No Fault Evictions {Merged}

Yellowsub2000

anselld said:

Yellowsub2000 said:

The good news is many bad LLs will be fined the £25K now this ombudsman will not let them get away with it.

I have a heard a few times of a tenant trying to sort out a problem themselves like pest control or wash machine fridge or cooker problems.

sometimes someone says to them tell your LL they have the responsibility to sort it out and the tenants just say the LL knows about it but doesn’t do anything 

this ombudsman will change all that

Pest control is normally a tenant responsibility anyway, unless it is a direct result of disrepair.  White goods depends what is in the contract.  Don't assume an Ombudsman will always side with the T.

The odd thing about this Ombudsman proposal is that Agents are already required to be members.  If all Landlords must also have another Ombudsman then there are now two to choose from at double the cost to the L (which will ultimately be passed on in higher rent).  Ok it will pick up the minority of Ls who self manage but it seems to be bureaucratic overkill for the majority.

Pest control I the LLs responsibility most of the time.

if there are pigeons in the roof or rats under the floorboards. Any kind of pest activity is in the LLs interest to sort out because the tenants could say to the ombudsman they have notified the LL of the pest problems but they still haven’t sorted it out

it would be good to use things like this when negotiating lower rents with the ombudsman saying there are problems with pest or damp or somethings are broken and have needed to be fixed but the LL didn’t pay for them to be fixed.

Yellowsub2000

How it seems it’s going to work with the ombudsman is that if a LL tried to raise the rent unfairly then the tenants will have to put up a case why it shouldn’t be that high.

the tenants could say it should be less than local Average rents due to this this and this.

Yellowsub2000

With the abolishment of no fault evictions, LLs who want their tenants out but can’t get them out may be thinking to raise the rent and then say the tenants are not paying it.


this is why the ombudsman is there to stop this loophole of LLs doubling the rent to get them out.


the tents will have to provide evidence of damp or mould or pest problems or saying the fudge freezer/washing machines/ cooker/ bathroom isn’t working properly and LL refused to sort it out.


then the ombudsman will decide fair rent based on all these things.


it will be interesting to see how it works in practice what if the LL says they are lying about all these problems in the house, how much investigation will the ombudsman do?


ever since that boy died of mould last year they are really coming down hard on LLs who don’t sort out issues straight away and many will get the £25000 fine and be told a low fair rent with all those issues and the LL just can’t get the tenants out

noitsnotme

Yellowsub2000 said:

How it seems it’s going to work with the ombudsman is that if a LL tried to raise the rent unfairly then the tenants will have to put up a case why it shouldn’t be that high.

the tenants could say it should be less than local Average rents due to this this and this.

Your assumption appears to be incorrect.  According to the government page I have already quoted several times, the ombudsman won’t manage rent disputes.  That will remain the responsibility of the courts.…

”The First-tier Tribunal is part of the courts system. Disputes which will still require judgments from the First-tier Tribunal include rent disputes, appeals by landlords against financial penalties imposed by local councils and applications to recover prohibited fees under the Tenant Fees Act.”

Here’s the link https://www.gov.uk/guidance/private-rented-sector-ombudsman-renters-reform-bill

MultiFuelBurner

Chrysalis said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

Chrysalis said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

Chrysalis said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

Chrysalis said:

ProDave said:

Yellowsub2000 said:

LegallyLandlord said:

Here’s a blog post about what the potential abolition of s21 means for landlords and renters alike. 

https://theindependentlandlord.com/section-21-abolition/

ending the abuse of “no fault”, or Section 21, evictions – a move that has wide support. Unscrupulous landlords have used the prospect of Section 21 to intimidate tenants into accepting substandard conditions – from damp and mould to other health hazards – or face losing their homes altogether.

There is a HUGE problem with the UK's old substandard housing stock.  I grew up as a child in an uninsulated 1930's house.  Condensation on the windows and in some places on the walls was considered normal, that was just how it was.  The laws of physics say moisture in the air, particularly if the house is cold, will condense on a cold surface.

Move on 50 years, cold damp and mouldy houses are no longer acceptable to tenants.  But physics has not changed, and most of these houses while they may have been "modernised" little if anything has been done to improve the fabric of the building so the same problems will be there.  You can keep on top of it by heating the property well enough and ventilating it properly and taking care with your lifestyle to minimise the moisture in the air.  But a poor tenant who can't afford to put the heating on much if at all, and who turns off the bathroom fan because it is too noisy and hangs the washing inside to dry because they can;t afford to use a tumble dryer etc will have damp issues in an old house.

These properties with mould and out of date insulation still exist, I  live in one of them, the windows are so bad, my landlord has been getting someone to pull out parts of the wooden frame that have rotted away too much and drill on new bits of wood in place, all that effort to avoid fitting PVC.

LLs dont need to sell because of this, because the EPC rules dont get actively enforced.

Only last week I pulled out some moss growing on the inside of my window.

And you put up with this state of affairs because..............

What are the reasons?

You seen the state of the rental market?

If I moved to another rental I am looking at an extra 30% minimal and a gamble on a new landlord, whilst this one is at least stable and have lived here for circa 17 years.

My sister's experience was she lived in nicer properties but had to move almost every year due to constant S21s.

Looking to move to somewhere i own, but the deposit demands are obscene.  Saving up for that.  Once I have the deposit I will buy somewhere.

Yes we know it well from a LL's perspective and for us and the changes with rent reform that are coming in 2024 means that any property that comes up for rent we will be very selective on our tenants and that means sadly those on UC and housing benefit go to the bottom of the pile, having had a very good relationship with the local council before we cannot take that chance in our new business plan.

Back to your situation so you feel you couldn't have an honest conversation with your LL about the issues in your property in fear they will S21 or pop rent up to cover the cost of repairs?

I do fear if I push hard on issues I will get a no fault eviction yes.

One summer I did try to negotiate rent, and I was cut off mid sentence, not even 5 seconds had passed with a "well you can leave by the date we gave you if you dont like it" which suggested if I carried on they would have made it official with a S21.

If I move somewhere more expensive, it just makes it take longer to buy somewhere as even more is going on rent and I risk been moved on very quickly.

However the banning of S21 does change this somewhat, as a LL wouldnt be able to move me on just because they felt like it.  Plus I would be able to raise issues more, however raising issues more does still risk the rent been increased further as a means to discourage me.

