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9:56 AM, 12th January 2024, About 4 months ago 19
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This week saw a cornucopia of stories that illustrate the current wrong thinking on the private rented sector – and that landlords are the fault for everything.
First up is Andy Burnham’s political nonsense, the ‘groundbreaking’ Good Landlord Charter.
Ostensibly it is for all rented homes in Greater Manchester but I’m willing to offer good money that ONLY private landlords will be hit by this.
However, I’m not entirely sure why the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has come out in support of this measure.
That’s because I am confused as to why we need a good landlord charter when ALL landlords must comply with around 168 laws.
It’s unbelievable.
Then we have Michael Gove announcing Awaab’s Law which will have timescales for social housing landlords to deal with serious issues like mould.
Again, Gove was talking about ‘rogue landlords’ which to everyone means landlords in the private sector.
You can watch news reports about this issue and there’s not much effort to differentiate between social landlords and PRS landlords. (I’m looking at you BBC News).
And that is deliberate – the media believes we are all bad.
The death of a little boy is a tragic event and should have been avoided by the SOCIAL landlord.
But rather than having councils and housing associations get their own house in order they focus on private landlords.
Whether it is selective licensing or a landlord’s charter – the really big problems stem from social landlords.
Property118 regularly runs stories from the Housing Ombudsman lambasting social landlords.
And, let’s be honest, some of the issues they have been found guilty of are not only horrendous but the vast majority of private landlords wouldn’t do.
So, here’s a giant sledgehammer to hit all landlords with in Greater Manchester but I’m confident that councils won’t be affected.
They don’t care about their legal obligations now, so what will change?
And who will be enforcing Awaab’s Law and the Landlords Charter?
That poor boy died in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, in social housing.
Councils will be the enforcers and they won’t want the spotlight falling on their properties.
This will punish good private landlords and force us out of the sector.
And then we have the Direct Line research showing the reasons why tenancy breaches occur.
Other than landlord news outlets, where did that story go?
Nowhere. Absolutely no one is interested in the antics of tenants.
I must stress that while most tenants are good, they still create issues.
The research highlights the extent of subletting, changing the locks – that’s a straight eviction in my book – and tampering with smoke alarms.
The research also reveals that 38% of tenancy agreement breaches were for failing to pay the rent, and slightly less for not keeping the property clean and damaging or making alterations to a property.
Again, while it is a tenant’s home, it is a landlord’s property.
Landlords already face lots of penalties and sanctions for offering poor housing, so why introduce more?
Are we just creating more jobs for the boys?
One factor that gets ignored is that a landlord has invested in their property and needs to maintain it, so it keeps its value.
Councils and housing associations don’t have to do that.
It is the laws that need enforcing not the introduction of new ones.
So, come on Andy Burnham, let’s see if you are brave enough to promote a Charter for Good Tenants that covers the payment of rent, anti-social behaviour and the cleaning of the property.
If a charter, the Renters (Reform) Bill and 168 laws are needed for landlords, why can’t this extend to tenants too?
I’d love to know what sort of things other landlords think we should include in a tenants’ charter.
Hopefully, tenant antics that the likes of Shelter and Generation Rent don’t want to publicise.
So, will we get a Charter for Tenants? It would be an effective way for the public to hear about what we have to put up with.
But I won’t be holding my breath.
Until next time,
The Landlord Crusader
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Crouchender
16:13 PM, 12th January 2024, About 4 months ago
I think we all know that the Manchester's LL charter will go from voluntary to mandatory as part of Labours 'bolt on' to RRB once in power.
Zen
16:15 PM, 12th January 2024, About 4 months ago
Reply to the comment left by David Rose at 12/01/2024 - 13:27
Yes, this is good but it absolutely needs a paragraphs on:
- not creating excessive condensation, ventilation, cleaning any mould before it gets chance to spread
- reporting maintenance issues/damage, when they occur, especially any leaks
- keeping the property in a clean tidy condition as it was when it was handed over
Reluctant Landlord
17:35 PM, 12th January 2024, About 4 months ago
I've been into the survey and taken a look at the questions. The whole thing is one mans personal folly. His own warped understanding of all landlords being , in his eyes, spawn of the devil.
This was the statement in the Survey..
"As the Good Landlord Charter is a scheme to improve renting, only the tenancy and housing management provision (i.e., functions performed by a landlord) are in scope of the charter"
So renting is only one way then. Can someone give this muppet a slap. Typical Marxist Labour through to the core....
Reluctant Landlord
17:37 PM, 12th January 2024, About 4 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Shinh at 12/01/2024 - 11:50
there is no problem to start with.
Burnham's mission to bury the PRS....
Cider Drinker
21:35 PM, 12th January 2024, About 4 months ago
Awaab’s case is dreadfully depressing for the U.K.
It wasn’t only the social landlord that failed the family.
We don’t a plentiful supply of house. This means that even the most dreadful properties can command rent.
As a parent, I would not have lived in that property. If I couldn’t control the mould by regular removal and cleaning, reducing condensation etc., then I’d have moved out.
We need more housing and fewer people.
Steve Hards
17:39 PM, 13th January 2024, About 4 months ago
"the media believes we are all bad." May I respectfully point out that it is not the abstract 'media' (which is neutral) but the newspaper, TV and radio jounalists and their editors that bias stories against landlords. They are real people with real biases.
Shinh
17:47 PM, 13th January 2024, About 4 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Steve Hards at 13/01/2024 - 17:39
They too are landlords in many cases
Its click bait to gain numbers
Never a mention of the LLs who reduced rent during lock down...
Running operational losses in the current climate
It's 20m views vs 2m !!
Cider Drinker
12:56 PM, 14th January 2024, About 4 months ago
If landlords sought CCJs against the bad tenants then it would serve as a tenant’s charter. Future landlords would see the CCJ and choose not to let to these people. Over time, tenants would realise that it’s in their own best interests to toe the line, so to speak.
Maybe the scrapping of S21 will encourage landlords to go down the CCJ route. If you have to use S8 then you may as well seek to recover your losses.
Shinh
12:57 PM, 14th January 2024, About 4 months ago
This plus attachment to earnings, possession orders,