Fellow Landlords what would you think of this

Gingernutmeg

I try not to take risks - I take a smoke detector with me from property to property but I have to admit that carbon monoxide isn't something I thought about - I had a free detector in my last property but as you know, things get lost during moves ... Trust me, I've learned a harsh lesson.

As the boiler had been inspected just a couple of months ago, we thought that there was no problem ... Again we were wrong, and lesson learned. Thankfully we're alive to learn the lesson ... We have reported this to both the LL and the LA, but the response from both was 'it's mended now, you're ok, it's not a problem'. Not much you can do about attitudes like that.

vetfred

I totally agree - when the boiler is serviced and all the certificates are in place, you really do think you're okay (wasn't trying to be mean). I just think anyone reading your post and in rental today has to get these things to protect themselves and has to check the smoke detectors etc. To be honest, I think we only did all this because we have a young baby and so all your senses are heightened on what needs to be checked. We got fire extinguishers and a fire blanket "just in case." (I think I'm sounding paranoid here!)

Have to say that's a dreadaful attitude from both the LA and LL - luckily for us, the small issues we had were remedied promptly without a fuss. Unfortunately, some people don't realise that the business they're in (renting out houses) literally has lives depending on how serious they take these issues. Admittedly, not all people are so carefree with other people's safety, thankfully.

CYBERCIDERSAVER

Once again we get back to the uneasy marriage of making money out of someones housing need.

People don't think about it. They hear friends with BTLs, hear about the potential profits that can be made for a relatively small investment (gearing etc.)

It's one thing to buy some shares in M & S. It's quite another to house a young man with a history of violence and drugs (which is always a possiblity)

jyonda

OP: You are a service provider , if you don't like the business you're in then get out. Perhaps you fail to realise this simple fact because you are not a professional landlord. Sadly there are far too many amateurs in the game who having locked out the lower end of the FTB market then find out it actually is running a business with associated risk! Oh poor you.
You have a choice, you're tenants have to live somewhere and perhaps have no choice but to rent.

jaype

CYBERCIDERSAVER wrote: »

Once again we get back to the uneasy marriage of making money out of someones housing need.

People don't think about it. They hear friends with BTLs, hear about the potential profits that can be made for a relatively small investment (gearing etc.)

It's one thing to buy some shares in M & S. It's quite another to house a young man with a history of violence and drugs (which is always a possiblity)

Exactly - the amateur people get annoyed when their licence to print money starts to demand things (such as a boiler that's not going to suffocate their family!). And I know of several people now that have very angry landlords who haven't thought things out and are taking out the frustration of their investment costing them money on their tenants, even though it's hardly the tenant's fault that the landlord spread their cash too thinly and is finding themself highly geared in a market with no mortgages to cover such things any more. Perhaps longer term contracts and fixed rates are the way to go? But then they'd have to reform the mortgage market so a LL could take out a fix at the start of a tenancy so both parties could be sure of their costs throughout? We are soon to be moving to the other end of the country and are looking to rent but I'm very nervous about suddenly finding our family on the wrong end of a repo order after 6 months and having to move again.

pickles110564

jyonda wrote: »

OP: You are a service provider , if you don't like the business you're in then get out. Perhaps you fail to realise this simple fact because you are not a professional landlord. Sadly there are far too many amateurs in the game who having locked out the lower end of the FTB market then find out it actually is running a business with associated risk! Oh poor you.
You have a choice, you're tenants have to live somewhere and perhaps have no choice but to rent.

Maybe but you cant have it all your own way, just because they have to rent does not mean that they have to trash the places in their fit of jealously.
Most of the tenant's i house have so much debt that even if there was no BTL's they would never be able to buy anyway.

pickles110564

jaype wrote: »

Perhaps longer term contracts and fixed rates are the way to go? But then they'd have to reform the mortgage market so a LL could take out a fix at the start of a tenancy so both parties could be sure of their costs throughout?

Just because we offer agreements for as long as the tenant requires does not mean that they will carry on paying for the full term.
I have no problem with offering 1,2,3,4,5,6 etc contracts fixed at the initial monthly fee as long as tenant's stick to it.

jacnorm

I rent from a LL that initially gave us a 3 year tenancy and all I can say is they did everything to help us get settled in. The boiler etc; is serviced every year and repairs are done as need be. I have friends that cannot get even minor repairs done and they are paying good money to live in these properties. Some LL actually care about the houses the tenants live in and respect the fact its someones home. Just ranting a bit Sorry. Jacqui

CYBERCIDERSAVER

Short 6 month contracts are largely the preserve of Letting Agents. It enables them to screw more money out of a tenant.

In Germany the LL can only usually evict someone when they need the property to live in themselves. As the tenant has much more security, the need to own your own home is not so great. I believe they have one of the lowest owner occupancy rates in Europe and house prices there have been pretty stagnant for the last 10 years.

The "need" to own your own home in this country stems largely from the lack of security when renting - so higher owner occupancy rate in combination with the BTL market increase has helped push prices to a level akin to levis jeans from a catalogue.

JCR

Thanks to the posters on here who are tenants and feel that their landlords do all they can to look after them. I feel I fall into this category and have a good relationship with my tenant. As I do not use a LA they have not incurred any extra charges for admin etc. The boiler and all appliances are checked on an annual basis. I admit I have not put new batteries in the smoke alarms which are in every room, but I assume they will do that, as I don't think they'd appreciate me popping round everytime the batteries went.

I have not even exercised my right to check the property after a six month period. The tenant is in the property and I trust him to look after it and treat it as his own, he can have an animal if he wishes, decorate if he wishes (as long as it is not some hideous colour).

If anything goes wrong, he will contact me and I will sort it out.

Admittedly I am lucky with this tenant, as I have had experiences which have not been so good. I just think people should realise that the tenants are not always the victims, sometimes they know exactly what they are doing and how best they can put situations to their own advantage and likewise landlords/btlr's or whatever you want to call them are not all scum, amateur or whatever other name comes up here on a regular basis.