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Activist group Generation Rent has produced a report in tandem with a trades union, focusing on key worker tenants - and it says “workers demand bolder solutions to the rental crisis.”
The report, produced with UNISON, is based on a series of ‘roundtable’ conversations conducted by Generation Rent and involving the union’s members. “All names have been changed to protect the participants’ identities” says the activist group.
The 28-page report consists largely of selected quotes from participants, and concentrates on what it claims to be a situation in which “landlords in England are able to easily evict their tenants with Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions or through unaffordable rent increases.”
It also says that: “A constant fear of being unfairly evicted and facing homelessness, huge proportions of wages going towards the rent, poor and dangerous conditions, and terrible treatment from people shirking their responsibilities as landlords and letting agents.”
And the union and activists say now is the time to listen to renters and “fight” - with a new government being the perfect opportunity.
The report makes eight recommendations, which follow long-standing Generation Rent demands:
1. Legislate to permanently ban Section 21 no-fault evictions, and improve stability for tenants by introducing open-ended, permanent tenancies, longer eviction notice periods, and safeguards to prevent tenants from being unfairly evicted from their homes when they are not at fault.
2. Introduce rent controls which work to address soaring rents and prevent ‘no- fault’ evictions carried out using rent increases.
3. Regulate the application process of new tenancies, including a ban on so-called ‘bidding wars’, which artificially inflate rents further.
4. Require private landlords to complete repairs within a statutory timeframe in accordance with new basic standards to make homes decent in the Private Rented Sector.
5. Adequately resource local councils and introduce a tougher and more comprehensive enforcement regime for councils against criminal landlords and letting agents.
6. Introduce a better benefits system which works not to discourage people from working more hours and supports tenants to pay the rent and cover other costs.
7. End the hostile environment policy, including Right to Rent checks and no recourse to public funds, which limit renters’ access to safe and secure homes.
8. End the Right to Buy in England, and build more genuinely affordable housing, especially council and social rented housing, to guarantee the availability of social housing for people on low to modest incomes, including retirees who struggle to afford private rents.
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Try having a go at criminal politicians , there's plenty of them
As usual, Generation rant tryng to whip up even more support with acccusations which are unproven and unsubstantiated, come on, how can you give any credence to a 'meeting' with anomymous members spouting such utter tripe!
Do they really think that their demands will encourage more investors into the PRS?. Basic economics Ben, supply and demand.
On the supply and demand front - right to rent checks prevent those illegally in the UK renting, those who it's illegal to employ - so won't be union members. If you introduce them into the legitimate rental market - more tenants chasing the same number of homes - how is this going to help? The union should be representing their members - who will be disadvantaged by this proposal.
Thing is Rob most of the right to rent goes out of the window when the council sublets the housing contract to a company. They are then renting the property and put whoever in it.
“All names have been changed to protect the participants’ identities” says the activist group. SO MADE UP THEN?
“conversations conducted by Generation Rent and involving the union’s members.”
SO A DISHONEST LEFTY ORGANISATION HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER LEFTIES WHO ALL WANT TO BE GET CONTROL OF SOMEONES ELSES’ ASSET, NO DOUBT FOREVER!
If they have the gusto to voice their comments - Stand up and be counted and put the names to it!
It's Ben Twomey. They are all his comments :)
If Labour give in to all the activists’ demands the whole rental sector will cease to exist. The Corporates will not accept most of these terms. If Labour introduce one set of laws for them and another set of laws for the rest of the PRS it will be highly discriminatory.
My guess is the corporates will get their way regardless of any colour of Gov.
We of course will continue to take a ‘kicking’.
The SNP survived a legal challenge when they discriminated between social housing and the PRS so anything is possible with Labour.
Some of that list very rarely applies outside London.
1 - Landlords do not routinely evict good tenants. Most of us hope they will stay a very long time. That doesn't mean we are happy to lose Section 21.
2 - Wages go up, benefits go up, prices go up, rent goes up. Like it or not rent is fairly closely linked to interest rates. While interest rates were low and stable millions of PRS tenants went years without a rent increase. Now mortgage rates have increased by more than 300% rent has gone up a bit.
3 - Bidding wars are a myth.
4 - Repairs should be done in a timely fashion but we aren't magicians. We get let down by tradespeople. I've been trying to book a day with a local property maintenance company since April. They did a day of useful stuff and measured up for the next session. That was promised to be in May. It was eventually booked in for late June and then they cancelled less than 24 hours before the day as the chap they had scheduled left the company. It's currently supposed to be July but no date has been given. That's how a well established local company with a good reputation and multiple staff is behaving.
