Another push for rental regulation..

madeupname1

chucknorris wrote: »

I don't tend to use agencies because they just seem to p*ss off my tenants all the time (when I have occasionally used them in the past).

Agreed - plus they are often expensive, often lie and do very little for the money. I find it much easier to liaise with tenants directly.

olly300

Callie22 wrote: »

There's just a bit of a lack of common sense - I've moved out of a house because the LL wanted to put the rent up £50 a month. The house wasn't worth it, so I didn't want to pay it. The house was then empty for two months and rented out again at exactly the same price we were paying - what did the LL gain from that?

Unfortunately some landlords listen to letting agents and estate agents who deal in lettings who will obviously tell the landlord they can get a higher rent for their property.

Letting agents and estate agents who deal in lettings really need to be regulated. As while they are known for ripping off tenants they can also rip of unsuspecting landlords. Plus a lot of them advise landlords and this can be in breaking the law.

gailey_2

As a lifelong renter had few experinces.

1st rental flat in uni-complete dump but was cheap, good location and liked the landlord was shared flat and huge bigger than my current house.

2nd rental property- nice flat but landlorde lived up north never saw him and he sold the flat think gave us one months notice was very stressful.
Oddly found advert for shared house opposite same street so nice to move stuff over.
However some of housemates dident know were mad.
property was in bit of a state but landlords was nice he used to come round for coffee we oaid rent in cash bit dodgy looking back.

Myt 1st proper grown up property was 1st flat with mu then boyfreind.
we had graduated but had 1st jobs not well paid.
went through agency and had to get parents to act as guarantor , got credit check and think we paid £600 deposit and £1200 pound rent as was month in advance and £100 agents fees.
We stayed for teh 1year tennacy then relocated.

moved to expensive city and only dealt with agent never landlord directly was lovley but quite small flat but lovley decor but was 2003 and £600 a month for 1bed flat.

split from boyfreind all I could afford was a bedist apartment in commuter town was £350 a month was ex council house split 8into 2flats but was dire.the boiler was faulty. The landord loved abroad and agenst dealt with it but anything that was wrong with the property he refused to get fixed as he wa supertight agents got so fed up with him and embareessed they dumped him and had to deal with new agensts think I was there 2years maybe .

Which brings me to current house.

3bed semi detached new build moved in 2005 dealt with through agents

was £900 deposit, £1200 rent and agents fees.

For 1st 2years landlord kept us on 6month contracts .
But at time we dident think we be here that lomg had niave dream ofr buying.

we started a family and then landlord allowed us 1year tennacys but every time its up for renewal we ask for 2years which he does not agree too as he ups rent every year.
he can give us 2months notice.

Generally its ok agents good fairly efficient.
did have slight run in with subcontracted iventory company who did 4inspections a year.
but property dated and carpet terrible so we spent lot of ouir money putting new flooring down and repainting just boring magnoilia but keep house in good state of repair.
never been late once with rent.

If its cheap and simple agents sort it,
if its more pricey lamdlord likes to come and look we see him once a year he loves other side of city and rents out 3properties but this originally was his home so we suspect his morgage probably paid off by now and he wouldent sell up in pooor market so feel reasonably secure.

downside is

The kitchen and bathroom desperatly need replacing they 30years old and falling apart but hubby says he will only replace when we move out.
this property was vacant for 6months before we moved in we think kitchen, bathroom and dated fixed lighting plus we done lot of work on garden put people off.
We would love a dog but landlord says no offered to pay extra deposit.
Think there was bad experience with previous tennants and cats.

we have to redo tennancy contract march fully suspect another rent rise.
agents will charge us £70 admin fees each time!

but option of moving hard as we have young family
eldest in school.
we would have to wait to get deposit back off this place

find another property pay agents fees, credit check, 2months rent and deposit plus moving costs.
have looked around just in case but some deposits now £1000-£1200 woth rent and fees on top so I would say 2half grand which we just cant afford right now and dont think we can until 2015 so 10years in same rental house.

I do have freinds who had to move around a lot, rent rises theres even no law against saying no kids allowed.

most ads says no pets, smokers or dss.

Plus people slip up in life things happen what if family loses their owned home, cant get social then fails credit check to get private what do they do?

Also know people paying less in mortgage but we now where near got the deposit or money to move so feel bit stuck.

I think in usa they have something called rental co-ops not quite sure how they work?

Was interesting thing on grand designs last year a few familes in conjuction with with housing association
self built their own community yet would pay rent but be stable might have been brighton way thourght what fab idea.

Private rental sucks as council tennats haqve controlled rents a, allowed pets and to decorate property where as private renters treated like 2nd class citiziens at times.

AdmiralX

drc wrote: »

The biggest problem I have with the current system is that if you are a tenant and you make a complaint ...

Exactly, I am not a tenant but I know tenants in this position and I feel sorry, I wish the bad LLs were regulatednamed and shamed like in USA. You must however speak to your MP about these problems, only so things may change.

Eton_Rifle wrote: »

It's difficult though when so many prospective tenants fail credit checks.

Well... how many Banks failed their credit rating recently and were downgraded? Do we always check our Banks before we deposit? and also sovereigns were downgraded.

