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Saul Smart

Proprietor

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About Me

Portfolio landlord

my expertise in the industry

Been around since 1991 building a successful portfolio from scratch

Saul's Recent Activity

My sentiments exactly. The years of persistent unwarranted daily attacks on landlords combined with a lack of justice for us has certainly affected both mine and my families mental health and well-being and continues to.

From: Saul Smart 04 April 2024 11:58 AM

Is this really going to change any short term let landlord away from short term letting? Or will the response be just to increase their charges? I know what my first reaction would be if I was a short term letting landlord and it wouldn't be to change my business model! Just a tenant tax on the short term tenant just like the tenant tax they imposed on our long term tenants.

From: Saul Smart 03 March 2024 12:08 PM

Does he ever give it a rest with his tiresome nonsense?

From: Saul Smart 16 February 2024 13:55 PM

Totally agree with what you are saying there but... I have a policy of no guarantor no tenancy. And that applies to all my tenants (at one time I would have said all tenants, working or not, (but i don't take dss anymore) even though I have to waste both their time and mine because I cant say no dss in the ad of course. The guarantor agreement indemnifies the inventoried condition as well as rent arrears.

From: Saul Smart 25 July 2023 13:06 PM

Cost's are an eyewatering £890 in Nottingham where I'm licensed. £640 is a bargain by comparison. But why do the scheme costs vary so wildly? A few miles down the road in another council area the scheme costs £340🤷‍♂️

From: Saul Smart 18 July 2023 16:11 PM

Thi news will not cause me to change my direction of getting out of a 40+ property portfolio built over 30 years. At best this news is only a short term respite for landlords (and tenants), before labour take power and make our anti landlord 'non Conservative' Conservative government look like pussycats.

From: Saul Smart 09 May 2023 20:05 PM

I'm the same. In 30 years I have never put rents up on good existing tenants as effectively a 'loyaltybonus', only raising them on turnover. It has worked has worked well for me as a business model for decades. However in hindsight its obvious I should have started putting up rents annually with the extra government imposed costs around 7 years ago. All my rents are now being lifted by 20% (still under market value) and will continue to be annually increased from here on. Well done government, you have done a great job in helping my tenants. Oh and a detailed letter from me accompanying the sec13 leaves the tenant in no doubt who is to blame. I cannot keep absorbing government imposed costs.

From: Saul Smart 31 January 2023 11:04 AM

I have nottingham houses. This is the question myself and many others have asked since day 1 of tge scheme. Some very clever people have tackled Notts council over this but they outright refuse to give justification of how this income is spent. And look at the figures for ll's- I was charging £600pcm and get £900 SL fee. £1500 in oxford and £480 fee. And tenants and co wonder why rents are rising? My tenants have been made aware of 'my costs go up and it's passed on to end user principle'. They get it - how come gov and 'helpful charities' don't??

From: Saul Smart 23 November 2022 09:49 AM

Understand and agree with the sentiments, I feel the same. But that leaves the question as to the alternative parties- is Labour going to he a better bet for us lls? Somehow I don't see it.

From: Saul Smart 26 October 2022 10:58 AM

No you can still let without an epc C. You have to spend 10k per property towards achieving it then claim an exemption. Hardly a pleasant pill to swallow when a lot of the epc improvement stuff isn't realistic anyway.

From: Saul Smart 18 October 2022 09:07 AM

Yes the B by 2030 has been a little heard of proposition thats been out there for a long time. Think not a lot has been said and we just haven't thought much of it since we're all still thinking about achieving C's and if it will ever get put into law- has been two years they've had us in limbo and the 2025 deadline (if left at 2025) is looming large

From: Saul Smart 18 October 2022 09:03 AM

Completely agree. But GE now or at the end of the term the net result willbe the same. Labour in and this disgrace of a Conservative government out. Landlords get ready for the lynch mob. Thanks boris, thanks Liz and thankyou the idiotic Conservative members that voted for the ridiculous proposals that she campaigned on. Done us all some real good.... not!

