MSE News: Rising number in rent arrears

tbs624

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

The headline of the article is false and misleading ..........
.

As is usual with these stats based headlines, the article fails to give the necessary details of the data used for that headline to actually be very meaningful

AFAIAA Templetons use info from LSL Property Services, which owns the UK's largest network of residential letting agencies (Reeds Rains, your Move et al)

The report does not give any indication of how exactly the stats were compiled . As a start, presumably those tenancies for which the "services" of their Letting Agency network were not used have been excluded from the survey. Did data from all the member LAs form part of the survey or was it just a "representative proportion", or those who could be bothered to return a tick box survey?

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

brit1234 wrote: »

There is a breaking point and I am sure we have gone past it.

Well given that the number of people in arrears is falling, it's evident that you're wrong.

jimpix12

Looking into my crystal ball, it appears to be hinting that Hamish might be a seller or landlord.

elainehollis

Housing benefit is now paid direct to the tenant and the council will only pay it direct to the landlord when the tenant is 8 weeks in arrears. That's the reason rent arrears are increasing. A smackhead isn't going to pay his rent if he can get a fix instead,

furndire

I cannot believe how quickly this thread has gone quiet.

AdmiralX

The article is quite good and tells a lot:
"While the number of those in severe arrears is rising, the overall number of tenants in any kind of arrears is falling, however." In certain circumstances these are so, depending on the area and level of rent. Families paying high rent living in expensive PC and loosing well paid jobs are likely to go in very rapid arrears, I know some families who move back, to the house of the mom.... temporarily of course, nothing bad about this move bec it resolves crises.

Article: "The soaring cost of renting has created a two-speed market"
In some postcodes this is so, especially when property is well managed and kept it commands high rent and rising; but not landlords invest to keep their place good and loose rent. In some flats, not all, the service charges are high and leave less funding for the buy to rent flat. There are properties side by side and one has dilapidated flats whereas the next has flats in good order and better rents.

Article: "But a growing minority of renters are falling deeper and deeper into payment difficulties, and the number of severe arrears cases is rising." Saddly this is so especially for young families, when there are debts and loss of jobs in the family.

There is patchy pattern: I have seen rent in the same converted blocks, going up for one flat and down for another. Letting Agents blame state of repairs.

In some flats within the same block, tenants gets extra lodgers and cover rent so they do not go into arrears, they can live up to 7 persons and more than 2 families in small 2 bed.


The letting agents report as factors affecting rent: the noise levels in the building, soundproofing, the hedge next door, water damage etc...

stevemitch2

did someone mention saving.......?
.....oh dear, just fell off my chair laughing so much, saving money, oh yes I remember that thing in the past.

I have been renting for some time and paying a disgusting amount of rent for what it is and recently hit very bad hardship, so approached the council and they will pay for me in a one bed place only

to explain my position, my children live with their mother up north, over 6 hours away, so i have to see them in school holidays and pick them up to bring back and stay with me a week or two, then take them home again

Obviously while they stay, at their age too, they need their own rooms, hence the need for the 3 bed property which i have always made sure i had

Anyway, as housing do not take this access arrangement (set up through courts 10 years ago) into consideration and i have to move down to a one bed place, what would a father in my position do. There is loads of help for the parent with full care (mother) basically the person getting child support income, but for fathers, there is zip, nothing, and as i have to get into a one bed and council only pay towards that, well what about my access to my children?? They simply don't want to know, amazing really when the mother puts a limp on etc and gets all the disability out there, with new car and hubby working too, plus claiming for him to be her carer... Amazing

So, any other fathers out there whose ex and children moved too far away for single days access and having to claim housing which qualifies for themselves only? Oh and not to mention the traveling costs, 100% down to me, to the door and back in a day, fuel costs of £80-90 per round trip (x2 each visit) approx 7-8 times a year

I would like to if there are people out there in similar situations if there's any point in approaching any local politicians etc

Meanwhile I would love to increase the income to save for a deposit for buying a property, but wouldn't we all?

furndire

The people who are already getting their rents paid will be fine, so long as they don't move house & stay put - its the people who are in work at the moment, & lose their jobs who are the ones that are going to be in trouble as they will come under the new rules - unless ..... the £500 ceiling per week on benefits comes in then it should fetch rents down - as this is what they are trying to do.