NRLA urges government to lift LHA freeze

Reply to the comment left by Reluctant Landlord at 30/10/2025 – 12:13
Yes, but, this is the issue in the cases raised here.

The council will pay a mother and baby the 2 bed rate which they are entitled too. So when the grateful tenant is told by the council or finds a landlord offering them a studio flat, naturally they will take it, as it may be far better than an alternative.

However, the two bed rate should be for a 2 bedroomed property, but as there are none the council compromise and say, look we have found you a studio. But it’s only a temporary solution as when the child gets mobile it’s no longer suitable.

This tenant type are now stuck. They can’t often find a private landlord who will take them. Do you then have to evict?

Some would argue if they are living in a studio, why should the council pay the landlord the 2 bed rate? I know the rate is based on tenant circumstances, but if they are not given the right property for their needs only pay for what they actually get.

I can understand why some people would look at a landlord in this situation and call them greedy, even if legally they are only exploiting a failed system.

As JC said “If you struggle with the morality of that then clearly the model is not for you”.

Reply to the comment left by Lordship at 11:39

“Is that because your ok with leaving this set up of a mother and child in cramped place not suitable for their needs?“
Cramped is subjective and an emotive word. You interpret it one way but thousands would not agree with you if they were asked . Would an adult couple be seen as cramped in your eyes in a studio flat ?  Two humans say 25 stone between them in the same space. Probably not . So why would you see a 8 stone mum and a 1 pound baby be seen as living in a cramped space .  
I asked one of mine as I was interested in their response to your cramped description . And they said no the opposite . They  came from what they perceived to be cramped  torrid suffocating accommodation . Cramped is not the word they use . Freedom and liberation are the words they used . I think you have an unfortunate preconception as to what cramped means to some Ive shown tenants found some of my 4 beds . They said they liked the house but they feel it was a bit to  cramped for their needs as the 4th bed was only 6` x 7` ,  I get what they mean if they have 4 teenages .  Its subjective.  So yes I`m perfectly ok with his set up but not for the immoral way you are trying to portray it 
There are rules around overcrowding yes but this is not overcrowding as detailed in the Housing Act. In fact councils are more liberal  as per what classes as a bedroom  . I had a mum and 2 kids in a 2 bed . Different genders and one child was over 10 means they are entitled to a 3 bed rate. The council ( social services ) however would not rehouse them as they deem a sitting room / lounge as a liveable separate room and therefore classed it  as the same as what we may consider to be a 3rd bed 
Its fine if you dont get involved in it and you dont want to get a potential extra £300 pcm . But I hope you dont get involved for different reasons than you have demonstrated here. There is no extra hassle once you know what you are doing . It’s just like a tenant find for any vacant property you may have . Like anything new though it feels hassle and stress when you start maybe . I expect when you started to be a landlord it seemed to be a hassle. But once you have mastered that extra skill set in your life it’s not so much of a hassle  . 
I see what I do as just deciding to do some extra studying to acquire some  new knowledge and skills  in a more specialised niche market . Many professionals do this in their own field . A carpenter may learn to become a brickie as well so to earn more from a self build he is constructing.   Some run of the mill landlords branch out to do SA ,  HMO`s , etc  to get extra revenue from their assets.  I do HB partially for the same reason.   And when you have learnt and understand a model it can become a breeze. In fact when they come to me with their own allocated support worker it`s in fact less hassle for me. For me it’s like having an unpaid assistant

Reply to the comment left by Lordship at 30/10/2025 – 14:01

“Some would argue if they are living in a studio, why should the council pay the landlord the 2 bed rate“

Some would argue that yes. But a counter argument would be that a mum and a baby costs the taxpayer maybe twice as much living in temporary accommodation in a homeless hostel / B&B than it costs them to house them with me in a studio .