My first 10 years or so were no rent increases at all, during this time period I reported practically no problems.  At the time i moved in the windows were in better condition, boiler was working properly, pipes hadnt yet corroded.  I also was on very good terms with my LL, I had found him numerous tenants, and even prevented neighbours from making complaints.

Then someone threw a brick threw my window, I think someone drunk exiting the park next to my home, the landlords manager wanted me to pay for it, which I felt was totally unreasonable, so they paid for it.  The following summer, my first rent increase.

Only one summer since then rent was frozen, the rest were on average double inflation.

Since then I have had issues that would be difficult to ignore. So were reported.

1 - Ceiling collapsed in kitchen flooding my kitchen, lost about £100 orth of stuff which I had to pay for.  Took them circa 3 months to remedy, whilst I had to carry on paying full rent, and lost power to flat twice. 

2 - Boiler has broken down dozens of times.

3 - Water leaks mostly in bathroom, which flooded the bathroom. 

The windows I actually didnt report, what happened there is my area is now selective licensing, the council has stated its for anti social tenants, but my LL started panicking and decide to improve the appearance of his properties, someone was sent round to work on the windows, and then it was reported to me was a large gap in one of the pieces of glass I hadnt noticed, the frame had rotted away and it slid down.  This then brought my attention to it, and I seen they were really rotting away.  Lots of wood dust.  There was a Frankenstein job done on the windows to improve them, but my bedroom one's are not yet done.  Handy man claims he advised for PVC to be fitted and was overruled.

However recently I checked up when Osborne did those nonsensical S24 changes.   since it was mentioned in discussions it suddenly entered my mind was, it around when my rent started going up.

Turns out the law was changed in 2015, by coincidence around the time my rent started shooting up, so I think me reporting that brick through the window was just coincidental.

In terms of my relationship with my LL, I have his direct number, tenants no longer get it, he has massively expanded his property empire, has an entire office full of staff now, if I do ring him, its a quick "I am busy ring the office".  One occasion he did step in when it was obvious his staff were been really stupid though.  Another occasion I had left my keys 100s of miles away and was a Sunday, he answered and told the security guard at his offices to let me in and no fees for it. So I do expect if there was a proper rational conversation, things would be better, but he has moved on from talking to people like me directly.

I still remember the day I went to collect the keys for this flat on a Sunday, rang him, told him I was at his place, 20 minutes later rolls up in a sports car, gives me the keys and was off again.

--

Now on to a point I noticed you raised in regards to your discrimination of tenants.  Why would you put UC tenants at the bottom of the pile because of the reform? S21 isnt required for eviction on non payment of rent, S8 exists for that, and it would be wrong to assume anyone on UC is more likely to break the terms of your tenancy agreement, legally thats actually discrimination and will be against the law post the reform, so a LL you need to be aware of that.

I have been with my LL across 2 properties for 19 years, for 5 of those years I was on housing benefits, it didnt make me a bad tenant.  So your comment seems to indicate a form of reprisal rather than a rational understanding of what the reform is.

Thanks for the history I have a friend in a similar position very cheap rent for 15 years but then again he knew the property was not up to code so to speak. The LL in the past 3 years has rectified that with an actual EPC and the associated new windows/doors and the rent has also increased but not to market rate as he is a gold dust tenant never missed a payment, does not moan about anything and fixes things himself.

It is interesting to hear than tenants fear brining up issues for fear of having to pay for fixes through their rent. We have never thought of it this was in our business plan as we knew a portion of rent received was always destined for repairs and renovation. We are currently bolstering the business account ready for any changes that become legislation in 2025 for the EPC changes.

However on a brighter note it sounds like you are well onto your own home ownership, so congratulations 👍

Now onto the sticky question of the rent reform bill.

We have been in the rental business for 20+ years and have extensive records and we go on the data we have. Those that have caused the most damage and accrued the most rent arrears sadly were those on benefits. We have worked closely with the Local Authority for many of those 20+ years taking in tenants where we can many times on reduced rents but this act of social kindness has backfired.

With the upcoming rent reform bill set to land in 2024 we have decided (rightly or wrongly) our business model is not to be a guinea pig for the Rent Reform Bill and the LA. We have assessed the risk considering what we have to put in monetary wise for this plus the potential future 2025 EPC changes and we have to take this stance to continue in this business with minimal risk.

I welcome other LL's opinions about their business plans with such a shift in legislation in 2024/2025 and what they are planning to do.

It does sound like you are one of the better LLs and thank you for explaining more your reasoning.

I think when S21 was originally devised there was an element of trust that it wouldnt be abused, and sadly when something gets abused it can ruin it for everyone.  So the good LLs who are now fearful of things becoming much harder for them, are arguably victims in the changes which have come about due to some people taking advantage of the system.  Of course there is also tenants who take advantage of the system such as deciding to not pay rent for a few months knowing that the eviction process takes time so get a few months of free accommodation, I dont condone that.  I take great pride in making sure I pay my bills and take care to the best of my ability the home I live in, respecting its someone else's property.

I also aim to be as social as possible, using headphones e.g. when I watch a movie or listen to music, or when playing games.

This is also why I am no fan of the S24 changes, as all it was, was to reduce a LLs profit with no sound reasoning as well as little understanding of the consequences.   The LL reform however having read through it has clearly had some considerable effort and thought process put into it.  With improvements in there for both LLs and tenants, if you havent read through it I suggest you do.

Yes I also am well on the path now to buying a home route.

We can see the benefits, we too want to weed out the rogue landlords.

What is not clear at the moment is the affect this will have on us. So to mitigate this we will take the action mentioned previously until we see the extent (cost of this reform)

This is where certain renter's will miss out whilst LL's take a step back and just wait and see what effect this has to others.

The losers will be tenants ultimately. Any cost the LL's put in will be shared with the tenants at best or at worse all paid for by the tenants.

[Deleted User]

What we really need are at-fault forced sales. If the landlord can't be bothered to maintain the property properly, they forfeit it. Occupier can buy at a discounted rate, which accounts for how much is needed to put it right.

That might focus some minds.

Sarah1Mitty2

MultiFuelBurner said:

Chrysalis said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

Chrysalis said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

Chrysalis said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

Chrysalis said:

ProDave said:

Yellowsub2000 said:

LegallyLandlord said:

Here’s a blog post about what the potential abolition of s21 means for landlords and renters alike. 

https://theindependentlandlord.com/section-21-abolition/

ending the abuse of “no fault”, or Section 21, evictions – a move that has wide support. Unscrupulous landlords have used the prospect of Section 21 to intimidate tenants into accepting substandard conditions – from damp and mould to other health hazards – or face losing their homes altogether.

