Andrew townshend... Landlord Today

Just read in the local paper Norwich city council has screwed shut the windows in an 8th floor flat because they don't know how to repair them, no extractor fan in the kitchen so the flat is full of condensation , social housing really is a joke

From: Andrew townshend 25 August 2021 17:30 PM

From: Andrew townshend 25 August 2021 09:25 AM

I can only speak as I find, I use a good small local agent , their fees are reasonable and they do not charge for renewing agreements, we get along fine.

From: Andrew townshend 25 August 2021 09:14 AM

There could be a problem where that happens, but where there's a will there's a way around it, and I'm sure we will find that way.

From: Andrew townshend 23 August 2021 17:29 PM

Very likely Mark but who will the real losers be, the low paid and those on benefits who will not pass the affordability test.

From: Andrew townshend 23 August 2021 09:46 AM

Surely all this will achieve is increased homelessness , those on low incomes will not be accepted as tenants .

From: Andrew townshend 23 August 2021 08:32 AM

Because some of them cannot afford to live there, why do some of us drive a Ford while others drive a Rolls, the way I see it all boils down to the same thing.

From: Andrew townshend 21 August 2021 08:55 AM

Norfolk is a lot nicer and cheaper than London, go further north and life gets cheaper still, what is it about London ? expensive sh*t hole.

From: Andrew townshend 20 August 2021 22:45 PM

Living in London is expensive, so why live in London ? move to somewhere cheaper

From: Andrew townshend 20 August 2021 19:53 PM

Being a hard working self made man (or woman) is something to be proud of though Annie, you will generally find the poor are also the workshy.

From: Andrew townshend 20 August 2021 16:39 PM

Yonnette have you been watching ITN news recently including tonight, council and housing assoc housing, disgraceful, far worse than anything in the private rental sector, get your own house in order dear.

From: Andrew townshend 19 August 2021 22:11 PM

But did he rent to 23 people, do all 23 people pay rent to him, are all 23 people on the tenancy agreement ? or did they all move in with their mates.

From: Andrew townshend 18 August 2021 19:39 PM

And the times that happens Michael, presently I have a lady in a 1 bed flat above a shop who now has her toy boy living with her, so no offence there but the fact remains I rented to one person and now there are 2 there, I also have a guy in a 3 bed house who now has a lodger, once again no offence committed and really nothing I can do about it other than to turn a blind eye , so I can see how these things happen and nothing to do with the landlord, but he's the one that gets fined for it.

From: Andrew townshend 18 August 2021 19:33 PM

I'm also surprised a conservative government would do this to us, but labour under Mr Corbyn I do think would be worse

From: Andrew townshend 18 August 2021 18:15 PM

Is it sensible to be increasing debt ?

From: Andrew townshend 18 August 2021 07:54 AM

Just relet a small terrace in Norwich, in excess of 10 viewings, 6 suitable tenants wanted it, new tenants move in tomorrow, rent increased by £150 per month, a real shortage of properties to rent.

From: Andrew townshend 17 August 2021 09:18 AM

Agreed, I have 2 properties with boilers 25 + yrs old, and still going strong, the others last a max of 7 yrs, how is that green ?

From: Andrew townshend 17 August 2021 09:08 AM

I've never used Strutt, William H Brown in Norwich are worse than hopeless, wet behind the ears youngsters, I've used a small independent with one office and 4-5 staff for more than 15 yrs now and it works well.

From: Andrew townshend 17 August 2021 09:03 AM

Agreed, only the students that do '' proper '' courses that lead to '' proper'' well paid jobs will ever pay their debt off, mean while we are desperately short of tradesmen, motor mechanics and HGV drivers, madness isn't it ?

From: Andrew townshend 17 August 2021 08:57 AM

Me too Michael, I paid £5k cash for my first house and renovated it, my self and my wife started married life mortgage free, 6 weeks after we got married I bought another at auction with a bridging loan and lived in a caravan in the back garden, 8 yrs later with 2 very young children we done the same again building our present home, can you see the snowflakes doing that ? the '' I'm entitled generation''.

From: Andrew townshend 15 August 2021 23:04 PM

Qualifications are one thing, being able to do the job is quite another, thanks to Mr Blair this country is awash with hopeless idiots who have the qualifications but little else.

From: Andrew townshend 15 August 2021 09:31 AM

True, but if we have their NI number we can track them down once they have left.

From: Andrew townshend 13 August 2021 17:53 PM

Other than my GP I don't do '' titles '' they are just plain Mr Mrs or Miss to me

From: Andrew townshend 13 August 2021 17:48 PM

Mine are all up to date with their rent so there's no problem here, since I stopped renting to benefit claimants I 've not had a problem.

From: Andrew townshend 13 August 2021 09:01 AM

Re the cow boys, some yrs ago now I went for a replacement boiler grant, tenant was a single mum working 16 hrs a week, I got this smart arse on the phone wanting me to pay a contribution of £1900 towards the cost, I didn't bother, I bought a Baxi replacement boiler kit from Mr Central Heating for £700 inc vat and my plumber (sadly now retired) charged me £500 (no vat not registered) to fit it, and it's still going strong, grants are a waste of time and end up costing us more.

From: Andrew townshend 12 August 2021 09:35 AM

Viewings yesterday, 6 people applied, choose the tenants I prefer today, if they check out okay they will be moving in next week, small terraced house in Norwich was let for £600 per month now £750 per month, 5 disappointed applicants, it's only going to get worse, much worse, for tenants, all caused by Shelter and Generation Rant

From: Andrew townshend 11 August 2021 17:36 PM

Of course he should have fixed the hot water. I agree with him on the single mums and the all day curry eaters , I will not accept them as tenants as well, when I chose a new tenant I look for the ones that are going to pay and not cause me problems.

From: Andrew townshend 11 August 2021 17:20 PM

I've found these grant schemes to be a total waste of time, if and when I'm forced to evict good tenants because the property is below a C then that's it, good tenants out on the street hunting what few properties are then available to rent, council housing department's problem

From: Andrew townshend 11 August 2021 09:09 AM

I supply a cheap cooker, that's it now and often they are too dirty to bother cleaning when tenants leave

From: Andrew townshend 11 August 2021 08:57 AM

I agree totally Michael, most building control officers are no different to Fergus's council man, bull sh*t baffles brains .

From: Andrew townshend 10 August 2021 19:42 PM

No cement in B&Q Norwich, not one bag, a window fitter told me last week the next shortage is going to be glass, so how are they going to build all these new homes, and the big increase in material costs ?

From: Andrew townshend 10 August 2021 17:16 PM

Got the tee shirt, and it's not just the great unwashed, had a tenant when I first started his farther was a well respected CEO of a large car dealership in Norwich, what an embarrassment his son was.

From: Andrew townshend 10 August 2021 17:03 PM

Well Lloyds are hopeless and Gatehouse I've never heard of, they'll fall flat on their faces, just give them time.

From: Andrew townshend 10 August 2021 09:16 AM

I used to consider renting to a tenant with a pet with an increased deposit, now it has to be an increased rent, so once again it's the tenant that ends up the looser

From: Andrew townshend 10 August 2021 09:11 AM

What's wrong with telling it as it is, I'm sure Fergus was spot on correct with his description. Odd how the police would make an arrest for name calling but fail to take action for criminal damage or theft, could be why few of us have respect for the police or the courts these days

From: Andrew townshend 10 August 2021 09:06 AM

Just don't send them to Norfolk, we had the '' London over spill '' come to Thetford in the 60s, massive council estate built for them which has wrecked Thetford as a market town .

From: Andrew townshend 10 August 2021 08:57 AM

They are very welcome to the single mums on UC

From: Andrew townshend 10 August 2021 08:51 AM

Cheaper rents ? I'd like to see cheaper diesel at the pumps, non of us are going to have our wishes come true, move to an area with cheaper rents and / to a smaller property

From: Andrew townshend 09 August 2021 08:50 AM

The joy of renting to the great unwashed, it seems a room in an HMO is all they can afford which is why I've never gone down the HMO route, that said over the years I've still had my share of the great unwashed.

From: Andrew townshend 09 August 2021 08:43 AM

Devon and Cornwall are tourist areas so it makes perfect sense for landlords in those areas to rent to tourists, it's not just tax or higher rent it's also an end to rogue tenants who live in properties without paying rent, the people who live in Devon and Cornwall are generally lowly paid so cannot afford much it's up to councils and housing assoc s to home them, since when was a private landlord a charity ?

From: Andrew townshend 09 August 2021 08:36 AM

Very true, the hard sell to the gullible.

From: Andrew townshend 08 August 2021 16:11 PM

Me too, tried it in the 90s never again, give me honest working tenants any day.

From: Andrew townshend 08 August 2021 08:30 AM

I agree with Robert, I've always been in it for the long haul and certainly am not paying CGT , however my son doesn't show interest, he gets paid far too much money cutting trees down when they fall on power lines, my 2 daughters partners could, and likely would carry things on, still 68 in 7 days time, fit and healthy, this old dog is going on for a time to come yet.

From: Andrew townshend 07 August 2021 19:05 PM

Property is cheap as chips up north, and I was tempted when I was younger but a long way to travel when there's a problem, I can get to anyone of my properties in less than an hour, Norfolk is way cheaper than the south, but not as cheap as up north, sort of middle of the road, that'll do me boy.

From: Andrew townshend 07 August 2021 16:44 PM

Now that would be amusing, and justly deserved .

From: Andrew townshend 05 August 2021 17:07 PM

If a tenant doesn't want to look after the garden I go in with the round up

From: Andrew townshend 05 August 2021 08:10 AM

Sounds like he is a tenant that no other landlord will touch, bailiffs the only way now, he'll be homeless for the winter.

From: Andrew townshend 05 August 2021 08:05 AM

But then are you really John Smith or are you hiding ?

From: Andrew townshend 04 August 2021 16:47 PM

From: Andrew townshend 04 August 2021 08:40 AM

Void periods can be useful to carry out repairs and improvements, but once a property is marketed there is no shortage of interest, a suitable tenant is soon found .

From: Andrew townshend 04 August 2021 08:32 AM

There ''MAY'' be 10500 rogue landlords ? where have they plucked that figure from ? Could it be that councils have not issued many criminal penalties against rogue landlords because there not as many rogue landlords out there as some would like us to think that there are ?

From: Andrew townshend 04 August 2021 08:24 AM

Bargain

From: Andrew townshend 03 August 2021 08:14 AM

Jahan, Shelter cannot do that, it would mean all their staff would have to take a large pay cut.

From: Andrew townshend 02 August 2021 19:37 PM

There was a phone in on radio 2 about the rental market in Cornwall, they are all going over to Air B&B, who can blame them, much higher rents, classed as a business for tax and no problems evicting non paying rogue tenants, the government, councils and Shelter only have themselves to blame here .

From: Andrew townshend 02 August 2021 17:04 PM

John you could well be right there, a director is an employee of a company it does not necessary follow that he owns it, likely just a front man for others in the back ground that's how these people work, not to be trusted in business

From: Andrew townshend 02 August 2021 08:22 AM

Strong demand in Norwich, 10 viewings and 4 very suitable tenants to chose from.

From: Andrew townshend 02 August 2021 08:16 AM

Labour was once the party for the working man, it's now the party for the benefit scroungers

From: Andrew townshend 30 July 2021 16:57 PM

Nail on head there Paul.

From: Andrew townshend 29 July 2021 08:33 AM

Council tenants generally are not too clever when it comes to money matters, they bought their homes at a discount, but rather than pay the mortgage off they increased it, spent the borrowed cash, went bust, house re possessed, sold at auction to a landlord who then rented it back to the ex council tenant , lol.

From: Andrew townshend 29 July 2021 08:26 AM

Daniel, it's the non paying tenants that are doing the '' ripping off'' as you put it.

From: Andrew townshend 29 July 2021 08:08 AM

The kind of people that will live in boxes in the sky are not my kind of tenants

From: Andrew townshend 28 July 2021 19:45 PM

I think it depends on the agent you use, there was a time when I self managed all mine, that's down to 3 now, I've used the same local, independent agent now for 20 yrs it works well for me, they get me good tenants, I still meet all my tenants, they have my contact details and are free to contact me directly at any time.

From: Andrew townshend 28 July 2021 09:32 AM

I have a smaller than average terraced house that I paid 25k for in 1995, the end house went on the market at 210k and sold in a week, I am told by the owner for more, another one in the same terrace is now on the market for 190k, and is getting a lot of interest, the house next door is to rent at 800 per month, I'm working on mine at present the last tenant was paying me 600 per month, these prices are madness, but it is happening and I'm not one to complain, I'm not selling, just think of all that CGT the government would take.

From: Andrew townshend 28 July 2021 08:43 AM

Good tenants can stay as long as they like, often years, keep it at 6 months then we can get rid of the rogue tenants before too much damage is done .

From: Andrew townshend 28 July 2021 08:23 AM

I don't do dangerous dogs, they are weapons not pets and are owned by that sort of person

From: Andrew townshend 28 July 2021 08:18 AM

I only lost one through Corona, a commercial tenant of 24 yrs, but that re let quickly, I have 2 vacant at present, both needing work, one will be finished this week after 8 wks work, then I will start on the next one, another 8 wks work I expect, so I'm busy busy, but these voids are useful to get work done with no tenants in the way.

From: Andrew townshend 27 July 2021 20:28 PM

Theodor I agree, I'm going to have a problem getting most of mine up to a C but as most of them owe me peanuts, and no borrowings, I can afford to spend money on them getting them up to a C , or I could sell some and use the proceeds to up grade the ones I chose to keep, either way with the shortage the rents will climb, it follows that tenants wages will have to increase as will housing benefit payments if they don't there will be thousands more sleeping in shop door ways, something has to give somewhere along the way.

From: Andrew townshend 27 July 2021 20:19 PM

I have lost 2 excellent tenants this year that have bought their own houses, sorry to lose them, but pleased for them, so it can be done, just means a bit of hard work and going without a few extras .

From: Andrew townshend 26 July 2021 08:35 AM

How many more rent properties through their wife or husbands names ?

From: Andrew townshend 26 July 2021 08:26 AM

Will he be taking action against councils and housing associations ? as they seem to be the worst offenders here.

From: Andrew townshend 26 July 2021 08:22 AM

Oh yes I can well believe that !

From: Andrew townshend 22 July 2021 17:17 PM

Robert makes a good point, the only tenants I have ever had to evict in 30 yrs also have been benefit claimants, I've never had to evicted a working tenant.

From: Andrew townshend 22 July 2021 16:48 PM

Made your friend is an exception to the norm, there are a few, but not many in my experience.

From: Andrew townshend 22 July 2021 08:01 AM

In fairness he was given the chance to rectify the faults, as for cleanness we've all seen the sh*t some people live in, tenants responsibility to clean .

From: Andrew townshend 22 July 2021 07:32 AM

Rent decent properties to decent working tenants, lower income tenants are best left to councils to house, and we've all seen the standard of council and housing assoc housing stock recently haven't we.

From: Andrew townshend 22 July 2021 07:26 AM

Simple, stick to decent working tenants, avoid HMOs and the great unwashed , just not worth it.

From: Andrew townshend 22 July 2021 07:17 AM

I suspect you have hit the nail on the head there Michael, I won't deal with these people because this is how they work then it's the landlords head on the chopping block, not to be trusted

From: Andrew townshend 20 July 2021 20:33 PM

Support from a council ? I wouldn't bank on it.

From: Andrew townshend 19 July 2021 08:20 AM

I'm sure that paying tenants are safe in their homes, I don't understand why any non paying tenant should be allowed to stay in a property owned by someone else though.

From: Andrew townshend 19 July 2021 08:10 AM

Seems to me most degrees are worthless these days, I've told the story before of my friends daughter, a first in law and couldn't get a job anywhere, leave school go straight out into the work place and own your own property before these uni students have done a days work, as it used to be and as it should be again.

From: Andrew townshend 18 July 2021 17:05 PM

Agreed Jim, we deal with different tenant types, I've never got into HMOs or bedsits, I'm not a snob by any means but I don't want to deal with those kind of people.

From: Andrew townshend 18 July 2021 09:35 AM

We have the ex Norwich City Council works dept in Norwich, it's a huge area, they cleared it yrs ago right beside a large council est, and there it sits empty doing nothing, yet they are desperately short of social housing

From: Andrew townshend 18 July 2021 09:29 AM

Well that could be likely but some way off, something for the next generation of landlords to worry about, I will be 68 in August, so I suspect I will be long gone by then.

From: Andrew townshend 17 July 2021 14:30 PM

I take your point Jim but if a tenant is cagey about his/ her previous address / s then we would smell a rat we can also check on the electoral roll, once again if there is no record smell a rat, bank statements are another give away what address had they been sent to ?

