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Government needs to ‘seriously consider offering landlords’ financial support

Financial support needs to be made available to landlords with tenants who have fallen into arrears relating to Covid-19 and can prove loss of employment, according to Paul Shamplina, founder of Landlord Action. 

The tenant eviction expert believes that BTL landlords who qualify should be offered three months of rent contribution with a view to not taking action against their tenant. 

Shamplina has described the government's announcement of a further four-week extension to the ban on evictions until 20th September 2020, as “absolutely devastating news for those landlords who already had possession cases ongoing prior to the pandemic”.

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He said: “It [the extension to the ban] means those landlords with problem tenants who have been causing anti-social behaviour or withholding rent for reasons unrelated to Covid-19 face a further delay in regaining possession of the properties. 

“Whilst no-one who has been impacted by Covid-19 should face losing their home, there are many cases that are unrelated and it is causing landlords extreme hardship and misery.”

Landlord Action is currently working with landlords whose tenants have racked up thousands of pounds worth of arrears. 

According to Shamplina, many of these landlords have been having to cover two mortgages for more than nine months now and we have just finished issuing the re-activation notices on behalf of these landlords as directed by the government. 

He added: “Why have they left until the Friday before the courts re-open to give a further extension? I do not believe enough consideration has been given to people in these set of circumstances and perhaps rather than a blanket ban, existing cases should have been allowed to restart as planned.

“In my view, the government needs to seriously consider offering landlords, whose tenants have fallen into arrears relating to Covid-19 and can prove loss of employment, some financial support, for example three months of rent contribution.

“We are facing unprecedented times in terms of employment in the next few months so by implementing further support for landlords, with the understanding the landlord takes no action against their tenant, therefore tenants would be given some breathing space to find employment.”

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    Never mind helping out tenants, landlords are suffering too.

    My house has been empty for 6 months now and I am paying full (100%) Council Tax to the council plus mortgage and all this outgoing on just a state pension. I am crippled with absolutely no assistance from the government. My savings are dwindling fast.

    Employed people have been given grants. Self-employed people have been given grants. Companies received aid. Tenants have been given accommodation rent-free. But where is the help for us landlords?

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    Sorry for your plight but I'm struggling to get money earned due to coronavirus working for the money so you aren't a special case to be handed public money there isn't a bottomless pit

     
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    Everything is always about helping tenants, never landlords. The government and councils seem to think landlords should foot the bill for feckless, antisocial, and/or non-paying tenants (thieves) and now with covid we have no control over OUR own properties for at least six months, possibly with no income to pay for mortgages and many other bills.
    Just how and why are we supposed to pay for this government cock-up. Do they think we have a magic money tree?
    I cannot think of any other sector or industry that has been so let down and put upon by the government with this COVID garbage.
    Are people shopping at Tesco for free?... NO. How about getting free beers at their local pub and the landlords being expected to foot the bill?... NO!
    This sector needs desperately to get together and start fighting back against the ever-mounting and totally unfair one-sided attacks from all sides.
    Being a BLT landlord is fast entering into financial suicide territory.

    Ingrid Mott

    Well said Paul. I prefer to just have live in landlords as well. It avoids all the abuse from both tenants and gov. One has to be mad to risk AST's after the covid abuse to our sector.. i believe a live in landlord must sleep at tge property for at least 2 days a week to use that status

     
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    • 24 August 2020 23:00 PM

    Has it not occurred to many LL that Govt seeks your eradication!?
    You really need to get with the programme.

    The Govt wants you GONE.
    It is not the slightest bit interested in your financial woes.

    Sad to say but Govt is using CV19 as a further opportunity to get rid of LL.

    LL need to get real.
    Perhaps time to sell up unless you can afford subsidise feckless tenants for possibly years.

    This is my advice to LL.
    Get rid of rent defaulting AST tenants by whatever means.

    Then take on single unrelated lodgers.
    DON'T bother advising a BTL lender as it will be breach of lending conditions.
    But no way will a lender find out.
    Stay at least once per month in your home as far as the lodgers are concerned.
    No problems in removing rent defaulting lodgers.

    Do not use AST anymore
    Do not let to DSS even as lodgers.
    Do NOT let to more than 4 UNRELATED occupiers otherwise you will need to comply with MANDATORY HMO LICENCING

    There are plenty of desperate unrelated single occupiers looking for shared accommodation.

    Forget single household AST.
    The only way to attain control is via lodgers or to become unencumbered to avoid lender repossession.

    FHL is another avenue.
    Nothing to stop multiple occupiers called Smith.
    Perfectly possible for multiple Smiths to occupy a FHL for years!
    There are ways and ways.

    Personally I would have no problem signing up to a FHL contract every month.
    Rent the same as an AST.

    Be interesting to see how many LL would be able to convert from BTL to FHL mortgages

    But LL be under NO illusion Govt will NOT assist you at all.

    Make your plans accordingly

    Ingrid Mott

    Well said Paul. It is madness to agree Shorthold lets after all the covid abuse from government. To be a live in landlord i think u have to sleep there 2 days a week. But once the lodgers agreement is signed and you keep a small room there it shouldnt matter.
    It is beyond belief that landlords are classed as having unearned income and are expected to provide free accommodation. ... just because we are the most vulnerable group. And we are expected to professionally manage our lets and look after the welfare of our tenants. And labour are just as anti landlord as the rest. They all want the votes so they will want to please renters, those being the majority of voters.
    Why they think it is ok to exploit landlords just because they can show a total lack of common sense and integrity. No sector should be bullied into giving free service to their customers just because they can be.

     
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    • 30 August 2020 21:38 PM

    @ingrid mott

    No there is no requirement for a live-in LL to occupy twice a week.
    Remember it is possibly just one of many homes a LL lives at.

    There is no law requiring live-in LL to occupy.
    It is usually the residential insurance policy that requires the OO to be absent for no more than 30 days per month.
    One should always consider the insurance angle so as not to compromise the property circumstances especially if there is a residential mortgage on the property.
    Most lenders seemingly only permit 2 lodgers but I guess that might be negotiable etc

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