There is a HUGE problem with the UK's old substandard housing stock.  I grew up as a child in an uninsulated 1930's house.  Condensation on the windows and in some places on the walls was considered normal, that was just how it was.  The laws of physics say moisture in the air, particularly if the house is cold, will condense on a cold surface.

Move on 50 years, cold damp and mouldy houses are no longer acceptable to tenants.  But physics has not changed, and most of these houses while they may have been "modernised" little if anything has been done to improve the fabric of the building so the same problems will be there.  You can keep on top of it by heating the property well enough and ventilating it properly and taking care with your lifestyle to minimise the moisture in the air.  But a poor tenant who can't afford to put the heating on much if at all, and who turns off the bathroom fan because it is too noisy and hangs the washing inside to dry because they can;t afford to use a tumble dryer etc will have damp issues in an old house.

These properties with mould and out of date insulation still exist, I  live in one of them, the windows are so bad, my landlord has been getting someone to pull out parts of the wooden frame that have rotted away too much and drill on new bits of wood in place, all that effort to avoid fitting PVC.

LLs dont need to sell because of this, because the EPC rules dont get actively enforced.

Only last week I pulled out some moss growing on the inside of my window.

And you put up with this state of affairs because..............

What are the reasons?

You seen the state of the rental market?

If I moved to another rental I am looking at an extra 30% minimal and a gamble on a new landlord, whilst this one is at least stable and have lived here for circa 17 years.

My sister's experience was she lived in nicer properties but had to move almost every year due to constant S21s.

Looking to move to somewhere i own, but the deposit demands are obscene.  Saving up for that.  Once I have the deposit I will buy somewhere.

Yes we know it well from a LL's perspective and for us and the changes with rent reform that are coming in 2024 means that any property that comes up for rent we will be very selective on our tenants and that means sadly those on UC and housing benefit go to the bottom of the pile, having had a very good relationship with the local council before we cannot take that chance in our new business plan.

Back to your situation so you feel you couldn't have an honest conversation with your LL about the issues in your property in fear they will S21 or pop rent up to cover the cost of repairs?

I do fear if I push hard on issues I will get a no fault eviction yes.

One summer I did try to negotiate rent, and I was cut off mid sentence, not even 5 seconds had passed with a "well you can leave by the date we gave you if you dont like it" which suggested if I carried on they would have made it official with a S21.

If I move somewhere more expensive, it just makes it take longer to buy somewhere as even more is going on rent and I risk been moved on very quickly.

However the banning of S21 does change this somewhat, as a LL wouldnt be able to move me on just because they felt like it.  Plus I would be able to raise issues more, however raising issues more does still risk the rent been increased further as a means to discourage me.

My first 10 years or so were no rent increases at all, during this time period I reported practically no problems.  At the time i moved in the windows were in better condition, boiler was working properly, pipes hadnt yet corroded.  I also was on very good terms with my LL, I had found him numerous tenants, and even prevented neighbours from making complaints.

Then someone threw a brick threw my window, I think someone drunk exiting the park next to my home, the landlords manager wanted me to pay for it, which I felt was totally unreasonable, so they paid for it.  The following summer, my first rent increase.

Only one summer since then rent was frozen, the rest were on average double inflation.

Since then I have had issues that would be difficult to ignore. So were reported.

1 - Ceiling collapsed in kitchen flooding my kitchen, lost about £100 orth of stuff which I had to pay for.  Took them circa 3 months to remedy, whilst I had to carry on paying full rent, and lost power to flat twice. 

2 - Boiler has broken down dozens of times.

3 - Water leaks mostly in bathroom, which flooded the bathroom. 

The windows I actually didnt report, what happened there is my area is now selective licensing, the council has stated its for anti social tenants, but my LL started panicking and decide to improve the appearance of his properties, someone was sent round to work on the windows, and then it was reported to me was a large gap in one of the pieces of glass I hadnt noticed, the frame had rotted away and it slid down.  This then brought my attention to it, and I seen they were really rotting away.  Lots of wood dust.  There was a Frankenstein job done on the windows to improve them, but my bedroom one's are not yet done.  Handy man claims he advised for PVC to be fitted and was overruled.

However recently I checked up when Osborne did those nonsensical S24 changes.   since it was mentioned in discussions it suddenly entered my mind was, it around when my rent started going up.

Turns out the law was changed in 2015, by coincidence around the time my rent started shooting up, so I think me reporting that brick through the window was just coincidental.

In terms of my relationship with my LL, I have his direct number, tenants no longer get it, he has massively expanded his property empire, has an entire office full of staff now, if I do ring him, its a quick "I am busy ring the office".  One occasion he did step in when it was obvious his staff were been really stupid though.  Another occasion I had left my keys 100s of miles away and was a Sunday, he answered and told the security guard at his offices to let me in and no fees for it. So I do expect if there was a proper rational conversation, things would be better, but he has moved on from talking to people like me directly.

I still remember the day I went to collect the keys for this flat on a Sunday, rang him, told him I was at his place, 20 minutes later rolls up in a sports car, gives me the keys and was off again.

--

Now on to a point I noticed you raised in regards to your discrimination of tenants.  Why would you put UC tenants at the bottom of the pile because of the reform? S21 isnt required for eviction on non payment of rent, S8 exists for that, and it would be wrong to assume anyone on UC is more likely to break the terms of your tenancy agreement, legally thats actually discrimination and will be against the law post the reform, so a LL you need to be aware of that.

I have been with my LL across 2 properties for 19 years, for 5 of those years I was on housing benefits, it didnt make me a bad tenant.  So your comment seems to indicate a form of reprisal rather than a rational understanding of what the reform is.

Thanks for the history I have a friend in a similar position very cheap rent for 15 years but then again he knew the property was not up to code so to speak. The LL in the past 3 years has rectified that with an actual EPC and the associated new windows/doors and the rent has also increased but not to market rate as he is a gold dust tenant never missed a payment, does not moan about anything and fixes things himself.

It is interesting to hear than tenants fear brining up issues for fear of having to pay for fixes through their rent. We have never thought of it this was in our business plan as we knew a portion of rent received was always destined for repairs and renovation. We are currently bolstering the business account ready for any changes that become legislation in 2025 for the EPC changes.

However on a brighter note it sounds like you are well onto your own home ownership, so congratulations 👍

Now onto the sticky question of the rent reform bill.

