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TODAY'S OTHER NEWS

LRU to hold a day of action demanding eviction ban extension

The London Renters Union (RLU) will hold a day of action next week demanding that the government acts to protect renters, irrespective of whether they have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The day of action, which will take place on Monday 24 August, will include protests outside Gee Street Magistrates Court at 10.30 am and Stratford Magistrates Court and 12:30 pm.

Thousands of renters have already signed up to the LRU’s ‘Can’t Pay Won’t Pay’ campaign, which is training renters on how to deal with threats of eviction, and how to resist eviction. 

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A number of MPs have warned that England could see “a new wave of homelessness” when the evictions ban ends on Sunday. 

The ban was introduced in March as part of emergency legislation to protect those hit financially by the pandemic.

New evictions in England and Wales had initially been suspended until 25 June, but the pause was extended to 23 August.

Amid fears that evictions may lead to more homeless, 21 MPs have joined forces to lobby the government to guarantee council funds to house rough sleepers for 12 months. 

The Labour-led Welsh government has doubled the notice period required for evictions issued on or after 24 July to six months, excluding cases relating to anti-social behaviour.

 

The Scottish government has proposed extending its ban on evicting renters until March 2021.

Zara Haqani, a spokesperson for the LRU, commented: “The government promised that no one would be made homeless because of Coronavirus, so why is the government refusing to extend the evictions ban? They should be cancelling rent debt and scrapping ‘no fault’ evictions.

“Instead, they are aiding and abetting landlords like mine. My husband and I can’t afford the rent, but our landlord is threatening our family with eviction in the middle of a pandemic. We try to shield our children from the stress and misery, but sometimes it’s just not possible.

“That’s why we’re resisting. At the London Renters Union, we are sharing skills and advice on how to stop your landlord trying to evict you, and how to resist eviction if the bailiffs do turn up.

“When the courts reopen on the 24th, we will be protesting outside to shame this government and their landlord friends, and to show solidarity with renters being kicked out of their homes. 

“On Monday they will be made homeless in the middle of a pandemic, but on Tuesday it could be us.”

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  • girish mehta

    When the landlords leave the market tenants will be homeless anyway. If tenets. Believe that they can stay for free with government help. It is only a short term solution eventually we all have to pay the price for our action.
    It is the government failure to address the housing issue over the few decades that has brought us here. They should be forcing the government on long term solutions not short term fixes

  •  G romit

    The Government should follow the Welsh government's lead and make loans available to Tenants to ensure their rent is paid.
    Only then only the feckless anti-social behaviour and/or property damaging tenants will be evicted, andrightly so.

  • icon

    There is a simple answer, where someone is GENUINELY unable to pay the rent through no fault of their own then the government need to step in with a DIRECT payment to the landlord, we are not charities the same as Tesco's are not a charity .

  • girish mehta

    Next crisis in the making
    Brexit, Covid, economy and job losses education and loss of opportunities for young people then landlords leaving the market and increasing homeless people. And government unable to pay for services do to low tax revenue.
    Politician just divide and rule for your short term gain and ambition to stay in power.
    Look at recent past where politicians have moved on to lucrative jobs after creating havoc and mess

  • Mark Wilson

    It seems to me the lobby is gaining momentum. Don't expect any help form central government, they are not your friends. Rent controls will be the next issue.

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    I don’t increase my rents regularly, I increase on a case by case basis, however with rent control I will be increasing rents by the maximum permitted level at every opportunity I can, sorry tenants but you campaigned for it and got what you wanted. Guess next time you will think of the consequences first

     
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    In anticipation Leon, I started raising all mine annually (after barely touching them for decades) four years ago.

     
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    • 19 August 2020 17:23 PM

    They will be friends when there are thousands and thousands of families with nowhere to live....!

     
  • girish mehta

    Government is not going to take the right steps as they want to stay in power as they won’t take correct action. They will manage the issues for their benefit. And find anyone to blame. The government is making policies to please the media and blaming various section of society to deflect criticism. Recently policy u turns. Lies reforms by the government and no on is accountable

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    • 19 August 2020 17:19 PM

    Maybe the government should be like a government and run this business in the same way it does any other business.

    If people stole from say Unilever, P&G, Rolls Royce or the like, the Government would act to get recompense........for sure.....

    I am still going to get that BMW 640M on lease, then drive out of the garage, put a couple of scratches on it and then not pay the monthly fee.......See how quick I would not have the car!!!!! Probably in the nano seconds of time.....

