How many Land Lords are really legit ?

Pixie5740

I read a report from Shelter Scotland the other day saying that they estimate around 25% of Scottish landlords are not registered.

theartfullodger

And pretty much 90%+ in England unregistered...

How many landlords legit?? Similar to how many used-car dealers & estate agents are legit, I suspect.

Any hard data?? Doubt it.

IMHO as a landlord the authorities (councils, police, central government etc etc..) should crack down hard of the dodgy ones - to make live better for the decent tenants, decent agents and decent landlords... Shame it doesn't happen more than the little it does...

kmmr

theartfullodger wrote: »

And pretty much 90%+ in England unregistered...

How many landlords legit?? Similar to how many used-car dealers & estate agents are legit, I suspect.

Any hard data?? Doubt it.

IMHO as a landlord the authorities (councils, police, central government etc etc..) should crack down hard of the dodgy ones - to make live better for the decent tenants, decent agents and decent landlords... Shame it doesn't happen more than the little it does...

To be fair, in most cases there is no way for a landlord to register in England.

In general I think/hope most LL's are legit. I have my one little rental flat and do what I can do be a good LL. Registered deposit, gassafe certificate, new boiler when needed and quick response to any maintenance requests. Considering the many many thousands of LL's there will be some rouges, but that's the same in any industry.

Pixie5740

You're quite right Artful. How difficult can it be to look at databases such as electoral register, land registry, council tax billing, etc to see if the names match and if not is there a LL registered for that address?

Mr_F_Dorsetty

I was a landlord at one point, errrrm, late 90's it was and what a total pain in the posterior.

In my experience there are two types of renters, private individuals whom mostly try not to pay and those on benefits, so you get paid but they will probably get caught doing something sooner or later and then you are liable for their rent.

Because the trick was that those clever council bods paid you the housing benefit direct. but then when Mr Smith or whomever got caught doing whatever and they stopped and back dated the claim... it was you as the landlord who got the bill. This happened to me only once but for £2200... I was NOT a happy camper.

From then on I insisted they pay the tenant and the tenant paid me - they didn't like it but tough, How amusing now that upon the arrival of "Universal credit" everyone receiving housing benefit will be personally paid and they have to pay the rent.

In trials of UC so far in 4 councils the rent arrears have gone from an average £50k per council to £350K per council in 6 months! So not only are the council not getting paid the rent they are having to double staff to try and collect the arrears... IDS... what a lunatic :rotfl:

There is an assumption that because you rent houses/flats you're rich and that is just not correct. Sure some landlords are rich obviously, but most in the UK are spammed up beyond their wildest dream on 'buy to let' mortgages and not making squat out of it. Of course if they can last the 25 or 30 years they'll have a spare property, but after 25 or 30 years of that aggravation, they deserve it imo.

Presently I live in a 'for life' rented property in a very nice national park, we really cannot be bothered to buy and will no doubt be abroad again soon enough, so no point.

I certainly remember renting some fairly horrendous places when I was much younger. Though at one point I had a very nice 2 bed flat over looking a very pretty park, which was well expensive, to the point I said to the landlord "Sorry mate, but I'll have to get the council in for a fair rent appraisal..."

That 'punt' me with a suitably reasonable drop in rent, so I stayed for another 6 months, it would have seemed rude not to :cool:

tumbledowngirl

Mr_F_Dorsetty wrote: »

I was a landlord at one point, errrrm, late 90's it was and what a total pain in the posterior.

In my experience there are two types of renters, private individuals whom mostly try not to pay and those on benefits, so you get paid but they will probably get caught doing something sooner or later and then you are liable for their rent.

Because the trick was that those clever council bods paid you the housing benefit direct. but then when Mr Smith or whomever got caught doing whatever and they stopped and back dated the claim... it was you as the landlord who got the bill. This happened to me only once but for £2200... I was NOT a happy camper.

From then on I insisted they pay the tenant and the tenant paid me - they didn't like it but tough, How amusing now that upon the arrival of "Universal credit" everyone receiving housing benefit will be personally paid and they have to pay the rent.

In trials of UC so far in 4 councils the rent arrears have gone from an average £50k per council to £350K per council in 6 months! So not only are the council not getting paid the rent they are having to double staff to try and collect the arrears... IDS... what a lunatic :rotfl:

There is an assumption that because you rent houses/flats you're rich and that is just not correct. Sure some landlords are rich obviously, but most in the UK are spammed up beyond their wildest dream on 'buy to let' mortgages and not making squat out of it. Of course if they can last the 25 or 30 years they'll have a spare property, but after 25 or 30 years of that aggravation, they deserve it imo.