The PRS saves taxpayers millions

Reply to the comment left by Jonathan Clarke at 19:58

In my eyes, 2 adults in a studio flat regardless of their weight in my eyes is cramped! I would wager the majority of the population would agree with me on that, but perhaps some would agree with you and say not cramped. Maybe we should run a poll!
The development of studio flats in the UK evolved out of the need for affordable accommodation and a lifestyle choice for single people, not initially aimed at couples/sharers. Developers also saw it as a way to increase profits on developments. It may now be more common place that 2 people reside in a studio, but in the majority of cases now days, it is as a result of need rather than choice.
Your example of a council not rehousing a family because they had a lounge they could use as a bedroom, we all know is because there is a massive undersupply of accommodation available to councils and is not because deep down they think it’s ideal. Knowing the housing officers who work in my previous areas council, I can tell you that to be the case.
JC – “Its fine if you dont get involved in it and you dont want to get a potential extra £300 pcm . But I hope you dont get involved for different reasons than you have demonstrated here.” (Oh, Ok!)
Don’t worry, as I say it’s not an area for me, as it’s not just about making maximum profit in my eyes.
We all need to be happy with whatever model we follow and clearly you and I differ on that.
For sure there are many tenants out there who are grateful that you will help them in their hour of need and the supply will surely only keep on increasing over the years sadly. You should continue to have a lucrative business where as many of those who don’t do LHA tenants could struggle going forward….. Then again, maybe this thread may have opened up their eyes to the LHA opportunity here and they can seek your advice and you can help those unfortunates out also.
Another revenue stream!

Reply to the comment left by Lordship at 16:38

I guess yes we will have to agree to disagree .
I`m struggling to see why you, – who are not directly affected by this setup seem so unhappy –  when all the following who are directly affected by this situation are happy. They include  
1. The Mum and her Newborn
2. The new Landlord ( me )
3. The professional support worker
4. Adult Social Services
 5. Children Social Services  
 6. The Police`s Domestic Violence Unit 
7 . The Ex boyfriend and his Landlord 
8. The parents of the single mum and their grandchild 
9. The Taxpayer
10. Various other extended family members / organisations and neighbours etc  

I guess you feel any Landlord running a 5 bed HMO should not be allowed to rent any of their  rooms to an adult working couple on a low wage. Presumably you view just a solitary room in a house as even more cramped than a self contained studio flat as they have to share kitchen and bathroom facilities 

Your poll should contain all people this would affect if it is to be truly representative of public opinion

As you say, I may not agree with the way the LHA system works and has developed due to a shortage of properties etc., but as it does not effect me directly I don’t lose any sleep over it.
But, I think we have gone off topic and so to clarify my original comment following your knowledgeable input, I will say…
Unless you specialise in low grade council estates, are OK letting to often vulnerable people and where there is an opportunity to make better yields as a result of the benefits structure when it comes to certain family set ups and studio flats (or have an issue on moral grounds) – then in my opinion as a result of the RRB you would be taking a bigger risk not looking for tenants in well paid jobs, with savings/assets, good credit, etc.
Obviously anyone regardless of their circumstances can mess you about, but having the ability to get rent insurance, make a money claim online, a guarantor or the tenant knowing their credit file would be damaged does lower the risk.
Luckily there currently does seem to be plenty of people looking to rent that fit this criteria.
Obviously it helps if your rental properties are in decent areas and of a good standard. But I know lots of landlords who’s properties’ are not, so maybe they can’t be so choosey?
Where as in the past I may have entertained taking on those in receipt of housing allowance due to their low wage and circumstances, with the RRB, the risk now is to great IMO.
Perhaps others will be less risk averse?

Reply to the comment left by Lordship at 02/11/2025 – 17:59
Yes fair enough you wont entertain it and even less so now . Its about ones own individual perception of risk at the end of the day and down to the interview technique and the due diligence one does beforehand . RRB is not a defining moment for me with regards to suddenly now changing my approach. Its the person I look at, not the source of the rent. If they secure a job or get made redundant 24hrs after i take them on their personality and the way they handle their finances and their tenancy doesn’t suddenly change overnight . But for you it sounds you would give notice to someone who lost their well paid job as you see them now as a greater risk . For me its more about their personal value system they were brought up in . That tends to stay with them, job or no job . You though feel its more risky to take someone on benefits because of your pre conceptions. I wont change that approach on here and I don`t strive to do so .

Reply to the comment left by Jonathan Clarke at 02/11/2025 – 21:23
From what I have said or haven’t said you have concluded that if an exciting tenant of mine lost their job or had to claim benefits, etc., I would evict them. Well not so and I can’t see what I have said would give that impression?

I have had tenants in that situation and we have always managed to sort it out where the tenant pays what they can and eventually pays back any arrears down the line. I have tenants who still owe me rent arrears as a result of Covid and being furloughed. They are paying me back what they can a month extra until the rent arrears is cleared. Maybe another year and they will be square. They have been great tenants, so of course I will help them out.

I have a couple who have rented from me for 23 years, another 18 years and several tenants more than 10 years now. I have had tenants on LHA, single mothers, pensioners, a broad type. So, I think all my tenants past and present, would say I have been a decent and fair landlord. Your giving the impression I’m ruthless uncaring landlord.