From: Andrew townshend 17 July 2021 14:24 PM

I agree, money claim online is cheap and easy to use, no need for a solicitor, there's a chance we might get lucky and get our money but the main thing is the nonpaying tenant gets a CCJ to their name

From: Andrew townshend 17 July 2021 08:11 AM

When the right to buy first took off there were double glazing sales men and loan sharks touring council estates getting the new mortgaged owners to max their borrowings against their properties, new windows, doors, conservatories , horrible extensions were sold, then the new BMW appeared in the drive, all paid for with their new 25 yr mortgages, of course many of these people were soon bankrupt and back in rented properties, so the lenders put the properties in auctions and landlords bought them

From: Andrew townshend 16 July 2021 09:18 AM

Present owners are unlikely to sell at below market value to a council, it would make more sense to put the property into an auction. Converting office space into flats ? but we don't need flats we need houses. As for housing the homeless, you've nailed it there Grace, as the saying goes '' you can lead a horse to water, you cannot make it drink'', the homeless are homeless for a reason, generally of their own doing.

From: Andrew townshend 15 July 2021 07:17 AM

Since when did councils make '' solid commercial plans'' prime example being Norwich City Council, they are the joke of the country.

From: Andrew townshend 15 July 2021 07:08 AM

If the landlord wants to sell and the council offers the market value then where's the problem, other than in my experience councils, and in particular loony left councils, are a nightmare to try and deal with .

From: Andrew townshend 15 July 2021 05:50 AM

HMRC knows all about us, they know every time money goes into or out of a bank account, every thing spent on our credit and debit cards, they know the type of cars we drive and even the mileage we do each year, there's no hiding these days

From: Andrew townshend 14 July 2021 08:43 AM

And a national data base for tenants ? can't have one without the other.

From: Andrew townshend 13 July 2021 07:29 AM

The old '' do as I say not as I do '' rules again

From: Andrew townshend 13 July 2021 07:25 AM

The electrician I use is ex RAF, he left the RAF and retrained, he's been self employed around 10 yrs, and I've been using him all that time, a first rate electrician and a really nice helpful chap.

From: Andrew townshend 09 July 2021 17:33 PM

I think most of us have a great deal of time for our service men and women, problem here is that they have all been housed and looked after by the services done their 21 yrs and out into the big wide world at around 40 yrs of age with little idea as to how the outside world works, there is no such thing as '' get rich quick schemes '' it all takes time and hard work.

From: Andrew townshend 09 July 2021 05:38 AM

Since when have BTL landlords been a charity, homing low income families is the councils responsibility, Torbay is not a very nice area these days mainly do to the council there

From: Andrew townshend 09 July 2021 05:29 AM

May I ask your line of business / work Grace

From: Andrew townshend 08 July 2021 17:33 PM

Maybe the furniture will have to be renewed at every tenancy change, that cost will of course have to be allowed for in the rent level.

From: Andrew townshend 08 July 2021 07:01 AM

The only utility bills I pay are on empty properties, which aren't empty for long.

From: Andrew townshend 08 July 2021 06:54 AM

Easier to add a bit to the rent to cover problems at tenancy end, good tenants loose out, but who's fault is that ?

From: Andrew townshend 08 July 2021 06:49 AM

The only thing I supply is a cooker, and very few tenants ever clean them, I had one just 18 months old that had to be scrapped because it was beyond cleaning, I made the tenant pay 50% towards a new one.

From: Andrew townshend 08 July 2021 06:43 AM

Mr Khan talks about balance, how about a control on landlord licencing fees, rents increase because of costs imposed on landlords the same as any other business, it's called inflation, I'm noticing the price of diesel at the pumps is rocketing, will their be a price cap there or will it be controlled by market forces just like everything else .

From: Andrew townshend 08 July 2021 06:38 AM

That's a risk that you are happy to take, should the worst happen no doubt you would take it on the chin and would not expect others to crowd fund like so many do.

From: Andrew townshend 07 July 2021 17:56 PM

Wales doesn't want the tourism trade then ? I've never been to Wales and to be honest I don't want to.

From: Andrew townshend 07 July 2021 08:33 AM

Students, not for me thank you, I'll stick with proper tenants in full time work

From: Andrew townshend 07 July 2021 08:29 AM

Not the sort of crowd funding that I would donate to, if people don't have insurance cover that is their problem.

From: Andrew townshend 07 July 2021 08:22 AM

Why should landlords pay ?

From: Andrew townshend 07 July 2021 08:18 AM

Basic Victorian terraced house in Norwich now £ 7 - 800 per month, wasn't long ago that I was happy with £ 4 - 500 per month, now that's inflation for you, caused by Shelter etc and the government

From: Andrew townshend 06 July 2021 08:29 AM

And those of us that are left debt free will profit.

From: Andrew townshend 06 July 2021 08:20 AM

Oh I've been to Germany John, my Sister in law and her husband used to live there

From: Andrew townshend 06 July 2021 08:16 AM

John, I believe Theo is correct on that one

From: Andrew townshend 05 July 2021 20:44 PM

The great unwashed.

From: Andrew townshend 05 July 2021 20:13 PM

It's nothing unusual for a Norwich City owned house to sit empty for 3 yrs while they consider what to do with it.

From: Andrew townshend 05 July 2021 08:01 AM

They can try, but they will have a fight on their hands.

From: Andrew townshend 03 July 2021 18:46 PM

In other words '' pot kettle black '' just like Mr Hancock and many others

From: Andrew townshend 03 July 2021 09:37 AM

Exactly if a property is that bad why don't tenants move on ? because generally they are the kind of tenants that no other landlord would rent to. I don't know about Dudley Council, but Norwich Council take months, even years in some cases to remedy faults in their housing stock.

From: Andrew townshend 03 July 2021 09:33 AM

My son, a former game keeper, goes out in the dark of night deer stroking, a nice piece of venison goes down a treat with that claret.

From: Andrew townshend 02 July 2021 21:32 PM

We don't have to give any reasons for our choice of tenant, just a sorry you were unlucky this time.

From: Andrew townshend 02 July 2021 20:43 PM

Another agency telling landlords how to operate their own businesses, another agency to avoid, our decision and our's alone.

From: Andrew townshend 02 July 2021 04:52 AM

But they are blocks of flats again, not what is needed for families to live in.

From: Andrew townshend 02 July 2021 04:37 AM

When my agent markets one of my properties we normally get in excess of 10 viewings and get 3 or 4 suitable tenants to chose from.

From: Andrew townshend 01 July 2021 18:47 PM

What happens when a company director is banned ? he makes a family member a director and carries on, a rogue landlord will do just the same.

From: Andrew townshend 01 July 2021 08:23 AM

High end agency ?? I'll stick to my little independent agency here in Norwich who I've used very successfully for 20 yrs thanks all the same.

From: Andrew townshend 01 July 2021 08:18 AM

At the end of the day it'll be the tenants paying again

From: Andrew townshend 30 June 2021 17:17 PM

£20 k doesn't go far on a derelict house these days, £6k for a rewire, £10k for central heating, £8k for a roof overhaul and the list of works goes on and on

From: Andrew townshend 30 June 2021 07:10 AM

@ Dharmesh, if you have a hundred properties then it could be useful, I have 16, and am perfectly able to manage repairs without a fancy app.

From: Andrew townshend 30 June 2021 07:02 AM

I will consider them, but on my terms.

From: Andrew townshend 30 June 2021 06:58 AM

Not all pets destroy houses, responsible tenants with pets in the right house with a garden are generally not a problem, in flats would be a big NO, as would large and / or dangerous dogs, it's a shame that we are no-longer able to take a pet deposit, so now it has to be an increased rent for pet owners.

From: Andrew townshend 30 June 2021 06:57 AM

It will be more expensive, but that's the tenants problem, not mine, the government are out to shaft the landlord at every chance, but all they succeed in doing is shafting the poor tenants.

From: Andrew townshend 28 June 2021 17:02 PM

I'm not a member, I'm a member of ELA but they aren't doing much either.

From: Andrew townshend 25 June 2021 16:44 PM

@ Robert Brown, I prefer a single malt

From: Andrew townshend 25 June 2021 16:40 PM

That's why I say NO to single mums, lazy, filthy, don't want to pay, and then they move the latest moron boy friend in.

From: Andrew townshend 24 June 2021 17:12 PM

2 Jags Prescot for example

From: Andrew townshend 24 June 2021 17:04 PM

Yes that often happened

From: Andrew townshend 24 June 2021 17:02 PM

If a tenant is reasonable, up to date with rent and leaves the place clean I'll generally over look a few things before making a deduction from the deposit, my last tenant to leave, end of last month got his full deposit back after 4 yrs, I could have made a claim on a few minor things but didn't bother.

From: Andrew townshend 24 June 2021 08:57 AM

There should be an allowance of at least a month free, I have one empty at present, first time in 4 yrs so there is a month's work to do before re letting, I have another one coming empty in August, first time in 6 yrs there, so there will be another month's work to do there, but Norwich council are always quick to get their bill in from day one.

From: Andrew townshend 24 June 2021 08:45 AM

Parasite solicitors at it again.

From: Andrew townshend 23 June 2021 16:41 PM

The Daft thing is what is the point in tory MPs chasing the tenant vote, how many tenants are ever going to vote tory, about as many as landlords voting labour

From: Andrew townshend 22 June 2021 21:47 PM

Much like these student room investments, not for this investor thank you.

From: Andrew townshend 22 June 2021 08:50 AM

There are ways to dispose of rubbish without fly tipping .

From: Andrew townshend 21 June 2021 08:50 AM

Maybe LLoyds could buy a block of flats in Bristol and rent to those '' vulnerable '' refugees

From: Andrew townshend 21 June 2021 08:46 AM

They'll get their fingers burnt, a block of flats in Peterborough , wounder what sort of tenants they'll fill that with there.

From: Andrew townshend 21 June 2021 08:38 AM

I'm now doing a refurb on a terraced house, about another month's work to do as yet, then at the end of August I have another one coming empty which will also need a refurb , labour all done for free -- by me, no furnishings though, I find it best to let unfurnished, and yes full council tax to pay while empty, so we don't all sit at home watching the money flow into our bank accounts as some would like to believe .

From: Andrew townshend 20 June 2021 12:09 PM

I have a Nationwide account, but there is less than a £1 in it, and I've never borrowed off them, B&Q and Screwfix both donate to shelter, but I have a monthly trade account with them so I use them, Home base are useless and the likes of Jewsons and similar builders are far too expensive unless you are spending thousands per month with them, I also have a monthly trade account with Wolseley Centers, but once again I can buy the same things from B&Q and Screwfix for less, so I take my business to where I get the best deal and service.

From: Andrew townshend 20 June 2021 11:17 AM

Those are the ones that need a little push

From: Andrew townshend 18 June 2021 16:27 PM

While I don't disagree Julian what's the alternative, Labour ? that would be ''out of the frying pan and into the fire ''.

From: Andrew townshend 17 June 2021 10:28 AM

Taking money from any business = increased costs to customers , in the case of lazy parasites this = homelessness which then = problems for councils and government, what turns around comes around and bites on someone's back side down the line.

From: Andrew townshend 17 June 2021 10:23 AM

We all know that we won't get any help from government, in fact quite the reverse, but all the hurt will be passed onto tenants.

From: Andrew townshend 17 June 2021 10:13 AM

CCJ, won't get money, but they won't get another tenancy either, revenge is sweet.

From: Andrew townshend 17 June 2021 09:36 AM

David, it becomes the tenants home, not his / her home.

From: Andrew townshend 16 June 2021 20:49 PM

Ed, we have to be careful when giving a reference, it's better where we cannot give a good reference just to say '' on this occasion I am unable to give a reference'', anyone reading that soon gets the message loud and clear .

From: Andrew townshend 16 June 2021 20:43 PM

Thank you Julian, a very sensible comment, landlords and tenants generally get along just fine when left alone to do so.

From: Andrew townshend 16 June 2021 16:12 PM

We can agree there David, you never will rent from me, but it just so happens that I'm one of very few landlords that WILL consider dogs, presently I have one tenant with 2 dogs and 3 tenants with a cat each, I've had many past happy tenants with pets.

From: Andrew townshend 16 June 2021 16:04 PM

David you are busy on here today, I'm also allergic to some humans, mainly those that are out for the free ride.

From: Andrew townshend 16 June 2021 15:56 PM

What landlord evicts a paying tenant for no reason, the tenants that you are referring to are the ones that deserve all they get.

From: Andrew townshend 16 June 2021 15:50 PM

I had one once that moved out before getting his new home, the new landlord wanted a reference from me, so back came the tenant and offered me half the owed rent, I refused saying no amount of money would buy him a reference from me.

From: Andrew townshend 16 June 2021 15:45 PM

No objections at all John.

From: Andrew townshend 16 June 2021 11:10 AM

Surely we all try to mediate with problem tenants, eviction comes when there is no way forward

From: Andrew townshend 16 June 2021 10:54 AM

Jahan, you can be sure John Smith isn't his real name, just another one like my friend from Leicester .

From: Andrew townshend 16 June 2021 10:37 AM

John, they freely gave their details to a newspaper, it's all out in public so IOC doesn't apply, more the fool them.

From: Andrew townshend 16 June 2021 10:31 AM

All my contacts are listed in my phone, if a name doesn't come up the call doesn't get answered, it goes to voice mail.

From: Andrew townshend 16 June 2021 08:20 AM

I choose who I rent to, not you Mr Black

From: Andrew townshend 16 June 2021 08:09 AM

This was in our local paper yesterday, what ever the rights and wrongs here it was not a clever move by the tenants to get their names and photos published, landlords will view them as trouble makers, I've certainly made a note of their names, the letting agent is not one that I would consider using.

From: Andrew townshend 16 June 2021 08:05 AM

Personally I've never got involved with HMOs, but I have to ask where are all the people that live in a room in an HMO going to live ?

From: Andrew townshend 15 June 2021 08:11 AM

How can this '' passport'' deposit possibly work ? no tenant gets the keys to any of my properties until I have the first month's rent and deposit in cleared funds, when a tenant moves out the deposit is not released until I'm happy with the condition of my property, there is always going to be an overlap of time

From: Andrew townshend 15 June 2021 08:04 AM

Just had a small terraced house come empty in Norwich, last tenant 6 yrs paying £600 per month, new rent £725.

From: Andrew townshend 14 June 2021 11:36 AM

Good agents are worth their weight in gold, but the big one's that employ wet behind the ears youngsters are a waste of time.

From: Andrew townshend 14 June 2021 10:30 AM

John, strangely enough most of us landlords do talk to each other

From: Andrew townshend 11 June 2021 15:56 PM

When a tenant tries this one on me I shall make sure that every landlord I know, and a good few that I don't, knows their full details.

From: Andrew townshend 11 June 2021 14:15 PM

The left making themselves out to be the fools that they really are, still it keeps them out of power.

From: Andrew townshend 11 June 2021 08:33 AM

Norwich, 6% yield and property values up, I'm not complaining .

From: Andrew townshend 09 June 2021 22:13 PM

Educated idiots, hopeless, we can thank Mr Blair for all these hopeless idiots coming out of tin pot universities with chips on their shoulders the size of house bricks

From: Andrew townshend 08 June 2021 20:42 PM

Nothing positive to report, now there's a surprise.

From: Andrew townshend 08 June 2021 20:37 PM

What decent tenant would want to rent from council / housing assocs, their properties are far worse than anything in the PRS, and what sort of neighbors are they going to be living next door to ?

From: Andrew townshend 08 June 2021 20:35 PM

It's just the bad ones we like to see the back of, but the name of the game now more than ever before is not to get the bad one in the first place, no risk taking now going forward

From: Andrew townshend 08 June 2021 20:27 PM

I'm loosing a young family in August they have been excellent tenants over the past 6 yrs, I'm sad to see them go, but at the same time happy for them. The house will rent again but only to good tenants who will be checked out very carefully .

From: Andrew townshend 08 June 2021 08:42 AM

And justify their excessive wages

From: Andrew townshend 07 June 2021 17:30 PM

Electric cars aren't any better, I'm sticking with dirty diesel, I was brought up and trained on diesels so I'm sticking with what I know.

From: Andrew townshend 06 June 2021 09:19 AM

J E I agree, but are labour's '' selective statistics '' any different, there all as bad as each other.

From: Andrew townshend 03 June 2021 19:29 PM

Other than one commercial tenant, of 24 yrs, who sadly lost her business through this, I haven't had a problem, and that re let last Nov, other landlords I talk to locally don't seem to have had problems either, maybe we are just lucky here in sleepy old Norfolk.

From: Andrew townshend 03 June 2021 19:26 PM

Agreed, some people will become home owners, others will always rent, that's the way it is

From: Andrew townshend 03 June 2021 19:19 PM

It used to be that we got the first month free of council tax, enough time to have a clean up, a repaint and find a new tenant which seemed fair.

From: Andrew townshend 03 June 2021 19:15 PM

J E, we like tenants they are our customers, what we don't like are the free riders no one in any business like customers that don't pay.

From: Andrew townshend 02 June 2021 17:03 PM

If a tenant fails referencing checks then that's it no tenancy, just not worth the risk now.

From: Andrew townshend 02 June 2021 08:38 AM

He can rant from the side lines, hard left labour stand no chance.

