Generation Rent calls for rent freeze to fight rising bills

Generation Rent calls for rent freeze to fight rising bills

8:50 AM, 30th August 2022, About 2 years ago 13

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Campaign group Generation Rent is calling for the government to impose a rent freeze to fight the cost-of-living crisis.

They have carried out a survey which shows that nearly half of private renters have faced a rent increase in the last year.

And these rent increases are squeezing tenants’ finances even further as the energy price cap will lead to higher fuel bills.

‘Renters cannot afford to be blindsided’

Alicia Kennedy, the director of Generation Rent, said: “With energy bills about to shoot up once again, renters cannot afford to be blindsided by an increase in their rent.

“The country faces the real prospect of millions of people being unable to find the money to cover rent, heat their homes comfortably and put food on the table.”

She added: “Ultimately that will lead to a further rise in evictions and homelessness.

“The government must intervene and temporarily stop landlords from raising the rent, as well as pausing evictions to keep renters in their homes.”

The organisation says it wants the government to suspend no-fault evictions – and make all other evictions discretionary – to stop people who fall into arrears for reasons beyond their control from being made homeless.

Asked to pay a higher rent

Their survey also reveals that nearly half of private renters who had lived in their home for longer than a year (45%) had been asked to pay a higher rent.

Of those, 81% are paying what their landlord asked for, with just 14% able to negotiate a lower rent.

Data from Rightmove shows that rents increased by 11.8% between the second quarter this year and 2021, which is worth £119 extra per month on the average rent, or £1,426 per year – twice the average increase in the energy price cap in April.

One in five renters (20%) who faced a rent increase in their current tenancy were asked to pay more than £100 extra per month.

Just over half of them paid it (54%), just 28% successfully negotiated a smaller increase, while 13% were forced to move out.

Concerned about paying the rent

Tenants who faced a rent increase are more likely to be most concerned about paying the rent (32%) compared with paying energy bills, than those who have not had a rent rise (20%).

Concern about energy bills remains the highest concern for both groups – 43% of respondents who had faced a rent increase said paying utility bills was their biggest concern in terms of rising prices, rising to 49% of people who had not.


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Comments

Mick Roberts

16:25 PM, 30th August 2022, About 2 years ago

Reply to the comment left by The Forever Tenant at 30/08/2022 - 12:52
Yes Forever Tenant,
U saying:
For example "Thanks Generation rent, u r making me a multi millionaire" - Well that just points towards the greediness of landlords.

What if I told u, many of my tenants have been with me over 20 years, as I've said earlier, if I'm charging many of mine 30% below all surrounding areas rents, £200 - £300 less EVERY month, effectively giving them £3000 per year & I'm still making money, then it shows something wrong with the system.
My point is, I have no competition cause of Shelter/Govt/Council/Generation rent policies. My tenants are very happy, NEVER want to leave me, but even if they did (one looked to be near disabled kids school-No one would take her nor UC any more, plus rent considerably more than mine), they can't get anywhere any more.

My millionaire point is, I have no voids, queue of people waiting, new people I am going to charge what I can get as I don't know what attack is coming next. I could charge £500pm & still make profit, as I struggled for years & bought loads of houses for £14,000, but why should I not charge what I can get now to people I do not know ie. new tenants should any of mine leave? I have no loyalty to the new person & we think I'm sorry tenant I may like u, but the people who back u ie. Shelter etc. make us charge the earth if we can get it which we can as Shelter etc. has drove other Landlords to sell.

But yes u right, I do need to provide the context, however I'd rather shock first to make people take notice.

We got asked to carry everyone in Covid, & now we being asked again. It's not our job, we not a charity. We din't set this up to be a charity. Although we ending up that way.
Many of us don't want our houses & only keeping them for the tenants, we do have choice & can sell, but I have morals & conscience to existing tenants. They all back me & know what the Council/Govt are doing to them.

I keep saying it, Pre 2015, the below videos, tenants could do a bunk any time on me, treat me like crap, they can't any more.

And we all thank u Forever Tenant for coming on here & giving your point of view, as we Landlords may not always be right.

https://youtu.be/i_HKaqYlHi4 Tenants from Hell Bulwell.

https://youtu.be/OzqVVRlZzE8 Tenants from Hell Bestwood Park

https://youtu.be/QcENHbgfMR4 Tenants from Hell Top Valley Nov 2010

https://youtu.be/_UvO8dmxGQQ Tenants from Hell May 12th 2010.

https://youtu.be/DzRIyfLHRn0 Tenants from Hell May 10th 2010.

The rest are on http://www.youtube.com/mickroberts2006
I han't done any for years.

KarenS

10:38 AM, 31st August 2022, About 2 years ago

Personally, I believe a far more radical approach is needed.
The landlord and tenant act needs ripping up and starting again from a blank sheet of paper. People with real substance from both sides needs to be involved in the rewriting of the same.
Modern terminology needs to be introduced….landlord….no…tenant….no…..Service Provider and Customer.
As with any other service, none payment should result in easy removal of the service. We’re a business after all……
That leads me onto my next point. If I dabble in stocks and shares I’m not a trader. There needs to be differentiation between those who do property as a side hustle and those that run a professional PropCo.
Onto the point in hand, rent caps….PropCos (just like other businesses) are being hit due to inflationary factors impacting their OpEx, how are they meant to cope if not by increasing the price of their service(s). Surely sensible energy caps (after all, windfall profits in the £m and £b are being called) and food price caps should be way ahead in the “capping” stakes….but once again they look at the low hanging fruit.
Perhaps our industry should unionise and go on strike lol……that appears to be the way to get government attention.
I am sick and tired of Oximorons writing policy and submitting changes to existing policy without understanding cause and effect.

Jessie Jones

18:12 PM, 4th September 2022, About 2 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Mick Roberts at 30/08/2022 - 11:07
Well said Mick. The cost of renting a property within the Nottingham Selective License area has gone up a whopping 10% more than the surrounding areas since the scheme was introduced. If Nottingham City Council want fire doors where they are not required by law, garden walls repointing, back yards levelling and misty windows replacing then there is a cost. And the cost eventually falls to the beneficiary; the tenant. When the cost of having the bins emptied increases, the Council pass the cost on to the council tax payer. Same with rent.

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