We have been in the rental business for 20+ years and have extensive records and we go on the data we have. Those that have caused the most damage and accrued the most rent arrears sadly were those on benefits. We have worked closely with the Local Authority for many of those 20+ years taking in tenants where we can many times on reduced rents but this act of social kindness has backfired.

With the upcoming rent reform bill set to land in 2024 we have decided (rightly or wrongly) our business model is not to be a guinea pig for the Rent Reform Bill and the LA. We have assessed the risk considering what we have to put in monetary wise for this plus the potential future 2025 EPC changes and we have to take this stance to continue in this business with minimal risk.

I welcome other LL's opinions about their business plans with such a shift in legislation in 2024/2025 and what they are planning to do.

It does sound like you are one of the better LLs and thank you for explaining more your reasoning.

I think when S21 was originally devised there was an element of trust that it wouldnt be abused, and sadly when something gets abused it can ruin it for everyone.  So the good LLs who are now fearful of things becoming much harder for them, are arguably victims in the changes which have come about due to some people taking advantage of the system.  Of course there is also tenants who take advantage of the system such as deciding to not pay rent for a few months knowing that the eviction process takes time so get a few months of free accommodation, I dont condone that.  I take great pride in making sure I pay my bills and take care to the best of my ability the home I live in, respecting its someone else's property.

I also aim to be as social as possible, using headphones e.g. when I watch a movie or listen to music, or when playing games.

This is also why I am no fan of the S24 changes, as all it was, was to reduce a LLs profit with no sound reasoning as well as little understanding of the consequences.   The LL reform however having read through it has clearly had some considerable effort and thought process put into it.  With improvements in there for both LLs and tenants, if you havent read through it I suggest you do.

Yes I also am well on the path now to buying a home route.

We can see the benefits, we too want to weed out the rogue landlords.

What is not clear at the moment is the affect this will have on us. So to mitigate this we will take the action mentioned previously until we see the extent (cost of this reform)

This is where certain renter's will miss out whilst LL's take a step back and just wait and see what effect this has to others.

The losers will be renter ultimately. Any cost the LL's put in will be shared with the tenants at best or at worse all paid for by the tenants.

The biggest losers will be landlords who didn`t do their sums properly, you walk away from a rental owing nothing as a tenant, you can`t walk away from a BTL mortgage as a landlord, and selling these ex-BTL properties is going to be WAY harder than it used to be as people don`t want to be landlords any more due to all the negative stories, and the borrowers who might have grabbed these flats/houses can`t afford the mortgage debt any more! It really is a sorry mess now, and I feel sorry for any landlord who was conned into believing that two or three BTL mortgages was the route to success, the seminars etc. who peddled this nonsense should be prosecuted.

noitsnotme

Sarah1Mitty2 said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

Chrysalis said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

Chrysalis said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

Chrysalis said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

Chrysalis said:

ProDave said:

Yellowsub2000 said:

LegallyLandlord said:

Here’s a blog post about what the potential abolition of s21 means for landlords and renters alike. 

https://theindependentlandlord.com/section-21-abolition/

ending the abuse of “no fault”, or Section 21, evictions – a move that has wide support. Unscrupulous landlords have used the prospect of Section 21 to intimidate tenants into accepting substandard conditions – from damp and mould to other health hazards – or face losing their homes altogether.

There is a HUGE problem with the UK's old substandard housing stock.  I grew up as a child in an uninsulated 1930's house.  Condensation on the windows and in some places on the walls was considered normal, that was just how it was.  The laws of physics say moisture in the air, particularly if the house is cold, will condense on a cold surface.

Move on 50 years, cold damp and mouldy houses are no longer acceptable to tenants.  But physics has not changed, and most of these houses while they may have been "modernised" little if anything has been done to improve the fabric of the building so the same problems will be there.  You can keep on top of it by heating the property well enough and ventilating it properly and taking care with your lifestyle to minimise the moisture in the air.  But a poor tenant who can't afford to put the heating on much if at all, and who turns off the bathroom fan because it is too noisy and hangs the washing inside to dry because they can;t afford to use a tumble dryer etc will have damp issues in an old house.

These properties with mould and out of date insulation still exist, I  live in one of them, the windows are so bad, my landlord has been getting someone to pull out parts of the wooden frame that have rotted away too much and drill on new bits of wood in place, all that effort to avoid fitting PVC.

LLs dont need to sell because of this, because the EPC rules dont get actively enforced.

Only last week I pulled out some moss growing on the inside of my window.

And you put up with this state of affairs because..............

What are the reasons?

You seen the state of the rental market?

If I moved to another rental I am looking at an extra 30% minimal and a gamble on a new landlord, whilst this one is at least stable and have lived here for circa 17 years.

My sister's experience was she lived in nicer properties but had to move almost every year due to constant S21s.

Looking to move to somewhere i own, but the deposit demands are obscene.  Saving up for that.  Once I have the deposit I will buy somewhere.

Yes we know it well from a LL's perspective and for us and the changes with rent reform that are coming in 2024 means that any property that comes up for rent we will be very selective on our tenants and that means sadly those on UC and housing benefit go to the bottom of the pile, having had a very good relationship with the local council before we cannot take that chance in our new business plan.

Back to your situation so you feel you couldn't have an honest conversation with your LL about the issues in your property in fear they will S21 or pop rent up to cover the cost of repairs?

I do fear if I push hard on issues I will get a no fault eviction yes.

One summer I did try to negotiate rent, and I was cut off mid sentence, not even 5 seconds had passed with a "well you can leave by the date we gave you if you dont like it" which suggested if I carried on they would have made it official with a S21.

If I move somewhere more expensive, it just makes it take longer to buy somewhere as even more is going on rent and I risk been moved on very quickly.

However the banning of S21 does change this somewhat, as a LL wouldnt be able to move me on just because they felt like it.  Plus I would be able to raise issues more, however raising issues more does still risk the rent been increased further as a means to discourage me.

My first 10 years or so were no rent increases at all, during this time period I reported practically no problems.  At the time i moved in the windows were in better condition, boiler was working properly, pipes hadnt yet corroded.  I also was on very good terms with my LL, I had found him numerous tenants, and even prevented neighbours from making complaints.

Then someone threw a brick threw my window, I think someone drunk exiting the park next to my home, the landlords manager wanted me to pay for it, which I felt was totally unreasonable, so they paid for it.  The following summer, my first rent increase.

Only one summer since then rent was frozen, the rest were on average double inflation.

Since then I have had issues that would be difficult to ignore. So were reported.