From: Andrew townshend 02 June 2021 08:28 AM

John the military still employ outside contractors, I looked after a fleet of vans for an electrical contracting company who had many Military contracts all over the place.

From: Andrew townshend 31 May 2021 13:21 PM

John Smith, you have not understood Bill's comment, his son would not have been in the army he would have been working for them, a big difference, just goes to show you don't know what you are talking about boy.

From: Andrew townshend 31 May 2021 09:23 AM

Good for them Bill, it's nice to see some of the youngsters working hard to better themselves, as we did at their age.

From: Andrew townshend 30 May 2021 09:26 AM

No surprise here, they have just woken up to the fact that council housing departments are going to have a big problem coming their way.

From: Andrew townshend 28 May 2021 08:36 AM

The Ladies also make very good letting agents.

From: Andrew townshend 28 May 2021 08:31 AM

Good to see younger landlords, I bought my first investment property at 33, it's turned out to be better than any private pension scheme.

From: Andrew townshend 28 May 2021 08:26 AM

Leics Landlord, same old record !

From: Andrew townshend 27 May 2021 20:06 PM

Leics Landlord Prostitution IS illegal

From: Andrew townshend 27 May 2021 20:04 PM

Which is why both should be prosecuted, it is after all prostitution .

From: Andrew townshend 27 May 2021 10:05 AM

So John I'm a smelly old man then ? possible you would come under the heading of the ''great unwashed'', we can all trade insults but you won't gain anything by them

From: Andrew townshend 27 May 2021 09:40 AM

I fully agree, I suspect this mainly goes on in the lower end of the rental market, I can see the sex workers wanting to pay their rent this way.

From: Andrew townshend 27 May 2021 09:33 AM

Agreed, I have a house coming empty this week end I could turn it around and re let it in days, however I will take advantage of the void to make some improvements which are impossible with tenants living there , and the rent will of course be increasing .

From: Andrew townshend 27 May 2021 09:17 AM

Count me in with that one.

From: Andrew townshend 26 May 2021 21:49 PM

That's how these people work which is why I will not deal with them, that's not being racist, it just makes good business sense not to deal with them

From: Andrew townshend 26 May 2021 20:12 PM

Agreed, and in the long run I think this could work well for us, rouge tenants will be shooting themselves in the foot.

From: Andrew townshend 26 May 2021 16:47 PM

Yes John I have, so what ? that was back in the 90s and also for non payment of rent

From: Andrew townshend 26 May 2021 10:35 AM

Funny that, now that the non payers will be evicted and turning up en mass at council housing offices demanding housing, don't think many landlords are going to have much sympathy , or even going to be talking to councils, too little far too late.

From: Andrew townshend 26 May 2021 09:52 AM

So could we demonstrate outside a tenant's home, post letters to his / her neighbors, put deflationary comments about them on social media ? think maybe we would be arrested .

From: Andrew townshend 26 May 2021 09:45 AM

In my area (Norfolk) there is an area, Gt Yarmouth, where landlords have to consider benefit claimants because that's about all you will find there, for that reason I have never purchased anything there even though property prices are very much lower there

From: Andrew townshend 26 May 2021 09:37 AM

These tenant groups are missing something here, in 30 yrs I have only ever evicted for non payment of rent and used sec 21, the so called '' no fault eviction'', once sec 21 goes we will have to use sec 8, as Jim above points out this gives the reason for the eviction, that reason will remain with the evicted tenant, how many landlords are going to rent to a tenant with the record of a sec 8 eviction, far from reducing homelessness this is going to increase it.

From: Andrew townshend 26 May 2021 09:30 AM

No problem finding proper working tenants here in Norwich, certainly would not get involved with the loony left council we have here.

From: Andrew townshend 25 May 2021 09:44 AM

20 People + children, but that how these people live, one of them rents a house then the rest move in.

From: Andrew townshend 24 May 2021 09:14 AM

I agree George, no risk taking now.

From: Andrew townshend 24 May 2021 09:07 AM

Agreed Robert, the best deals over the years that I've had are when I've followed my gut feelings and have ignored the advice of others, my long time solicitor (now retired) would always try and talk me out of deals, so I stopped asking him, I would do the deal first then give him the paper work to complete the purchases

From: Andrew townshend 22 May 2021 17:05 PM

''Reputable estate agent'', I bet I know which one that is ! WHB??

From: Andrew townshend 21 May 2021 15:40 PM

Robert, agreed but don't we now have 2 left wing parties which both support the workshy spongers labour and conservatives ?

From: Andrew townshend 20 May 2021 22:09 PM

Up to a point I could be a bit guilty here, some yrs ago my Solicitor's legal secretary was selling her dead parents house off at auction, I knew the reserve so I made sure it got there for her , neither her or my solicitor knew anything about that. I also will not bid against a friend at auction that just isn't cricket is it ?

From: Andrew townshend 20 May 2021 19:18 PM

And to see who you are biding against, not those bids off the wall.

From: Andrew townshend 20 May 2021 15:31 PM

I used to do all my management myself but most are managed through a local agent now, I do most of the maintenance myself and organised my own tradesmen where necessary, all tenants have my contact details and are free to contact me directly, but I cannot be bothered with viewings, the agent I use is very good at sourcing the right tenants, for me they are worth their fee.

From: Andrew townshend 20 May 2021 10:59 AM

That's easy Alison, just go round there with a loaded shot gun and let a couple of rounds off into the air, these anti social types are always cowards when it comes down to it, and before our friend from Leicester jumps on here I am joking about the shot gun.

From: Andrew townshend 20 May 2021 10:44 AM

Maybe they learnt their ways from the Kray twins in the 60s, because it all seems very similar.

From: Andrew townshend 20 May 2021 09:15 AM

Even Tory controlled councils act in a left wing manor, bitter and twisted, they hate to see anyone prospering from their own hard work and investment.

From: Andrew townshend 20 May 2021 09:11 AM

Buying at auction has changed a lot over the years, it used to be that you paid the price you bid, now there are so many charges and fees added on, it will be a shame not to be able to get back into the auction room, far more enjoyable to be there in person.

From: Andrew townshend 20 May 2021 09:07 AM

My policy has always been freehold only, on the odd occasion that I have looked at leasehold reading the lease has always put me off.

From: Andrew townshend 20 May 2021 08:59 AM

Heavy condensation, water running down the inside of the windows, only had one in 30 yrs of being a landlord, that was in a commercial property, police took the plants away, I removed every thing else and changed the locks same day, luckily I caught it early and they had not tampered with the electric supply.

From: Andrew townshend 20 May 2021 08:55 AM

Easy, avoid the big nationals at all costs these are run by wet behind the ears youngsters who have no idea what they are talking about, choose a local independent who also own BTL properties themselves, put just one property with them to start with to test them and see how long they hold onto the rent before paying out, the agent I use in Norwich pays out the same day that they receive the rent, many do not.

From: Andrew townshend 20 May 2021 08:48 AM

The more money thrown at councils the more they'll waste and the more they will want, so glad I don't own any property in that area.

From: Andrew townshend 20 May 2021 08:36 AM

When a barrel of crude oil increases in cost diesel goes up at the pumps, when landlord costs increase up goes the tenants rent, always has been the way, always will be the way.

From: Andrew townshend 18 May 2021 17:02 PM

I cannot see how this system is going to work, no tenant is going to get the keys to any of my properties until I'm holding a deposit, I'm not interested in promises, just hard cash.

From: Andrew townshend 18 May 2021 08:49 AM

I had a family move out of a property about 18 months ago, the guy text me saying sorry for not clearing up before he left, he thought saying sorry made it alright, normally I would clean up my self and make a small charge against the deposit for doing so, but I got the cleaners in, that was £400, then there was the cooker, only 18 months old and beyond cleaning, so I bought a new one and charged him 50% of the cost, I think I was very fair, and he got non of his deposit back, what is it with people when they think it acceptable to simply walk out leaving the clean up to others.

From: Andrew townshend 17 May 2021 10:36 AM

Can we attend that meeting to put forward our concerns and needs ? oh thought not.

From: Andrew townshend 17 May 2021 09:26 AM

So a council is just waking up to the homeless problems it's going to be faced with, bit too late.

From: Andrew townshend 17 May 2021 09:22 AM

Not every landlord operates on borrowed money Ray, in fact most of us that have been landlords for 20, 30 or more years carry no debt, so are strong enough to weather any storm that might be around the corner, but then homelessness could well hit an all time high, but that will be a problem for government and councils not landlords.

From: Andrew townshend 15 May 2021 10:57 AM

James, I agree your '' threefold approach'' and also your comment regarding Mr Blair, that disgraceful man has a lot to answer for.

From: Andrew townshend 14 May 2021 16:47 PM

Poor little snowflake a university degree and no chance of buying a property, take a step back and look at yourself then you might just work out why you are a failure before it's too late, but at 30 I expect it is too late, I was on my second house renovation by then with my first child on the way.

From: Andrew townshend 14 May 2021 10:43 AM

Headlines in my local paper today '' vulnerable tenant forced to move into a hotel due to raw sewage in flat'' oh yes and guess what ? housing association landlord ! get your social housing up to standard first .

From: Andrew townshend 14 May 2021 10:34 AM

Education is not all it's cracked up to be, common sense is much more useful.

From: Andrew townshend 13 May 2021 19:11 PM

I haven't paid for a hair cut in more than 10 yrs, I've got so little left my wife or daughter use my beard trimmer to cut what little there is.

From: Andrew townshend 13 May 2021 17:42 PM

That's how we, and generations before us got on the property ladder, second hand car purchased for cash, weekends spent repairing that secondhand car, no overseas holidays in the sun, buying a run down property rolling sleeves up and renovating it before moving onto the next one, living on building sites in a caravan, but we cannot expect snowflakes to be doing this can we, the entitled generation who expect everything to be given to them

From: Andrew townshend 13 May 2021 13:55 PM

Who'd be jealous of a landlord ? well those that like to think that we sit in an arm chair on our laptops watching the money flow into our bank accounts.

From: Andrew townshend 12 May 2021 16:10 PM

I've tried writing to my MP, George Freeman, kind words but in truth he like every other MP isn't interested in the least.

From: Andrew townshend 12 May 2021 16:05 PM

That would of course make a lot of sense and be fair to all, sadly cannot see it happening though.

From: Andrew townshend 12 May 2021 16:01 PM

Competition benefits all, build to rent doesn't worry me.

From: Andrew townshend 12 May 2021 14:35 PM

I found a small cannabis factory in one of my shops a few yrs ago, luckily I noticed it within days before any damage had been done, there was a notice in the shop window '' closed for renovation works'' and condensation running down the windows, police were not much interested they just took the plants away, I moved all the equipment outside and changed the locks, that was the end of that, it pays to keep a close eye on all our properties regularly.

From: Andrew townshend 12 May 2021 09:55 AM

I would not be against a landlord register, in fact I would welcome it, together with an agents register and a tenants register, all openly accessible for all to access online.

From: Andrew townshend 12 May 2021 09:43 AM

Stephen, yes mate you are old, I remember all those as well, that makes both of us old.

From: Andrew townshend 11 May 2021 19:41 PM

We all knew that sec 21 was going, it'll be interesting to see what they intend to do to sec 8 though, this white paper is going to make interesting reading when it is released. Mean while we need to weed out tenants while we can still use sec 21 and be very very careful when selecting new tenants

From: Andrew townshend 11 May 2021 16:52 PM

Sorry Wendy but you have been had, you did not need a new metal consumer unit, all 16 of my properties still have plastic consumer units and all have past the electrical installation inspections, if a new consumer unit is fitted it has to be a fire proof one to satisfy building control, but excising consumer units do not need to be replaced so long as they are not faulty and have RCD protection, many electrical contractors have been ripping landlords here.

From: Andrew townshend 11 May 2021 16:37 PM

I would think very few landlords have ever evicted a tenant for no reason, I've used sec 21 in the past to evict non paying tenants simple because I have found it easier and quicker than sec 8 , so what changes does the ''think tank'' what with sec 8, will it be made easier and quicker to evict a non payer ? some how I doubt that.

From: Andrew townshend 11 May 2021 09:37 AM

A very large number of MPs on all sides are landlords, why is that a problem ?

From: Andrew townshend 11 May 2021 09:22 AM

Social housing needs to get it's own house in order, it would seem that's where most of the major problems are.

From: Andrew townshend 11 May 2021 09:01 AM

Wait until they move the moron boyfriend in, then the trouble starts

From: Andrew townshend 10 May 2021 19:16 PM

Slightly off subject, Norwich City Council leader on his £100k plus wage lives in a tax payer subsidized council house, thereby blocking that house from a deserving young family, to make it worst still Norwich is labour controlled and this guy is a labour councilor , so much for labour being the caring party, in it for themselves like the rest of them.

From: Andrew townshend 10 May 2021 14:22 PM

Taking on one of these tenants would be a nightmare, chances of the rent being paid would be low, then there is the time and costs of evicting them, thanks but no thanks.

From: Andrew townshend 10 May 2021 08:50 AM

COMMENTS HAVE BEEN DISABLED , ''IT'LL TAKE YEARS FOR RENTS AND EVICTIONS TO RETURN TO NORMAL'' WHY? WHAT'S GOING ON HERE Mr NORWOOD , SOMETHING STINKS HERE OLD BOY, PLEASE EXPLAIN !

From: Andrew townshend 07 May 2021 21:38 PM

Just make sure he leaves with a CCJ to his name, and everyone knows who he is

From: Andrew townshend 07 May 2021 16:21 PM

Ideal for young people, but not for me

From: Andrew townshend 07 May 2021 14:55 PM

I tried that with George Freeman, kind words but not interested in the least, we are on our own.

From: Andrew townshend 07 May 2021 14:51 PM

Evictions are going to be a problem going forward, but this has a knock on effect for tenants as the last thing landlords are going to do is to take any risks with new tenants, it's going to be very careful checks and very careful selection when it comes to new tenants, no benefit claimants, no one under 25, no single mums and a suitable guarantor where ever possible .

From: Andrew townshend 07 May 2021 08:42 AM

J E I agree with you, tenant - landlord relationships should be a caring one, and in most cases they are.

From: Andrew townshend 06 May 2021 12:08 PM

Agreed interest rates so low what's the point in putting money into an interest bearing deposit account, might just as well stuff it into the mattress and sleep on it.

From: Andrew townshend 06 May 2021 07:41 AM

As Norwich city centre dies there is a big increase in empty shops, offices, night clubs and pubs being converted to residential , I don't own anything in the city centre, nor do I want to, walking distance or a short bus ride seem to work best here .

From: Andrew townshend 06 May 2021 07:08 AM

I invest for income, if my assets increase in value then that's a bonus .

From: Andrew townshend 06 May 2021 06:53 AM

I'm sure you are correct there Michael, but isn't this why HMOs have had there day, stick to one family houses rental income might be less but so are costs and agro

From: Andrew townshend 05 May 2021 22:16 PM

Sounds like a scam to me, I wouldn't trust them.

From: Andrew townshend 05 May 2021 08:11 AM

Robert, you and I normally think along the same lines, let me ask you, what is your reaction to the guy that comes on here bragging about just buying a dozen houses cheap as chips ? my thoughts are 2 words, the first starts with a big fat B, there is a saying here in Norfolk '' real money dresses down'' I've normally found that to be accurate , LOL

From: Andrew townshend 04 May 2021 20:58 PM

I'm wondering about our friend J E , in an earlier comment he said he had been waiting 5 yrs for his landlord to carry out repairs, why is he still living there ? if I were in his shoes I would have moved onto another property with another landlord, maybe, just maybe J E is the kind of tenant that no good landlord with a good property would touch at any money, perhaps J E you could tell us all why you have not moved on ?

From: Andrew townshend 04 May 2021 19:20 PM

Julian who you rent from is your choice, and who we rent to is our choice, no shortage of tenants looking in my area.

From: Andrew townshend 04 May 2021 18:43 PM

Julian, as I have said many times on here I will consider tenants with pets and have had many good ones with no problems, I presently have 2 tenants with a cat each, one tenant with a dog, one with a snake and one with a rabbit , but these are my properties and therefore it is my choice , I will not rent to tenants with large or dangerous dogs and I will only rent properties with a garden to a dog owning tenant, I think my terms are very reasonable.

From: Andrew townshend 04 May 2021 18:38 PM

There are some really good managing agents, then there are those that are dreadful, but at the end of the day it is the landlord that carries full responsibility therefore it is very important that we all keep a close eye on our properties personally.

From: Andrew townshend 04 May 2021 09:37 AM

I'm in Norfolk, even here there are areas to be avoided, I don't like council estates, although I do have 1 ex council house in a decent area, Gt Yarmouth is to be avoided at all costs as is Thetford (the London over spill town of the 60s.

From: Andrew townshend 04 May 2021 09:29 AM

I also am prepares to '' consider '' tenants with a pet at an increased rent but only in a suitable property with a garden, flats are not suitable for a dog .

From: Andrew townshend 04 May 2021 09:21 AM

I would certainly agree that bed sits and flats are not suitable for dogs, houses with gardens can be suitable for one dog but I certainly would not allow large or dangerous dogs in any of my properties.