From: Saul Smart 17 October 2022 13:58 PM

Completely agree. As a landlord with a large portfolio of 1910-1920 terraces that I put into D's in the late noughties/ early teens (when the epc said more than a D was not even achievable by the way), no prospective tenant gives a flying fig on the epc. I've got a queue a mile long if I list a property. And until it gets off a white paper I am doing nothing more. Come 2025-2028 my none Cs will be sold

From: Saul Smart 12 October 2022 09:34 AM

Didn't I read yesterday that the Welsh assembly are looking at following suit? Where does it stop? My rent rises are going in now just in case it's a move that gains momentum across the uk. As a backdrop to this my rents are a long way under market value. I have absorbed the costs over the last 7 years that should have been passed on- sec24, selective licensing etc etc and also assisted every one of my tenants through the covid crisis who needed it- even though the government didn't support us to do it- actually the gov threw us under the bus on that one. Hate to do it and hate the timing but with the future attack threats on the horizon- epc c, greater powers to renters etc- I am left with no choice but to send out the sec13s

From: Saul Smart 06 October 2022 09:20 AM

Chris, out of interest do you think the government and anti landlord cronies will ever see this housing crisis as one of their own making? And if they do, do you think we have any chance of them acting in the right way to correct it or alternatively act to scapegoat us further? I have been (naively) waiting for the last seven years or so for them to see and correct their errors. As I say I am perhaps very naive!

From: Saul Smart 03 October 2022 09:56 AM

From: Saul Smart 03 October 2022 08:23 AM

Mortgage or no mortgage, I think you are suffering from a serious case of short memory syndrome. We have been attacked and battered by higher costs- sec24, selective licensing, eicrs and loads of other red tape burdens to name but a few over the last 7 years as well as the threats of massive epc c costs looming. I have always had a policy over the last 30 years of not increasing rents whilst tenants are in situ, taking the financial hits myself. As I say mortgage or no mortgage this has to change. I can't run a business in 2022 in this environment on 2012 rents. 'Simples' really. 'Come on!' indeed.

From: Saul Smart 03 October 2022 08:16 AM

Been at it since 1992 so remember taper relief (as well as index linking) very well. The forever moving goalposts against the landlord nicely in play

From: Saul Smart 23 September 2022 15:42 PM

Ditto here. I've got a few to stick on right now during my downsizing operation. Hopefully keep the sales market a bit more buoyant for longer with the interest rate/ cost of living drag kicking in. As for my remaining tenants the enjoyment of my well below market rents are going to have to be pushed up. Government policy over last 7 years has forced push to go to shove

From: Saul Smart 23 September 2022 15:38 PM

I've been adopting your policy for the last two years. Just got two properties coming empty that would be uneconomical to make into a C so they going on the market. Took 30 years to build a large portfolio and now dismantling it.

From: Saul Smart 06 September 2022 09:23 AM

I'm with you (apart from the wales thing). Gradually selling my portfolio bit by bit as time goes on after 30 years in business. Can't be doing with the ever moving goal posts, the villianisation of responsible landlords, the degrading of our already low rights and punitive taxation. I've been doing it as houses become empty but now am looking at eviction to sell. I am so sorry for all my good tenants who will suffer but I've had enough

From: Saul Smart 02 August 2022 10:44 AM

Well as a landlord of 42 properties for 30 years thats the only reason I've needed to take to the courts since 2013. I've historically done very few evictions when you consider thecsize and yrars. My latest eviction involved a woman who just refused to pay or communicate during the pandemic as she knew there was nothing I could do. Finally in court last week where she owed 35 months of rent and the judge ruled in my favour obviously I got a call from the homeless officer at the council she later presented to to clarify the facts from me. The officer said she had never seen a case so bad and there was no way they were rehousing her. Do the do-gooders take account of these massive losses when spouting homeless figures and the inability of to service their portfolio as they would like when the money isn't coming in and spouting lower standards than they'd like?

From: Saul Smart 02 August 2022 10:38 AM

As an electrician I wouldn't disagree with your statement. I would say thats one example of upgrades to the 18th edition standards that weren't retrospectively required by law. However BS7671 can be a very onerous standard to meet and in reality a lotwhat is considered dangerous under BS7671 is actually just common sense safe that we have lived with for multi decades without issue. Electricians legitimately pointing out deviations that cant be seen and don't affect the consumers ability to use a plug or switch, often bear the brunt of unhappy customers claiming we are ripping them off. When in fact we are just complying with OTT regulation. But we are accountable. One of the reasons I stopped doing EICRs for landlords early on in the gov's program. Too much aggro for an honest man. Any of this sounding a little similar to the landlord game we in??!