5 has awkward consequences. If the Councils find things they have to act and that may involve finding alternative accommodation for the affected tenants. Some of those affected tenants are likely to be the people no compliant, legitimate landlords would agree to house. I'm not condoning it but I have a feeling Councils know exactly what they're doing on this subject.
6 - The benefit and tax systems both need to be changed so there is a point to working more hours.
7 - Right to Rent checks are finally becoming sensible. Any person legally entitled to be in the country shouldn't have a problem passing Right to Rent checks. The share code system for international applicants has been working perfectly for quite some time. The UK applicants IDVT checks can be a bit glitchy but are getting better.
8 - Social rents are too cheap, especially as some of the tenants earn very good salaries. LHA should be the minimum Social Housing providers charge. There's no valid reason for anything below that for housing that is supposed to be both secure and well maintained. The reason some of it currently isn't well maintained is because the rent is ludicrously low. In many respects Right to Buy has enabled Social Housing providers to avoid their maintenance responsibilities. It's often been more cost effective to sell a property than carry out the extensive refurbishment it would require to bring it up to the standards Councils have imposed on themselves.
If some one started bidding the rent up I would smell a rat, that person wouldn't ever become a tenant of mine
A very reasoned and logical response thank you for saying what I was thinking Jo.
Jo - your extensive understanding of the rental sector and our profession never fails to impress me.
Frances - As I have said before a new Landlord Association needs to be set up with Jo at the helm.
You have answered all the points so well. Unfortunately, Generation Rent and any unions will ignore your well reasoned response because it doesn't fit with their beliefs.
The heart of many issues is the fact that there is no regulation of the industry - anyone can set up as a letting agent without any specialised knowledge or compliance with the law. No good letting agent encourages "bidding" war and no good letting agent wants to manage properties that are not compliant.
Regulate letting agents so that both LL and tenants understand that property management is a "profession". Regulate LL through either their contract with a letting agent or an scheme so that "rogue landlords" simply can not operate within the sector. Make it a criminal offence to carry out the business of letting without either using a registered letting agent or being a registered LL.
That would help professionalise the industry and help to remove the small number of bad landlords that we all know work within the industry and the media love to publicise.
S S
Propertymark and their collaborators, have written to the new Government, in the form of Darth Rayner, calling on them to legislate the regulation of residential property agents.
First they came for lettings agents. The next logical step is landlords must either used a qualified agent or be qualified to the same standard. Another expense for agents, and/or landlords which will be passed onto tenants. Then they will complain about rent rises.
Be careful what you wish for.
Bidding wars are a myth? You might want to let the estate agents know around here, who invite 50 people to view a property all at the same time without telling anyone. I know this because IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME MULTIPLE TIMES. A myth indeed 😂 just goes to show the state of some of the people commenting on here. Absolutely clueless.
Very sensible commentary Jo. I held rents stable for years when the BofE base rate was steady. In capital terms some of my mortgages have now increased 4fold since Liz Truss crashed the economy. That isnt something I can pass onto a tenant!
I also rely on tenants to tell me about problems with their flats, then I can solve them.
Even with section 21 it can still take years and a heavy cost to get back a flat.
Nocola
Cabn you, or anyone else, expkain to me just how Liz Truss crashed the economy when none of her policies were put into practice.
As I understand it, the money men objected to here policies and ensured she was toppled. So if anyone is to blame, surely it is the money men?
Usual mindless drivel from Generation Rant.
The consequences of this wish list are quite simple, Landlords will have no choice but to sell up. Yippee! I hear these groups claim, however when they can't relocate for a new job, they find out that owning a home is not just the cost of the mortgage, but all those pesky repairs become yours to deal with.
They claim Landlords always claim they'll sell up, but let's face it without the Right to Rent and presumably Financial Checks you are akin to giving your car keys to the first person you see at the Bus stop and asking them to bring it back when they've finished...even if they don't have a Driving Licence, but if they crash it's still your fault.
This madness if followed through will create the worst housing crisis in history.
John,
Relocate for a new job? Complaining about landlords IS their job. 😠 As for the ordinary members, I suspect most of them get their money from the national handbag.😉
This is hardly going to encourage either good or long term landlords in the PRS sector ! Use the PRS as the council house sector whilst Govt continues to sell council houses off at huge discounts to sitting tenants (if you dont win the lotto - get a council house)
They all seem to think that private properties are the responsibilty of the state and not personal assets of private owners, who have rights as owners and should free to do as they wish with their own property.
Whenever I hear the words "criminal landlords" I think of the Prohibition analogy (apologies as I'm repeating myself). In the 20s and early 30's, America introduced Prohibition. Overnight all the legal booze providers went out of business or relocated. However the US population still needed their booze so the criminal gangs stepped in and filled the void. Safety standards didn't exist, taxes weren't paid, and the criminals basically laughed at the authorities as they were providing something that the general population needed.