From: Andrew townshend 01 May 2021 10:01 AM

What's racist about Steve's comment ? for what it's worth I agree with Steve so you had better send the police round to see me and the 4 other landlords that ticked his comment, our properties our choice of tenants.

From: Andrew townshend 01 May 2021 09:12 AM

Agreed, that works both ways as well, once had a couple off a very rough council estate, a friend was horrified that I was going to rent to them, the rent was always paid in full and on time, the house was always spotlessly clean, they decorated, made improvements and kept the garden well, then had another guy his father was CEO of a large well respected new car dealership, his son lived like a pig and had the manners of a pig.

From: Andrew townshend 30 April 2021 13:35 PM

Councils and housing associations need to get their own properties in order. I 'm all for driving up standards but don't forget that also means driving up rents, where will the dross element live ?

From: Andrew townshend 30 April 2021 08:18 AM

Over supply of rental stock ?? flats in London maybe, not houses in Norwich. It's upto the landlord if they want pets in their property and their's alone.

From: Andrew townshend 30 April 2021 08:10 AM

Why rent a property with all those items in it ?

From: Andrew townshend 30 April 2021 08:05 AM

Then I'm sorry but more the fool them for borrowing way too much.

From: Andrew townshend 29 April 2021 11:13 AM

I have a house becoming vacant at the end of August, a Lithuanian family who have been first class tenants for more than 6 yrs have now bought off plan, the void will be useful it needs a new bathroom , which was there when I bought the house more than 25 yrs ago, and a good repaint through out, I don't expect any problems when it comes to re letting it at an increased rent on a 6 month tenancy which will roll over, reading the above I wouldn't use Hunters at any price.

From: Andrew townshend 28 April 2021 11:11 AM

Maybe it's the incomes that need to increase and not the rents reducing, high rents have been caused by governments policies .

From: Andrew townshend 27 April 2021 09:03 AM

I down loaded Jim's '' the beginners guide to HMOs'' not that I have any wish to become an HMO landlord but a very interesting read with many very good points. Also anyone see Mr Rinder on Tipping point last night ? I said to my wife that his charity would be Shelter, and sure enough his winnings went to Shelter .

From: Andrew townshend 26 April 2021 10:42 AM

We've seen the condition of social housing high rise flats on the ITV news over the last couple of weeks, but of course rules don't apply to them, maybe they should learn to lead by example.

From: Andrew townshend 26 April 2021 09:35 AM

Landlords are often labeled as greedy money grabbers, pot kettle black vets ??

From: Andrew townshend 26 April 2021 09:19 AM

Police don't seem much interested in crime these days, any tenant that is going to be evicted illegally is certainly going to be a scum bag type tenant, cannot see the police bothering.

From: Andrew townshend 26 April 2021 09:11 AM

'' Huge stack of rubbish and cycles in the garden'' wounder where they came from?

From: Andrew townshend 26 April 2021 09:06 AM

I've also found that allowing a pet often leads to good long term tenants, but as we can no longer ask for an extra deposit it now has to be an increased rent.

From: Andrew townshend 26 April 2021 09:00 AM

Jim, I would be very interested to read your manual, where can I find it

From: Andrew townshend 24 April 2021 13:25 PM

Most section 21 evictions are normally for a reason, normally non payment of rent, I have always used sec 21 over sec 8 in the past to evict non payers simply because sec 21 is quicker and easier, we will have to wait and see how the new sec 8 works, or better still being very careful when selecting new tenants + a guarantor where ever possible.

From: Andrew townshend 24 April 2021 10:23 AM

I never have bought leasehold, and would always advise against it, as for part buy and part rent that truly is total madness .

From: Andrew townshend 23 April 2021 20:16 PM

The high interest rates worked in my favor I had just sold my house and was living on a building site in a caravan, wife + 2 young children, my cash on deposit was earning good money , however today is very different, and the young of today are very different also, for those that want to better themselves better jobs often mean moving areas so renting will make that much easier .

From: Andrew townshend 23 April 2021 20:12 PM

Totally agree, auctions will be full of re possessed homes again, but the term ''buyer beware'' comes to mind, if people borrow more than they can afford to pay back that's their problem.

From: Andrew townshend 23 April 2021 17:31 PM

Very few tenants are ever going to vote conservative what ever they give them

From: Andrew townshend 23 April 2021 15:16 PM

Don't know as if I want any help from the government, there's no shortage of good working tenants in my area, it's just a shame that every time the government hits the landlord it's the tenant that pays.

From: Andrew townshend 23 April 2021 11:01 AM

As the saying goes Ed, ''look after the pennies and the pounds look after themselves'', Over the years I have come across many high earners who are skint living from one pay cheque to the next, why ? because both husband and wife drive new flash cars on lease and generally live the life style to impress their snob friends, the term in the motor trade is ''flash with no cash'', but we need fools like this, because they keep the rest of us wealthy.

From: Andrew townshend 23 April 2021 10:51 AM

Over the past 2 - 3 weeks ITV News have been high lighting damp homes with black mold, interesting to note that every one of these have been flats in high rise blocks, thankfully I don't own any, tenants in my area want houses.

From: Andrew townshend 23 April 2021 10:42 AM

I had a family of squirrels in a loft last yr, that was fun chasing them out and keeping them out as I blocked the hole they had made to get in, they were not happy, maybe I acted illegally again and should have got a court order first LOL.

From: Andrew townshend 22 April 2021 16:56 PM

You are of course spot on, it's generally the large national agents that are pretty useless as the youngsters on minimum wage that they employee cannot be bothered to do the job properly

From: Andrew townshend 22 April 2021 16:46 PM

Totally agree, I am very lucky with mine, we all get on well, landlord, agent and tenants

From: Andrew townshend 22 April 2021 11:42 AM

A very good reason to be very selective with new tenants, leave the dross to councils and housing associations from now on.

From: Andrew townshend 22 April 2021 08:40 AM

Blocks of flats, not what my tenants want.

From: Andrew townshend 22 April 2021 08:35 AM

When I first started as a landlord I joined my local landlords association and attended all their meetings, they were, and still are no more than a phone call away, very helpful and well worth their £70 per yr fee.

From: Andrew townshend 22 April 2021 08:31 AM

Going back to the early 90s I had 3 young people living in a terraced house, I had an irate phone call from them reporting rats, this was before the days of wheelie bins, I called round to find 20 black bin bags full of waste stacked by the back door, they were too bone idle to take them round the front once per week for the bin men to collect, no small wounder they had rats, they lived like rats.

From: Andrew townshend 22 April 2021 08:25 AM

There was a time when I personally managed all my properties, these days I have just 3 that I manage myself, I have an excellent independent agent that I have now been using for the past 20 yrs, I've not had a bad tenant from them in all that time, for me they are well worth their 10% fee, all tenants are free to contact me directly by phone, text or email, and most do if there is a problem.

From: Andrew townshend 22 April 2021 08:16 AM

Leics, you are very short of 'like' ticks on here, I think that speaks volumes. still that's it, I will not be responding to any more of your comments, your a waste of space.

From: Andrew townshend 22 April 2021 08:04 AM

Robert, I really do not think for one moment Leics Landlord is a landlord at all, he / she is one bitter and twisted person very anti landlord, he / she has made that clear by their comments on here .

From: Andrew townshend 21 April 2021 22:10 PM

Leics Landlord, at no point have I ever said that life is unfair to me, I enjoy what I do and yes you are correct I do live a life of wealth and privilege, which for all the hard work I've put in over the years I feel I'm entitled to. Other than a speeding offence on a motor bike as a teenager I have never been in the dock as you put it. The idiot on here is your good self sir.

From: Andrew townshend 21 April 2021 21:08 PM

@ Leics landlord -- DICK HEAD !

From: Andrew townshend 21 April 2021 20:08 PM

Yes we have expenses, just done my tax return, over £19k on repairs last year, and that's with me doing much of the work myself, Insurance over £2k, and I'm one of the lucky landlords with no mortgages to pay, I'm not complaining, but the rent doesn't all go in our back pockets.

From: Andrew townshend 21 April 2021 16:10 PM

Mr Rinder is a fool, educated, an honors degree from a top uni probability , but still a fool when it comes to the real world, there are many just like Mr Rinder out there .

From: Andrew townshend 21 April 2021 15:34 PM

These green schemes aren't worth the bother of even reading.

From: Andrew townshend 21 April 2021 15:00 PM

Well David Edmunds haven't you been busy on here this morning, I've enjoyed reading your comments, many have even brought a smile to my face, good luck finding that good landlord I just feel sorry for him/her

From: Andrew townshend 21 April 2021 13:03 PM

David, well well this is a first, I AGREE WITH YOU, I would be happy to pay that £1000 fine to get rid of a non paying tenant, a bargain price to pay

From: Andrew townshend 21 April 2021 12:57 PM

David isn't it the case that bad landlords and bad tenants normally go together now, could it be why you are having a problem finding a good landlord to rent to you? sounds very much like the case to me.

From: Andrew townshend 21 April 2021 12:52 PM

David presently I have 16 happy tenants, we get on fine, I have had tenants that have hatted me in the past when I've evicted them for nonpayment of rent.

From: Andrew townshend 21 April 2021 12:03 PM

So David 7 landlords have found it necessary to move you on, think that speaks volumes for the kind of tenant that you must be.

From: Andrew townshend 21 April 2021 11:58 AM

Sorry Matthew but if you believe that then you will believe anything, never trust a council even if it is in writing.

From: Andrew townshend 21 April 2021 11:17 AM

I take your point about B&Q and screwfix, however I do use them because around here in Norwich the builders merchants rip us off, there was a time that I had an account with Jewsons until I noticed the large difference in the costs of similar items, builders merchants give large discounts to companies that spend thousands with them every month, my normal spend with B&Q and Screwfix combined is just £200 - £300 per month, the likes of Jewsons wanted our business in the bad times of the 90s they have made it clear that they donot want it now.

From: Andrew townshend 21 April 2021 11:12 AM

I've had working tenants that have lost their jobs and had to go onto benefits, then found new employment, that's fine, that's what the benefits system is for, but lets face it the vast majority on benefits have no intention of finding employment, many are proud of the fact that they live for free off the tax payer, why would any of us want anything to do with them ?

From: Andrew townshend 21 April 2021 10:51 AM

Never never trust anyone in the public sector, least of all a council employee.

From: Andrew townshend 21 April 2021 08:49 AM

Very few students will ever pay their loans off, they will just get written off, so it's the tax payer subsidizing them again.

From: Andrew townshend 20 April 2021 09:36 AM

Normal for students, ''I'm entitled'', however they have no worries with this landlord, they fall into one of the groups that I will not rent to.

From: Andrew townshend 20 April 2021 07:57 AM

''Pick My Pad'' who would use a company with such a stupid name.

From: Andrew townshend 19 April 2021 17:38 PM

He's going to need those 30,000 new social homes PDQ as I expect private landlords in his area will be selling up as fast as they can.

From: Andrew townshend 19 April 2021 06:41 AM

In the past when I did have housing benefit tenants it was always these tenants that got into arrears, local housing allowance doesn't meet the full rent, and now that we are loosing sec 21 evicting non paying tenants is going to take longer and be very expensive, it would be total madness to take this risk.

From: Andrew townshend 19 April 2021 06:36 AM

Michael, I'm sure that your correct in your area and your kind of properties, but that is where we differ, I'm in Norfolk and I rent mainly houses to families , my flats are over commercial properties that I own the freeholds on, I have an excellent relationship with the agent I use, I also have an excellent relationship with my tenants, couple of weeks ago I had a call from a tenant on a Sunday afternoon reporting a leak through the ceiling from a water tank in the loft, I was round there in less than an hour to attend to it, all part of being a landlord on call 24- 7 , my way works for me, it might not work for others

From: Andrew townshend 17 April 2021 22:36 PM

Hello Daniela, 10% + vat, there are a few locally that charge 8% +vat but I wouldn't trust them

From: Andrew townshend 16 April 2021 19:09 PM

I reply to them just to wind their bitter and twisted minds up still further, they are always going to hate any one successful in business, I can live with that.

From: Andrew townshend 16 April 2021 16:00 PM

What ever the business costs are always passed onto the end user Dan, you can blame the council for this rent increase, but this one will not affect me or my tenants as I don't have any HMOs they tend to cater for the kind of tenants that I don't want.

From: Andrew townshend 16 April 2021 13:27 PM

I expect landlords with HMOs will be passing the cost onto their tenants.

From: Andrew townshend 16 April 2021 09:16 AM

I only eat eggs from free range hens, and so should you !

From: Andrew townshend 15 April 2021 21:30 PM

Well easy way out of this one, we can increase the rent once per year, no limits that I know of at present, so double it, and still there this time next year double it again , don't pay any attention to property 118 idiots that don't know what they are talking about

From: Andrew townshend 15 April 2021 21:28 PM

Landlords do not make tenants homeless, tenants make themselves homeless by not paying the rent, it really is as simple as that.

From: Andrew townshend 15 April 2021 19:23 PM

I spent over 30 yrs in the motor trade, trust me you don't want to be insuring with Direct line, they will do anything to wriggle out of a claim and take for ever to pay up.

From: Andrew townshend 15 April 2021 15:33 PM

Madeleine, all tenants are not the same, in fact most are good honest hard working people who pay their way and look after our properties, I have 16 such tenants at present and zero bad ones, but there are bad ones out there, I've had them, got that tee shirt, it's the few that cause the issues for the good ones, but isn't that true in all walks of life ?

From: Andrew townshend 15 April 2021 15:23 PM

I hope that you are right with the new accelerated section 8, I look forward to reading the conditions, when ever I have used section 21 in the past it has always been for a justifiable reason - none payment of rent !

From: Andrew townshend 15 April 2021 15:15 PM

Well Dan love me or hate me why would I care what the likes of you think, I doubt you will ever be a tenant of mine.

From: Andrew townshend 15 April 2021 14:50 PM

It is an eviction, but you are correct that it has to be backed up by a court order before the tenants can be removed, normally though the tenants leave of their own free will before we get to courts and bailiffs .

From: Andrew townshend 15 April 2021 09:33 AM

I would hope that any landlord that accepts students would insist on suitable parents / relations standing guarantors, it would be total madness not to do so.

From: Andrew townshend 15 April 2021 09:27 AM

Just as we check out new tenants we also need to check out agents very carefully, and don't assume that just because they are part of a big national chain they are going to be any good, I use a small independent agent here in Norwich, one high street office, I've used them for the past 20 yrs, if the rent is not paid into my bank account on the same day that the tenant pays it, it is always in my account by the next day, they are very good at checking out new tenants, I've not had a bad one from them yet, even when I find the new tenant myself they still have to apply through my agent, it is worth every penny of their fee to do so.

From: Andrew townshend 15 April 2021 09:22 AM

That's very true Martin, and they cannot be trusted to buy an appropriate colour either, the times I've had to paint over reds blues and greens.

From: Andrew townshend 15 April 2021 09:06 AM

Section 21 is the accelerated eviction route , not a no fault eviction.

From: Andrew townshend 15 April 2021 09:01 AM

Half of landlords are in agreement ?? has anyone on here been asked ? I certainly have not. Our properties our decision, as I've said before I'm one of very few landlords that will ''CONSIDER'' pets, I do not automatically accept any tenant with any pet, that is my decision and mine alone.

From: Andrew townshend 15 April 2021 08:58 AM

Boris is your typical Eton / university boy, letters after his name and zero commonsense.

From: Andrew townshend 14 April 2021 11:27 AM

Depends on the landlord and how they run their businesses, those running on debt will likely want out or at least want to reduce their debt.

From: Andrew townshend 14 April 2021 09:05 AM

Seems these BTL lenders are desperate for business

From: Andrew townshend 14 April 2021 08:54 AM

This is why a labour government will not be elected.

From: Andrew townshend 14 April 2021 08:49 AM

Another rogue landlord ?

From: Andrew townshend 13 April 2021 10:09 AM

Of course he failed to attend the court hearing, our laws don't apply to him.

From: Andrew townshend 13 April 2021 08:51 AM

So we take a £15k loan out to bring a property up to a C rating and then add that monthly repayment onto the rent, tenant pays again, seems fair enough to me, but I don't expect tenants, shelter, GR etc will like it much.

From: Andrew townshend 13 April 2021 08:48 AM

I'm staying put, I've been in it for the long haul, no borrowings, my income exceeds my needs, I can fully understand landlords with high debt selling though.

From: Andrew townshend 12 April 2021 09:21 AM

Increased costs and more red tape = increased rents, also there are an increased number of tenants for fewer available properties so we can pick and choose the best working tenants for our properties.

From: Andrew townshend 12 April 2021 09:11 AM

Leics Landlord you are truly a very sad person you have my sympathy.

From: Andrew townshend 09 April 2021 19:25 PM

Do us all a favor Leic Landlord and take your own advice , you put a sock in it.

