Why do people think landlords are greedy

moneysavinmonkey

I actually have a letter from HM treasury stating that BTL does not affect house prices.

Got it in response to a letter I sent my MP complaining about the new CGT rules and in general complaining about lack of affordable housing in my area and numpty landlords.

Will see if I still have it (might have tore it up in a rage!) and post it on here.

Gingernutmeg

Conrad wrote: »

All you tenant idealists, one day you might let out your own property and be faced with the dilema of spending money on repair bills, or spending more on your family. Your priorities change once you become a landlord.

Being a landlord is a business, and if you've any common sense the business comes first. I've grown up with self-employed parents and grandparents, and the needs of the business have ALWAYS taken priority over the needs of the family (financially and timewise). It would be absolutely ridiculous to neglect the business (which is, presumably, what provides you with an income in order to support your family) in order to spend more on your family. Customers come first in any sensibly run business, and I don't see how being a landlord differs from that - keep your tenants happy and meet your legal obligations as a landlord and you have a decent business. Choose not to do that and you'll end up with unhappy tenants, which could cause you all kinds of problems. Wanting a decent service for the money you pay isn't idealism, it's how business works and it's no less than a paying customer can expect.

Cleaver

moneysavinmonkey wrote: »

I don't think it is right to hate an individual landlord without knowing their circumstances and I don't blame people for making the best of the system as it stands. The government obviously wants people to do BTL and I'm mostly not happy with them! However anyone who is a landlord and hasn't done the requisite reading up on statutory rights, safety laws etc and isn't prepared to maintain the property is a greedy f****** as they are expecting money for nothing at their tenants expense. Ignorance is not an excuse in my book.

I've made this point a few times on here now, so apologies for going over old ground.

Landlords / BTL is no different from any other business out there that is trying to make money. Some have a crappy business plan and will fail, most will get by on average money, some will get very rich. On the same ideology, some landlords will be awful, most landlords will be okay, some landlords will be ace.

You can apply this 10 / 80 / 10 rule to any business of service, whether it be pubs, plumbers, hotels, banks, shops or restaurants. You're completely correct in stating that lanlords with no certs etc. are scum, the same as a restaurant that doesn't follow health and safety and a plumber that doesn't have qualifications. If you chose a landlord who is rubbish (or worse, illegal) do something about it and report them or leave their property and tell everyone else how bad they were.

This isn't really a direct response to your post, just my repose to the general "aren't all landlords scum of the earth?" sentiment from some people on here. Still can't get any of them to illustrate to me why they are any different to any other businesses out there.

BridgetJones_2

I don't have a problem with BTL. But just the LLs who know nothing about letting out their home, they just happen to sign up for 100% mortgage because they saw it on the telly.

Prime example is the thread about the burn marks on a worktop. He had no idea what he was doing and was helping himself to his tenants deposit.

I'm happy to be renting (a FTB 'failure') at the moment, give it a couple of years and we'll have a lovely home of our own...not in negative equity

tbs624

moneysavinmonkey wrote: »

Where are all these wonderful MSEer landlord who treat their tenants with respect and maintain their properties well?? I've yet to find a single landlord who has behaved properly!!

there is a fair number of them who post regularly on here - helping tenants who are having a difficult time with their own LLs.

tbs624

moneysavinmonkey wrote: »

For future reference where would you find LLs advertising who belong to associations?

Google your local town/city and "LL association" yellow pages, try via the local Chamber of Commerce, the Private Sector Team at the local Council, the local Uni accoms office ( who help to draw up local codes of conduct for student properties by working alongside the LL associations).

Cannon_Fodder

Cleaver wrote: »

...illustrate to me why they are any different to any other businesses out there.

Not that all landlords are scum. But to answer the point "why are they different".


With a plumber you use them once, then never again when you realise how bad they are.
With a restaurant, you don't go back. With a shop, you don't go back. With a pub, you don't go back. etc etc

With a landlord its a long-term situation. You try, being British, to give them a chance to put things right. Days/Weeks pass, you ask again, days/weeks pass. Little niggles grow into major annoyances.

However temporary, its your "home" for now. You have to live with "IT", whatever is wrong. Its in your face every night you go home...


You will counter with "take your business elsewhere"...yes, you can move. If you can raise the next deposit, if you can cover moving expenses, if you can find a property that suits your needs for location/affordability etc. Yes, its doable, but its inconvenience and cost - and why should you incur all of that because somebody else is not adhering to their contractual obligations??

The wonderful LL who says they are on 24 hour call and will sit in for plumber etc, GREAT. More please. But that's the exception, imo.

yes, there sre sh1tty tenants too. LLs have it the otherway for the time it takes to serve notice. but that's THEIR choice. no-one made them become a LL. Some Renters have had no choice, at least in part because of LLs, who have taken available housing stock out of reach for buyers.

sooz

moneysavinmonkey wrote: »

mostly it's because I never naively thought to access the hidden mental state of the person I was renting from, was more interested in the property location, size, price, and when I was sharing, the other tenants!

When looking round a property, as well as asking about price, local amenites, council tax band etc, ask if the LL is a member of any LLs' associations. How many other properties do they own? How long did the last tenants stay? How do you report & they deal with repairs? Which deposit scheme do they use? etc

Whilst being a member of a LLs' association doesn't guarantee you that they aren't like your previous LLs, atleast it means that they have made an effort & paid to join an association to stay abreast of the ever changing legislation.

subjecttocontract

I've been letting property for more than 10 years and not once in all that time has a prospective tenant asked me for a reference or details of other satisfied tenants they could contact etc.

If a tenant ends up with a crap landlord they have to accept some of the blame if they don't ask the right questions/ make the right enquiries.

There are a lot of bad landlords out there......

paintpot

I've picked up on this (sure others have said the same) but this is a totally valid point. With anything, you should research before you commit whether it is sourcing a plumber (you get several round for quotes, ask for references, check their trade references etc), if you are buying a house you research the area, check out the neighbours etc as well as the legal checks. You don't just choose the first thing/person who comes along.

However tenants often do no checks which they can do before commiting. I see so many posts stating that the property is in terrible condition: the boiler is on it's last legs, there's no double glazing and the windows are rotten and falling out, the carpets are thread bare, the fridge freezer is old and rusty, the taps drip etc etc. You'd notice these things if you were viewing a house to buy without needing a surveyor to tell you so why don't some tenants notice these things when they view and choose to go elsewhere.

I appreciate that some landlords "conceal" problems or the tenant is forced to take what they can afford etc but sometimes the tenant has to take responsibility for their choice. We all have to take responsibility if we make a decision which I am sure we all have at some point.

If a tenant asked me for references, I'd gladly supply them because I know I could. If more tenants started asking then it could become the norm that tenants reference landlords and become expected.

I am all for ridding the BTL market of unscrupulous rogue landlords and like tbs said, there are many on here who help tenants deal with such landlords.

subjecttocontract wrote: »

I've been letting property for more than 10 years and not once in all that time has a prospective tenant asked me for a reference or details of other satisfied tenants they could contact etc.

If a tenant ends up with a crap landlord they have to accept some of the blame if they don't ask the right questions/ make the right enquiries.

There are a lot of bad landlords out there......