1 - Ceiling collapsed in kitchen flooding my kitchen, lost about £100 orth of stuff which I had to pay for.  Took them circa 3 months to remedy, whilst I had to carry on paying full rent, and lost power to flat twice. 

2 - Boiler has broken down dozens of times.

3 - Water leaks mostly in bathroom, which flooded the bathroom. 

The windows I actually didnt report, what happened there is my area is now selective licensing, the council has stated its for anti social tenants, but my LL started panicking and decide to improve the appearance of his properties, someone was sent round to work on the windows, and then it was reported to me was a large gap in one of the pieces of glass I hadnt noticed, the frame had rotted away and it slid down.  This then brought my attention to it, and I seen they were really rotting away.  Lots of wood dust.  There was a Frankenstein job done on the windows to improve them, but my bedroom one's are not yet done.  Handy man claims he advised for PVC to be fitted and was overruled.

However recently I checked up when Osborne did those nonsensical S24 changes.   since it was mentioned in discussions it suddenly entered my mind was, it around when my rent started going up.

Turns out the law was changed in 2015, by coincidence around the time my rent started shooting up, so I think me reporting that brick through the window was just coincidental.

In terms of my relationship with my LL, I have his direct number, tenants no longer get it, he has massively expanded his property empire, has an entire office full of staff now, if I do ring him, its a quick "I am busy ring the office".  One occasion he did step in when it was obvious his staff were been really stupid though.  Another occasion I had left my keys 100s of miles away and was a Sunday, he answered and told the security guard at his offices to let me in and no fees for it. So I do expect if there was a proper rational conversation, things would be better, but he has moved on from talking to people like me directly.

I still remember the day I went to collect the keys for this flat on a Sunday, rang him, told him I was at his place, 20 minutes later rolls up in a sports car, gives me the keys and was off again.

--

Now on to a point I noticed you raised in regards to your discrimination of tenants.  Why would you put UC tenants at the bottom of the pile because of the reform? S21 isnt required for eviction on non payment of rent, S8 exists for that, and it would be wrong to assume anyone on UC is more likely to break the terms of your tenancy agreement, legally thats actually discrimination and will be against the law post the reform, so a LL you need to be aware of that.

I have been with my LL across 2 properties for 19 years, for 5 of those years I was on housing benefits, it didnt make me a bad tenant.  So your comment seems to indicate a form of reprisal rather than a rational understanding of what the reform is.

Thanks for the history I have a friend in a similar position very cheap rent for 15 years but then again he knew the property was not up to code so to speak. The LL in the past 3 years has rectified that with an actual EPC and the associated new windows/doors and the rent has also increased but not to market rate as he is a gold dust tenant never missed a payment, does not moan about anything and fixes things himself.

It is interesting to hear than tenants fear brining up issues for fear of having to pay for fixes through their rent. We have never thought of it this was in our business plan as we knew a portion of rent received was always destined for repairs and renovation. We are currently bolstering the business account ready for any changes that become legislation in 2025 for the EPC changes.

However on a brighter note it sounds like you are well onto your own home ownership, so congratulations 👍

Now onto the sticky question of the rent reform bill.

We have been in the rental business for 20+ years and have extensive records and we go on the data we have. Those that have caused the most damage and accrued the most rent arrears sadly were those on benefits. We have worked closely with the Local Authority for many of those 20+ years taking in tenants where we can many times on reduced rents but this act of social kindness has backfired.

With the upcoming rent reform bill set to land in 2024 we have decided (rightly or wrongly) our business model is not to be a guinea pig for the Rent Reform Bill and the LA. We have assessed the risk considering what we have to put in monetary wise for this plus the potential future 2025 EPC changes and we have to take this stance to continue in this business with minimal risk.

I welcome other LL's opinions about their business plans with such a shift in legislation in 2024/2025 and what they are planning to do.

It does sound like you are one of the better LLs and thank you for explaining more your reasoning.

I think when S21 was originally devised there was an element of trust that it wouldnt be abused, and sadly when something gets abused it can ruin it for everyone.  So the good LLs who are now fearful of things becoming much harder for them, are arguably victims in the changes which have come about due to some people taking advantage of the system.  Of course there is also tenants who take advantage of the system such as deciding to not pay rent for a few months knowing that the eviction process takes time so get a few months of free accommodation, I dont condone that.  I take great pride in making sure I pay my bills and take care to the best of my ability the home I live in, respecting its someone else's property.

I also aim to be as social as possible, using headphones e.g. when I watch a movie or listen to music, or when playing games.

This is also why I am no fan of the S24 changes, as all it was, was to reduce a LLs profit with no sound reasoning as well as little understanding of the consequences.   The LL reform however having read through it has clearly had some considerable effort and thought process put into it.  With improvements in there for both LLs and tenants, if you havent read through it I suggest you do.

Yes I also am well on the path now to buying a home route.

We can see the benefits, we too want to weed out the rogue landlords.

What is not clear at the moment is the affect this will have on us. So to mitigate this we will take the action mentioned previously until we see the extent (cost of this reform)

This is where certain renter's will miss out whilst LL's take a step back and just wait and see what effect this has to others.

The losers will be renter ultimately. Any cost the LL's put in will be shared with the tenants at best or at worse all paid for by the tenants.

The biggest losers will be landlords who didn`t do their sums properly, you walk away from a rental owing nothing as a tenant, you can`t walk away from a BTL mortgage as a landlord, and selling these ex-BTL properties is going to be WAY harder than it used to be as people don`t want to be landlords any more due to all the negative stories, and the borrowers who might have grabbed these flats/houses can`t afford the mortgage debt any more! It really is a sorry mess now, and I feel sorry for any landlord who was conned into believing that two or three BTL mortgages was the route to success, the seminars etc. who peddled this nonsense should be prosecuted.

There are plenty of decent sensible landlords ready to snap up these properties at bargain prices.

I feel sorry for the tenants that were conned in to believing waiting for a 50% ‘Crashy’ in house prices for 15 years or more, was a good move.

silvercar

Sarah1Mitty2 said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

Chrysalis said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

Chrysalis said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

Chrysalis said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

Chrysalis said:

ProDave said:

Yellowsub2000 said:

LegallyLandlord said:

Here’s a blog post about what the potential abolition of s21 means for landlords and renters alike. 

https://theindependentlandlord.com/section-21-abolition/

ending the abuse of “no fault”, or Section 21, evictions – a move that has wide support. Unscrupulous landlords have used the prospect of Section 21 to intimidate tenants into accepting substandard conditions – from damp and mould to other health hazards – or face losing their homes altogether.

