BBC meet the Landlords

Sampong

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0377w72/Meet_the_Landlords/

Anyone see this last night?

One guy had converted a Pub into 14 self contained, what he called "very nice" Studio Flats - which were actually just bedsits. From what I could make out, there was no communal kitchen (if there was they didn't show it) which I guess would make sense because it would be impractical for 14 tenants to use one kitchen.

The only thing the DSS tentant had to cook with was a microwave.

The price for this luxury accommodation? £110 per week.

Majority taxpayers money of course, all going into the pockets of somebody providing carp accommodation.

nomoreboomandbust

I saw most of the programme and felt very sorry for Anna, the lady whose tenants were in arrears to the tune of £5,500, she needed this money to pay the mortgage so was having major difficulties, not only that she had to struggle with trying to evict them which is a very lengthy process.

Once they are evicted, I can't imagine she'll see a penny of those arrears, plus they will have trashed the house too to some degree, leading to more expense.

It puts you off being a landlord

RevolvingDoor

I just finished watching it and I really felt sorry for the two women landlords. Why would the tenants leave holes in the ceiling like that, it made me so angry watching it.

nomoreboomandbust wrote: »

It puts you off being a landlord

Yes, definitely!:eek:

CLAPTON

Sampong wrote: »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0377w72/Meet_the_Landlords/

Anyone see this last night?

One guy had converted a Pub into 14 self contained, what he called "very nice" Studio Flats - which were actually just bedsits. From what I could make out, there was no communal kitchen (if there was they didn't show it) which I guess would make sense because it would be impractical for 14 tenants to use one kitchen.

The only thing the DSS tentant had to cook with was a microwave.

The price for this luxury accommodation? £110 per week.

Majority taxpayers money of course, all going into the pockets of somebody providing carp accommodation.

Is 110 per week high or low?

wotsthat

Sampong wrote: »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0377w72/Meet_the_Landlords/

Anyone see this last night?

One guy had converted a Pub into 14 self contained, what he called "very nice" Studio Flats - which were actually just bedsits. From what I could make out, there was no communal kitchen (if there was they didn't show it) which I guess would make sense because it would be impractical for 14 tenants to use one kitchen.

The only thing the DSS tentant had to cook with was a microwave.

The price for this luxury accommodation? £110 per week.

Majority taxpayers money of course, all going into the pockets of somebody providing carp accommodation.

The only person that seemed to know what he was doing was the chap running the HMO's. Probably only him and the local drug dealers managing to turn a profit from his tenants.

The rest didn't seem to have fully considered what running a business entails. They certainly hadn't accounted for the problems of dealing with tenants at the low end of the market.

It did seem that Anna had managed to secure a tenant that was determined never to pay rent. That tenant will never repay their debts and is probably now not paying rent in another house. Makes you wonder how she found this tenant - it's as if there was no selection process whatsoever.

mouseymousey99

I understood on top of the £110 for the bedsit, the landlord was also charging £15 a week 'service charge' which the individual was expected to pay from his benefits. Struck me that no one from the council had checked out the accomadation. It really was dire. The HMO landlord was a fright.

Sampong

CLAPTON wrote: »

Is 110 per week high or low?

Supply and demand innit.

As is often discussed the lack of affordable accommodation has created the situation of scarcity which allows some landlords to charge that kind of money for that kind of property.

But, in my view, for a room barely big enough to swing a cat, with no kitchen facility and plenty of damp - well I wouldn't pay £110 for it.

Sampong

mouseymousey99 wrote: »

Struck me that no one from the council had checked out the accomadation. It really was dire. The HMO landlord was a fright.

Quite a few comments on various landlord forums remarking that they can't understand how he gets away with it.......

red_devil

agree it was enough to put your off renting out your home?

Blackjack_Davy

CLAPTON wrote: »

Is 110 per week high or low?

Why do you care? Its not like he's paying for any of it, like most of the tenants he probably hasn't done a days work in his life. Its those of us who work for a living who are paying his rent.

Sampong wrote: »

Quite a few comments on various landlord forums remarking that they can't understand how he gets away with it.......

Gets away with what? His properties are clean, at least until the tenants move in.

I wouldn't pay that money either, but like you say, supply and demand.

chucknorris

Blackjack_Davy wrote: »

Gets away with what? His properties are clean, at least until the tenants move in.

I was left with the impression that he was milking the system by providing very poorly maintained accommodation. He said that he would like to rent to professionals, what is stopping him?

That is our main target market, young professionals that share. I reckon he rents to the bottom of the market because that is where he thinks that he will make more profit. I just couldn't do what he does and involve myself in all that filth, drama and trauma on a day to day basis.