Are Renters 2nd Class Citizens?

Rich2808

GwylimT wrote: »

I'm forty and I own two mortgage free properties. I couldn't personally afford to rent a flat the same as my own in this building.

For us renting would be far more expensive, it would also be very difficult as we require a wetroom, wide doorways, no step into the home and a winch system.

I think the question might be if you were starting off now could you afford to buy those homes at their current price. That is perhaps the more relevant choice facing young people renting.

thequant

TheeMaskedTurnip wrote: »

Salient point and something I've noticed myself. Another issue is rentiers slamming doors/drawers/cupboards.

So true, the other is they never use the toilet brush after no.2, they think a full flush is good enough.


Simple fact, in 9 out of 10 rented houses you never see coasters or a bog brush. The other 1 out of 10, they think such implements are ornaments that are not meant to be used.

Generali

thequant wrote: »

So true, the other is they never use the toilet brush after no.2, they think a full flush is good enough.


Simple fact, in 9 out of 10 rented houses you never see coasters or a bog brush. The other 1 out of 10, they think such implements are ornaments that are not meant to be used.

I simply get the butler to follow in after tenants using the thunderbox (I won't let them use the indoor one as they tend to get lager on the gold taps).

HornetSaver

TheeMaskedTurnip wrote: »

Are Renters 2nd class citizens

Yes.

Most matters related to housing are opinions. Does the system work, is it fair, would a crash amount to rebalance or ruin? But regardless of your view on those questions, life is better for owner occupiers than tenants, independently from the benefits which owners should obviously expect.

Value for money wise - a 30 year repayment mortgage on the multiple of my salary I'd like to borrow in two years would cost less per month than my current rent, which as time goes on I could prove that I can pay AND save for a deposit on top - fat lot of good that will do until that magical borrowing multiple is met. Yes, rates will rise soon, but even if mortgage rates double in two years, a three to five year fixed rate is all I'd need to insulate myself from an untenable position. Mine is far from a unique situation.

Access to credit wise - who cares why your address has changed three times in three years (end of short term tenancy, unaffordable rent rise meaning having to move to cheaper area or smaller accommodation), the fact is it has, and that'll have lenders uneasy. There but for the grace of the landlord go I.

Settling into a community wise - two or three miles away from school, work etc isn't all that much kerfuffle in a big city with great transport links, or rural areas where you have to drive anyway, but is a huge deal in mid-sized towns and cities (or suburbs of London, particularly the southern ones) where pedestrians overtake cars and public transport makes central London look like Japan. Not applicable to me but certainly a common problem. Three year tenancies with a structure in place for what will trigger rent rises should be the norm. Unfortunately that policy seems to be off the agenda, for the cardinal sin of being adopted by a man who looks weird eating a bacon sandwich properly.

princeofpounds

I will say it again - the insecurity of tenure renters have in this country is terrible.


Now I don't advocate returning to archaic assured tenancies or similar nonsense. But I do think that your standard rental contract should last longer than a gym membership, phone contract, or (most importantly) school year.

I would immediately say that the use of a Section 21 notice should be prohibited not for the first six months, but the first 12. A simple thing that would make a big difference in people's lives.


I'm not sure that everyone truly understands what it can be like to rent on insecure ASTs, and to live in a property for just 12 weeks before having to worry if the S21 is going to land on the doormat in the next few days.


(PS I am not a renter, at least any more)

Carl31

thequant wrote: »

Simple fact, in 9 out of 10 rented houses you never see coasters or a bog brush. The other 1 out of 10, they think such implements are ornaments that are not meant to be used.

well, at least we have a bog brush



i find it good for getting fag stains off my teeth

Generali

princeofpounds wrote: »

I will say it again - the insecurity of tenure renters have in this country is terrible.


Now I don't advocate returning to archaic assured tenancies or similar nonsense. But I do think that your standard rental contract should last longer than a gym membership, phone contract, or (most importantly) school year.

I would immediately say that the use of a Section 21 notice should be prohibited not for the first six months, but the first 12. A simple thing that would make a big difference in people's lives.


I'm not sure that everyone truly understands what it can be like to rent on insecure ASTs, and to live in a property for just 12 weeks before having to worry if the S21 is going to land on the doormat in the next few days.


(PS I am not a renter, at least any more)

It should at least be possible to negotiate a longer term within the rules. In Aus LLs love it if you sign a longer contract as it's much harder for a tenant to break a contract than a LL. The advantage of the system for the tenant is you must be given 3 months notice to quit and you can then leave at any point during the three months.

princeofpounds

It should at least be possible to negotiate a longer term within the rules.

It is possible to negotiate a longer term. Indeed for a good segment of the market (mostly middle class families, professionals etc. renting from professional landlords) it's often quite straightforward, especially after the first term.


But as you drop into the bottom third of the housing market, or deal with 'accidental' landlords, often the practical (rather than theoretical) options for the tenants are often very limited whilst the business practices of the LL are whimsical or sometimes of dubious character.


By the way, I'm not saying that tenants are saints and landlords are bad. Just that 6 months security of tenure can be very damaging to the lives of people and communities.

Generali

Is that so? I always thought it was 12 months or 6 months.

PasturesNew

The cost of being asked to move at the drop of a hat - and then being required to cover double rent on top of having paid new agent fees and put down a new deposit (without knowing if/when you'll get the old one back), and the cost of the removals help and the possibility that things might become damaged during the move (or have to be thrown out as something you own won't fit in the place you hastily found) is .... a TAX ON RENTERS!

Overall, this ongoing tax on renting can leave you thoroughly underfunded in the short-term, medium-term AND long-term.

Any thought of pension payments go out the window as you hand over your hard-earned cash to a plethora of grubby hands that want it.

2nd class....more like 3rd class is all you can afford.