From: Andrew townshend 09 April 2021 16:30 PM

A typical rent outside London is £847 ? I wish, my most expensive rent is £695, most are around £600, and the cheapest is £476 per month, seems I need to be increasing all of them.

From: Andrew townshend 09 April 2021 09:04 AM

Keep a record of communications, send emails, letters with a certificate of posting, witness statements where possible to prove that you have tried, if the tenant refuses access then a gas inspection cannot be carried out, but make sure to cover your back.

From: Andrew townshend 08 April 2021 16:41 PM

I'm not stressed about it, when we get there, if we get there, what are the government going to do, make us evict every tenant in a home under a C rating ? I think not, there will either have to be exemptions, as there are now, or very large government grants .

From: Andrew townshend 08 April 2021 11:40 AM

Here in Norwich there are big council estates built between the wars, they are dreadful and stand zero chance of coming up to a C rating, but of course this doesn't apply to social housing, strange that !

From: Andrew townshend 08 April 2021 10:07 AM

Very nice too, all these things come with a cost attached, they are welcome to the student tenant business, I only rent to the working 25 + groups , my experience of renting to students in the 90s put me off them for life.

From: Andrew townshend 08 April 2021 09:48 AM

Why do some landlords ignore these warnings, the problem isn't going to go away, no good sweeping it under the carpet.

From: Andrew townshend 08 April 2021 09:41 AM

Don't know about London, not my area thankfully, here in Norfolk most do want properties that are within walking distance, or a short bus journey, to town and city centres .

From: Andrew townshend 08 April 2021 09:37 AM

Mediation will not work, most tenants that don't pay do so because they want to spend their benefit money on other things, smoking, drinking, drugs,52" TVs and sky subs.

From: Andrew townshend 08 April 2021 09:31 AM

I have got one old detached property that I managed to get from a G to an F a couple of years ago and got a exemption on that, maybe this is what will happen more exemptions.

From: Andrew townshend 08 April 2021 09:25 AM

In my area tenants like the Victorian terraced houses, never a problem to rent them and rents increasing every time they are re let, what they don't want are high rise flats, it's going to be very difficult to get these old houses up to band C and I expect very expensive, which is just going to fuel rent rises still more, there is no joined up thinking here from the government, but then I expect that is too much to ask from the Eton boys

From: Andrew townshend 08 April 2021 09:16 AM

They mention a scheme in Berlin, isn't that the same scheme that makes non payment of rent a criminal offence, where rent dodgers are quickly removed by the police ?

From: Andrew townshend 07 April 2021 09:06 AM

Theodor, please don't take this the wrong way, but you run your business your way while I'll run mine my way, I've had dogs for the last 40 yrs, proper dogs with responsible owners are not a problem, I will continue to consider tenants with pets.

From: Andrew townshend 06 April 2021 19:34 PM

You don't and that's just the kind of trick that some would pull, I ''consider'' pets but would never rent to someone with a big dog, over the yrs I have had many really good pet owing tenants, as with anything there is always a risk

From: Andrew townshend 06 April 2021 17:49 PM

No I cannot see why an increased rent would not be legal, or do it the other way, offer tenants without pets a discount.

From: Andrew townshend 05 April 2021 11:48 AM

It is possible and legal to charge an increased rent to tenants with pets, this might be the way around this if it ever happens.

From: Andrew townshend 05 April 2021 09:17 AM

Very few tenants will ever vote Tory what ever this government gives them

From: Andrew townshend 01 April 2021 13:41 PM

Mrs May has to be the worst Tory leader of all times, we nearly got a Corbyn government because of her.

From: Andrew townshend 01 April 2021 13:33 PM

While I'm one of very few landlords that will ''consider' pets' I don't want to be forced to take tenants with pets , I refuse a dog in an unsuitable property and I also refuse a large or dangerous dog, as landlord it's my choice what and who lives in my properties

From: Andrew townshend 01 April 2021 08:58 AM

Yet again it would seen that he was given the chance to carry out the works but didn't.

From: Andrew townshend 01 April 2021 08:48 AM

Yet more on ITV news tonight about council properties.

From: Andrew townshend 31 March 2021 20:39 PM

Vincent, that's nice, have you had a bad experience with a landlord to warrant that statement ? you are of course free to make any comments you like on here and I'm sure we would all like to hear more.

From: Andrew townshend 31 March 2021 20:36 PM

2 - 3 yrs, you could well be right there, non of us can afford to be taking any risks from now on with new tenants they need to check out 110%

From: Andrew townshend 31 March 2021 13:51 PM

There isn't an MP of any party that would support this, all hot air and empty promises.

From: Andrew townshend 31 March 2021 09:42 AM

The courts will have no interest in speeding up the process, why would they? they have nothing to gain here , infact they are likely under instructions from the government to go slow, it's called '' kicking the can down the road'' , at some point, 6 months, 12 months, or 24 months the homeless figures will raise when all the non payers are thrown out and no landlords will rent to them again.

From: Andrew townshend 31 March 2021 09:37 AM

Like most of these grant schemes before it the ''Green Homes Grant'' was a complete non starter, waste of time, effort and money.

From: Andrew townshend 31 March 2021 09:25 AM

We are all going to have extra costs so we will all be increasing our rents, it's not as if some landlords will be undercutting others , it's like when one fuel station increases the price of diesel the rest follow.

From: Andrew townshend 30 March 2021 13:30 PM

Little point in asking, a non paying tenant is just going to lie lie and lie again, serve the eviction papers at the first opportunity and do a money claim online, just do it.

From: Andrew townshend 30 March 2021 13:24 PM

I suspect you are correct, it no doubt is a made up case as most of these cases are, but when it comes to lack of maintenance and un safe homes social housing comes out to be the worst offenders every time

From: Andrew townshend 29 March 2021 09:05 AM

Sophia sounds like a vulnerable person, so why is she not being housed by her local council in one of their wet tower blocks as reported by ITV last week ?

From: Andrew townshend 29 March 2021 08:35 AM

Any savings on energy bills will be minimal if at all , however the increase in rents will be anything other than minimal.

From: Andrew townshend 29 March 2021 08:27 AM

Same as Paul Barrett I expect, what happen to freedom of speech ?? Maybe I'll be the next to go ? I tell it as it is, please or offend , if I offend some tough I really don't care.

From: Andrew townshend 28 March 2021 16:32 PM

I agree Bill, I'll be 68 this yr, I still do most of my repairs, clean ups and decorating, I earn more than I need and enjoy doing it, the secret at our time of life is no debt and good tenants.

From: Andrew townshend 28 March 2021 11:08 AM

Waste of time effort and a lot of money, and then the rent has to increase, but no one, not the landlord or the tenant, have gained anything, all total madness.

From: Andrew townshend 27 March 2021 10:56 AM

LED lighting, only yesterday an electrician was explaining to me how too much LED lighting can make the breaker in the consumer unit fail to work, so we save a few pence on electricity but render the lighting circuit dangerous.

From: Andrew townshend 27 March 2021 09:44 AM

Some yrs ago a young guy that lived next door to a terraced cottage that I own moved away to work and rented his house to a young family, soon he had the council after him, damp, there was no damp on my side, it later turned out that they had been throwing water at the walls, they got housed by the council and to this day that property has never suffered damp again, just an example of what some tenants will do in order to get housed by the council

From: Andrew townshend 27 March 2021 09:37 AM

I took my first debtor to court 40 yrs ago over an un payed £70 invoice, bailiffs took his sports car away and sold it at auction, if I'm not paid expect a CCJ, it's not the money, it's the princible, and yes we all must be doing this now with every non paying tenant.

From: Andrew townshend 26 March 2021 17:38 PM

It's a loan, and loans have to be paid back with interest, so lets say the monthly repayments are £100, that's a £100 per month rent rise, yes fine I'll do it, because I won't be paying for it, poor tenant gets clobbered yet again.

From: Andrew townshend 26 March 2021 08:16 AM

Shocking conditions, maybe the fine should have been more, maybe he should be banned from renting property, but are we hearing the full story ? why didn't the family move? or maybe the family are the type of tenants that no decent landlord would touch with a barge pole, and maybe the conditions were caused by the tenants, as is often the case.

From: Andrew townshend 26 March 2021 08:09 AM

I suspect the main problem here are the free riders who have made no attempt to pay their rent, very short sighted because while they are getting away with living for free now at some point in the next yr they will be evicted, we will know who they are and won't be taking them on as tenants, yes a big problem for councils, but not our problem.

From: Andrew townshend 26 March 2021 08:01 AM

BTL boomers can afford the boiler and do replace them, if the performance of councils and housing assocs are anything to go by BTL boomers get the jobs done quicker, but if these corporations want the Big Issue sellers and readers as tenants then they are welcome to them, and good luck with getting the rent paid

From: Andrew townshend 26 March 2021 07:53 AM

Well this comment has to be from our old mate Paul, welcome back.

From: Andrew townshend 25 March 2021 12:19 PM

I'm sticking with it, although I'm not looking to buy more at the moment.

From: Andrew townshend 25 March 2021 12:12 PM

Well that's gone t*ts up, the tenant we were going to do this afternoon has just phoned up and cancelled as his wife is very ill, so that one will now be going past the deadline , nothing I can do about that.

From: Andrew townshend 25 March 2021 12:09 PM

I fully believe you Jim, this is all a big con

From: Andrew townshend 25 March 2021 12:00 PM

It's not just Croydon council, Norwich council are no different, how is it that councils and housing assocs can get away with seriously sub standard properties.

From: Andrew townshend 25 March 2021 11:56 AM

I had 2 Vaillant boilers 1 lasted 7 yrs the other is nearly 10 yrs old, I don't expect that one will go on much longer, new boilers, even those from supposedly good manufactures, are rubbish, might as well buy cheap and throw away when they go wrong .

From: Andrew townshend 25 March 2021 11:50 AM

I have one F but do have an exemption on that .

From: Andrew townshend 25 March 2021 07:47 AM

I've got the last 3 to do today and tomorrow, they shouldn't be too much of a problem as they have been tested in the past and have had new consumer units fitted a few yrs ago

From: Andrew townshend 25 March 2021 07:44 AM

I have a Worcester and a Baxi both over 25 yrs old still going strong, new boilers last 7 - 10 yrs if you are lucky .

From: Andrew townshend 25 March 2021 07:35 AM

Well I didn't, it was the tenants that applied for it, I just had to agree to it, which of course I did.

From: Andrew townshend 24 March 2021 14:59 PM

I'm in Norfolk Adrian, Norwich and suburbs, Dereham, Attlebourgh and one just over the boarder in Lowestoft, no tenant of mine has expressed an intrest in ''green'' either

From: Andrew townshend 24 March 2021 14:57 PM

I've just had a run on repairs, boilers, a roof and all these electrical tests, if I put a short term tax return in the tax man would be paying me.

From: Andrew townshend 24 March 2021 09:08 AM

They won't want to, but I expect they will have to.

From: Andrew townshend 24 March 2021 09:00 AM

I had a bathroom up graded to a wet room for an older couple, the only thing I had to buy was a replacement towel rail every thing else was paid for by a grant.

From: Andrew townshend 24 March 2021 08:07 AM

£18 k per property will = a big increase in rent.

From: Andrew townshend 24 March 2021 08:01 AM

It's tenants lose if they don't take out contents insurance

From: Andrew townshend 23 March 2021 17:20 PM

Agreed, looked into these schemes / grants before, complete waste of time , effort and money.

From: Andrew townshend 22 March 2021 20:40 PM

Good tenants have nothing to fear, I also have tenants of 10 yrs +, bad tenants will be out on the ear PDQ.

From: Andrew townshend 22 March 2021 17:37 PM

Oh I say Robert, touched a raw nerve there have I ? solicitors should point these things out but few do these days, anyone that signs a document with out reading and fully understanding it is a fool pure and simple, and to be honest with you it's my opinion that anyone buying leasehold is also a fool, buyer beware .

From: Andrew townshend 22 March 2021 16:03 PM

Then rents will rocket and children will be sharing a bedroom in a B&B with their parents, you get nout for nout in this world.

From: Andrew townshend 22 March 2021 08:14 AM

Tenants from hell that no one else will home by the sound of things, likely much of the damage was caused by the tenants themselves, renovate the properties to a better standard then rent to better tenants, leave the dross to the council to home.

From: Andrew townshend 22 March 2021 08:09 AM

Why don't people read these things before buying off the developer, no small wounder they cannot sell them on, who in their right mind is going to buy them ?

From: Andrew townshend 22 March 2021 07:58 AM

Leave vulnerable people with problems to the council to home, their responsibility, not ours.

From: Andrew townshend 22 March 2021 07:51 AM

Yes it was fair then, now it isn't

From: Andrew townshend 19 March 2021 10:36 AM

Yes, in other businesses you can carry over, but not in ours, as I say, unfair but that's the way it is, there are some properties that I would like to sell and buy else where but the CGT makes that impossible.

From: Andrew townshend 18 March 2021 21:55 PM

Unfortunately yes you would, not fair but that's the way it is.

From: Andrew townshend 18 March 2021 19:08 PM

It would be for me as well, but that would likely split the vote and let labour in through the back door which would be out of the frying pan and into the fires of hell for us landlords

From: Andrew townshend 18 March 2021 16:38 PM

I use a very good local agent here in Norwich, 1 guy and 4 ladies, trust me you wouldn't argue with the ladies there, they do an excellent job.

From: Andrew townshend 18 March 2021 15:58 PM

Yes and we all need to be doing this now, even if there is little chance of getting the money owed give all the non payers a CCJ , cheap and easy to do, it will send out a strong message

From: Andrew townshend 18 March 2021 09:14 AM

London renter's union, if tenants cannot afford their rent they need to move to somewhere where they can afford the rent, not a free cash pay out from the tax payer.

From: Andrew townshend 18 March 2021 08:18 AM

Lets be having a landlords demonstration out side their office.

From: Andrew townshend 17 March 2021 17:47 PM

In many ways the benefit scroungers have got it right, but could you live like that ? I couldn't. By some we are hated, but so what, I hate the benefit scroungers, but I bet they don't care.

From: Andrew townshend 17 March 2021 10:42 AM

Michael, when I'm dead and gone I won't be worrying about CGT or IHT, that will be my children's problem, but even after they have paid that tax they will still be in for a big free wedge of cash (or assets) that they didn't have to work for, so I cannot see them crying too loudly .

From: Andrew townshend 17 March 2021 10:01 AM

Tenants referred by these agencies ? wouldn't touch any of them

From: Andrew townshend 17 March 2021 09:33 AM

I had a lady tenant a few yrs ago who worked on the phones at a local housing assoc, she told me some stories about their tenants, the way they spoke to her and their demands, leave the '' I'm entitled '' benefit scroungers to councils and housing assocs, we are better off without them.

From: Andrew townshend 17 March 2021 09:27 AM

Don't know where they get these figures from, sounds like scare tactics to me, there will always be tenants that won't pay, there was before covid and there will be after, but I think all landlords are getting much better at checking our prospective tenants and weeding out the risky ones now, so in the main the homeless ones will only have themselves to blame.

From: Andrew townshend 17 March 2021 09:19 AM

We only pay CGT if we sell , so don't sell, just keep taking that income.

From: Andrew townshend 17 March 2021 09:10 AM

We chose the tenant and we don't have to give any reasons for our choice.

From: Andrew townshend 17 March 2021 09:05 AM

It's a case of being very careful of who you are dealing with, check agents out the same as you would a tenant.

From: Andrew townshend 16 March 2021 10:22 AM

Simple Val, they have no money because to them WORK is a rude 4 letter word.

From: Andrew townshend 16 March 2021 09:23 AM

Good tenants have nothing to worry about, those that have been taking advantage of the present situation should be very worried, we will all know who you are.

From: Andrew townshend 16 March 2021 09:21 AM

A lot of empty properties and unused brown field sites are council owned and are left that way for years, maybe we should be making compulsory orders to buy from councils.

From: Andrew townshend 16 March 2021 09:14 AM

G D I agree that's what I'm doing together with many other landlords locally, too expensive to buy more property so when they become vacant we are spending money on them in order to get a better class of tenant and a higher rent.

From: Andrew townshend 15 March 2021 10:27 AM

Increased costs = increased rent, so who are the losers ?

From: Andrew townshend 15 March 2021 08:54 AM

Shelter , GR and the government all intent on making life difficult for landlords = increased rents, not rocket science is it ?

From: Andrew townshend 15 March 2021 08:16 AM

You only have to look around to see all the young obese people, many very young, wasn't like that in the 60s or 70s, these people are obese simply because they are bone idle.

From: Andrew townshend 13 March 2021 20:52 PM

Well pointed out Michael, the snowflakes of today know nothing about what work was then, but I have no regrets, hard work never harmed anyone

From: Andrew townshend 13 March 2021 19:37 PM

D E, landlords love '' model renters'' that pay up in full on time and look after the property, why would any landlord want to evict a '' model renter'', sorry but your comment is total nonsense .

From: Andrew townshend 13 March 2021 18:42 PM

E D 1K fine for an illegal eviction ? that's cheaper than going down the legal route .