From: Saul Smart 02 August 2022 10:24 AM

Whilst I agree with all of the above sentiments I indeed have attempted this right to buy approach with my tenants (including a sizable discount looking to somehow get a gifted deposit through the back door) as I want to drastically resize and reconstruct my by business model to limit my exposure to this toxic environment after 30 years in the business (20odd of them being happy until this ll bashing started) And guess what!! Out of 42 properties not one of them are in a position to buy the house they live in and not one of my offers taken up even with a deposit effectively paid!! "They would like to keep on renting from me if thats ok?" By the way their rents are below market rents too. They will never be in a position to buy. And I provide good quality but 'affordable' homes in the midlands and Yorkshire where house prices are extremely reasonable. Now I'm faced with having to evict good tenants to sell to secure myself against the govs agendas. Is this really helping solve 'the housing crisis? Putting tenants out onto the streets (they cant afford the market rents) whilst giving ftb the chance to buy up the housing stock? I suppose in 'la la land' where these people have their heads it is seeing as they keep dreaming up these non-sensicle schemes.

From: Saul Smart 29 July 2022 07:46 AM

Ha! Talk about trying to talk up a situation in an attempt to influence the outcome. I'd really like to see the sampling they used to produce the 'statistics'- remembering the old saying 'there's lies, damn lies then there's statistics'. Im a portfolio landlord of 42 properties now (reduced over the immediate years) and 30 years- I keep my eyes very focused on all the landlord news and influences underpinning ll decisions. I don't see this bunkham they report being recorded in other reports or sentiments i read. Yes there are people that always are late to the party and regret it- watched it for decades. My only regret is that I couldn't sell more faster before this market cools and I'm left more exposed than I'd like in this toxic business.

From: Saul Smart 25 July 2022 10:39 AM

They want us to fit all the government's and tenant's groups attacks spanning back to Osborne's 2015 parting shot in 2015 that have severely adversely affected the PRS as well as the new proposals effect in less than 3,000 words?? And to be able to make understandable justifications that a schoolboy could understand- tho the aforementiond groups couldn't understand both with foresight and hindsight? Impossible- it's a waste of my time seeing as they have already made their minds up anyway and at best are paying lip service to us. Watering down changes to commonsense levels and being seen to be supportive of landlords is a vote loser. Better things to do with my time than talk to people who have no intention of listening

From: Saul Smart 22 July 2022 08:21 AM

I agree with your first two paragraphs completely- that is exactly the position I find myself in now. The only difference is that with 42 properties in my portfolio currently I am and have been offloading a few over the last couple of years whilst awaiting the final result of the changes in order to mitigate the effects of the deluge of properties hitting the market all at the same time come the time the government actually hits the 'prs destruct button'

From: Saul Smart 15 July 2022 07:19 AM

I personally am not a fan of the heat pump. But that is mainly due to the nature of the UK housing stock not being suitable to take them. I have 42 properties and have no intention of fitting any to mine... unless someone puts a gun to my head. A lot of mine are unsuitable anyway. A friend of mine (we both been in the trades for over 30 years) emigrated to Latvia in January this year. The heat pump is very popular and very effective there. Having watched my friend 'self build' his house over the last five years you realise that the heatpump is very effective... but only when you build the entire house around the technology. The very construction of the building itself is built around having a heat pump. The walls are so thick, filled with insulation in the middle and heavily cladded on the out. The roof is heavily insulated too not just the loft. The floors up and down are wet underfloor heated with the ground floor heavily insulated. Radiators- not a chance. He has properties here and he laughs at the very idea of retro fitting our victorian and early 1900s housing stock.

From: Saul Smart 13 July 2022 19:25 PM

Thats been my feeling entirely throughout the last couple of years this 'debarcle' started. No measures until the epc, gives sufficient detail, is fit for purpose and of course until it becomes law- let's not allow our short memories to foget this government is one of bluster and u turns. In preparation though I have however sold a number of my properties (im sorry to add to the rental demand crisis but after 30 years of being a portfolio lanlord I need to protect myself). Government policy proving successful in the housing crisis again eh??

From: Saul Smart 14 June 2022 09:12 AM

@ Jo Westlake. Your third paragraph is the whole point of why repealing section 21 is not necessary. In 30 years of letting and a 40 property portfolio I have never evicted a tenant for 'no reason'- there has always been a reason and I have still paid a heavy price. It just doesn't make sense. It costs money to turn the property over and is a great deal of hassle I can do without. Why can everyone else with any degree of commonsense see this and the loony politicians and antti landlord brigade can't?

