x

James mann

Landlord

4475 Profile Views

About Me

I have had no other profession but Landlording and property management for the last 30 years. I sit on the Committee of the Southern Landlords Association and have always been self employed doing all aspects of providing houses to people at below market rates.

my expertise in the industry

landlord

James's Recent Activity

Over the years it is blatantly clear that the more meddling that the government do to adjust the rental market for political gain, the more pain that tenants have to endure. They like to say that it is the landlord's fault, but the reality is that landlords are the only people bringing new houses onto the market for rent. With threatened fines and no training or instruction in borderforce techniques or knowledge, clearly the only safe way for a landlord to operate is to deal with people who have passports that we recognise as legal in the UK.

From: James mann 16 February 2017 09:50 AM

I haven't taken a single deposit since the government came up with this ridiculous system!

From: James mann 31 January 2017 16:50 PM

It may appear that this will hurt landlords like myself, but not one single penny that I will have to pay extra will come from my pocket. Every penny I earn comes from tenants and they will be paying for every increase that the chancellor imposes. I really do not think that they have thought this through.

From: James mann 14 December 2016 08:11 AM

I would say that this is an underestimate!

From: James mann 12 December 2016 18:11 PM

The changes will come after the Autumn statement if it is clear that the government wishes to continue with its Landlord tax change proposals. It is then that the rents will start to increase and there will be many b2l houses empty but on the market.

From: James mann 11 November 2016 08:52 AM

As a landlord for thirty years or more, I would suggest that this level of a fine is worthwhile accepting in order to remove a troublesome tenant and is considerably cheaper than going down the legal route. If the the authorities are actually serious about harassment then this fine needs to be quadrupled. This landlord got off extremely lightly for such a crime.

From: James mann 19 August 2016 09:57 AM

I thought that I had voted conservative last time around, but cannot recognise the policies that I thought that I was voting for.

From: James mann 13 June 2016 12:21 PM

From: James mann 15 April 2016 09:08 AM

I completely understand the frustration of decent people who need to claim benefits looking for somewhere to live. I used to house up to ten families and individuals on benefits, but now I am down to 3. The reason for this is that certain councils refuse to work with Landlords. They change the allowances to tenants with no warning, backdate enormous (and often fictitious) overpayments which the tenant has no hope of paying. If you want to gain possession of your property because you have not been paid correctly or at all by the housing department, then tenants are advised not to move out until the bailiffs come. This usually takes 5 to six months and will cost not less than £1000 in costs plus often no payments of rent. I am currently £3000 down in the last 12 months on one property in Folkestone even though the tenants are not working and always had a legitimate claim. I get paid direct from the said council, but they start and stop payments as they wish with no regard for my contract with the tenants. This has happened repeatedly over the last ten years even though I have made it quite clear that I would be happy to have benefit recipients if the process did not leave me out of pocket time and time again.

From: James mann 25 February 2016 10:11 AM

Shepway county council has just advised my tenant of ten years to stay put until the bailiffs have been taken on. I gave notice to quit on Sep 12 2015. The bailiffs are due in three weeks time (6 March 2016). The council advised her to lie over the deposit that was not taken and I had to go 80 miles to Canterbury for a court hearing that the tenant did not turn up to. The cost other than lost rent is £800 to get my house back, due to the council advice. This is absolutely routine from them and shows the disgust that they hold private landlords in. It is because they withheld the correct rental payments in the first place for over a year that the tenant and her 3 children find themselves homeless. I even offered £800 to the tenant as a new deposit, but I imagine that they were advised not to take it!!!!

From: James mann 16 February 2016 10:10 AM

The governments plans are clearly unlawful and will only lead to much greater homelessness and financial pain for those who are forced to rent. If the planning regulations of the last 30 years had allowed a decent amount of houses to be built then we would not have this situation. It has been clear to any observer for at least 25 years that we would be in this situation and it will only be more difficult in the future. Rents can only go up!

From: James mann 05 February 2016 09:58 AM

It is really clear to me, if they can't read the contract they don't get a tenancy agreement!

From: James mann 04 February 2016 08:59 AM

The government's announced changes to mortgage interest relief taxation are unfair, unlawful and will increase the average rents more than anyone would have predicted. Many landlords resist rent increases for their tenants, but I for one am now having to go through all my rent levels (many have not been increased in 6 years) with an eye to making them economically viable in the future. Therefore all my rents will be increasing this year and I am certain that this has not been factored in by the government, who did not consult anyone about these unlawful changes.

From: James mann 20 January 2016 09:45 AM

Congratulations FHL, you seem to be the first of the lenders to become more competitive. The current charges for mortgage rates serve to be the biggest hurdle to using Limited companies for new purchases. I will check out your rates and conditions.

From: James mann 19 January 2016 10:24 AM

At last a conservative who speaks some sense, he will probably be sacked.

From: James mann 06 January 2016 09:37 AM

I have maintained that this is unlawful from the initial announcement, and will support this action with a contribution. Congratulations to Chris Cooper and Steve Bolton.

From: James mann 04 January 2016 09:52 AM

Right to rent checks. Do we get any training? Or just become criminally liable and fined by being tricked by fraudsters. This certainly will continue to undermine any respect that legitimate landlords working their BUSINESSES have for government and will increase criminality with rogue landlords. Not even trained border control workers get fined and thrown out of their legitimate profession for making a mistake! That is what to expect colleagues!

From: James mann 24 December 2015 08:23 AM

Since when were landlords responsible for policing? and immigration? and training themselves in doing these jobs? Why don't upset residents just call the normal police if there is an issue with neighbours? Oh sorry, it must be the neighbours landlords fault. They are much easier to fine and make criminally responsible than the actual perpetrators of the crime.

From: James mann 23 December 2015 07:54 AM

I am not a legal man, but I cannot believe that these announced changes are actually lawful!

From: James mann 02 November 2015 14:18 PM

How would the insurance work if there is no contract with the tenant? My insurance company would not unsure this type of risk.

From: James mann 28 October 2015 08:15 AM

Sometimes it is impossible to do works on a house with the tenant in occupation. If you can't evict them then the work can't be done!!

From: James mann 02 October 2015 08:00 AM

It really all points towards selling houses and going into self storage--- there will be an increasing need for it as tenants are evicted and their is nowhere to house them!!

From: James mann 02 October 2015 07:58 AM

In my experience it is the suppliers themselves who instal prepayment meters into properties without seeking permission from the owner of the property and when there is a change of tenancy, they often refuse to remove them. If the new tenant has not got a squeaky clean credit record, they will not be able to switch supplier. The landlord will be charged to remove the pre payment meter and will have to sit at the property all day waiting for an engineer to do the job. This is neither legal in my view or ethical. Tenants rarely seek permission to change suppliers, but when they do I never withhold permission.

From: James mann 24 September 2015 08:11 AM

Passive investment? I am out everyday working with tenants and repairing properties and have been for 30 years. There is nothing passive about this, it is a full time business and should be seen as such.

From: James mann 01 September 2015 09:23 AM

It is clear that there is no incentive or advantage to Landlords to sign up for this. Also landlords are difficult to contact unless they are members of a landlord association such as the SLA or RLA. Only property investors use agents, landlords manage their own properties and usually want higher standards.

From: James mann 10 June 2015 09:44 AM

Breaking News