Presently I live in a 'for life' rented property in a very nice national park, we really cannot be bothered to buy and will no doubt be abroad again soon enough, so no point.

I certainly remember renting some fairly horrendous places when I was much younger. Though at one point I had a very nice 2 bed flat over looking a very pretty park, which was well expensive, to the point I said to the landlord "Sorry mate, but I'll have to get the council in for a fair rent appraisal..."

That 'punt' me with a suitably reasonable drop in rent, so I stayed for another 6 months, it would have seemed rude not to :cool:

I'm in agreement with you, regarding the misconception some tenants appear to have that all landlords are stinking rich and sitting on their !!!!!! all day, booking their next exotic holiday.

My husband and I bought our BTL after my father in law died and we inherited a small amount of money.
Our hope is to sell the house after 10 years to help pay towards our children's university fees - or to get them on the property ladder.

We are on an interest only mortgage and, after management fees alone, we take just over £100 per month...before insurance, gas certificate, boiler service, void periods, re let fees, any repairs etc.
In the time we've had the property, we've foregone repairs to our own property in order to pay for those BTL.
Right now, we're not receiving any rent, after our tenant decided to leave midway through the fixed term without permission.

As you say, anyone who can stick the hassle for 20 years, deserves to have another house at the end of it!

Pixie5740

I had a similar discussion with a friend recently as the OP had with their colleague. My friend started the discussion so I gave my tuppence worth.

My friend owns a flat which he lived in with two lodgers. All cash in hand so he can evade paying tax because the combined rent is more than the rent a room scheme allowance. My friend now lives abroad so the flat is no longer his main residence but still classifies the two people that live there as lodgers. Still all cash in hand which his mum collects monthly.

His investment/pension plan is to buy another 3 bedroom property with a residential mortgage to rent out to students. No LL registration, no HMO license, no protected deposits, all cash in hand. He hasn't considered rental yield and isn't interested in it as he is going for capital gain. His plan is to offer lower rent so that the tenants, and their parents who will probably pay the rent won't care that it's all hooky.

I said that he was being a complete tit and pointed out the pitfalls such as that what he is proposing is illegal, his insurance won't be valid, and woe betide him if there is a fire or CO leak in the property.

Pixie5740

tumbledowngirl wrote: »

I'm in agreement with you, regarding the misconception some tenants appear to have that all landlords are stinking rich and sitting on their !!!!!! all day, booking their next exotic holiday.

My husband and I bought our BTL after my father in law died and we inherited a small amount of money.
Our hope is to sell the house after 10 years to help pay towards our children's university fees - or to get them on the property ladder.

We are on an interest only mortgage and, after management fees alone, we take just over £100 per month...before insurance, gas certificate, boiler service, void periods, re let fees, any repairs etc.
In the time we've had the property, we've foregone repairs to our own property in order to pay for those BTL.
Right now, we're not receiving any rent, after our tenant decided to leave midway through the fixed term without permission.

As you say, anyone who can stick the hassle for 20 years, deserves to have another house at the end of it!

There are other ways to invest your money, you don't have to become a LL.

tumbledowngirl

Pixie5740 wrote: »

There are other ways to invest your money, you don't have to become a LL.

Absolutely!
Naively, I thought I'd enjoy doing something "hands on" with the money...have now learnt a hard lesson. Thankfully, we invested the rest in less stressful ways.

Mr_F_Dorsetty

tumbledowngirl wrote: »

I'm in agreement with you, regarding the misconception some tenants appear to have that all landlords are stinking rich and sitting on their !!!!'s all day, booking their next exotic holiday........ As you say, anyone who can stick the hassle for 20 years, deserves to have another house at the end of it!

I gave up with it all when on my wedding anniversary, all dressed up on an October evening and just about to go to dinner at a very nice restaurant, the phone rings.

It is one of my tenants whom frankly I couldn't stand at the best of times. I pick up the phone and say 'Hello' and he says "Toilet's blocked" and put the phone down..

So we got out of our glad rags and armed with my rods off we go. Now this is about the 5th time he has blocked the drains in as many months and we have already changed the actual sewer pipe run, to stop any likelihood of blockage.

We arrive, I lift the man hole cover to be greeted by a solid block of excrement up to the lid... he is stood at the back door and says "I can't stand that smell!" and closes the door. :eek:

After removing a selection of kids toy soldiers, what must have been about half a kitchen roll and some cardboard the drain was clear again.

The next morning I informed him that his lease would not be renewed... so he disappeared instead owing me a months rent... ho hum.

So, as the leases run out we just sold the houses off. Good luck with it, hope you have better luck with it all than I did.