From: Saul Smart 21 May 2022 07:58 AM

I totally agree with the points you have both made and it is why I made the decision to do nothing until I 'know where the goalposts are'. Normally when new measures are introduced I like to be ahead of the game but on this one it's impossible.

From: Saul Smart 13 May 2022 12:42 PM

You have taken the words right out of my mouth! The 'powers that be' create problems that didn't exist and then complain about the unintended yet predictable consequences! Anyone remember 'Thats Life' with esther rantzen? The last 7 years of letting is something that could be featured in the programmes final 'unbelievable but true' story!

From: Saul Smart 14 April 2022 11:22 AM

In my 30 years of being in the business I have NEVER let any of my properties on a 'first come first served basis' and none of the landlords I am associated with has either-as is being put forward. I have always had a brief telephone interview with them before I even agree to a viewing. Hear the answers, read between the lines both at pre viewing and after viewing, then make a decision over the next few days as to who would be most suited and to stay long term- I hate short termers.

From: Saul Smart 14 April 2022 11:14 AM

I'm fully in agreement with you and the other respondent to your contribution. I had been pouring hours of time and worry into the existing EPCs on my portfolio to work out how I can achieve a C financially in the timescale since it first was raised in 2020- I have lots of 1910 builds. My wife convinced me to standback and wait. No point in throwing money in now- it doesn't even count to your 10k cap at this point. The epc system isn't fit for purpose and this is the government of ever changing goalposts and u turns so who knows. My way is to be ahead of the game by nature but on this it's a sit back and wait. Apart from selling a few that is- which is more to do with the overall landlord assault than specifically EPC. 30 years in the business and 48 properties- time to drop a few- I'm tired of the gov assaults

From: Saul Smart 04 March 2022 11:02 AM

Yes I have also looked at becoming a DEA. Not that I particularly want to run it as a business, but I see it as a small investment so I can actually see the details that are pertinent to whether I can upgrade my portfolio sensibly priced or sell. I have a lot of Victorian terraces on my books. As someone else commented 'how come we always start with digging up concrete floors?' Costs multi thousands and gains about 2 points. Hardly a game changer. Same with solar thermal hot water. And have you noticed the new .gov epc register doesn't actually tell you the points for each measure anymore? Just a summary of all the limited measures they put forward? Glad I've got paper copies of the old format on file! It really seemsxas if they want to make it harder to improve not easier.

From: Saul Smart 08 February 2022 14:13 PM

I'm with you completely, but could I just add that my understanding is that is not for ALL landlords. It is for the PRS only. Then look at the stats- out of all rentals the PRS makes up 20% and the social sector the remaining 80%. So if you choose to differentiate between hitting all landlords then why not start with the 80%- isn't that just simple logical reasoning that that is going to have the most significant impact. For those that haven't already, it's time to 'wake up and smell the coffee' that the government has been looking to diminish/ finish off the PRS for many years. This approach just helps them achieve their objective. It's really as simple as that.

From: Saul Smart 12 January 2022 10:11 AM

Pity the NRLA don't do much at all to support their paying members at all. We were sold out by them years ago in favour of their money making training courses etc. Not so much a representative organisation anymore as a for profit money spinning organisation

From: Saul Smart 24 December 2021 17:55 PM

Been in the process of selling loads of mine recently over the short to medium term regardless of interest rates- as I'm sure many others are- but the interest rate thing might be the proverbial straw for many others who weren't. Been in the business since 1991 before the term BTL even existed and built a substantial portfolio. But todays PRS bears no resemblance to the commonsense and fairer times we had back then- tho it wasn't perfect- no rose tinted glasses here. But remember a straightforward S21 without strings, no DPS, no EPC's, no punitive income taxes, licensing , fines and tenants that didn't either blatantly or latently hate you because of the media lies and vilification we now suffer as being rogues and fat cats? And thats just to name but a few things off the top of my head. New epc requirements and getting rid of gas looming tipped me over the edge. I thought I was in it for life even toughing out the cr*p- hardcore style but enough. Shame selling now isn't like before though- remember taper relief on your cgt that ran on a sliding scale from 5- 10 years? And reasonable cgt in first place? Same gov that asked us to pick up the housing batton is now smashing us round the head with it. Enough. Just the building up over 30 years is going to take a while to dismantle again!

