Landlords 'earn £5.6bn a year from unsafe homes'

cepheus

Landlords are making profit from undermining safety! Good job their mates in government will support and protect them from prosecution. They must of breathed a great sigh of relief on May 8th.

The Citizens Advice study says 740,000 households in England live in privately rented homes which present a severe threat to tenants' health from problems like damp and rat infestations.

The report also says:

• 16% of privately rented homes are physically unsafe - compared with 6% in the social rented market
• 8% of privately rented homes have serious damp
• 10% pose a risk of a dangerous fall
• 6% are excessively cold
• Private renters living in homes with a category 1 hazard pay an average of £157 per week on rent

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32815226 …

alleycat`

Lets condemn all these homes, bulldoze them and put the occupants where?

Sorry i'm having a morning...

stator

I'm surprised how low that number is. It seems more like 25% to me.

Mallotum_X

16% of private rents are unsafe.. really? 16% that is huge, and somehow unbelievable.

6% of social housing also unsafe...

Suspect these figures are inflated by things that are not actually unsafe at all. These just seem way to high to be realistic.

lostinrates

I think its possible.

However, I also more than strongly suspect my (owned )house would be classed as unsafe, in parts due to features we are rectifying but in part due to features we chose to live with because we like.

SeduLOUs

As a tenant who has never had a gas safety check done in 5 years, I'm tempted to bite. But then I remember I'd probably never have done a gas safety check annually if I owned my own home either.

I'd be interested to see how the 'unsafe homes' figures for rentals compares to homes that are owner occupied. It probably wouldn't seem anywhere near as exciting a figure.

lostinrates

SeduLOUs wrote: »

As a tenant who has never had a gas safety check done in 5 years, I'm tempted to bite. But then I remember I'd probably never have done a gas safety check annually if I owned my own home either.

I'd be interested to see how the 'unsafe homes' figures for rentals compares to homes that are owner occupied. It probably wouldn't seem anywhere near as exciting a figure.

My guess is both figures are fudged anyway.

mayonnaise

stator wrote: »

I'm surprised how low that number is. It seems more like 25% to me.

Based on what?

cepheus

See also

The great housing benefit scandal

Nine billion pounds of taxpayers' money goes to private landlords every year in housing benefit. And the Institute for Public Policy Research estimates that at least £3bn of that money is spent on poor quality accommodation annually. That's a lot of public money. And some private landlords are getting rich at our expense while, in some areas, 70% of privately rented homes don't meet the government's decent homes standard.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32381471

michaels

SeduLOUs wrote: »

As a tenant who has never had a gas safety check done in 5 years, I'm tempted to bite. But then I remember I'd probably never have done a gas safety check annually if I owned my own home either.

I'd be interested to see how the 'unsafe homes' figures for rentals compares to homes that are owner occupied. It probably wouldn't seem anywhere near as exciting a figure.

When I was a landlord I was terrified of being sent to prison if I failed on H&S for example by not having the gas and electric checks up to date.

I am amazed that insurance companies do not try to make sure they are not covering such potential liabilities...I guess thouh por landloard smay also be incorrectly insured.

Problem is, it being a market, any increase in landlord costs (for exampel through licencing and inspections will to some extent push up prices to tenants.

Carl31

SeduLOUs wrote: »

As a tenant who has never had a gas safety check done in 5 years, I'm tempted to bite. But then I remember I'd probably never have done a gas safety check annually if I owned my own home either.

I'd be interested to see how the 'unsafe homes' figures for rentals compares to homes that are owner occupied. It probably wouldn't seem anywhere near as exciting a figure.

Difference of course is that you pay rent, safety checks should be part of your charge

If you own a home, you are buying something, not paying for a service