pennys worth some tenants dont know what liquids to clean with and a bathroom that looked past it transformed a bath and tiling very easily. He just never knew and I had not visited to inform him of what to do.

Mick Roberts

8:00 AM, 25th June 2013, About 11 years ago

Crikey, It’s refreshing to see I come in the office this morning & only see 4 email replies instead of yesterday, approx 20.

I knew I shun’t have started dis-agreeing with the dis-agree-ers. Some seem professional at dis-agreeing & I’m always gonna’ lose, aren’t I.

Did I wrongly assume one was referring to the ‘tenants in that video’? The tenants in that video didn’t get the house like that for the 74th time.
Yes, utterly correct, new tenants are taking the house like this & u have a very good point, could be seen as bad Landlord-But are tenants ‘moving into house like that?’ That is the crucial thing here. Moving in or taking?
They get to put their mark on it, their stamp on it, get to do it up before they move in-How many private homeowners get to do that?

I’ve seen these debates many times on this site & can’t believe I’m being drawn into one ha ha.

Or we could leave tenants where they are, living in 1 bed flat till kid gets to about 10 years old, yes, that seems much better, doesn’t it. And let the other families become homeless at same time that can’t stay in their places ‘cause kids have flown the nest now, yes sounds good that does, doesn’t it. Or we could let new tenants create an opportunity for the other families TO GET WHAT THEY WANT.

Is it a problem if new tenant says I’ll clean that house for u? If it is, then I’ve been doing it wrong for 15 years.
Sounds like some people don’t like it, that some Landlords can work with tenants & Landlord gets to do less dirty work & cost than other Landlords.
If I’ve got a tenant that’s offering to clean my house for me, does that make me a bad Landlord? It all depends on your interpretation. If they’d have asked me to clean the stuff out, I would have done.

A question for the few dis-agree-ers & the common sense majority can answer too if they like: How many of u if u had two equal tenants, one wanted u to clear the house at a cost of approx £500, then the other tenant was offering to do it u for FREE-Truthfully what would u do? As long as they don’t touch the water, gas, elecs etc.-why not take up their offer? How does that make one a bad Landlord?
No doubt PJ’s got an answer for that too.

If my existing tenants are happy, what more can I do?
If my tenants before they come to me are homeless (Yes, I think the minority on this page don’t understand how bad it is for some, some of u think these people can just go & get a choice of Buckingham Palaces just like that), they have no deposit or no rent up front, they then come to me, they get a warm safe house in a sensible area, they get the latest condensing combi boiler, new kitchen, new windows & doors, they get a Landlord that says they can stay forever as long as we get the rent, what more can I do?

I not be able to reply till tomorrow morning, I’ve got to find some more settees to tip on their edge. I may not even have time to reply to this thread much more as it could go on for the next 4 years, as it seems some of the dis-agree-ers (Nottm slang Mark), have time to chat on here all day & I’m always gonna lose against great word-writers like PJ.

I also have 6 lots of Housing Benefit forms to fill in this week-Yes, I’m sure some people are now gonna comment that I shouldn’t be filling in HB forms with tenants. I too wish I wasn’t, but it’s about helping vulnerable people out.

No, Vanessa, I was joking with u about slagging me off. Any friend of Marks is never gonna get ribbed in a horrible way by me. The problem as I’ve said before which u know too, is when not face to face, text sometimes gets took wrong. I was laughing, as I didn’t realise or know my video had gone elsewhere. I don’t see anything that you’ve said on here, that makes me think any less of u, in fact the opposite, it’s nice to dialogue with the lady whos’ videos’ I’ve saw. If u knew me, you’d then know I have sense of humour, unlike what seems of some of the more serious people on these sites.
I’ve got enough on here han’t I without seeing what’s going off on yours, but if u do ever need me one day to help with any LHA issues, then please get in touch, Mark has my details.
And to me, when I have seen your video’s, u do seem an expert-Or maybe more professional than most, if that sounds better. My apologies if u mis-interpreted me. Your fault for having such a clear concise voice in the few video’s I have seen u in. Oh, & looking professional as well.

Aaahhhh,, I’ve got work to do, stop picking on me PJ....... You are a better write than I am, u should have been a solicitor, or maybe u r.

Mick Roberts

8:24 AM, 25th June 2013, About 11 years ago

Mark, u should have a like button on this page, similar to Facebook (but I'm sure there is a reason why u haven't), as a lot of stuff Paul Barrett & Jonathon Clarke (& some others) says make 100% sense as to what happens in the real world & on ground level. Obviously other people that don't deal in this sector can't fathom it, but it would be nice to 'like' their comments, when we 100% wholeheartedly agree with what they're saying.

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

8:30 AM, 25th June 2013, About 11 years ago

Hi Mick

It's funny you should say that, we added just that to our "Wish List" last week. We just need to wait until we get enough donations and sponsorships to pay for new developments and that's when they appear.

What we are hoping to do is have a league table of the most "liked" members and their comments. We are only going to have a thumbs up button as a thumbs down button is very de-motivational and we don't want to scare people away just because others don't agree with their views. We are all entitled to our opinions.

Focus on the positives 🙂

paul johnson

8:59 AM, 25th June 2013, About 11 years ago

I'll post my last comment on this subject.
I purchase properties[terraced or semi's are preferable in my area] that need a total refurb. I strip all wall paper and carpet[except stairs where I put new carpet] skim where necessary and paint throughout. Laminate everywhere, tile in bathroom and kitchen. usually a new kitchen, bathroom, sometimes damp proof and boiler[eco now available for boiler and hopefully EWI] Revalue at a later date.The property is handed to a tenant in a clean unfurnished condition. 95% have deposit and month in advance[except in exceptional circumstance,]That's how I start my tenancies and it works for me. I don't need to duck and dive. At the end of the year you plus and minus your books and you make a profit,
My reason for writing this is to tell potential LL's that you can be professional and rent to low income/HB tenants.I believe the more professional LL's in this market the better.Like any other business the potential for problems[especially early on] are there, but if you have a business model you can get through it with a bit of luck. Sorry Mick I couldn't wade through another post of yours but just like to say I'm not Vanessa I have worked in this market for a long time and you have to understand that there are people who have a different way of approaching this market than you.
pj

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