One of the leaders of campaign group Generation Rent is claiming that some landlords “force” tenants out using Section 21 powers.
Dan Wilson Craw - deputy director of the campaign group - does not make clear what he means by “force” used by landlords.
But he says, in response to recent possession figures released by the government: “Private renters are under stress like never before. The rising cost of living has pushed thousands into rent arrears, who now face homelessness as their landlords seek eviction.
"Even staying on top of rent is not enough for other renters, whose landlords are using Section 21 eviction notices to force them out without needing a reason.
“These properties will often end up back on the market at a much higher rent.”
Anticipating this week’s Autumn Statement from Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, Wilson Craw states: “Renters are relying on the Chancellor to take emergency steps … to keep them in their homes and stop rents from worsening the cost of living crisis.
“We need Jeremy Hunt to freeze rents, suspend no-fault evictions, and re-link Local Housing Allowance rates to market rents.”
The number of homes being repossessed jumped by 15 per cent in the third quarter of 2022. That equated to some 700 homeowner-mortgaged properties, according to figures from trade association UK Finance.
Meanwhile, a total of 390 buy to let-mortgaged properties were repossessed in the same period, which was up by 11 per cent compared with the previous quarter.
Want to comment on this story? Our focus is on providing a platform for you to share your insights and views and we welcome contributions.
If any post is considered to victimise, harass, degrade or intimidate an individual or group of individuals, then the post may be deleted and the individual immediately banned from posting in future.
Please help us by reporting comments you consider to be unduly offensive so we can review and take action if necessary. Thank you.
.jpg)
%20(002).png)
.png)
Join the conversation
Jump to latest comment and add your reply
So will the government freeze mortgages, freeze council tax, freeze tradesmens costs, freeze energy prices? landlords have to pay increase costs and therefore have to pass these increases in costs on to tenants in order to provide rental accommodation. It’s not rocket science!
Obviously beyond Wilson Craw's logic.
Another day… another rant.
Generation Rent is unfair and ill-informed again. There is a vast difference in the amount landlords charge in rent; some charge half as much as others for similar properties - and have not raised rents in many years. How can you possibly treat all flats/landlords the same in terms of rent freezing!
When I relet a flat recently, I set the rent as the same as it was six years ago. I could have put the rent up significantly, but I chose not to do that. I won't allow tenants to pay more than about a third of their salary in rent - and I also won't allow any use of the sitting room as a bedroom. Generally all my tenants pay their rent on time, and they are not unreasonable in their demands.
Activists make life so much worse for tenants by forcing landlords to sell. We are all on the brink of doing that, so activists may well precipitate a housing crisis.
My affordability checks are that new tenants can show that they are earning 3x the rent if they cannot prove this to my satisfaction then no tenancy, they need to look else where for something cheaper, a tenant that cannot afford the rent is no use to me
I couldn't agree more Andrew. You are doing just the right thing. There are tenants with insufficient funds who will say that they will pay anything and have no intention of paying rent after the first month.
Everyone's costs have gone up. Tenants are already far more protected from cost increases than anyone else as rents can only be increased at the end of a fixed term or annually if on a SPT.
We have one tracker BTL mortgage which has increased 7 times in the last 12 months and payments are now more than 3 times as much as a year ago. That house is a bills inclusive one so gas costs are nearly 2.5 times as much as a year ago, electric is up 62%, Council Tax has increased, broadband has increased, tradespeople are charging more, etc.
Of course LHA needs to increase so minimum wage essential workers can afford their rents and also things like food, heating and travel to work costs. A great many landlords have kept rents artificially low for low paid tenants for several years. While our costs were fairly static we had a tendancy to leave things alone, especially as 40% of any rent increase would go straight to the government as extra income tax.
I currently have 6 properties at or slightly below LHA rents. All are in good or extremely good condition. Collectively those rents are more than £1000 a month below market rent. If things get sticky elsewhere in my portfolio those 6 properties have the most scope for rent increases. Most of those tenants either have a current UC claim or have recent knowledge of the system and would be highly likely to get a Discretionary Housing Payment top up.
In general the government needs to wake up and adjust the UC elements and earnings disregards. There needs to be a realistic allowance for travel to work costs, LHA needs to be restored to the 30th percentile rent and the adult/child elements need to be altered so a second adult in a household gets a higher allowance than a child.
Or they could increase minimum wage and lower income tax so all workers are better placed to pay increasing costs.
Even when issued with a S21 there is no guarantee that tenants will leave quickly. Why then, would a LL issue a S21 without good reason? No fault eviction is generally a myth perpetuated by GenRent, Shelter et al, to promote their pro tenant agenda.
Not working too well though, is it?
Noticed whenever there is a quote by Dan Double barrel it is alarmingly ill informed for someone claiming to represent ‘tenants’ Same guy that thinks 5 weeks deposit is more than enough for pet owners.
Question for Dan how many people do you house?
Lefty champagne socialists aren't known for their grasp of detail. Same applies to his boss, Baroness Whatshername
We do charge ‘market rates’ for our rentals because we are a ‘business’ which needs to cover all increases in order to still be able to provide the service of good, safe, well maintained accommodation.