There is a HUGE problem with the UK's old substandard housing stock.  I grew up as a child in an uninsulated 1930's house.  Condensation on the windows and in some places on the walls was considered normal, that was just how it was.  The laws of physics say moisture in the air, particularly if the house is cold, will condense on a cold surface.

Move on 50 years, cold damp and mouldy houses are no longer acceptable to tenants.  But physics has not changed, and most of these houses while they may have been "modernised" little if anything has been done to improve the fabric of the building so the same problems will be there.  You can keep on top of it by heating the property well enough and ventilating it properly and taking care with your lifestyle to minimise the moisture in the air.  But a poor tenant who can't afford to put the heating on much if at all, and who turns off the bathroom fan because it is too noisy and hangs the washing inside to dry because they can;t afford to use a tumble dryer etc will have damp issues in an old house.

These properties with mould and out of date insulation still exist, I  live in one of them, the windows are so bad, my landlord has been getting someone to pull out parts of the wooden frame that have rotted away too much and drill on new bits of wood in place, all that effort to avoid fitting PVC.

LLs dont need to sell because of this, because the EPC rules dont get actively enforced.

Only last week I pulled out some moss growing on the inside of my window.

And you put up with this state of affairs because..............

What are the reasons?

You seen the state of the rental market?

If I moved to another rental I am looking at an extra 30% minimal and a gamble on a new landlord, whilst this one is at least stable and have lived here for circa 17 years.

My sister's experience was she lived in nicer properties but had to move almost every year due to constant S21s.

Looking to move to somewhere i own, but the deposit demands are obscene.  Saving up for that.  Once I have the deposit I will buy somewhere.

Yes we know it well from a LL's perspective and for us and the changes with rent reform that are coming in 2024 means that any property that comes up for rent we will be very selective on our tenants and that means sadly those on UC and housing benefit go to the bottom of the pile, having had a very good relationship with the local council before we cannot take that chance in our new business plan.

Back to your situation so you feel you couldn't have an honest conversation with your LL about the issues in your property in fear they will S21 or pop rent up to cover the cost of repairs?

I do fear if I push hard on issues I will get a no fault eviction yes.

One summer I did try to negotiate rent, and I was cut off mid sentence, not even 5 seconds had passed with a "well you can leave by the date we gave you if you dont like it" which suggested if I carried on they would have made it official with a S21.

If I move somewhere more expensive, it just makes it take longer to buy somewhere as even more is going on rent and I risk been moved on very quickly.

However the banning of S21 does change this somewhat, as a LL wouldnt be able to move me on just because they felt like it.  Plus I would be able to raise issues more, however raising issues more does still risk the rent been increased further as a means to discourage me.

My first 10 years or so were no rent increases at all, during this time period I reported practically no problems.  At the time i moved in the windows were in better condition, boiler was working properly, pipes hadnt yet corroded.  I also was on very good terms with my LL, I had found him numerous tenants, and even prevented neighbours from making complaints.

Then someone threw a brick threw my window, I think someone drunk exiting the park next to my home, the landlords manager wanted me to pay for it, which I felt was totally unreasonable, so they paid for it.  The following summer, my first rent increase.

Only one summer since then rent was frozen, the rest were on average double inflation.

Since then I have had issues that would be difficult to ignore. So were reported.

1 - Ceiling collapsed in kitchen flooding my kitchen, lost about £100 orth of stuff which I had to pay for.  Took them circa 3 months to remedy, whilst I had to carry on paying full rent, and lost power to flat twice. 

2 - Boiler has broken down dozens of times.

3 - Water leaks mostly in bathroom, which flooded the bathroom. 

The windows I actually didnt report, what happened there is my area is now selective licensing, the council has stated its for anti social tenants, but my LL started panicking and decide to improve the appearance of his properties, someone was sent round to work on the windows, and then it was reported to me was a large gap in one of the pieces of glass I hadnt noticed, the frame had rotted away and it slid down.  This then brought my attention to it, and I seen they were really rotting away.  Lots of wood dust.  There was a Frankenstein job done on the windows to improve them, but my bedroom one's are not yet done.  Handy man claims he advised for PVC to be fitted and was overruled.

However recently I checked up when Osborne did those nonsensical S24 changes.   since it was mentioned in discussions it suddenly entered my mind was, it around when my rent started going up.

Turns out the law was changed in 2015, by coincidence around the time my rent started shooting up, so I think me reporting that brick through the window was just coincidental.

In terms of my relationship with my LL, I have his direct number, tenants no longer get it, he has massively expanded his property empire, has an entire office full of staff now, if I do ring him, its a quick "I am busy ring the office".  One occasion he did step in when it was obvious his staff were been really stupid though.  Another occasion I had left my keys 100s of miles away and was a Sunday, he answered and told the security guard at his offices to let me in and no fees for it. So I do expect if there was a proper rational conversation, things would be better, but he has moved on from talking to people like me directly.

I still remember the day I went to collect the keys for this flat on a Sunday, rang him, told him I was at his place, 20 minutes later rolls up in a sports car, gives me the keys and was off again.

--

Now on to a point I noticed you raised in regards to your discrimination of tenants.  Why would you put UC tenants at the bottom of the pile because of the reform? S21 isnt required for eviction on non payment of rent, S8 exists for that, and it would be wrong to assume anyone on UC is more likely to break the terms of your tenancy agreement, legally thats actually discrimination and will be against the law post the reform, so a LL you need to be aware of that.

I have been with my LL across 2 properties for 19 years, for 5 of those years I was on housing benefits, it didnt make me a bad tenant.  So your comment seems to indicate a form of reprisal rather than a rational understanding of what the reform is.

Thanks for the history I have a friend in a similar position very cheap rent for 15 years but then again he knew the property was not up to code so to speak. The LL in the past 3 years has rectified that with an actual EPC and the associated new windows/doors and the rent has also increased but not to market rate as he is a gold dust tenant never missed a payment, does not moan about anything and fixes things himself.

It is interesting to hear than tenants fear brining up issues for fear of having to pay for fixes through their rent. We have never thought of it this was in our business plan as we knew a portion of rent received was always destined for repairs and renovation. We are currently bolstering the business account ready for any changes that become legislation in 2025 for the EPC changes.

However on a brighter note it sounds like you are well onto your own home ownership, so congratulations 👍

Now onto the sticky question of the rent reform bill.