Sound familiar? Of course it does - that's rapidly becoming the state of the rental sector in the UK. The govt has driven decent landlords out of business, the criminals have stepped in to fill the void (people still need to live somewhere), and now Gen Rant and Co are having a right old moan about a situation they helped to create! Sorry you lot - you created it, you fix it. And good luck because as with Prohibition, the nasty criminals will just laugh at you and all the govt cronies that you mingle with.
Councils won't really want to get involved as they don't have any accommodation, so there'll be the occasional high profile prosecution, but by and large the criminals will get away with it. As for the banning of S21, they will just use nasty chaps with baseball bats to enforce rent collection and evictions. Again, they don't care.
Unforeseen consequences? Nope, totally predictable.
Jo. Well said nice to see the truth for a change.
I know it’s different in London it’s far worse.
Especially when we have the costs of licensing and Compliance 18 years prior to many other parts outside London now
thinking of their first.
In general we never want to evict anyone and the longer they stay the better but not as enforced sitting Tenants.
However we are the owners and it has to be our decision not the Tenants, so Section 21 has to stay or Collapse the Housing Market and enjoy the Recession again.
Before this attack on PRS by Government & Councils Rents were affordable and accommodation available.
They made a Complete mess of Social Housing then set their sights on destroying us, they couldn’t put their own house in order as confirmed by the Ombudsman disgraceful how they look after their own stock, but too wiling ready & able to land landlords so big penalties fines & Court Costs for similar situations.
THE RENTER REFORM BILL in to reform Tenants by robbing them and reward them with paying 20/30% more good one that, that should make sure they’ll have no hope of saving to buy their own but to get them to swallow that farce tell them they can be sitting Tenants ?.
So they can’t afford to buy or would they want to buy when there’s another way of occupying a property forever.
Would you buy Cows when the milk is free.
It's a manifesto for me to sell-up.
Why are rents increasing? When you can answer that question correctly then maybe only then by adopting the right tax and red tape policies rents may come down
Criminal landlords on the increase because that will soon be the only way to be a landlord, there is a demand for criminal landlords because they will be the only landlords prepared to rent to a certain kind of tenant, didn't pay the rent this month expect a visit from a large guy with a baseball bat in hand
I suggest they implement 6 and 8 first. Then have another think about why rents are so high and why landlords are selling up.
What about criminal tenants?!!
We also have to remember Generation Rant make their money from harping on about how bad the PRS is. They would be out of a job if Labour created their Utopian world!
Everyone knows why Rents are high because the Authorities decided to load on endless costs deliberately making renting unaffordable while taking millions off private landlords to clear the way for Corporate and institutions to take over.
Plus Section 24
As Jo says, Section 24. I still get local landlords calling me wondering why their tax bills just keep skyrocketing upwards (I stood up in a local NLA meeting back in 2015 and tried to explain to the audience how S24 was going to ruin the sector). A truly nasty and vindictive tax measure that can be fiendishly difficult to get the measure of by those that don't "do numbers"
How about Generation Rant investing in properties to house the social tenants. Put their donations where their mouth or mouse and keyboard is moving?They cannot see outside the box, they only think of ranting at the private landlords, whi are there with their private investment and keeping up to the standards required by legislation and charging rent accordingly. They need to have some returns after paying interest, maintenance and administration of the property. These returns often goes towards works to be done after the tenants leave or paying some capital to reduce loans. Gen Rant needs to practice what they preach, rather than moving their fingers on the mouse and the keyboard.
There was an interesting article a couple of days ago about how Barratts are struggling to find Housing Associations to buy the affordable housing they are forced to build. Apparently HAs are spending loads on overdue maintenance since Awaabs law came in so they haven't got any money to buy the houses the government has insisted are built as Social. Perhaps Shelter and Generation Rent should set up as HAs and solve multiple problems?
Jo,
Your last sentence nearly had me spitting out my cup of tea! 🤣
The idea of Shelter and Generation Rant putting their money where their mouths are is a good one. They could show the rest of us how it should be done! 😉 If only a journalist would ask them that question, we could enjoy watching them wriggle and squirm explaining WHY they could not do it. 😂
Some the worst cases of damp and neglect reported are Councils and Housing Associations. Why don’t they start there. I forgot we are meant to be the bad guys.
Section 21 should stay. The one time I gave notice on a tenant I gave 4 months notice and charged rent up to their leaving day. This or something similar would be far more sensible than a total ban. Permanent tenancies would only work for me if I could triple the rent, because I would have to write the cost of the house off after a number of years when, with a sitting tenant, it would be next to worthless (of course at these rates the tenant would buy anyway). There are a few tweaks that could be made to improve things for tenants, but that is all that is required, anything more and the market is dead.