''The rising cost of living has forced thousands into rent arrears'', you've answered your own question Dan, if you ain't a paying you ain't a staying, I'm no charity
Activist’s couldn’t be more wrong about Tenants being driven out because of Section 21.
The Fact is its The Landlords that are being driven out
because of the Removal of Section 21, everyone knows that. Why did they leave in droves even well before any interest rise.
Are you up to date or in a coma. Repossessions are the highest ever in the 3 months to September, reported by a landlord Association. This is the Direct Result of Removing S21.
Removing S21 has driven out Private landlords creating Homelessness. The Master Plan didn’t work we were supposed to be replaced by the Big Boys Built 2 Rent but they are not ready yet, they needed another couple of years.
The Activists and Alicia are in for a big drop when they will have to Rent from B2R guys for 60% more Rent compared to their existing LL. Check it out now those such Flats in Greeford Rd, Middx, UB6, good luck. Now I have things to do.
First there is no such thing as being "under stress". You can be stressed, or under pressure. Having seen my mortgage man yesterday it's clear that the people most under pressure in the next few months will be anyone with a mortgage coming out of a fixed rate.
Second when you issue a S21 notice the whole point is that you need the tenants gone, for whatever reason. So obviously you are asking them to leave. You can call that forcing them out if you like, but then you could also say that whenever tenants decide to leave with only 4 weeks notice this forces landlords into a tedious and stressful process of having to find a new tenant or sell the property ASAP.
This is well put. Don’t think a lot of our tenants could deal with our everyday stresses being a LL
I see where Mr Dan Wilson Craw is coming from. He sees his charity Generation Rent collapsing as private rental properties decline. Renters are getting desperate to find a property they can call home and are not wanting to be at loggerheads with their landlord. Mr Craw needs to get a division between the landlord and the tenant so he is coming up with ridiculous claims that just don’t stand up to scrutiny.
‘Landlords kicking out tenants who have done nothing wrong, using Section 21’. Really?
What landlord who is letting to a known good tenant, who pays rent on time and is no problem, will then kick them out to go through the costly process of re advertising and interviewing to find another tenant with whom he knows very little, and could possibly cause him problems down the line? may stop paying rent or be anti-social? And during this replacement process the landlord is not receiving any rent. Just because he wants a few quid more? Total poppycock.
It may surprise Mr Craw, but we do live in a Capitalist country, if he advocates that the state should control everything, then Russia or China awaits.
Every time we hear from this charity, it is always the Landlord is evil. How about doing some research and when you hear from a tenant claiming he has been unfairly treated. May I suggest Mr Craw contacts the landlord to see why he has taken the action he did. When a tenant complains about ‘unfair treatment’ he will always come across as whiter than white, a model citizen, never did anything wrong in my life, type of person. But there are always two sides to every coin, speak to the landlord in question, look at it from the other side, I think you will be surprised that the complainant is fibbing, telling porkies, not wholly truthful. Basically lying through the back of his teeth.
Now having said all that, not all landlords are good landlords, like in any walk of life, there are good and bad. But if you come across a bad landlord, get out of his property as soon as you can, it is amazing how quickly a bad landlord will turn good if he is being hit in his pocket.
Is it true that our government is going to increase the council tax?
There is a figure of 5 billion collected in windfall tax from the energy companies.
The point is, what is the real cause of the recession and inflation? not landlords.
Energy companies' greed? Why should the council tax increase in this time?
The major point is the large companies are not paying their fair share in corporation tax.
And middle class are always footing the bills.
Section 21 already takes too long (minimum 8 months) to evict someone not paying the rent, the bills.
What happen to shoplifting, theft, robbery? Are they prosecuted immediately or do they have Section 21 to buy time? Why do we allow people to steal and rob from landlords? The judicial system has lost focus on right and wrong. NRLA needs to have stronger voices to the government.
Very little being said about the Contract Signed up to between Landlords and Tenants which exists and required. Why is this is it a joke the knew at the outset how long it was for and both parties signed up to it, end of Contract means end of Contract and not indefinite.
Separately if the Contract is extended by mutual agreement same terms & conditions apply until one party or the other gives notice of termination.
That’s it no life time Tenancy or any of that nonsense, they got in the door on a fixed Term Contract and that’s how they should go out. So what’s all this now I’am in let’s change the rules. Don’t tell me you don’t need a Contract apply to Harrow Council for a license and they always require a copy.
My wife and I were turfed off a cruise ship last week - after only moving in the previous week and spending about £800 in flights to get to and from it.
Why weren't we allowed to stay on for another few weeks at no charge whilst the cruise company went through a repossession process ?
Where were Shelter when we debarked on Monte Carlo pier on a cold November morning (OK, I lied about it being cold but everything else is true).
Why were my wife and I expected to observe the terms of our contract with the cruise line when our tenants don't need to do so according to Dan Double Barrel, Polly Newt et all?
More like you and your lady wife were causing trouble Robert, I think you are a bit of a rascal aren't you mate
The drink was free but I don't remember causing any bother.
Trouble usually happens with Scots at closing time but there wasn't any closing time on the cruise, so I'm probably innocent!
Please login to comment