From: Andrew townshend 13 March 2021 15:01 PM

Christine it's not the money it's the princible, why should low life scum get away with not paying, easy and quick to do online and normally no need to attend court, a CCJ screws their credit rating and sends a strong message out to other landlords not to rent to these people.

From: Andrew townshend 13 March 2021 13:53 PM

It cost me £1000 in compensation once when I got rid of a tenant -- and was worth every penny.

From: Andrew townshend 12 March 2021 13:45 PM

Generally we are just pleased to see the back of them, however why should they be allowed to get away with this, the last time I issued a ''money claim online'' it cost me just £60 (tax deductible) and I did get some money out of them that time, but it's not the money for me, it's the princible, even if I get no money, they get a CCJ which screws their credit history and warns other landlords / agents when they apply to rent another property.

From: Andrew townshend 12 March 2021 10:09 AM

The only tenants facing her '' cliff edge '' would be those that haven't been paying.

From: Andrew townshend 12 March 2021 08:17 AM

Poor little snowflakes, so hard done by, lol.

From: Andrew townshend 12 March 2021 08:10 AM

Landlords who have rogue non paying tenants at present have a problem, but at some point they will be rid of their bad tenants, the rest of us need to be very careful that we don't get these rogue tenants, careful checking of all new applicants and guarantors are now a must

From: Andrew townshend 10 March 2021 20:58 PM

Future tenants will be paying increased rents to cover the non payers

From: Andrew townshend 10 March 2021 16:13 PM

Thank god I don't live anywhere near London and have no need to visit

From: Andrew townshend 10 March 2021 14:55 PM

How about the council owned homes that likely will have serious hazards if Oxford are anything like Norwich

From: Andrew townshend 10 March 2021 11:00 AM

Increased costs are always picked up by the end user, whatever the business.

From: Andrew townshend 10 March 2021 10:42 AM

Very few people read any contracts, tenancy agreements, leases or insurance policies, few years ago I asked my insurance broker about some terms in my rental property policy, he couldn't answer me other to say that no one reads the small print.

From: Andrew townshend 09 March 2021 19:23 PM

Home ownership isn't for every one regardless of cost, many people move around the country chasing better work and promotions now, to sell a house takes time, often a long time, a renter gives 1 months notice and they are gone, easy and no worries.

From: Andrew townshend 09 March 2021 09:46 AM

Problem is often the pet arrives after the tenant has moved in, at which time it is near on impossible to evict them, only way then is to increase the rent at the first opportunity.

From: Andrew townshend 08 March 2021 08:29 AM

Lia, issue a money claim online NOW (only about £60 to do and dead easy) to each of them, with the threat of a CCJ on their credit history they might just pay, if they don't you still have 6 yrs to go after them, or even apply for an attachment to earnings / benefits, it's not all over until the fat lady sings, as the saying goes, don't let this scum get away with it.

From: Andrew townshend 06 March 2021 14:47 PM

Agreed, I would say that council / housing assoc tenants would be MORE likely to cause fires than our tenants, after all we check out our tenants out very carefully now where as social housing take the dregs that no one else wants

From: Andrew townshend 06 March 2021 08:14 AM

I've always banked with Barclays, as my farther and grandfather did before me, never had a problem with them, in fact 40 yrs ago when times were hard they stood by me, I did however once open an account with Lloyds as I thought it wise to have another separate bank account, what a sh*t bank they really are, I soon closed that account.

From: Andrew townshend 05 March 2021 22:16 PM

An improved property earns an improved rent, simple.

From: Andrew townshend 05 March 2021 13:51 PM

We have some local small breweries, could do a pub crawl and get totally legless

From: Andrew townshend 02 March 2021 21:07 PM

Come on down, I'll buy you a pint when the pubs open again.

From: Andrew townshend 02 March 2021 19:27 PM

I think you need to be raising their rent to at least LHA rates immediately, they are clearly taking advantage of your good nature.

From: Andrew townshend 02 March 2021 15:07 PM

Oh the bitter and twisted loony left unions, they just hate to see people working hard to better themselves.

From: Andrew townshend 02 March 2021 09:15 AM

Other than one commercial tenant who's business failed due to the first lock down I've not had any covid arrears, and I don't know of any local landlords that have, so it seems to me this is project fear once again.

From: Andrew townshend 02 March 2021 09:10 AM

No shortage of good hard working tenants available here in Norwich, just re let a house, more than 10 viewings, 3 good tenants to choose from, why would we want some low life from the council wrecking our property

From: Andrew townshend 01 March 2021 09:25 AM

'' Go without essentials '' by that I expect she means the 52" TV. Sky subs, fags, alcohol and drugs.

From: Andrew townshend 01 March 2021 09:15 AM

Agreed, our courts are not fit for purpose.

From: Andrew townshend 01 March 2021 09:10 AM

Never never trust that man (or woman) from the council, back stabbers, one and all.

From: Andrew townshend 27 February 2021 18:20 PM

David, I would not disagree with you on that one, but let's face it councils and housing assocs are hopeless.

From: Andrew townshend 26 February 2021 21:42 PM

David a good tenant that pays is a customer, and a good customer at that.

From: Andrew townshend 26 February 2021 21:38 PM

So why are the state not building homes David ? perhaps you need to be asking present and past governments why they have not been doing so.

From: Andrew townshend 26 February 2021 21:36 PM

David I agree with you on that one, good honest, paying tenants should not be subsidizing the rogue bums that won't pay, those that genuine cannot are the responsibility of the local council.

From: Andrew townshend 26 February 2021 21:32 PM

David, shelter, the charity?? pay their management six figure salaries and house no one.

From: Andrew townshend 26 February 2021 21:26 PM

David, I think you are in the wrong country mate.

From: Andrew townshend 26 February 2021 21:23 PM

Maybe that should be taught in schools, but then all school teachers are of the loony left brigade, so that wouldn't work.

From: Andrew townshend 26 February 2021 21:19 PM

David Edmunds, we are not talking about your '' ideal renters'' here, good tenants have nothing to fear, we are talking about the rogue none paying bums that we need out ASAP .

From: Andrew townshend 26 February 2021 21:16 PM

David Edmunds, Tesco's would not welcome shop lifters into their stores, the same as landlords do not welcome none paying tenants into their properties.

From: Andrew townshend 26 February 2021 21:11 PM

Road surfaces / pot holes in Norfolk are dreadful quite possibly the worst in the country, no shortage of fit lazy bums sitting at home milking the benefits though.

From: Andrew townshend 26 February 2021 20:59 PM

Agreed David, but you need to be telling the government that one, it's the government that are causing many landlords to sell up, Like Mike above I'm not selling they aren't getting all that CGT out of me just to pass onto the work shy bums in society.

From: Andrew townshend 26 February 2021 19:07 PM

Exactly, not rocket science is it.

From: Andrew townshend 26 February 2021 18:55 PM

All homes should be safe David, owner occupied, council, housing assoc and private landlord properties, every thing comes with a price tag, and who picks the cost up ? the tenant.

From: Andrew townshend 26 February 2021 18:53 PM

What happens if the bank a/c has no money in it ?

From: Andrew townshend 26 February 2021 09:02 AM

And at the end of 6 months the '' vulnerable '' tenant will have wrecked the flat and another £10k will need to be spent. 310

From: Andrew townshend 26 February 2021 08:58 AM

Certainly much of the council housing stock here in Norwich is well below standard.

From: Andrew townshend 25 February 2021 14:58 PM

When it comes to a non paying tenant there is no other way than '' money claim online'' and the resulting CCJ

From: Andrew townshend 25 February 2021 14:47 PM

James, we leave ''the great unwashed'' to the local council, why would we want them?

From: Andrew townshend 24 February 2021 21:19 PM

Hello Seb, we've missed you mate !

From: Andrew townshend 24 February 2021 21:03 PM

Exactly David, good tenants have nothing to worry about, all landlords value good tenants, just as any business values good customers.

From: Andrew townshend 24 February 2021 21:02 PM

I have recently re let a house, rent up £50 per month, in excess of 10 viewings , 3 good strong working tenants to chose from all with a suitable guarantor, now more than ever before we pick and choose .

From: Andrew townshend 24 February 2021 19:45 PM

Your not wrong their Daniela

From: Andrew townshend 24 February 2021 08:29 AM

As head of my own house hold I shall comply , however it is not my responsibility to forward the details of my tenants.

From: Andrew townshend 23 February 2021 15:49 PM

You should see the state of council houses and flats here in Norwich.

From: Andrew townshend 23 February 2021 15:32 PM

Complete waste of time just as all these government green schemes have been

From: Andrew townshend 23 February 2021 15:28 PM

NO, NO & NO AGAIN. Council's problem, not mine.

From: Andrew townshend 23 February 2021 15:23 PM

I have 2 boilers that are over 25 yrs old, not a moments trouble with either of them, I have others that need replacing at 7 yrs old.

From: Andrew townshend 23 February 2021 15:14 PM

Robert, we're just like the Bookie really he always wins at the end of the day.

From: Andrew townshend 18 February 2021 12:08 PM

Very likely or a plant from Shelter or GR.

From: Andrew townshend 18 February 2021 11:14 AM

Most of my properties bin collections are a Tuesday in Norwich so I generally take a ride in either on a Monday or a Tuesday morning and check that the bins are out, it's all part of being a landlord, most tenants do put their bins out but there are often one's that either forget or just cannot be bothered, the last thing we need is rubbish building up as it will always be the landlord that gets the blame and never the tenant.

From: Andrew townshend 18 February 2021 11:10 AM

He's another Corbyn

From: Andrew townshend 18 February 2021 08:43 AM

David, I knew who your comment was aimed at , but as normal that half wit from Leicester got it all wrong, Don't think the idiot is a landlord at all.

From: Andrew townshend 17 February 2021 16:21 PM

Tax payer money, but in their sad little minds they are of course '' entitled ''

From: Andrew townshend 17 February 2021 15:17 PM

Maybe not soaring but just had a 2 bed terrace come empty and have a new tenant lined up at a £50 per month increase, so Norwich still doing okay.

From: Andrew townshend 17 February 2021 15:04 PM

Tell it as it is Kilo, sometimes the truth hurts

From: Andrew townshend 17 February 2021 14:59 PM

Students - real world ? you're asking a lot there !

From: Andrew townshend 17 February 2021 10:38 AM

Leics Landlord, I think possibly you have miss understood David's comment, I suspect he was referring to the HMO tenants

From: Andrew townshend 17 February 2021 09:47 AM

I think in the past most of us have gone against our better judgement at times and let the wrong person into our properties, it's a learning curve , and often a hard one at that, non of us can now afford to make that mistake now , if the applicant doesn't feel right, for whatever reason, direct them to the local council housing department.

From: Andrew townshend 17 February 2021 08:57 AM

I don't do HMOs, they attract the very kind of tenants that I don't want at any price, but I have to ask where would these kind of people live if there were not HMOs available ? they cannot afford the rent on anything else.

From: Andrew townshend 17 February 2021 08:46 AM

I was bitten by students in the 90s, never again.

From: Andrew townshend 17 February 2021 08:36 AM

Jahan Shelter represent the very sort of tenants that good landlords don't want at any price.

From: Andrew townshend 16 February 2021 21:07 PM

Echis, I note you have shortened my name to Andy, don't worry, in fact most people do call me Andy, as a timid 15 yr old boy on my first day at work (1968) in a commercial vehicle repair workshop a guy came up to me and asked '' what's your name boy'' I sheepishly replied ''Andrew Townshend'' to which he replied '' I didn't ask you your f***ing life history'' from there on I was Andy, much to the annoyance of my mum.

From: Andrew townshend 15 February 2021 21:47 PM

Not begging for anything, just a simple fact that those tenants who are not paying will be out on the streets at some point, and that will be the local council's problem.

From: Andrew townshend 15 February 2021 16:37 PM

Agreed because good landlords with good properties will not touch them, and why should we.

From: Andrew townshend 15 February 2021 10:02 AM

No landlord should be renting properties like this, although I do wounder what kind of tenants were living there, I doubt any landlord with a decent property would rent to these types, so basically their only choice would be shop door ways because I doubt the council would be housing them either.

From: Andrew townshend 15 February 2021 09:28 AM

Really not a good idea to be purchasing properties now with large borrowings, in fact it's wise to be reducing debt now.

From: Andrew townshend 15 February 2021 09:20 AM

So every tenant who gets a sec 21 is blameless ?? not so, sec 21 is used because it is quicker and an easier way of evicting non paying tenants, very few tenants that have been evicted by the sec 21 route have been blameless.

From: Andrew townshend 15 February 2021 09:17 AM

I don't know how the government could stop anyone from applying for a CCJ, however until such time as they do it is very important that every landlord with a non paying tenant does go down the money claim online route , at present all my tenants are paying but of course that could change.

From: Andrew townshend 14 February 2021 11:15 AM

All charities pay their management 6 figure salaries that's common knowledge isn't it ?

From: Andrew townshend 12 February 2021 11:30 AM

Well we all know about charities they beg for money to pay their management their excessive wages and perks, where else does Shelter spend money ?

From: Andrew townshend 12 February 2021 10:08 AM

I'm sure that you are right there David , shot her self in the foot though because the local paper named her, plus she is a single mum, more trouble than they are worth, maybe Norwich City Council will give her one of their sh*t flats to live in.

From: Andrew townshend 12 February 2021 09:22 AM

I use a good established firm of accountants locally and pay £60 a year tax investigation insurance, you get what you pay for with accountants, use a cheap one and get problems from the tax man.

From: Andrew townshend 12 February 2021 09:14 AM

Those that pay their way in life have no worries here, those that don't get what they deserve.

From: Andrew townshend 12 February 2021 09:07 AM

We all know that a HMO needs a licence and it's really not difficult to check, personally I've never got involved with HMOs not the kind of tenants I want.

From: Andrew townshend 12 February 2021 09:04 AM

I think we all know that it will be extended, just a case of kicking the can down the road, at some point the landlords with bad tenants will be evicting, please it you have a nonpaying tenant make sure they leave with a CCJ to their name thereby protecting the rest of us.

From: Andrew townshend 12 February 2021 08:58 AM

The EDP is my local newspaper, very left wing with very poor journalists, I doubt very much these viewings were back to back every 15 minutes from 10.30 - 12,15, and as for bullied that is clearly untrue, the general opinion locally is that it's sour grapes because she is having to move , now that she has been so stupid as to go whining to the local rag I doubt any local landlord or agent will touch her.

From: Andrew townshend 12 February 2021 08:47 AM

What they done was perfectly legal, but now we have their names I wouldn't rent to either of them.

From: Andrew townshend 11 February 2021 12:35 PM

So John you are giving investment advise, are you qualified ?

From: Andrew townshend 10 February 2021 19:55 PM

Highly educated, but when it comes to common sense and life skills as thick as SSSS.....T

From: Andrew townshend 10 February 2021 15:51 PM

Truth is most landlords and tenants get along just fine, the problems come when you get one that isn't paying then it's always very unreasonable for the landlord to evict them.

From: Andrew townshend 10 February 2021 14:40 PM

Agreed, inflation is not profit, and an allowance should be made for it as it was yrs ago

From: Andrew townshend 10 February 2021 11:43 AM

@ Leics Landlord, We are all free to decide where we take our business, landlords and tenants, but it's a long time since I've had a problem finding suitable working tenants, I have 16 let properties with happy paying tenants in them, all business like good happy customers to be doing business with, what no business is interested in are bad customers.

From: Andrew townshend 10 February 2021 11:38 AM

So if we keep the properties rents will drop ? who knows ? but I doubt it, no shortage of good people looking to rent in my area normally have 3 or 4 to choose from when a property becomes available .

From: Andrew townshend 10 February 2021 09:23 AM

I had a sex offender in a property a few yrs ago and had the same problem with damage, he's now serving 15 yrs , I doubt he'll walk out. So it's not always the tenant that does the damage, but they are still the cause of the damage.

From: Andrew townshend 10 February 2021 09:17 AM

I like my properties near to hand, a max of 30 miles from home, I'm very happy living in Norfolk and my 5 - 6 % yields based on today's values, based on purchased prices most would be much higher, but that's inflation, I'm not coming up north.

From: Andrew townshend 10 February 2021 09:09 AM

CGT is only payable if we sell, so don't sell, just keep taking that rent.

From: Andrew townshend 10 February 2021 09:01 AM

If buying a property with a tenant in it buy cheap or walk away, those 2 tenants I got rid of illegally in the 90s were existing none paying tenants in properties I purchased, but they were cheap even by 90s prices, if some consider me to be a disgusting man for breaking the law then so be it .

From: Andrew townshend 10 February 2021 08:57 AM

LHA would be well below market rent, then take another 10% off that, what happens at the end of the lease, are you left with the tenant from hell to get rid of, never never never deal with a council they are simply not to be trusted.

