The deputy chief executive of Generation Rent claims to have suffered “horrendous exploitation” at the hands of lettings agents.
Dan Wilson Craw - writing on the Left Foot Forward website - says: “Many of us who have tried finding a new place to live in the past couple of years have encountered horrendous exploitation at the hands of letting agents trying to wring every last drop of extra rent from the overheated market. Being asked to bid against other renters or offer multiple months’ rent up front is now commonplace.”
His article on the website - which describes itself as “a space for progressive ideas and values across and outside of parties” - the Generation Rent leader claims that thanks to high rents “young adults trying to start a career in a city are being turned away by landlords and letting agents and forced back to their parents’ homes, missing out on valuable opportunities at a pivotal time in their lives.”
Wilson Craw says landlords and agents can effectively name their price on rents and “threaten a Section 21 eviction” for existing tenants not wanting to pay, and he dismisses tribunal appeals because ”Section 21 trumps everything.”
He praises the nationalist government in Scotland for introducing a long-term system of rental control - now going through the Scottish Parliament - but is wary of Labour’s manifesto promises to enable tenants to challenge unreasonable rents.
He asks: “There is a huge question of what would constitute ‘unreasonable’. Surely, rent the tenant could not afford to pay, i.e. because their income had risen at a lower rate, would count – but it would be incredibly concerning if Labour’s commitment was simply to allow the existing tribunal system to step in once Section 21 goes, leaving the landlord’s ‘finger-in-the-air’ market rent as this benchmark instead.
“What would be fairer, and prevent renters needing to go through the extra bureaucracy of challenging rents, would be to place an annual limit on how much a landlord could raise the rent by, to the lower of wage growth or consumer price inflation. This would keep rents in line with affordability.”
He is also critical of Labour’s bid - just a few weeks ago - to amend the Conservative government’s ill-fated Renters Reform Bill to make landlords “advertise a single rent figure in advance and be prevented from creating or encouraging bids that exceed that price.”
Wilson Craw writes: “It’s not by any means ‘rent control’ because ultimately landlords would set the rent when they advertise a property. And it would only tackle one symptom of the overall shortage of homes which is creating a seller’s market that invites this exploitation in the first place. But it would stamp out the worst profiteering by letting agents, and give tenants assurance that a property that looks affordable will be worth applying for.”
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He had to go through all that? He should be angry with all previous governments in the last 40 years, as they did not spend a penny on building cheap public housing, using instead the public funds to build nuclear submarines and other weapons. Private Landlords have nothing to do with this situation, That's it.
None of these people will criticise Governments/Housing charities/quangos etc. Why? That is where they will "work" for their whole lives. He will never cut his nose off to spite his face. That's what we are dealing with.
Affordability is a standard calculation. Annual salary needs to be at least 30 times monthly rent to pass affordability checks.
A person working 37.5 hours a week on minimum wage @ £11.44 an hour earns £22308 a year and can therefore afford rent of £743 a month. A couple working full time can afford at least £1486 a month. Most people earn more than minimum wage so can afford more. In most parts of the country housing is significantly cheaper than that.
Has Dan Wilson Craw considered the fact that most letting agents and some landlords will recognise his name, do a quick Google search and decide he's potentially too much trouble? They have plenty of better applicants. Isn't it called due diligence? Property letting isn't just about accepting the first person who wants to give you money. It's also about long term harmony and consideration for housemates or neighbours.
What goes around…….
I wouldn't rent to him at any money
If he was paid, note I did not say earned, one hundred times the annual rent I would not rent to him. He claims to have experienced “horrendous exploitation” but gives no actual details.😠
Great post Jo
Yep I rent 3 bedroom flat for £650 a month and a2 bedroom for £600 a month ……. In sunny Bournemouth
I cant even be bothered to comment on this type of stupid crªp any more.
Who's daft enough to rent to him, when you do your tenant checks and he comes up as the chief twit of Generation Rant, you only have yourself to blame when he whines about the strength of the light bulb in the under stair cupboard.
I suggest he takes a trip to New York, the rules on Rent Freezes and eviction on a discretionary basis through the Rent Courts has resulted in absolute chaos.
Firstly supply has nose dived, existing properties are falling into disrepair and the banks when they foreclose are losing money as the property has not been maintained or trashed by the tenants. Any new properties that come on for rent have seen rises in the rent of up to 6 times. As a consequence local employers are having to raise wages and there by prices or simply relocate out of State. Coupled with New York's playing "Sanctuary City" - basically Dinghy immigration but by coach and you can now see why even the former lefty citizens are getting a little upset with the situation.
Yet here we are Labour making the same mistakes to the baying mob...
He sounds like a brave little soldier 😂, that poor guy, it’s akin to the trauma the brave souls met on the sands of Gold and Juno beaches during June 6th 1944 . What a wet 😱
He bangs on as though this is unique to the UK. Go to any major capitol city in the world and it's the same situation, and in the rare cases where there are rent controls, new tenants don't stand a chance because every tenant is hanging on to their rent controlled property like a limpet.
Or subletting it on the quiet!