Callie22 wrote: »

They want to have six-monthly rent rises regardless of the market - the attitude I've come across is 'there's always another tenant, if you don't like the rent/the lack of maintenance, then get out'.

If there were regulations in place for those landlords and fines for those breaching them, then, no problem. Problem landlords are also a problem to us the non renting lessees I do go to the surgeries of my MP on these problems though I do not rent or let myself.

AdmiralX

Laws are overdue, we do not let property, but bad landlords affect all of us and the taxes we pay, But not keep this discussion in the forums only, spread it to your MPs they are the Law makers.

IveSeenTheLight

Callie22 wrote: »

As a tenant I'd like longer tenancies - six months is nothing, and it can be quite stressful to live on a periodic tenancy, jumping everytime the letterbox rattles when it gets near rent day, wondering whether you've just been served notice. I'm a point in my life where I would like a little more security - I have a permanent job, a relationship etc etc, and I don't want to be moving every year. I'd like to be able to plan a holiday, for example, without wondering whether in six months I'm going to need the cash to move instead. Although, I do of course see the flip side of that, that there are people who want short term lets - students, young professionals etc.

I have one set of tenants that have been in my property for 5 years.
Initially they wanted the property for 6-12 months to allow them to find the property of their choice.

They are on periodic, however I have no intention of giving them notice so it's purely for their benefit that they can choose to move on if it suits them.

Maybe there needs to be consideration for a moving notice period i.e. the longer into a tenancy, the less notice the tenants need to give and the more a landlord needs to give.

I think the minimum notice a tenant chould give is 2 months to give the LL an opportunity to re-advertise / negotiate a new rental.

As a landlord, I'd not oppose 6 months notice.
My intentions are to keep them rented for as long as possible.

Callie22 wrote: »

However ... I wouldn't want a longer tenancy without greater regulation of the rental market. I don't want to end up tied into a two, three, four year tenancy with a landlord who won't do repairs, or a crap letting agent, and I don't want to have to spend the entire tenancy fighting for a decent level of service.

I can understand that.
It doesn;t factor in my thoughts as personally, I treat the property as if it was my home (no cheap repairs / fixtures put in) as I hope it encourages the tenants to take better care.

My attitude is, if I show I care, they are more likely to reciprocate.
If I didn;t show rapid responce / care, then that attitude could be passed on to the tenants who treat the property similarly

Callie22 wrote: »

The problem in this country is that the whole rental market is built around short-termism. I've rented for a good few years (my username isn't my age) and I would genuinely question whether *most* landlords really do want long term tenants. In my experience, most of the landlords I've ever rented from want to be able to sell up when they think the market is better, and don't want to invest anything other than the absolute bare minimum in their properties. They want to have six-monthly rent rises regardless of the market - the attitude I've come across is 'there's always another tenant, if you don't like the rent/the lack of maintenance, then get out'. There's just a bit of a lack of common sense - I've moved out of a house because the LL wanted to put the rent up £50 a month. The house wasn't worth it, so I didn't want to pay it. The house was then empty for two months and rented out again at exactly the same price we were paying - what did the LL gain from that?

Your right it doesn't make sense.
I've not put rent up for a sitting tenant (remember I have one tenant for over 5 years).
If they did move, then I'd re-rent in accordance with the market rates.

I'm sorry you've come accross landlords who want short terminism, personally, I'm extremely happy if I have a tenant on contract who regularly pays and it reduces the work I need to do to ensure the business works.

lostinrates

When you get longer tenancies and more security i think tenants have to assume more repsonsibility for care and maintanance.

As some one who has been a tenant but not a land lord, things like appliances seem a poor idea on longer term tanancies.....but letting a tenant fit there own wouldn't be an issue.In italy everything...right down to the fitted kitchens and bathrooms, is provided by the tenant and on leaving the place is Painted white throughout.

I absolutely think the system atm is not suited to long term renters, and i think thats terribly unuseful not for the tenant only, but for the economy.....tenants who felt both able to be stable and secure but not so secure they couldn't take work opportunities, would i guess also be able to be secure on their finances and spending. But with increased rights...decorating. Keeping pets, longer tenancies i think it has to be accepted there will have to be give back somewhere. If there was a standard requirment to white wash on departure landlords would probably be less fussy about redocoration....particularly professional landlords rather than people renti out there own home for a period of time.

AdmiralX

IveSeenTheLight wrote: »

My attitude is, if I show I care, they are more likely to reciprocate.

That makes sense. If you have tenants that you are happy with try and keep them.

lostinrates wrote: »

When you get longer tenancies and more security i think tenants have to assume more repsonsibility for care and maintanance.

The system gives opportunities for fast short term profit for certain landlords - not all landlords are bad. We have some unscroup landlady in this building who I consider as a rare bad example.

Tenants could be given longer tenancies contracts and opportunity to take responsibility for the upkeep like in some other countries in EU. It makes their property more of a home and a place for family.

Appliances should change every 5 to 7 years, to more efficient ones. I change mine and I live in private owned place. The new washing machines are quiet, have noise rating and do not start with bump.