Government have created chaos in the PRS

Government have created chaos in the PRS

13:18 PM, 1st April 2020, About 4 years ago 117

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Private landlords in the UK have been left in dire straits not only by the coronavirus, but by the Government’s abysmal response to it. Whilst the Government has mentioned in its legislation that tenants must keep paying their rent, in its public pronouncements it has given a very different message – talking about landlords being able to get ‘mortgage holidays’ and stating landlords are expected to pass this on to tenants.

This has confused many landlords and tenants with the latter now believing they may have to pay no rent for 3 months, as they think landlords are somehow being ‘let off’ having to pay.  This is a duplicitous and damaging message.

I am urgently trying to get the Government to realise that this is not on and that they are creating chaos in the sector. With their embargo on all evictions for at least 3 months – and we just know this will be extended – landlords are faced with non-paying tenants (egged on by Government) and with continuing to house rogue tenants with all the associated financial and emotional costs. The latter’s behavior has, in many cases, had nothing to do with the coronavirus – with many claims pre-dating the pandemic by months, but the bad tenants are using this to take even more advantage and stay put, whilst not paying.

I have outlined this in more detail and suggested some positive steps the Government can take here. https://capx.co/landlords-are-taking-a-pummelling-from-the-coronavirus/

I encourage landlords to read the article and then to come back here to put comments below this Property118 article, giving your side of how things are going. We can then share this with journalists and give the national press an insight into what is going on, because as far as I can see it is a real pig’s ear and is going to create much misery and inevitably a spike in homelessness when landlords can eventually regain possession of their property.


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Comments

Dr Rosalind Beck

11:36 AM, 4th April 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by at 04/04/2020 - 11:01
Hi Mel. Perhaps you could pass this on to the NRLA as they may be able to do something with it?

Hi Lyndon. Yes, the ban on all evictions is disastrous and unfair for landlords and decent tenants and neighbours who will have to live with abusive tenants at close quarters and only be rid of them if there is proof of a law being broken which could maybe see them getting an injunction to prevent the person going to the house. The landlord may then only lose the rent of that one person over the coming months and not that of the others who might up sticks rather than put up with intolerable living conditions. Covid-19 makes this even worse as a rogue tenant is unlikely to care too much about infecting others if they have it.

12:25 PM, 4th April 2020, About 4 years ago

The only thing that seems to be coming out of the now, newly formed NRLA is about their merger and how you can join. No bulletins on how this crisis is affecting Landlords and what they're going to do about it to help their existing & new members? 🙁

terry sullivan

13:16 PM, 4th April 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Lyndon Whitehouse at 04/04/2020 - 11:24
GET PLOD INVOLVED

terry sullivan

13:17 PM, 4th April 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Gromit at 01/04/2020 - 14:54
boris and his cronies are libdims

terry sullivan

13:22 PM, 4th April 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Dylan Morris at 02/04/2020 - 11:51
in fact bank of england have ordered banks not to pay final dividend for 2019! these dividends have already been voted on by shareholders--banks should say no!

terry sullivan

13:24 PM, 4th April 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Possession Friend at 02/04/2020 - 12:02
their own--best to cancel membership--i have

SteveH

15:03 PM, 4th April 2020, About 4 years ago

Landlords have been hung out to dry, I have tenants who are going to milk this situation knowing I cannot do anything about it.
The government expect to landlords to pick up part of the ever growing cost of this lockdown and deny us our lawful rights to evict for not paying rent , I pay taxes on our income , it is our sole source of income, I asked what assistance we could get as we have reduced income, I was told that rental properties are classed as capital and as such we do not qualify, in the current situation, I cannot ask tenants to leave, I cannot put it up for sale and have viewings I am totally screwed by this government .

Chris @ Possession Friend

16:06 PM, 4th April 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Paul Shears at 04/04/2020 - 10:44
Paul,
Why don't you suggest he joins this forum and posts his story ?

Chris @ Possession Friend

16:10 PM, 4th April 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Kincavel at 04/04/2020 - 12:25
Their new CEO has agreed with Govt action, and... " Thanked them " !!!

I quote, " Landlord groups welcomes government support. We recognise the exceptional circumstances and we will work collaboratively with government to ensure these measures protect both landlords and tenants. "

Norwood Man

16:32 PM, 4th April 2020, About 4 years ago

Final nail in the coffin for me. It is clear this government will be here for a while with its big majority (although Starmer might help Labour do a better job of challenging Buffoon Johnson) and it will continue to throw landlords to the wolves.

It is still baffling to me why landlords are demonised and the government reinforces this image. The vast majority provide a great and valuable service. But it is clear this relentless onslaught will intensify, not even level out.

As a result I plan to convert my HMOs to flats and sell them, whatever the tax implications. Being a landlord is too unpredictable - you don't know WHEN the next hammer blow will come, but you know it WILL.

Government has no coherent planning policy (see how Housing Ministers enter and leave through revolving doors). Sure, rents are expensive but because supply is low. And supply will now get lower. So those landlords left will have the advantage of rising rents (although the trend has been no more than inflation recently) but relentless increase admin burden, compliance costs and increasing risks of tenants exercising their increased rights to avoid paying the rent they are legally tied to.

Bringing professionalism to the sector and a "fairer" tax system doesn't need to become bullying. If only we could organise ourselves to resist the press and government but the (now) NRLA wont make the sexy headlines the over-funded scumbags at Shelter do, so there is no end in sight to this crisis.

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