Of course common sense and what is good for tenants is not the real issue for Gen Rant, the real issue is the 'wealthy' landlords living off the backs of the their comrades in the poor downtrodden working (or maybe not) classes.
What a load of nonsense, the unions want want want. Now talking about striking if the current PM does not dig deep into the public coffers.
Gen Rant spouting the usual bllx, they should be held to account for the rhetoric they use and made to prove the claims they make.
On a lighter note, Crazy Jim my tenant who has been with me since I bought a place has just agreed a rent increase and I quote the following
'' I know you have been very fair to me with rent over the years and I could not get anywhere else like this which I am thankful and grateful. It is appreciated''
I increased it for a two bedroom ground floor flat with a garden from 350pcm to 400pcm, his first rent increase since 2008. I am still 50% of the market rent behind but making sure he is alright is something both me and my business partner take seriously.
Do you think Gen Rant will want to quote me or does it not fit the narrative?
"All names have been changed to protect the participants’ identities" - Why would you do this if you're saying something you genuinely believe in? Personal accountability helps keep you level-headed and to say only things that you are happy to stand by. Anonymity encourages you to say inflammatory things you'd be ashamed of if anyone knew it was you, and these statements should not be given any publicity.
I think Generation Rent should have a go at Mathew Pennycrook their favourite Labour MP. Apparently he has objected to a high rise block of flats being built in his area as he deems these flats “highly inappropriate “. Another case of do as I say not what I do! Anyone else objecting to housing being built would be called a nimby.
Yes all Private landlords class as Criminals
now, it used be a Civil Matter but that wouldn’t stitch us up enough so changed that to criminal Law much bigger fines etc. Anyway I have other things to deal with right now everyone knows it’s McDonalds 50th Anniversary but not many knows its our Golden Wedding Jubilee tomorrow s well on the day England 🏴 played in the World Cup how cool is that.
I know many of you have a bee in your bonnet about Section 24 and rightly so but spare a thought I was paying it for years before the words or this so called legislation was invented, imagine that I never had interest only loans but Re-payment loans which required the tax paying on the repayment and not deductible, please tell me what’s the difference to Section 24. I might well feel aggrieved.
Households of Residential Mortgages has M.I.A.S relief at least.
I don’t know why are still hiding behind the bush come out and be counted instead of staying quiet hoping others will fight your battles for you.
2816 of you read this Article today yet 97% gave no response, what’ the matter with you, you read it and know the damage they are doing to us, offer some defend at least .
This actually would work if anyone can stump up around £3trn of private money.
Nicola. I will be first to agree Section 21 is no easy route and always takes months and longer at huge Court Costs always thousands to be legally represented or do it yourself and they’ll throw it out for any excuse, also very likely the rent payments stops as well, yet they don’t even want us to have that much it’s incredible.
I agree with A L, Liz Truss wasn’t in the job long enough to do anything just a fall guy, Rishi wasn’t much different and reinstalling that other clown that caused everything.
Rishi was just a dirty back stabber I'm pleased he's gone but of course Starmer is worse
The thing is they have made the complexity of the Administration so impossible and time consuming unless you have everything preprogrammed and computerised like Estate Agents ordinarily traditional landlords haven’t a hope of dealing with it. It can’t be anything to do with providing homes for people all bull- sugar.
So you employ an Agent to find the Tenants and run the Business for you, great, well not really the owner is always the responsible person regardless, the buck stops with you
3 times in the last 4 years we have had to issue Section 31 on tenants the first one cost us thousands with solicitors and the last 2 under £500. As did all the paperwork myself and we lost thousands in lost rent all because the council told the tenants to stay until the bailiffs came knocking section 21 is not worth all the hassle best to stick to section 8
I gave tenants on two properties S21 notices and they just ignored them, so ended up having to go down the S8 route eventually.
Section 21 was never meant to be a Court Case at all only as a last resort when Tenants are in breach of of Contract which they clearly are when they didn’t vacate as per Contract or sign for a further term or go Periodic by month by month by mutual agreement if rent was paid monthly but the Councils decided to frustrate the law by telling them to breach by staying put, because they don’t want them but intend to force PRS to do their job to provide Social Housing.
So the head- line of the 12th by Generation Rent & Trade Unions portray landlords as Criminals.
When I checked before 2816 had read but 97% made no response, now I see it’s gone up to over 5’000. and the response is even less about 2.5%. Stand up and be counted, what’s the plan sit there reading to see what happens and then wonder why it did.
After reading this, I think Generation Rant must be run by people that are on benefits and don't want to work and get free housing, etc paid for the tax payers.
I know people that don't want to work more hours as they would loose benefits.... When will the government wake up ans smell a scam.
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