From: Saul Smart 17 December 2021 19:41 PM

I agree with your sentiments in not swapping to a heat pump and your general observations. I'm avoiding them like the plague but with other objections as well as yours. But I don't understand why your heat pump won't supply hot water?? You wouldn't have to retain a boiler though- a cylinder with immersion heater would sort your hot water needs- and it is this cylinder that the heatpump should service in the first place though. Yes heat pumps are a form of 'low temp' heating- your rads wont get as warm as from your gas boiler so rad sizes need to be looked at and upsized for any given room (unless they just happen to have been oversized in the first place).

From: Saul Smart 06 November 2021 16:27 PM

I concur with all the above. Its just a very basic commonsense concept that the powers that be cannot seem to grasp. I have been in this business since 1991. Longest serving tenant 17 years- gone into supported housing a few years ago through age and choice. Current longest in place tenant been in since 2005. More than a dozen tenants with me at moment that are at 12 and 13 years and lots of tenants with me presently at 5 and 6 years. These people have no fear for their security of tenure- pay the rent, look after the propertty and be right with me (including reporting issues asap so i can get them dealt with)- thats all I ask. I dont look to interfere in their lives or look to be their life coach. I have done a number of evictions over 30 years but this is when a tenant has become totally untenantlike and wont address it haven been given many opportunities (mainly not paying the rent, trashing the property and ducking me). I dont feel I have been unreasonable on that seeing as Im the one that ends up with all the grief of a multi thousand bill for repair and rent loss whilst these get rehoused with impunity. I've sold 2 properties- one to another landlord with tenants left in situ, and one when the tenants have vacated this year. Whenever a property turns over now I look at possibly selling. I've had enough basically so rationalizing down rather than a full exit. Doesn't help the rentsl supply/demand ratio and i sympathise but my hands been forced for self preservation. Justcanother example of the powers that be making situations they're looking to address worse as they have been very successful at over recent years

From: Saul Smart 04 November 2021 08:22 AM

Don't these statistics have a simple explanation? HMRC give an 'amnesty' for non-compliant landlords. In the first year they have a large take up and revenue is large as a lot want to 'come clean'. In subsequent years the non-compliant landlords are now compliant (to a larger degree -no system is perfect in any business sector), therefore we have less non compliant landlords 'putting their hands up' because the greater amount are now compliant. Therefore it would follow that the 'windfall' income rises that they have enjoyed won't be sustained? Isn't this as the television advertisement says 'Simples'? If I'm missing something im happy to be put right.

From: Saul Smart 22 July 2021 08:04 AM

All the comments and discussions re the value of how fabulous certain letting agents are is all fine and dandy and im glad for all of you that are in love with your agents . But correct me if I am wrong- I thought the original post was about wanting a certain level of information provided in advertisements?? I see one post so far addressing this and this is from a tenant (presumably) about how they view information in adverts. I would just simply like to know what information the bodies are looking for- there appears to be no mention of it in the OP as far as I can see?

From: Saul Smart 22 April 2021 18:37 PM

I'd personally avoid inviting the council into my properties period. Im sure many readers have similar views on trusting councils that only seem to want to work against us. If an owner wishes to gain assistance in such a way then there are plenty of charitable organisations out there operating in the same manner. They will fill your properties almost immediately (waiting list a mile long), support the tenant through the relocation, helping support the sorting of utilities to ensuring any UC is directed to the landlord (one of their big selling points is they can guarantee UC to landlord if its a claimant- which is most likely). However my very limited experiments of these organisations (them having approached me through my adverts) have found the organisations 'wanting' shall we say. Better to dig in and get on with it yourself than trying the seemingly easy route.

From: Saul Smart 01 March 2021 09:18 AM

I fully agree with the points in the article as in- too much too soon, the ability to shift old housing stock into a C from a D from an E takes very expensive measures such as solar pv, external or internal wall insulation etc costing multi £1000s per property (I've done some already and it ain't cheap!) Also agree- too much too soon when had hell on earth safely accessing properties over the last year for EICR requirements with covid- nightmare that isn't over yet with this 2nd massive covid peak. The funding for grants for energy performance measures is a joke and so far applications I put in in September haven't been 'vouchered' by the government yet. By the way have we forgotten about the white paper to outlaw gas boilers for heating by 2033? Thats a massive corker and needs to be factored in the epc planning now before taking any measures (landlords will need deep pockets!). So clarification on the whole package 'holistically' is necessary not a 'bit at a time' approach. In regard to the above comments I have found the same- in 28 years of landlording with 38 properties since the epc scheme came in (2007ish?) an epc has never been an issue asked for or raised by a tenant. However that still doesn't alter the fact we have to stop pumping megatons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere for climate change and environmental reasons nothing to do with benefitting tenants heating costs. We have signed up to the Paris agreement which obligates us too. What we need is breathing space and a sensible timescale with proper assistance- like it or not these measures are necessary and at some point soon will go forward regardless of the arguments surrounding 'tenants don't care.' Sorry but thats the harsh reality