We have been in the rental business for 20+ years and have extensive records and we go on the data we have. Those that have caused the most damage and accrued the most rent arrears sadly were those on benefits. We have worked closely with the Local Authority for many of those 20+ years taking in tenants where we can many times on reduced rents but this act of social kindness has backfired.

With the upcoming rent reform bill set to land in 2024 we have decided (rightly or wrongly) our business model is not to be a guinea pig for the Rent Reform Bill and the LA. We have assessed the risk considering what we have to put in monetary wise for this plus the potential future 2025 EPC changes and we have to take this stance to continue in this business with minimal risk.

I welcome other LL's opinions about their business plans with such a shift in legislation in 2024/2025 and what they are planning to do.

It does sound like you are one of the better LLs and thank you for explaining more your reasoning.

I think when S21 was originally devised there was an element of trust that it wouldnt be abused, and sadly when something gets abused it can ruin it for everyone.  So the good LLs who are now fearful of things becoming much harder for them, are arguably victims in the changes which have come about due to some people taking advantage of the system.  Of course there is also tenants who take advantage of the system such as deciding to not pay rent for a few months knowing that the eviction process takes time so get a few months of free accommodation, I dont condone that.  I take great pride in making sure I pay my bills and take care to the best of my ability the home I live in, respecting its someone else's property.

I also aim to be as social as possible, using headphones e.g. when I watch a movie or listen to music, or when playing games.

This is also why I am no fan of the S24 changes, as all it was, was to reduce a LLs profit with no sound reasoning as well as little understanding of the consequences.   The LL reform however having read through it has clearly had some considerable effort and thought process put into it.  With improvements in there for both LLs and tenants, if you havent read through it I suggest you do.

Yes I also am well on the path now to buying a home route.

We can see the benefits, we too want to weed out the rogue landlords.

What is not clear at the moment is the affect this will have on us. So to mitigate this we will take the action mentioned previously until we see the extent (cost of this reform)

This is where certain renter's will miss out whilst LL's take a step back and just wait and see what effect this has to others.

The losers will be renter ultimately. Any cost the LL's put in will be shared with the tenants at best or at worse all paid for by the tenants.

The biggest losers will be landlords who didn`t do their sums properly, you walk away from a rental owing nothing as a tenant, you can`t walk away from a BTL mortgage as a landlord, and selling these ex-BTL properties is going to be WAY harder than it used to be as people don`t want to be landlords any more due to all the negative stories, and the borrowers who might have grabbed these flats/houses can`t afford the mortgage debt any more! It really is a sorry mess now, and I feel sorry for any landlord who was conned into believing that two or three BTL mortgages was the route to success, the seminars etc. who peddled this nonsense should be prosecuted.

I thought that landlords were pushing first time buyers out, by buying properties that they would want? So why would selling these properties be so hard? There should be plenty of potential first time buyers interested.

Tucosalamanca

noitsnotme said:

Sarah1Mitty2 said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

Chrysalis said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

Chrysalis said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

Chrysalis said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

Chrysalis said:

ProDave said:

Yellowsub2000 said:

LegallyLandlord said:

Here’s a blog post about what the potential abolition of s21 means for landlords and renters alike. 

https://theindependentlandlord.com/section-21-abolition/

ending the abuse of “no fault”, or Section 21, evictions – a move that has wide support. Unscrupulous landlords have used the prospect of Section 21 to intimidate tenants into accepting substandard conditions – from damp and mould to other health hazards – or face losing their homes altogether.

There is a HUGE problem with the UK's old substandard housing stock.  I grew up as a child in an uninsulated 1930's house.  Condensation on the windows and in some places on the walls was considered normal, that was just how it was.  The laws of physics say moisture in the air, particularly if the house is cold, will condense on a cold surface.

Move on 50 years, cold damp and mouldy houses are no longer acceptable to tenants.  But physics has not changed, and most of these houses while they may have been "modernised" little if anything has been done to improve the fabric of the building so the same problems will be there.  You can keep on top of it by heating the property well enough and ventilating it properly and taking care with your lifestyle to minimise the moisture in the air.  But a poor tenant who can't afford to put the heating on much if at all, and who turns off the bathroom fan because it is too noisy and hangs the washing inside to dry because they can;t afford to use a tumble dryer etc will have damp issues in an old house.

These properties with mould and out of date insulation still exist, I  live in one of them, the windows are so bad, my landlord has been getting someone to pull out parts of the wooden frame that have rotted away too much and drill on new bits of wood in place, all that effort to avoid fitting PVC.

LLs dont need to sell because of this, because the EPC rules dont get actively enforced.

Only last week I pulled out some moss growing on the inside of my window.

And you put up with this state of affairs because..............

What are the reasons?

You seen the state of the rental market?

If I moved to another rental I am looking at an extra 30% minimal and a gamble on a new landlord, whilst this one is at least stable and have lived here for circa 17 years.

My sister's experience was she lived in nicer properties but had to move almost every year due to constant S21s.

Looking to move to somewhere i own, but the deposit demands are obscene.  Saving up for that.  Once I have the deposit I will buy somewhere.

Yes we know it well from a LL's perspective and for us and the changes with rent reform that are coming in 2024 means that any property that comes up for rent we will be very selective on our tenants and that means sadly those on UC and housing benefit go to the bottom of the pile, having had a very good relationship with the local council before we cannot take that chance in our new business plan.

Back to your situation so you feel you couldn't have an honest conversation with your LL about the issues in your property in fear they will S21 or pop rent up to cover the cost of repairs?

I do fear if I push hard on issues I will get a no fault eviction yes.

One summer I did try to negotiate rent, and I was cut off mid sentence, not even 5 seconds had passed with a "well you can leave by the date we gave you if you dont like it" which suggested if I carried on they would have made it official with a S21.

If I move somewhere more expensive, it just makes it take longer to buy somewhere as even more is going on rent and I risk been moved on very quickly.

However the banning of S21 does change this somewhat, as a LL wouldnt be able to move me on just because they felt like it.  Plus I would be able to raise issues more, however raising issues more does still risk the rent been increased further as a means to discourage me.

My first 10 years or so were no rent increases at all, during this time period I reported practically no problems.  At the time i moved in the windows were in better condition, boiler was working properly, pipes hadnt yet corroded.  I also was on very good terms with my LL, I had found him numerous tenants, and even prevented neighbours from making complaints.