Dan, the handyman so full of poo what did he ever do to help the housing situation only cause as much damage as possible. Was he celebrating 30 years of Section 21 or no one would have anywhere to rent, no it’s 36 years now where was he then maybe making a horse out of the dog. Hard to imagine he hates Tenants so much he’s contributing to making rents unaffordable, unavailable and driving landlords out, that’s fine put your name down on Social Housing waiting lists.
I have news for you Dan, the struggle is going to get worse because, despite Generation Rent poo-poohing the ‘idle threats’ of a landlord exodus, I am proof and a classic example. Today is actually my last working day in the PRS. Instead of blaming us, take a look at the bigger picture.
Here are some things I’ve said that I never dreamed I’d say:
“Sorry long-term, timely-paying, careful tenants - I have to let you know I won’t be renewing your contract”
(Because RRB has scared me out of the market and I’m selling up)
“Yes, absolutely you can leave several months early, with only 2 weeks notice to me” (Hoorah! Vacant possession before ‘Day One’ of Angela Rayners Section 21 policy)
“I realise it’s not a brilliant time to sell, dear Estate Agent, but I care not a jot!”
(I’m so relieved that I will get a real market price however sluggish - rather than taking a massive hit with a ‘sitting tenant’ or ‘sell-to-a-landlord’ handcuffs)
I’m really sad to completely give up, but I’m too old to gamble with my hard-earned nestegg, too cautious to take any chances on rent controls and too daunted by the onslaught of political punches to stay in.
I for one, know what a valuable, important and often thankless job most landlords do.
May common sense prevail so that you are all supported in the future.
Cheerio. Nic
Good luck Nic!
I think how you feel is how the majority of us feel.
Well done you. I'm slowly going in the same direction.
Well done Nic. Having the foresight and the gumption to go through with it takes ballz. But is eminently sensible, seeing the direction of travel the PRS is going in. Most of us are on the same journey as you, albeit at different stages.
Good Luck Nic in whatever you do with a lot less hassle..
Nic - Wishing you all the best for the future. There is no doubt that we have all been well and truly ‘screwed’.
The result of the Rent Reform bill has resulted in rents doubling.
All the private landlords with quality properties have now left the market.
The loss of section 24 and 21 make it not variable for private landlords anymore.
Good luck try to fine a council house. !!!
I don't use a letting agent and I have never rented at a higher figure than advertised. However it's called supply and demand. Supply has fallen for all the reasons we know about, and the only way those remaining can justify the hassle and cost of staying in this business is by raising rents. What hurts landlords also hurts tenants.
So he’s frustrated with the situation he helped create? lol
Horrendous exploitation, it’s market forces dear boy. Try booking a flight in the school holidays, same thing. He comes across as self entitled pr@&k, if it quacks like a duck…..
Dan sticks-in-your Craw will soon be claiming PTSD. I’d love to hear the agent’s/landlord’s version, IF they are brave enough to stick their heads above the parapet.🤔
I actually agree with him , my letting agents are worse than useless, cost me a small fortune and took over 40 viewings to let a maisonette of mine recently
Next time ill just handle it all myself
But did they get you a good tenant George? 1 good one out of 40 ain't bad
Dan the man sounds like the person who still lives with his mummy! Not woke up to the real world & how things work. Being a negative, self absorbed waste of space, thin king the world owes him everything! I had had a shed, he would not be welcomed! Its people like him that are giving Landlords a bad reputation/name. Then this class clown wonders why landlords get annoyed! Talk about S*%t for brains!
Maybe on reference checks, it should state are you link to the waste of space movement (Gen Rent). Then again a simple few questions will give you an idea if that tenant(s) are going to be a nightmare!
Did these people never learn about Supply and Demand curves?
Its a really simply explanation, and would answer their problems.
They complain about renting or buying in areas that are already overpopulated, and it being unfair, however, there are plenty of places to live, where house prices and rents are cheap.
In a world where the internet fairly rules our work, its not like you have to live and rent in Mayfair for example.
Stop blaming landlords and look at the system, however, you cannot build more properties in a place like Mayfair.
Total Tool,
I cannot be bothered adding anymore.
By the way rent increases just come through. Will put it into a legal fighting fund pot for when the Gngr Growler get her hands on PRS.
Perhaps he should directly contact the Build to Rent Corporates for a home!
Margaret, yes he should try Lloyds Bank. They have a large portfolio.
There is nothing wrong with young people living home and saving for their own property, rather than defaulting in paying rent to their lanlords. Dan seems to think the tenants are forced back to their parents by landlords and letting agents. What's wrong with that? Nobody is forcing the tenants. There are not sufficient properties to go around the growing demands. It will get a lot worse. Many Landlords are in their 60's and 70's and no appetite for bad tenants. false surmises by charities and the government, who do not wish to face the true facts of the PRS.
The homeless if you are looking for some where to stay try Carlton Gardens.
I believe its free the last squatter has moved out, no wonder he doesn’t like landlords he don’t like paying rent and I think Liz won’t mind.
So we have a tie Martin Hicks voted Mr Gove No. 1
Grumpy Doug gives it to George Osborne a close run contest not a lot in it.
I’ll give it to Mr Gove although there are other serious contenders, maybe because he lives at No.1, and for free so he should know all about the cost of renting (not) like all those other protagonists who are not landlord but think they know everything about what the landlord should be doing strange that which is why they are not landlords they haven’t a clue all talk.
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