From: Andrew townshend 10 February 2021 08:45 AM

Lee, I don't think any landlord wants to evict, non payers have to go though, so it's tenants that have the choice, pay up and enjoy your home or don't pay and enjoy sleeping in the shop door way

From: Andrew townshend 09 February 2021 19:14 PM

Well Lee, not all landlords have mortgages, none of my tenants are paying my mortgage, and never have been, I bought all my properties for cash through good old fashioned hard work, maybe if your '' poor'' were to try '' hard work'' they could be buying properties for cash

From: Andrew townshend 09 February 2021 19:07 PM

We must be quite lucky here in the Norwich area, my last bad tenant was over 4 yrs ago, other landlords that I speak to around here don't seem to be having too many problems either, but I think we are all being very careful selecting new tenants now, and there seems to be no shortage of good honest working tenants availible

From: Andrew townshend 09 February 2021 18:09 PM

Luke, Mr Blair is a big landlord him self

From: Andrew townshend 09 February 2021 15:43 PM

@Leics Landlord do F off you silly little man, you cannot even comment your real name.

From: Andrew townshend 09 February 2021 15:38 PM

I illegally evicted 2 tenants in the 90s, one I got away with, the other was bought off for a £1000 and worth every penny , hope I never have to take the law into my own hands again, but who knows, if needs must.

From: Andrew townshend 09 February 2021 13:27 PM

Agreed, it will be survival of the fittest, I purchased my first investment property in the 80s when I purchased my car repair workshop from my then landlord, a rented shop and flat over came with it, I have slowly purchased more over the years, always for cash, 16 in total, had I borrowed I would have many times that number now, but I'm glad I didn't do so, I have a very comfortable income from them with few problems, many of my properties are today worth 10x what I paid for them, I'm not selling though, just think of all that CGT going to the tax man, not likely.

From: Andrew townshend 09 February 2021 13:12 PM

I did write to my MP. George Freeman, and got a reply, kind words and bull sh*t, but I really wasn't expecting anything else.

From: Andrew townshend 09 February 2021 11:40 AM

We've known for a long time that we're not going to get any help, quite the opposite, so we have to help ourselves by refusing to rent to the vulnerable and increasing rents still further.

From: Andrew townshend 09 February 2021 08:36 AM

It's strange how many people think it's okay not to pay, and not just tenants, 40 yrs ago I had a small vehicle repair workshop, some people considered it acceptable to have their cars serviced / repaired and not pay, I very quickly learned how to issue county court proceedings, not just to get the money owed but on a point of princible as well, word soon got about not to mess with me as bailiffs were towing peoples cars away, today '' money claim online'' is easy and cheap, use it, never allow people to take the P.

From: Andrew townshend 09 February 2021 06:15 AM

Then you must do a ''money claim online'' dead easy to do and around £70, that'll give them a CCJ

From: Andrew townshend 08 February 2021 17:12 PM

Been caught that way too many times, working tenants only now, leave the benefit claimants to the council to house their problem

From: Andrew townshend 08 February 2021 13:46 PM

Those that study something sensible may well earn £100k+ the vast majority are just there for the jolly up and come out with a degree that's no use to man nor beast , these are the ones that will never pay their loans back, just wasters .

From: Andrew townshend 08 February 2021 12:17 PM

I suspect the next student year there will be a shortage of landlords accepting student tenants, I got choked off students in the 90s and haven't rented to them since , honest hard working 25+ make much better tenants

From: Andrew townshend 08 February 2021 08:27 AM

If the guarantor qualifies for a breathing space as well then I suppose you might be stuffed, however the breathing space only applies to the debt at the time the breathing space is awarded, all future payments (ie rent) must be made in full and on time, if they are not the breathing space will be removed---well that's how I understand things at present, time no doubt will tell, mean while a well checked out guarantor is a must

From: Andrew townshend 07 February 2021 12:21 PM

Very few tenants in my area want to live in high rise flats, they much prefer the 2/3 bed victorian terraced homes .

From: Andrew townshend 05 February 2021 17:26 PM

As in any business it's the end user that pays every time, increase our costs and we either increase the rents or we sell the properties.

From: Andrew townshend 05 February 2021 11:34 AM

Most of my properties would struggle to get to a C rating, in fact one is still a low F , which I have an exemption on, I'm going to wait and see, I'll be 72 in 2025 so that might be the time to cash my chips in, most of my properties were bought in the 90s for peanuts, maybe I'll just keep 2 or 3 of the them and blow the rest away in the auction room .

From: Andrew townshend 05 February 2021 11:30 AM

Well there's no way a benefit claimant is likely to be able to rent a nice property, there may be a few rogue landlords with poor quality properties still prepared to rent to them though.

From: Andrew townshend 05 February 2021 09:11 AM

Robert, I've been placed in this difficult situation myself in the past, a tenant who is leaving, and I'm so pleased that they are leaving, and then I am asked for a reference from their new landlord, what to do? I'm not going to give a false reference, but I want rid, it's a case of choosing words very carefully.

From: Andrew townshend 03 February 2021 20:56 PM

Sorry but present day teachers, god help us, and god help the present day generations being taught by them and radicalised into their far left beliefs, the future looks bleak, I thank god that I'm a baby boomer and have at most another 20 - 30 yrs here.

From: Andrew townshend 03 February 2021 20:45 PM

Don't hold your breath on that one

From: Andrew townshend 03 February 2021 15:21 PM

I got caught in the 90s, not rented to students since, give me good honest hard working over 25s any day, students and their snob parents can go do the other thing.

From: Andrew townshend 03 February 2021 12:21 PM

You have my sympathy John.

From: Andrew townshend 02 February 2021 22:02 PM

@ John Smith, I suspect Leeds council will laugh at you.

From: Andrew townshend 02 February 2021 14:47 PM

Councils are the biggest and the worst landlords in this country.

From: Andrew townshend 02 February 2021 14:23 PM

Don't think I want to know what some tenants do to toilets, I use one shot drain cleaner that sorts them.

From: Andrew townshend 02 February 2021 10:04 AM

Basically we now need to charge a bit extra on rent to supplement the shortfall in deposities, so once again the good tenant loses out

From: Andrew townshend 02 February 2021 09:00 AM

I too have had tenants introduce a pet without permission, the only way I find to do then is wait until I can increase the rent , then they normally moan about the increase and leave.

From: Andrew townshend 01 February 2021 10:53 AM

An increased rent is the only way now where pets are concerned, and until such time as rent controls are brought in we are free to charge what ever rent we like, increased risk = increased payment.

From: Andrew townshend 01 February 2021 07:52 AM

I doubt very much this goes on to any great extent, after all this is prostitution and who really wants to be getting close to one of those and catching all kinds of nasty things ?

From: Andrew townshend 01 February 2021 07:45 AM

As I understand it the breathing space is only for the existing debt at the time the breathing space is put in place, going forward from there they are expected to pay ongoing rent etc, if they do not they may lose the original protection, also they can only have one breathing space per year, I think good guarantors will be a must going forward, no suitable guarantor no tenancy

From: Andrew townshend 30 January 2021 15:18 PM

How many landlords do you think are going to stand for that ? there were other ways yrs ago, I can see those ways coming back, needs must.

From: Andrew townshend 29 January 2021 20:07 PM

Yes Joe I own a dog, but if he damages my property I'm the one that puts it right, however I am one of very few landlords in my area that is prepared to '' consider '' renting to tenants with pets, I used to ask for an extra deposit, however I am not allowed to do that now so it has to be an increased rent.

From: Andrew townshend 29 January 2021 18:09 PM

This is why we will be very selective when checking out new tenants and guarantors

From: Andrew townshend 29 January 2021 15:01 PM

Don't see why not, worth a try at least.

From: Andrew townshend 29 January 2021 10:05 AM

Alistair, surely if someone refuses to pay you do a simple money claim online, give them a CCJ to their name then send the bailiffs in, why would let them get away with it ?

From: Andrew townshend 29 January 2021 10:03 AM

I expect we will go back to the 80s & 90s where there were other forms of eviction.

From: Andrew townshend 29 January 2021 08:43 AM

But a condition of this breathing space is that future payments are made on time and in full, many grey areas , I think going forward there will be many cases tested in court.

From: Andrew townshend 28 January 2021 22:18 PM

Agreed, this will hurt the genuine tenant who cannot come up with a suitable guarantor

From: Andrew townshend 28 January 2021 17:37 PM

I have to agree with Adrian, genuine people are not afraid to post under their real name.

From: Andrew townshend 28 January 2021 14:25 PM

I agree some of my properties are all electric even though there is gas available.

From: Andrew townshend 28 January 2021 10:18 AM

We can refuse any tenant, we don't have to give a reason, in the case of a joint tenancy I can see no reason why we cannot go after the other tenant or the guarantor, however as I understand things we cannot issue a CCJ on the person with the breathing space, we will have to see how things pan out after May and be very careful with new tenants.

From: Andrew townshend 28 January 2021 10:10 AM

We don't want tenants with any form of mental health issues then.

From: Andrew townshend 28 January 2021 07:51 AM

Both the tenant and the guarantor failed credit checks, then why give him a tenancy? I wouldn't have touched him with a barge pole .

From: Andrew townshend 28 January 2021 07:47 AM

All sorted

From: Andrew townshend 27 January 2021 22:00 PM

David W I just knew someone would come back with that one, I think Robert has answered that perfectly though.

From: Andrew townshend 27 January 2021 16:39 PM

I have a little old lady in a house in Lowestoft, went out there with an electrician to do the electrical test before Christmas, she has a gas fire in her living room so I asked her where the co2 alarm was, she produced it out of a draw, she had put it there because it kept going off.

From: Andrew townshend 27 January 2021 10:20 AM

£900 per property, another fee to be passed on to the tenant.

From: Andrew townshend 27 January 2021 08:32 AM

Total waste of time and money from start to finish

From: Andrew townshend 27 January 2021 08:29 AM

London maybe, not seeing any problems in Norfolk, don't know about anywhere else.

From: Andrew townshend 26 January 2021 15:57 PM

I'm in Norfolk, eastern England, rents are holding up well and increasing slightly, no shortage of applicants when a property does become available either, what part of eastern England are you in ?

From: Andrew townshend 26 January 2021 15:48 PM

Yes same here.

From: Andrew townshend 26 January 2021 10:55 AM

My EU tenants are better than my British ones, they want to work, they pay the rent on time and keep the properties well.

From: Andrew townshend 26 January 2021 10:14 AM

Are we hearing the whole story, why would the landlord want the tenant out if he's going to straight away re let it ? sounds like a problem tenant that he needed out to me.

From: Andrew townshend 26 January 2021 09:41 AM

It would be so funny to watch the snowflakes when they get to retirement age.

From: Andrew townshend 23 January 2021 13:49 PM

Generally I only increase rents when I re let to a new tenant, if this does come in I will be increasing rents once a year for all tenants

From: Andrew townshend 23 January 2021 10:44 AM

Me too

From: Andrew townshend 23 January 2021 10:27 AM

Jakob, it might not be a criminal offence not to pay the rent, but a safe tenant would pay the rent.

From: Andrew townshend 22 January 2021 12:36 PM

Jakob, I'll provide a safe and lawful dwelling to safe and lawful tenants, any other kind of tenant need not apply.

From: Andrew townshend 22 January 2021 11:22 AM

Heating, '' you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink'', back in the 90s, when I was green enough to rent to students, I had 3 18 yr old girls in a house complaining about how damp it was and that all their cloths and bedding was damp, I visited one morning and met one of them dressed in a thick coat shivering with cold, when I asked why the heating was not on she replied '' oh that's too expensive we cannot afford to switch that on'', their rent for the whole house was only £75 per wk, £25 each, some people are beyond help.

From: Andrew townshend 22 January 2021 11:03 AM

I have 2 boilers dating back to the mid 90s, still going strong, then there are the ones that I'm replacing at 7 yrs old.

From: Andrew townshend 22 January 2021 10:07 AM

Far better to avoid renting to anyone on benefits where ever possible , the chances of getting the rent paid are slim .

From: Andrew townshend 22 January 2021 08:37 AM

There is a saying in Norfolk '' the fool of the family should always go into the church or on the land'' certainly true where the church is concerned.

From: Andrew townshend 22 January 2021 08:31 AM

No UC, no single mums, and they wounder why not !

From: Andrew townshend 22 January 2021 08:22 AM

I did do so 25 yrs ago, bought a property (cheaply) tenanted, cost me £1000 then, and was worth every last penny to get rid of the low life.

From: Andrew townshend 21 January 2021 09:59 AM

''Rogue landlords register'' so is there any reason not to have a ''rogue tenants register'' as well ?

From: Andrew townshend 21 January 2021 09:51 AM

Once again the landlord was given the chance to carry out the works, maybe this is another example of ''the law doesn't apply to me''.

From: Andrew townshend 21 January 2021 09:47 AM

The green homes deal was a complete non starter, getting Victorian terraced houses up to band C just isn't going to happen, I've got one that is still just an F, as it would cost around £14k to get it up to an E I've got an exemption on it, so what's going to happen when we get this minimum C come into force, are all these properties going to get exemptions also, are we just going to carry on and rent them illegally, do we tidy them up and sell them to home owners, or do we get the demolition boys in and build ugly new rabbit hutches in their place.

From: Andrew townshend 21 January 2021 09:37 AM

I don't know of this kind of thing in my area, it would be sheer madness to have a relationship with a tenant, be like a teacher having a relationship with a school girl, and that has gone on locally.

From: Andrew townshend 20 January 2021 14:06 PM

We used to have a collective insurance with our local landlord assoc, but as certain landlords were having multiple claims the premiums increased, there is no point in claiming for every little thing where they can be rectified simply and cheaply.

From: Andrew townshend 20 January 2021 10:34 AM

And the thing is David most of them know that they are idiots, that's why they work in the public sector.

From: Andrew townshend 20 January 2021 09:05 AM

I would rather have the money than sex with a scrubber that's been around the block a good few times.

From: Andrew townshend 20 January 2021 09:02 AM

Now that is interesting so a tenant would need to pay any rent that became due but not the past arrears, bet a good few tenants that try it on will fall foul of that one, maybe we will need to issue a money claim online as soon as the rent is 2 wks late to force the issue early.

From: Andrew townshend 19 January 2021 19:36 PM

Agreed, and I've been guilty of running up the price of property at auction, my solicitor's legal secretary was selling her deceased parents house and I made sure it got up to reserve for her, and in another case an idiot landlord here in Norwich ran up the price of a property belonging to his father, only the fool ran it up to over reserve and the hammer came down on his bid, now that was funny.

From: Andrew townshend 19 January 2021 19:14 PM

I'm agreeing with Peter on this one, when ever I have asked my accountant about LTD company status he has always advised against it, like Peter I buy most things at auction including cars, I was in the motor trade for 30 yrs so I do know what I'm doing at a car auction, ie which ones not to bid on, I also set a max of £10k for a car because I've seen how fast expensive cars lose money, I'm not mortgaged and own my properties jointly with my wife, so we both keep just below 40% tax, I did pay 40% tax up to 13 yrs ago though while still in the motor trade, and that hurt every time I paid a tax bill.

From: Andrew townshend 19 January 2021 16:28 PM

Yes George so did I , 7 likes so far, that must be a record for our friend Mr W

From: Andrew townshend 19 January 2021 15:46 PM

A lot of tenants don't know this until the bailiffs turn up unexpectedly and they are out same day.

From: Andrew townshend 19 January 2021 09:25 AM

Waste of time Frances, they are not interested, we just get fobbed off.

From: Andrew townshend 19 January 2021 08:51 AM

The only time that I pay utility bills is on an empty property, when a new tenant moves in I take meter readings and email them to the suppliers, I also print off hard copies and post with a certificate of posting, many a time a utility company has tried it on with me but I've always got the evidence.

From: Andrew townshend 19 January 2021 08:47 AM

@ Terry, the leader of Norwich City Council, £60k+ and lives in a council house on a subsidized rent blocking that home from a young family that needs it, and yes David W he is a Labour councilor, stinks doesn't it, hippocrate.

From: Andrew townshend 18 January 2021 21:19 PM

But how long before we return to the good old days when the heavies turn up and physically throw the non payers out ? cannot happen in the 21st century ? watch this space, and when it does happen, government, shelter, GR, etc only have themselves to blame

From: Andrew townshend 18 January 2021 19:02 PM

That's a difficult one, insurance companies ask many questions, if someone answers yes to having mental health issues they likely will refuse to insure them, or at the very least load the premiums, is that discrimination ? no reason why we cannot do the same is there ?

From: Andrew townshend 18 January 2021 17:41 PM

But it would seem we can go after the guarantor if we have one, so that looks like a must have now.

From: Andrew townshend 18 January 2021 16:25 PM

Don't worry about the spelling Adrian, I 'm the product of a sh*t secondary modern education of the 60s, even the spell checks struggles with some of my words, poor spelling and grammar has never held me back in the real world.

From: Andrew townshend 18 January 2021 16:22 PM

He's good for a laugh though George.

From: Andrew townshend 18 January 2021 15:48 PM

I have to say that I was thinking just the same thing, so now we need to add to our list of unsuitable tenants the vulnerable with mental health issues.