    So what is the difference?

     
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    • 19 August 2020 17:20 PM

    In fact my assets are even more valuable than the BMW640M!!!!!!

     
  • icon

    Can’t pay won’t pay!! I always lived buy can’t pay don’t have. I know I’m repeating myself on here but why is it some people think it’s fine for others to pay for them. Have they no pride in themselves at all. Can’t pay is one thing. Won’t pay is the growing mentality of far to many.

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    • 19 August 2020 17:21 PM

    So so right...

     
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    benefits are part of kalergi plan--division

    moslems see benefits as jizzya

  • Zoe S

    I appreciate that there are some genuine cases of renters not being able to pay their rent, equally there are also a lot of Tenants that abuse the system and because of the way the Tenant/Landlord Laws are which is mainly in favour of the Tenant they are allowed to get away with it usually by owing thousands of pounds in unpaid rent and legal fees.

    As a private landlord I have personal experience of this and find it absolutely infuriating that it is the majority of Tenants beliefs that Landlords must accommodate them if they cannot or will not pay the rent ..regardless of the fact that we too have mortgages and expenses to fund., and having a sitting Tenant would financially cripple some Landlords with mortgage arrears and the threats of repossession and being black listed for years!!

    The message I’d like to give to Tenants is especially to the ones that taking advantage of the system - It is unfair to expect and put a Landlord through this hardship - who looks out for the landlord??

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    Those tenants that take advantage of the system will be the losers in the long run.

     
  • girish mehta

    Covid is only here since feb
    And the government have increased the benefit. And furlong staff. So they have been getting 80% for doing nothing.
    Then how come all these tenants are now saying they are going to be homeless and lot of tenants will have Debts and some can’t even feed their children.
    And the government is supporting these argument.
    Landlords, business, government have supported everyone during the crisis
    Now people do want furlong to end. Companies are finding hard to meet expenses .
    Government and landlords have given now giving them all the assistance.
    Then why is the court system taking so long to process eviction if they are only due to Covid.
    The truth is the tenants have realised that the government will give them what they want so their votes. BreaK the contracts, give everything for free .
    Knees to pass the law all eviction before Covid . Landlords get eviction and get property back

    Council and government turn housing Benefit into loans where people have misused the. Rent money

  • girish mehta

    Can’t pay, won’t pay, won’t work, parents won’t support me. So Government will give me everything for free. I can do what I like , change my mind anytime .all I have to do is hold politicians to ransom for their votes and the government will do anything so I get it my way

    Time for landlords to freeze investment, charge higher rent for added risk and and not to let to anyone with guarantor.
    If they fail to pay them chase them through court to get what you are owed.
    That is the way it is going to end

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    • 19 August 2020 12:23 PM

    I believe that BTL LL are finally realising the BTL business model is extremely vulnerable to feckless tenants.

    In theory it works great.
    But stops being so when you have rent defaulting tenants.
    It was bad enough before the CV19 thing but now with Govt assistance the already dysfunctional eviction system has been made worse.

    It really does come to the point of why bother being a BTL LL if your clients rob you of rent money?

    Repossession of rental property is being made impossibly difficult.

    Problem is the Govt has no intention of assisting LL in any way.
    It's ideological stance is to get rid LL.
    It is hardly going to do anything that would assist LL to stay in business.

    Govt looks upon these issues as an additional way to get rid of some more LL.

    I'm afraid LL must accept that they are on their own and if they cannot or are not prepared to subsidise feckless tenants then they need to stop being LL.

    This is what Govt is hoping for.
    Quite frankly the market needs to massively shrink.
    There are simply too many rental properties available depressing rent.

    This has been highlighted by the return of many properties to the long term lettings market.
    Previously such properties were being used for short-term lettings.
    Well that particular market has disappeared.
    Many LL adopted a short-term letting strategy as a way to afford S24 taxes.

    Returning to long term lettings doesn't really assist the S24 problem.

    I'm afraid like it or not it makes sense for many LL to sell up.
    You could say that Govt is taking advantage of prevailing circumstances to further get rid of more LL.
    Govt has obviously been greatly assisted by CV19 but there is no way Govt will lose this opportunity to further eradicate even more LL.

    There isn't much LL can do as Govt is nit interested in the woes of private LL.