I may not agree with the way landlords like yourself take advantage of the way LHA is paid out to the vulnerable, but I accept those you take on as a result are glad that you do.

What I said was, going forward, taking on tenants now who have nothing to lose as a result of poor credit, no savings/assets, no well paid job that could be affected, your risk has increased big time due to the RRB. So, in my view, if you rent properties in decent areas of a good standard, I would avoid the LHA route. Obviously if an existing tenants circumstances change then you need to take a view based on their history with you, new circumstances, etc.

Hopefully you are up to date on the RRB and therefore will understand why and I don’t need to explain?

Obviously in your market, you don’t have that luxury of choice. But as you know it well and are achieving perhaps better rental yields than some, you are happy to continue.

Maybe if you owned a portfolio of houses (not studio flats) in decent areas where private rent are considerably higher then LHA rates then you might take a different view. Obviously the initial investment needed to buy such a portfolio may also have an influence also I guess.

Reply to the comment left by Lordship at 03/11/2025 – 09:42
Good I`m glad you sort out a payment plan if they lose their job . I do exactly the same. You gave the impression though that you make  a  judgemental decision    before you take on a tenant now on HB because of RRB. I`ve read up on it yes….. but the reasons you give such as low credit , no savings , no job etc were there before RRB anyway with HB   so nothing has really changed in my eyes. What has changed since RRB which you perceive now as an extra risk factor which wasn’t there before RRB? I do own a varied portfolio not just studio flats . I own up to 4 bed detached and everything in between. I used to be 75% LHA v 25% private . That became more like 25% LHA and 75% private by natural wastage as opposed to eviction when they froze the LHA rates . So that occurred simply because the maths no longer worked and was not related  to the tenant dynamic . When they were un frozen in 2024 I gradually took on a few more LHA / UC as the maths worked again. I have HB tenants in 4 beds . I`ve had an LHA tenant in a lovely 3 bed detached of mine with country views . The low grade studios are just an example I gave where the 2 bed rate works well and I also  help someone out. I do have the luxury of choice of who I take on. Every vacant property attracts approx 25 applicants within 48hrs  . You feel HB is even more risky now because of RRB and I`m struggling to understand why? I don’t think you are a ruthless uncaring landlord but by your own admission you are prejudiced against HB tenants  because of RRB  and you see them as all round a more risky applicant now . The law does not allow you btw to be prejudiced though solely on the fact they are HB.  All my LHA are not necessarily vulnerable . But I gave a good example of one who is . You see that as taking advantage of someone and a system – implying it was rather distasteful morally . I gave you a list of 10 people including  statutory authorities who see it very differently to you. You say the HB tenants have `nothing to lose` because they in effect have no skin in the game – I say yes they do – they have their home to lose if they don’t ensure the rent gets to me . A home is an essential part of the majority of people`s whole being . I`ve never met a tenant yet who actively wants to lose their home  when they take it on – HB or private 

Reply to the comment left by Jonathan Clarke at 04/11/2025 – 14:48
As P118 seemed to have edited some of my last post, I’l keep it brief.

With S21 now going as a result of the RRB, it will now likely take considerably longer to evict a tenant if you have to, due to delays in the court system. Do you agree?
Where a S21 could not be contested, if served correctly, the now to be used S8 can be and as a result, could lead to abuse by tenants. If a tenant is not paying rent, that could result in a large amount of arrears built up and with an LHA tenant, no way of ever getting that money back.

The difference is the time it will take to get the property back. With a tenant with no savings/assets and without being able to get rent guarantee insurance etc., the arrears built up could be substantial while you wait for possession. Also and you may disagree due to your experience with councils, but councils will do all that they can to help a tenant stay put as they know they will have to house them if you evict them. They can make it very awkward for landlords. I’ve seen it with other landlords.

My last let I had 16 enquiries within 5 days (less than last time I had a vacant house) and 5 were LHA recipients, but I had 4 who earned good salaries, had savings and 2 who were saving for their own home in the area. 4 of the 5 LHA renters would not qualify for RGI, (as one did have a guarantor), so I could not entertain them. It would also have meant my insurance would have cost more. So, in my view, they were not the most suitable for me.

Also we have rent increase tribunals which in my view will be exercised more likely by those paying the rent for LHA tenants (councils) where as well paid tenants would be less likely to challenge. Not that I put my rent up excessively every year, but if it’s higher than RPI then councils won’t have that.

Ultimately though private rents are far higher than LHA rates on my properties now, so it does not make a lot of sense to rent to those who may struggle to pay. I feel I’m putting the odds in my favour by looking at affordability.