Unhygienic van conversions being used as housing, must be stopped

triathlon

Sea_Shell wrote: »

It sounds like the problem isn't so much the fact they're living in vans, it's that they are slovenly.

They'd still be slovenly if they lived in a bricks and mortar house. Some people just have no regards to other people, property or environment. Where they live doesn't change that, sadly.

And most people would agree with that, why should we create a lovely village atmosphere using time and effort, and also money in a lot of cases for these people just to move in and have it for free.
No problem though, we convinced them it best they move on

midnight_express

Maybe they didn't want to live near a solipsistic Nazi.

chucknorris

Herzlos wrote: »

It's not really that different to spending a week in a caravan.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against people who are struggling, and doing their best to soldier on in life in difficult circumstances. But I think 'living' in a van and having a week's holiday in a caravan are two completely different things.

Cakeguts

In London it is due to get more expensive to do this because of the low emissions thing inside the M25. I would imagine too that when petrol and diesel vehicles are banned they might have a problem affording a van in the UK.

Norman_Castle

triathlon wrote: »

And for the people on here saying there is no such thing and they have not seen it, it is called stealth van living, they are all over FB for example and go out of their way to make sure they just look like old commercial vehicles with nobody living inside.

Ah right. So the thousands of commercial vans we see and assume are owned and used for commercial purposes are really stealth vans. These stealthy people are so clever they even disguise themselves as workers and spend their days working.

Sapphire

Cakeguts wrote: »

Someone needs to contact the freeholder or managing company of the flats. The leaseholders of the flats probably think it is something the council should be doing. It isn't down to the council it is down the the freeholder of the flats if they want to do something about it.

I think 'someone' already has, but nothing is happening. You cannot have people dumping huge piles of filthy rubbish by the side of a public road, and living there and intimidating passers-by. The council/police should certainly have the power to remove such people, and to make sure they do not return.

Kentish_Dave

triathlon wrote: »

People use the excuse of "free spirits" or "alternate lifestyle" and "freedom of the road", but we have enough people in caravans causing mayhem in the UK who camp wherever they want, we do not need this becoming thousand times worse. And for the people on here saying there is no such thing and they have not seen it, it is called stealth van living, they are all over FB for example and go out of their way to make sure they just look like old commercial vehicles with nobody living inside.

They do not have to live in my or anyone else's rental property, they can buy. But what we don't need is this country starting to look third world, I would be ashamed if my son decided to live like this.

I’ve certainly never seen it, but I’m fortunate to have generally lived in very nice areas.

Could you afford to move somewhere better where this sort of thing doesn’t go on so much?

ruperts

Arklight wrote: »

You mean they are daring not to live the closed and cloistered life which is all you can imagine? Suffocated by chintz and DFS sofas on credit, while you trudge numbly towards your next performance appraisal. One more year closer to the grave, another pat on the head as a good consumer.

Rinse, repeat, die a little more from the neck down.

Yeah, you're winning the game. Keep telling yourself that.

Agree with you in theory. But I reckon most of these van life dudes are living on their parents money while they try to start a youtube career. I've looked at buying a similar sort of van (for adventures not to live in) and you're talking £20k+ for anything half decent. Not to mention large ongoing maintenance and fuel costs. Where's that money coming from if you've 'rejected the 9-5'? Mum and dad of course. It's probably cheaper to buy a modest house in a less desirable but still fine area than it is to live in a van. Plus you get to stay warm at night. Anything for YouTube views though I guess.

AG47

ruperts wrote: »

Agree with you in theory. But I reckon most of these van life dudes are living on their parents money while they try to start a youtube career. I've looked at buying a similar sort of van (for adventures not to live in) and you're talking £20k+ for anything half decent. Not to mention large ongoing maintenance and fuel costs. Where's that money coming from if you've 'rejected the 9-5'? Mum and dad of course. It's probably cheaper to buy a modest house in a less desirable but still fine area than it is to live in a van. Plus you get to stay warm at night. Anything for YouTube views though I guess.

£20K+???????

I think you will find many of these folks are buying old transit vans for hundreds not thousands. If you look on YouTube you will see really nice liveaboards for very low costs. They hardly ever move them, many don’t have insurance mot or tax. If they have no address they have nothing to lose even if they do get caught driving on the road, which is unlikely they will get stopped by a Police car. The cameras pick up the number plate and letter get sent to the address of the registered number which they change every now and then. They also swap plates or put fake numbers on, again they have little to lose. And if they don’t drive around then it’s not a problem, there are thriving van life communities springing up all around the uk

It is a real problem that has been brought about by high housing costs compared to historical wages.

ruperts

AG47 wrote: »

£20K+???????

I think you will find many of these folks are buying old transit vans for hundreds not thousands. If you look on YouTube you will see really nice liveaboards for very low costs. They hardly ever move them, many don’t have insurance mot or tax. If they have no address they have nothing to lose even if they do get caught driving on the road, which is unlikely they will get stopped by a Police car. The cameras pick up the number plate and letter get sent to the address of the registered number which they change every now and then. They also swap plates or put fake numbers on, again they have little to lose. And if they don’t drive around then it’s not a problem, there are thriving van life communities springing up all around the uk

It is a real problem that has been brought about by high housing costs compared to historical wages.

Maybe there are some that are doing it on the cheap, but most that I see on YouTube have pretty decent vans which don't come cheap even before being converted to a living space.

Didn't realise they drive around with no MOT or insurance. That's reckless and putting innocent lives at risk, so quite apart from the fact it's illegal, if that's what they're doing then they should be ashamed. I'm no old conservative bore but putting lives at risk because you can't be bothered to work for a living? Shameful stuff.