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Cameron will NOT consider rent controls.
Comments
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GeorgeHowell wrote: »Be interesting to know why in the UK most people think that renting is throwing money away compared with buying. Whereas on the continent apparently most don't think that. Is it because controls keep rents down in those countries ? The perception here is that controls would just squeeze down the availability of rented domestic accommodation. Perhaps on the continent renting out is generally less hassle for landlords so more are willing to do it for less ? Landlords here will tell stories of the hassles with some tenants : failure to pay rent or late payment, not looking after property well or keeping it clean, pestering them at inconvenient times about fixing minor and non-urgent issues, taking in lodgers or sub-letting without agreement, and sometimes disappearing leaving more owed in rent than the deposit covers. Obviously not all tenants are trouble, but maybe because renting is more established on the continent being a good tenant is more of a social norm ?
I think you hit the major reasons:
> Terms on the continent are better for renters.
> In the UK wealthier, more stable, individuals are buying leaving a comparatively risky rental population.
> In the UK property price increases over the last 30 years have built a "property prints money" mindset.Having a signature removed for mentioning the removal of a previous signature. Blackwhite bellyfeel double plus good...0 -
No - he has the right to sublet it at any price he chooses. So, that's not good for new renters as he could sublet it at 2x his own rent... but it doesn't trap him into it.It also traps you're friend in the flat , reduces labour mobility and ties the landlord into holding a property until your friend leaves so true market value can be achieved,0 -
We are different to most other countries. We have a massively generous housing benefits system.
Therefore, that skews the supply and demand theory quite a bit, as supply and demand on it's own suggets if the price goes up, the tenant moves elsewhere.
This is not the case though here. If the price goes up here, they simply apply for housing benefits. Therefore, supply and demand is irrelevant in many cases up and down the country where some people won't even know how much their rent is as it's not really their concern.0 -
In the US, if you are out of work you get benefits based on your previous year's earnings. One amount. If you can pay your rent out of that, you're lucky. When you can't pay your rent, you're out. After 99 weeks all benefits stop - it was 25 weeks until a couple of years ago ... then you're really out on your ear. Many people commit suicide at this point, I know as my friend was 1 day off this choice when he landed a new job.Graham_Devon wrote: »We are different to most other countries. We have a massively generous housing benefits system.
Therefore, that skews the supply and demand theory quite a bit, as supply and demand on it's own suggets if the price goes up, the tenant moves elsewhere.
This is not the case though here. If the price goes up here, they simply apply for housing benefits. Therefore, supply and demand is irrelevant in many cases up and down the country where some people won't even know how much their rent is as it's not really their concern."Unemployment benefits are based on reported covered quarterly earnings. The amount of earnings and the number of quarters worked are used to determine the length and value of the unemployment benefit. The average weekly payment is 36 percent of the individual's average weekly wage"
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unemployment_benefits#Eligibility_and_amount0 -
Graham_Devon wrote: »We are different to most other countries. We have a massively generous housing benefits system.
Therefore, that skews the supply and demand theory quite a bit, as supply and demand on it's own suggets if the price goes up, the tenant moves elsewhere.
This is not the case though here. If the price goes up here, they simply apply for housing benefits. Therefore, supply and demand is irrelevant in many cases up and down the country where some people won't even know how much their rent is as it's not really their concern.
The obvious solution would be to roll housing benefit up into unemployment benefit.0 -
The obvious solution would be to roll housing benefit up into unemployment benefit.
Isn't that what the 'universal benefit' is intended to do, among other things ?No-one would remember the Good Samaritan if he'd only had good intentions. He had money as well.
The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money.
Margaret Thatcher0 -
PasturesNew wrote: »In the US, if you are out of work you get benefits based on your previous year's earnings. One amount. If you can pay your rent out of that, you're lucky. When you can't pay your rent, you're out. After 99 weeks all benefits stop - it was 25 weeks until a couple of years ago ... then you're really out on your ear. Many people commit suicide at this point, I know as my friend was 1 day off this choice when he landed a new job.
That's one extreme, a dog-eat-dog attitude comparable with their policy on healthcare. It stems from their rejection of what they see as the failure of the social democratic model in Europe. However, like the UK their ethnic mix is changing and at the same time, whether related or not, so it their political landscape. In both cases the culture of entitlement, dependency, and statism is growing.
At the other end of the spectrum you have Salmond saying that in his independent Scotland the right to housing should be a legally enforceable, immutable human right. So what does he plan to do if over time half the population of Scotland decides that it's time to give up work and claim it's free house ?
Nobody reasonable wants to see anybody genuinely on hard times driven to suicide. But equally if we carry on like we are, with permissive and indiscriminate welfare, then eventually we will reach a point like ancient Easter Island, when some idiot cut down the last tree.No-one would remember the Good Samaritan if he'd only had good intentions. He had money as well.
The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money.
Margaret Thatcher0 -
The obvious solution would be to roll housing benefit up into unemployment benefit.
Not old enough to be involved in, but I recall reading about a voucher system.
Maybe that would be a better return, therefore the benefit provided is directed to the purpose it is meant for.:wall:
What we've got here is....... failure to communicate.
Some men you just can't reach.
:wall:0 -
Can anyone tell me what proportion of households in the private rented sector are on housing benefit? I was in 4 rented houses for a total of 13 years without claiming HB (or qualifying for it). I imagine it varies a lot by area, though, doesn't it?Do you know anyone who's bereaved? Point them to https://www.AtaLoss.org which does for bereavement support what MSE does for financial services, providing links to support organisations relevant to the circumstances of the loss & the local area. (Link permitted by forum team)
Tyre performance in the wet deteriorates rapidly below about 3mm tread - change yours when they get dangerous, not just when they are nearly illegal (1.6mm).
Oh, and wear your seatbelt. My kids are only alive because they were wearing theirs when somebody else was driving in wet weather with worn tyres.
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Can anyone tell me what proportion of households in the private rented sector are on housing benefit?
From memory it's about 24%.“The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie – deliberate, contrived, and dishonest – but the myth, persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic.
Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.”
-- President John F. Kennedy”0
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