Autumn Statement discussion

david1951

"The greatest happiness of the greatest number is the foundation of morals and legislation."

Most decent landlords and letting agents can absorb the small hit this will give them. Some might not even notice. Only the dodgy ones will be hit hard and that is a good thing.

scriv

I let via a letting agent who has always been very good and I have always paid the Setting up/ Finders Fee for each new tenant.

Marvel1

Simple solution for landlords who are not happy they now have to foot the bill is simply not use a letting agent and run it yourself.

[Deleted User]

I think we're getting into a kind of "landlords vs tenants" trench warfare style discussion here, but this isn't actually about distributing fees between tenants and landlords, it's about making the system work more effectively. Agents can still charge landlords fees to set up a tenancy and landlords can, if they wish, raise rent to account for this.

The only thing we're changing here is we're moving away from a situation in which letting agents can more or less set whatever price they like irrespective of what these services actually cost to conduct. I struggle to see why anyone, other than the certain percentage (not all) of letting agents who were exploiting this situation, should be against doing that in principle. It simply does not cost hundreds and hundreds of pounds to set up a new tenancy or continue an existing one.

mrginge

Miss_Samantha wrote: »

True.

Of course you need to realise who are at the end of the line when it comes to passing on costs and being creative with fees: Tenants.

Tough.

I dealt with that three pages ago. Please keep up.

MobileSaver

Miss_Samantha wrote: »

Of course you need to realise who are at the end of the line when it comes to passing on costs and being creative with fees: Tenants.

You are entitled to your opinion and I am entitled to mine.

I believe tenants will be better off as I do not believe the full extortionate fees currently charged by some agents will be passed on.

OhWow

Miss_Samantha wrote: »

And then tenants will continue to "be scalped", just perhaps in a slightly different way. People should really see beyond the tip of their nose.


It won't increase competition.

Miss_Samantha wrote: »

Of course you need to realise who are at the end of the line when it comes to passing on costs and being creative with fees: Tenants.

Tough.

In the 2015 statement, the government announced that they were cutting UK benefits to below that of France, Germany and Sweden and these changes start soon. Those who use Free Movement for better benefits, are not going to stay in the UK. Less renters.

Housing Benefit and benefits for children (Tax Credits) are already frozen for 4 years. The 2 child limit for welfare claims, starts in April. The new lower benefit cap has just come in which has reduced many claimants Housing Benefit to 50p a week. The benefit reductions go on and on. A large group of renters will have less money.

Plus with a Brexit, EU laws will end. Free Movement to live in another country, is EU law. PR is EU laws. Brexit is causing a mad dash to try to be granted British citizensip before EU laws end in the UK. One of the many requirements to be granted British citizenship via the EU route, is IF they followed free movement laws correctly for 5 years in a row: many haven't, despite living in the UK (illegally) for years. Less renters.

Where will the money come from to raise rents with all these welfare cuts coming in? Demand will drop with the welfare reductions and with Brexit.

Landlords should be reading the benefits forums and EU forums instead of just thinking they will put the rent up, or they could find themselves paying their own mortgage/s on their let/s.