Then someone threw a brick threw my window, I think someone drunk exiting the park next to my home, the landlords manager wanted me to pay for it, which I felt was totally unreasonable, so they paid for it.  The following summer, my first rent increase.

Only one summer since then rent was frozen, the rest were on average double inflation.

Since then I have had issues that would be difficult to ignore. So were reported.

1 - Ceiling collapsed in kitchen flooding my kitchen, lost about £100 orth of stuff which I had to pay for.  Took them circa 3 months to remedy, whilst I had to carry on paying full rent, and lost power to flat twice. 

2 - Boiler has broken down dozens of times.

3 - Water leaks mostly in bathroom, which flooded the bathroom. 

The windows I actually didnt report, what happened there is my area is now selective licensing, the council has stated its for anti social tenants, but my LL started panicking and decide to improve the appearance of his properties, someone was sent round to work on the windows, and then it was reported to me was a large gap in one of the pieces of glass I hadnt noticed, the frame had rotted away and it slid down.  This then brought my attention to it, and I seen they were really rotting away.  Lots of wood dust.  There was a Frankenstein job done on the windows to improve them, but my bedroom one's are not yet done.  Handy man claims he advised for PVC to be fitted and was overruled.

However recently I checked up when Osborne did those nonsensical S24 changes.   since it was mentioned in discussions it suddenly entered my mind was, it around when my rent started going up.

Turns out the law was changed in 2015, by coincidence around the time my rent started shooting up, so I think me reporting that brick through the window was just coincidental.

In terms of my relationship with my LL, I have his direct number, tenants no longer get it, he has massively expanded his property empire, has an entire office full of staff now, if I do ring him, its a quick "I am busy ring the office".  One occasion he did step in when it was obvious his staff were been really stupid though.  Another occasion I had left my keys 100s of miles away and was a Sunday, he answered and told the security guard at his offices to let me in and no fees for it. So I do expect if there was a proper rational conversation, things would be better, but he has moved on from talking to people like me directly.

I still remember the day I went to collect the keys for this flat on a Sunday, rang him, told him I was at his place, 20 minutes later rolls up in a sports car, gives me the keys and was off again.

--

Now on to a point I noticed you raised in regards to your discrimination of tenants.  Why would you put UC tenants at the bottom of the pile because of the reform? S21 isnt required for eviction on non payment of rent, S8 exists for that, and it would be wrong to assume anyone on UC is more likely to break the terms of your tenancy agreement, legally thats actually discrimination and will be against the law post the reform, so a LL you need to be aware of that.

I have been with my LL across 2 properties for 19 years, for 5 of those years I was on housing benefits, it didnt make me a bad tenant.  So your comment seems to indicate a form of reprisal rather than a rational understanding of what the reform is.

Thanks for the history I have a friend in a similar position very cheap rent for 15 years but then again he knew the property was not up to code so to speak. The LL in the past 3 years has rectified that with an actual EPC and the associated new windows/doors and the rent has also increased but not to market rate as he is a gold dust tenant never missed a payment, does not moan about anything and fixes things himself.

It is interesting to hear than tenants fear brining up issues for fear of having to pay for fixes through their rent. We have never thought of it this was in our business plan as we knew a portion of rent received was always destined for repairs and renovation. We are currently bolstering the business account ready for any changes that become legislation in 2025 for the EPC changes.

However on a brighter note it sounds like you are well onto your own home ownership, so congratulations 👍

Now onto the sticky question of the rent reform bill.

We have been in the rental business for 20+ years and have extensive records and we go on the data we have. Those that have caused the most damage and accrued the most rent arrears sadly were those on benefits. We have worked closely with the Local Authority for many of those 20+ years taking in tenants where we can many times on reduced rents but this act of social kindness has backfired.

With the upcoming rent reform bill set to land in 2024 we have decided (rightly or wrongly) our business model is not to be a guinea pig for the Rent Reform Bill and the LA. We have assessed the risk considering what we have to put in monetary wise for this plus the potential future 2025 EPC changes and we have to take this stance to continue in this business with minimal risk.

I welcome other LL's opinions about their business plans with such a shift in legislation in 2024/2025 and what they are planning to do.

It does sound like you are one of the better LLs and thank you for explaining more your reasoning.

I think when S21 was originally devised there was an element of trust that it wouldnt be abused, and sadly when something gets abused it can ruin it for everyone.  So the good LLs who are now fearful of things becoming much harder for them, are arguably victims in the changes which have come about due to some people taking advantage of the system.  Of course there is also tenants who take advantage of the system such as deciding to not pay rent for a few months knowing that the eviction process takes time so get a few months of free accommodation, I dont condone that.  I take great pride in making sure I pay my bills and take care to the best of my ability the home I live in, respecting its someone else's property.

I also aim to be as social as possible, using headphones e.g. when I watch a movie or listen to music, or when playing games.

This is also why I am no fan of the S24 changes, as all it was, was to reduce a LLs profit with no sound reasoning as well as little understanding of the consequences.   The LL reform however having read through it has clearly had some considerable effort and thought process put into it.  With improvements in there for both LLs and tenants, if you havent read through it I suggest you do.

Yes I also am well on the path now to buying a home route.

We can see the benefits, we too want to weed out the rogue landlords.

What is not clear at the moment is the affect this will have on us. So to mitigate this we will take the action mentioned previously until we see the extent (cost of this reform)

This is where certain renter's will miss out whilst LL's take a step back and just wait and see what effect this has to others.

The losers will be renter ultimately. Any cost the LL's put in will be shared with the tenants at best or at worse all paid for by the tenants.

The biggest losers will be landlords who didn`t do their sums properly, you walk away from a rental owing nothing as a tenant, you can`t walk away from a BTL mortgage as a landlord, and selling these ex-BTL properties is going to be WAY harder than it used to be as people don`t want to be landlords any more due to all the negative stories, and the borrowers who might have grabbed these flats/houses can`t afford the mortgage debt any more! It really is a sorry mess now, and I feel sorry for any landlord who was conned into believing that two or three BTL mortgages was the route to success, the seminars etc. who peddled this nonsense should be prosecuted.

There are plenty of decent sensible landlords ready to snap up these properties at bargain prices.

I feel sorry for the tenants that have been waiting for a 50% ‘Crashy’ in house prices for 15 years or more.

Agreed. Particularly as so many areas are still very affordable (even cheap imo, although the market makes the prices, so my opinion is worth very little).
Just a few minutes with pen, paper and calculator will tell you that prices are never going to fall 50%, or anything close to it.