Homeless figures treble amongst private rental tenants

Graham_Devon

The system just isn't working for tenants.

Paul and Carla are part of a new generation of homeless people - they both work, but they say they cannot afford a home.

Their story is common. They had their own privately rented place in their home town of Milton Keynes, but when the six-month tenancy ended the landlord asked them to leave.

According to government figures, the end of a tenancy has been the most common cause of homelessness every quarter for the last two years. In the final quarter of 2009, 1,060 households in England became homeless after their private tenancies were ended, while the latest figure for the first quarter of 2014 is 3,330.

The system needs action, and fast.

Theres a bit about Fergus too, for those it will please!

Panorama are covering it tonight at 7.30pm.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27940701

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

Hardly surprising when there is such a shortage of housing.

There are not enough houses for everybody that needs or wants one.... So an increasing number will become homeless.

Better get building...

Graham_Devon

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

Better get building...

....social homes.

I agree. Decent quality social homes providing not only quality, affordable, secure homes for rent, but untold amounts of jobs.

Good to see us agreeing Hamish

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

We need more social homes, more private rented homes, more owner occupied homes.

Different forms of tenancy are right for different people and different stages in life.

The main thing is, we need a couple of million more houses, and then most of these problems will be solved.

GeorgeHowell

Graham_Devon wrote: »

The system just isn't working for tenants.

The system needs action, and fast.

Theres a bit about Fergus too, for those it will please!

Panorama are covering it tonight at 7.30pm.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27940701

It was concerns about this sort of thing that led to the controlled tenancy policy of the 1950s and 60s, that virtually killed off the private rental sector. If landlords can't get people out even with reasonable notice, or maintain rents at economic levels then the considerable majority won't be landlords any more. We can't have it all ways.

Bantex_2

GeorgeHowell wrote: »

It was concerns about this sort of thing that led to the controlled tenancy policy of the 1950s and 60s, that virtually killed off the private rental sector. If landlords can't get people out even with reasonable notice, or maintain rents at economic levels then the considerable majority won't be landlords any more. We can't have it all ways.

Surely just pegging rents to inflation and not being able to evict as long as the rent is up to date and the tenancy terms have not been broken, would be fairer overall.

Seems to be too much in the landlords favour at the moment.

Bantex_2

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

We need more social homes, more private rented homes, more owner occupied homes.

Different forms of tenancy are right for different people and different stages in life.

The main thing is, we need a couple of million more houses, and then most of these problems will be solved.

Is it 4 million that have migrated to this country over the last 10 years?

CLAPTON

Graham_Devon wrote: »

....social homes.

I agree. Decent quality social homes providing not only quality, affordable, secure homes for rent, but untold amounts of jobs.

Good to see us agreeing Hamish

Does building a social home l provide more jobs that building a private sector house?

mayonnaise

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

Better get building...

HTB got the builders building.
But I vaguely remember some on here being very anti-HTB.

Graham_Devon

CLAPTON wrote: »

Does building a social home l provide more jobs that building a private sector house?

You got your eye on the MSE pedant of the year award?

PasturesNew

There are too many barriers for "normal people" to [a] find somewhere move on the whim of a landlord.

If you're a normal person and are given a S21 you've now suddenly not only got to find somewhere new, but pay for it up front. In my area there are hardly any 1-bedroom or 2-bedroom places to rent. If you're single, especially, you're not only looking for a 1-bed, but also a cheap 1-bed.

Then you have to start stumping up .... holding fee/credit checks, £1500-2000 deposit, first month's rent up front, hire of a van/man. The new LL wants you in soonest - and there's a fear you'll lose it if you don't sign and have an overlap .... it can, therefore, be that you have to find £2-3k to move. For many that is more than a whole year's savings (if they never went out or bought anything).

For many it means, with the time constraints, time available constraints (due to a full-time job), cash constraints, you end up accepting a "doss on my sofa" offer and get trapped.

For those in zero hour contracts, without a guarantor, doing temping work, or who lose their jobs, that's the end of the line....