    It seeks to use and abuse LL which you have to say they are being very successful at.
    The striking difference between a Socialist Spanish Govt and a British Tory one is quite overwhelming.
    The Spanish Govt is supporting private LL by ensuring they are being paid their contractual rent if tenants can't or won't pay.

    Here in the UK Govt suggests LL have conversations with their tenants to address arrears!!!!

    Then they have the cheek to prevent LL from getting rid of rent defaulting tenants!!

    For me the game us up on BTL.

    You need very deep pockets to risk being a BTL LL.
    My pockets are very shallow!
    I intend to not be a LL ASAP!
    It is the only way I can avoid being robbed by feckless tenabts.



  • icon

    These people are idiots. They want all landlords gone yet also want to resist eviction?! So, if I’m selling to that all-important FTB, these renters are the ones now selfishly preventing that FTB from buying! And I thought it was landlords that were supposedly ‘preventing’ the FTBs? So what exactly do these protestors want - is it that they keep a landlord in business by continuing to rent off them, or do they want them gone in which case the protestor needs to be evicted??

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    • 19 August 2020 14:02 PM

    I'm afraid that it appears LL of all types are under attack.
    From big corporates to little LL all are being denied their contractual rent.
    This makes the rentier class of investment unviable.
    Problem is without LL the economy will crash.
    It is LL that inject capital to provide facilities where business activities may occur.

    That goes from your massive office building to your humblest terrace house.

    The economy depends on LL of all types.

    Rentier LL are desperately needed yet Govt is doing it's best to prevent LL from operating viable businesses.

    If there is no credible or realistic chances of timely repossession then tenants of all types are hardly likely to feel the need to pay rent.

    This really destroys the whole concept of the LL class.
    There is no point if you cannot get paid for your assets.

    These circumstances call into question the viability of DC pensions.
    Substantial amounts of their income comes from rentier investments.

    If this income is effectively prevented by facilitating rent defaulting then pensioners are looking at nigh on worthless pensions.


    Govt needs to start being truthful to tenants.
    You can't have it all for FREE and if you can't or won't afford your rent you must GO!!

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    • 19 August 2020 14:41 PM

    Here, here.

     
  • girish mehta

    Days of renting will be over soon
    If you can’t beat them then join them. Selling my property going on spend and spend spree
    Once I have spent all go on social and claim for everything

    I have learnt the work does not pay. Let the government fund my lifestyle and retirement.

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    • 19 August 2020 15:37 PM

    Girish......Great idea....

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    • 19 August 2020 15:44 PM

    Rent Control!...If it ever happens, then my tenancy length will get shortened, and each time renewal comes along, then I will put the price up to the absolute maximum.

    And I will do the maximum allowed inspections with rigorous charges for repair at every inspection....Holes in walls, paintings on walls, changing paint colours, damage to appliances, batteries for alarms etc. ......I will pay for NOTHING.

    At least until the end of the let, and then get them out. And get another stinking thief in.

  • icon

    Must be at least now 20% of the population in the uk in private rental accommodation huge pool of voters that could be enticed to vote for a party at the expense of the landlord. I
    Can imagine Labour enforcing no eviction policies as their main agenda for votes come the next General election !

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    very few will ever vote conservative--same with public sector

    boris is bonkers or his mission is the destroy real Conservatism?

     
  • girish mehta

    I was planning to invest in more property and starting business.
    Every thing on hold. Looking to invest overseas.
    Keeping my properties empty till the government sees error of their way . The pressures groups can unite and the government can keep on extending eviction as long as they want.
    Another 15 people homeless and council can look after them
    When and if I return to market I will be charging maximum rent with guarantor. Chase and enforce anything they owe me.
    I am not a charity that is for the Government. Sooner they learn that no amount of government intervention and charities can force me to rent my properties for free

  • girish mehta

    Labour. Won’t be elected. Their policies did not work last time in fact they lost lot of votes. They promised everything they could. Now Tories have picked up some of the policies to get the votes . This is bound to fail as investors will not invest.the government won’t have funds to build thousands of house to give it to these people to live rent free and also pay them not to work
    These people live in cloud coo coo land

    Whilst I am willing to work with genuine cases of hardship and and work with tenants.
    I know my business. But won’t put up with government meddling and council have enough powers to control housing stock in their area
    But more powers are given so they can generate more income and government have to pay less on subsidies.
    This is a big money making racket devised by politicians and creat division in society for their benifit and keep them in power.

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