From: Saul Smart 21 January 2021 09:40 AM

Lets live in the real world please- in every trade and indeed in every walk of life you are going to find dishonourable people that want to take you for a ride and rip you off if they can get away with it. Lets not be naive

From: Saul Smart 13 January 2021 21:49 PM

All the electrical trades bodys do give regular onerous advice to their members on working in a covid safe manner. I know because as well as being a portfolio landlord I am a regustered sparks. But just like everything else it comes down to the individual. The government gives covid advice to the public but we all see the non compliance. Not sure why you having a go at an organisation thats trying to throw you a lifeline if like me you find your tenants wont allow access?

From: Saul Smart 13 January 2021 21:42 PM

I would agree with every single one of you but..... I seem to read daily in the media that buy to let is still booming?- which quite frankly astounds me!! Why anyone want to enter this 'poison chalice' business in the current climate astounds me??? If I wasn't trapped into my portfolio and my situation were different id be right outa here in a shot. Been in the business 30 years providing a quality service that has been appreciated by 100s, but the daily beatings dolled out by the government, media and authorities are out of control. As it is I've got no choice but to take the daily kick in the b*llocks.

From: Saul Smart 22 December 2020 11:13 AM

To be honest I can't see why we landlords are getting so steamed up about this issue over and over and over again. Don't want to let to dss? Fine no problem. Just dont put 'no dss' in your advert. You then waste a bit more of your time (as well as the unfortunate applicant that has no idea they're a non starter) viewing someone who you know you're not going to give it to along with others you will consider. Dss applicants just get told 'sorry you were unfortunate on this occasion'. Nobody is asking us to justify our decisions when we agree a let as far as I'm aware? We got far bigger things to worry about than this seriously. Let shelter and co believe they have won a battle when actually nothing has changed. Simples! Now time to move on.

From: Saul Smart 21 December 2020 13:04 PM

I'd love to cancel my NRLA membership. Have wanted to for years, maybe jump ship to the RLA but decided they were no better. Of course now we don't have any choices. As much as it pains me I have to admit as poor as they may be its better to be in than out. Just in the same way that as much as I now hate the Conservatives selling us out and despise them I will still vote for them rather than Labour.

From: Saul Smart 04 December 2020 16:28 PM

So true. I have had my share of tenants ask for a 21. Not that we had any problems with each other or the house but sometimes as simple as falling out with neighbours and wanting to move but not having the funding or ability to find a prs property. Got a sec21 and the council moves them quicker than they could possibly do themselves.

From: Saul Smart 04 December 2020 16:23 PM

Not that many I would have thought. My experience is that the councils like to 'milk' their 'cash cows'. This involves recruiting tenants to 'dob in' their landlord even if their landlord is compliant- just in case. All my properties are licensed as required but no thanks to the council. Despite having worked with Nottingham council for 13 years and who are fully aware of my properties, my residential address and my email I didnt receive one communication informing me a licencing scheme was being put in place two years ago. I found out about it through the landlord news otherwise I could have been non compliant by ignorance-kerching for the council!! If I was into conspiracy theories i might be inclined to believe this is what they actually want- but of course I'm not that cynical...?

From: Saul Smart 27 November 2020 17:26 PM

Well I'm in agreement with Mark 100%. Having been in this business since 1990 I can say yes the easy money has been made. It was comparatively easy back then after the Housing Act 1988. Virtually no aggrivation, grateful tenants who had respect, the rent was always paid, my proprties being trashed was unheard of for ten years until my first incident. House prices rose, we had taper relief on CGT and no extrernal grief from the government or the other anti landlord bodies and media that have created an 'adversarial' landlord/tenant relationship that didnt exist intil they waided in. Easy money- relatvely speaking and I look back fondly to those long gone days and wished id exited the business in 2007 at the top of the market and prior to our demonisation. Now- regularly trashed properties that cost well over 10k to put right when arrears taken into account, ars*hole attitude tenants and we all know the rest. Yes comparatively easy money was made. Now its just bloody hard work, daily stress and grief in my experience.

From: Saul Smart 08 October 2020 10:30 AM

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