From: Andrew townshend 18 January 2021 11:42 AM

Totally agree there James, no suitable guarantor, no tenancy.

From: Andrew townshend 18 January 2021 10:46 AM

Does it matter ? we all knew what he meant , maybe you are dimwit for bring it up ?

From: Andrew townshend 18 January 2021 10:42 AM

Not wrong though is he David W ?

From: Andrew townshend 18 January 2021 10:39 AM

Will he pay the fine, or return the rent ? of course he will not, good luck trying to make him do so, he'll claim mental health issues and get his extended '' breathing space ''

From: Andrew townshend 18 January 2021 09:08 AM

What do they know ?

From: Andrew townshend 18 January 2021 09:02 AM

Seems madness to me, so not only can tenants now rent for free they can have their car repaired for free at the local garage with no come back on them.

From: Andrew townshend 18 January 2021 08:55 AM

Do it properly and get a guarantor signed up, other wise keep that flat empty.

From: Andrew townshend 17 January 2021 22:16 PM

I have been known to evict tenants the illegal way in the 90s, needs must sometimes, these days I am very careful who I rent to, and going forward I think it is going to have to be a suitable guarantor or no tenancy with this '' breathing space'' law coming in May

From: Andrew townshend 17 January 2021 13:58 PM

James B, goings forward I think all new lets will have to be supported by a cast iron guarantor, no suitable guarantor no tenancy

From: Andrew townshend 16 January 2021 22:29 PM

What use is cash George, sitting in a bank account earning 0.01%, give me assets and an income from them any day, my Properties are in and around Norwich, never have a problem renting them, in fact when they come available there is normally 3 or 4 people all wanting them.

From: Andrew townshend 16 January 2021 12:36 PM

James B, up to a point I agree, but is sec 21 a vote winner for the tories ? how many tenants would vote tory with or without sec 21 ?

From: Andrew townshend 16 January 2021 09:12 AM

@ Robert Brown, didn't you just do the right thing, life isn't all about money and certainly not being a high flyer that really is a mugs game, not that I was ever going to be a high flyer, B stream at the local Secondary Modern in the 60s, hated school, started work 3 days after my 15th birthday apprentice HGV fitter, self employed since 23 and a landlord for the past 30 yrs, 3 children and 3 grand children, 16 properties, all bought and paid for and more income than I need, no regrets, you can keep the high flyer life styles

From: Andrew townshend 15 January 2021 19:28 PM

Well yes Michael that's my point the yield back then would likely have been around 6-7% similarly if we look at at the value of that property to day the yield would likely be the same

From: Andrew townshend 15 January 2021 17:09 PM

Mark W , it would seem as normal you are the odd one out on here, but then with your uni degree and letters after your name you must know best ??

From: Andrew townshend 15 January 2021 10:33 AM

Some of mine are retired and they all pay in full, maybe I haven't always fully increased the rent when I could have done so, but with good long term tenants like these so what.

From: Andrew townshend 15 January 2021 10:28 AM

And it's not really a loan is it ? 90% of them will never pay it off.

From: Andrew townshend 15 January 2021 10:20 AM

Depends how you work out the yield, if it's on purchase price then most of mine are through the roof, even my latest purchase is 6.3%, where else would I get a return like on £80k, my top yield is 40%, but I did buy that property more than 25 yrs ago for peanuts.

From: Andrew townshend 15 January 2021 10:16 AM

I have tenants in this bracket, they're great, keep the property and gardens nice, long term and no bother, plus as I'm 67 myself we get on great.

From: Andrew townshend 15 January 2021 10:04 AM

Not interested.

From: Andrew townshend 15 January 2021 10:00 AM

As I have pointed out before I had enough of renting to students in the 90 so don't do so now, however uni students are generally over 18, so in the eyes of the law, and no doubt their eyes as well, are adults, so welcome to the big, wide open and often unfair world snowflakes, put your big boy pants on and man up.

From: Andrew townshend 15 January 2021 09:58 AM

Yes James this is the way forward for most of us now, rogue tenants can go to hell, and we will know who they are, the government, shelter, generation rent etc have brought this on, looks like they have shot themselves in the foot

From: Andrew townshend 14 January 2021 21:21 PM

I've not received or been offered any grants, are we missing something here ?

From: Andrew townshend 14 January 2021 19:24 PM

The insurance scheme might work for good tenants, but what happens when a tenant has a record of claims, insurance works on risk, so will they increase cost for these tenants or maybe refuse to cover them, then they really will be homeless.

From: Andrew townshend 14 January 2021 13:55 PM

I doubt it will affect us oldies too much, but it's sure going to hurt the under 50s and as for the snowflakes, so glad I'm not young in this present day world.

From: Andrew townshend 14 January 2021 10:50 AM

@ Paul Hart, agreed, I have 2 quotes tonight for the same roof overhaul, one at £8400+ vat the other for £4200+vat, some one trying to take me for a c*** ??

From: Andrew townshend 13 January 2021 22:39 PM

Robert, I have been having that problem also , carpenter died ,but he was 94, solicitor and plumber retired, all 3 I had used for the past 30 yrs +, that's the problem of getting old everyone else does as well.

From: Andrew townshend 13 January 2021 17:29 PM

And I also don't have either, give me sensible, mature, working tenants any day of the week.

From: Andrew townshend 13 January 2021 15:52 PM

The courts work at one speed, dead slow, and you will never change that.

From: Andrew townshend 13 January 2021 15:41 PM

A tenant receiving LHA then not paying his rent must be guilty of either fraud or theft, or even both, I fail to see how they cannot be, best way is to avoid tenants on LHA.

From: Andrew townshend 13 January 2021 15:33 PM

There will always be those out there that will rip their customers off, I have been using the same electrician for 10 yrs now and trust him 100% in return I pay him the same day that I receive his invoice

From: Andrew townshend 13 January 2021 15:24 PM

I'm sure you are correct about London Michael, you have just explained perfectly why I have zero intention of coming anywhere near London far less investing there , I think a lot of areas outside London are holding their own and will continue to do so.

From: Andrew townshend 13 January 2021 10:03 AM

The guy was given the chance to correct matters, so why didn't he, I expect our laws don't apply to him ?

From: Andrew townshend 13 January 2021 08:48 AM

I've been steadily working through mine and am down to 3 to be done by April, so should be there okay

From: Andrew townshend 13 January 2021 08:44 AM

Lack of supply maybe ?

From: Andrew townshend 13 January 2021 08:40 AM

I wouldn't say that rents are booming in Norwich but they would certainly seem to be increasing rather than decreasing .

From: Andrew townshend 13 January 2021 08:39 AM

Agreed, however, the law states they they are adult at 18, but how many students could you truly describe as adult ??

From: Andrew townshend 12 January 2021 17:21 PM

I had a commercial tenant who's business stopped at first lock down, the lady had been an excellent tenant for the previous 24 yrs so we went rent free expecting her to restart in August , by November it hadn't happen, put it up to rent not expecting to get much interest , 4 people fighting over it, I now have a good honest hard working tenant on a 5 yr lease, so it's not all doom and gloom out there , oh and no problems thus far with residential tenants either.

From: Andrew townshend 12 January 2021 15:17 PM

Total common sense Tricia, but this is why us landlords, and the self employed generally succeed in business, where as those with the Eton education really haven't got a clue in a crisis .

From: Andrew townshend 12 January 2021 12:48 PM

Spot on Michael.

From: Andrew townshend 12 January 2021 12:40 PM

I wouldn't put it quite so harshly David, but other than that I agree with you

From: Andrew townshend 12 January 2021 12:38 PM

So we are in January and students leave expecting not to pay any further rent, that property remains empty until September with the landlord picking up all the costs, turn it back into a family let , bit less rent , but better long term tenants, has to make sense doesn't it ?

From: Andrew townshend 12 January 2021 10:43 AM

So if I was to lease a car, then lose my licence could I stop paying the lease payments until my driving ban was over ? same thing applies.

From: Andrew townshend 11 January 2021 15:04 PM

It's a big hard world out there, and one day even snowflakes will have to wake up to that one.

From: Andrew townshend 11 January 2021 12:09 PM

Not a very clever post Mark, I thought you were supposed to be an intelligent man, but then as I have always said intelligence and common sense rarely go together.

From: Andrew townshend 11 January 2021 10:21 AM

Kicking the can down the road, at some point, maybe this year, maybe next year the non payers will lose their homes, very few landlords will want to rent to them then, better an empty property than one with a rogue tenant in it.

From: Andrew townshend 11 January 2021 09:19 AM

I got choked off students in the 90s, don't want them as tenants, they might pay a little more but they really aren't worth the bother, leave them to the universities to house, their problem

From: Andrew townshend 11 January 2021 09:13 AM

Perhaps we should add a term to our advertising ''no vulnerable tenants''.

From: Andrew townshend 11 January 2021 09:07 AM

What about the landlords mental health while he has a non paying tenant wrecking his property ?

From: Andrew townshend 11 January 2021 09:03 AM

So the rent guarantee lasts 12 or 24 months, then what, a tenant that is likely to stop paying and a long drawn out court process to get them out, don't trust councils or their employees no further than i can spit, sounds like a big con to me to get rogue tenants housed.

From: Andrew townshend 11 January 2021 09:01 AM

My guess would be little and no chance, sorry but that's the likely hood at present.

From: Andrew townshend 10 January 2021 14:27 PM

And we all know printing money = inflation, which in tern = increased rents

From: Andrew townshend 10 January 2021 14:23 PM

The government and councils are going to have one hell of a problem with mass homelessness, at present they are just kicking that can down the road, but it's going to happen, prospective tenants that cannot tick all the boxes will be out in the cold, very few landlords will be taking any risks with dodgy tenants now, and responsibility lays firmly at the door of number ten.

From: Andrew townshend 10 January 2021 14:20 PM

In an ideal world Lia, but I've not found one of those yet.

From: Andrew townshend 10 January 2021 13:21 PM

Seb,'' kettle pot black'' I think.

From: Andrew townshend 09 January 2021 20:35 PM

I have no worries, but then I have no borrowings and the rental market in and around Norwich is strong, when ever I have a property become available I have a choice of tenants, I also have an excellent local independent agent working for me.

From: Andrew townshend 09 January 2021 20:33 PM

I'm not a member of the NRLA and have no intention of joining, they seem like a total waste of time, I am however a member of Eastern Landlords Assoc since the early 90s , okay they don't have much clout against government, but they are never more than a phone call away and very helpful, we need something powerful to represent us, but what and who ?

From: Andrew townshend 09 January 2021 20:20 PM

But at some point, maybe in a years time, they will be evicted, I would hope that for the sake of around just £60 that any landlord with a tenant like this will issue a money claim online, then these '' basterds'' will have get a CCJ flag up every time that they are checked out for the next 6 yrs, and we will all know not to touch them with a barge pole.

From: Andrew townshend 09 January 2021 19:17 PM

A very good question Lia, I would lay money on the latter .

From: Andrew townshend 09 January 2021 19:10 PM

Come on George, this sad guy cannot even post under his real name, what does that tell you about him, or even her?

From: Andrew townshend 08 January 2021 21:30 PM

Come on Leics Landlord, lets be having your real name so we can check you out, why do you need to hide?

From: Andrew townshend 08 January 2021 21:26 PM

Leics Landlord, are you really a landlord ? I doubt it, what is your real name? why are you hiding behind ''Leics Landlord'' real people put their real name, feel free to check me out, my real name and I live in Norfolk.

From: Andrew townshend 08 January 2021 21:19 PM

Some sort of a Pratt sums him / her up.

From: Andrew townshend 08 January 2021 20:22 PM

@Daniela, I do miss Paul Barrett's comments on here , they did go on a bit but were generally spot on.

From: Andrew townshend 08 January 2021 20:21 PM

John you have reported Rajeev to the council and police for what exactly ?? I expect that they will laugh at you, as the rest of us are.

From: Andrew townshend 08 January 2021 18:46 PM

I was, I did a couple of months ago, and I told them why, but would likely vote for them in the future as we cannot allow Labour anywhere near power

From: Andrew townshend 08 January 2021 14:43 PM

My wife takes charge of the TV remote , she hates the BBC so very rarely watch it.

From: Andrew townshend 08 January 2021 14:29 PM

Seb, I don't think I ever said an eviction could be done in less than a month, it would be good if we could though, the last one that I did, 3-4 yrs ago now, I put the paper work into the court just after Christmas and the tenant left just before the High Court Bailiff was due to turn up at the end March, so 12 wks.

From: Andrew townshend 08 January 2021 14:22 PM

Agreed Seb, I insure my cars with Aviva, might try them for a quote on my properties. always pays to use a proper insurance company because they normally pay out in the event of a claim, Micky mouse insurance companies try to wriggle out of paying

From: Andrew townshend 08 January 2021 11:52 AM

Planning departments, in Breckland (norfolk) it's not about what you want to do, it's all about who you are, I pointed that FACT out to them in a planning meeting once, it didn't go down too well.

From: Andrew townshend 08 January 2021 10:22 AM

Jackie, where the under 30s live really isn't our problem, and why would it be? but generally its the younger tenants that give us the most problems, a lot of car insurance companies don't want young drivers, it's all about risk, and keeping that risk to a minimum, that's good business sense.

From: Andrew townshend 07 January 2021 17:36 PM

I hope you have issued a ''money claim online'' at least then when you do evict her the CCJ will come up every time she applies to rent, apply for a credit card , bank account or loan, you may or may not get your money but revenge is sweet.

From: Andrew townshend 07 January 2021 15:13 PM

Renting to students is a nightmare, and their stuck up snob parents are worse, I stopped renting to students in the early 90s give me good working tenants 25+ any day.

From: Andrew townshend 07 January 2021 09:09 AM

Trouble is Bill they just won't listen, or don't want to, I had the same problem with my daughter in a 70s bungalow, now got two ladies in their 30s in there and no mould or damp problems, this is one of the reasons why I prefer tenants 30 +

From: Andrew townshend 06 January 2021 10:14 AM

Sounds like it will be very expensive.

From: Andrew townshend 06 January 2021 10:07 AM

All about heating and ventilating correctly, same property, different tenants , one set of tenants experience mould, the others do not, how often does that happen.

From: Andrew townshend 06 January 2021 08:46 AM

A cool and hassle free way of life has a cost attached to it, each to their own.

From: Andrew townshend 06 January 2021 08:38 AM

I think we have to learn to live with the pressures of those unjust regs, they are there and they ain't going away, as the saying goes '' it ain't over until the fat lady sings''.

From: Andrew townshend 05 January 2021 19:08 PM

I'm still optimistic, but then I'm not in London and not mortgaged .

From: Andrew townshend 05 January 2021 06:43 AM

Maybe they need to up the money.

From: Andrew townshend 05 January 2021 06:39 AM

No matter what these people say there is no such thing as a '' no fault eviction'' most evictions take place because of non payment of rent, I can see no good reason to wait 2 months before serving eviction notices, I would have thought 2 weeks would be more than fair.

From: Andrew townshend 05 January 2021 06:35 AM

They want to run before they can walk and expect expect expect, if they won't help themselves then why should anyone else help them ?

From: Andrew townshend 04 January 2021 18:18 PM

Jahan, agreed, I've lived in 3 houses since I moved out of mum and dads house, the first 2 were total renovations (no bathrooms or kitchens) and lived in caravans on site, the last one was a near total rebuild and lived 2 yrs onsite in 2 very old mobile homes linked together with a 4 yr old and a new born, I not a builder by trade, but I not afraid to roll up my sleeves and do what I can, not complaining, I loved it all, the whining ''entitled'' generation really P me off big time

From: Andrew townshend 04 January 2021 15:50 PM

I was thinking just the same Tricia, the abuser is very likely to come round, break in and wreck our property, asking for trouble, leave these problems to the council, their responsibility and their problem.

From: Andrew townshend 04 January 2021 14:18 PM

I agree with you on that one Matthew, I've not had any problems with my residential tenants, nor have any other landlords that I speak to locally (Norfolk) I have sadly lost a commercial tenant (of 24 yrs) but re advertised the property and had 4 people all wanting it, so where are these 1000s of landlords ?

From: Andrew townshend 04 January 2021 14:12 PM

£60 per wk, my word Michael you were earning well, I was a HGV fitter in those days, the most I was earning then was £40 per wk, £32 take home, yes and I still managed to save.

From: Andrew townshend 04 January 2021 11:22 AM

I'm all for naming and shaming , we often have articles in our local paper about fly tipping, but they are never named.

From: Andrew townshend 04 January 2021 11:06 AM

Landlords don't want cash hand outs, just the rent paid, in full and on time.

From: Andrew townshend 04 January 2021 10:42 AM

Well Mark I clicked on the last one above, they should stand on their own two feet just as us baby boomers did when we were young, if the young of today want to get on the property ladder they need to adjust their excessive life styles, work harder and save.

From: Andrew townshend 04 January 2021 10:39 AM

So what do you do for a living Mr Williamson ? or do you just sponge off the tax payer ?

From: Andrew townshend 04 January 2021 10:32 AM

No more risk taking with tenants now, if they don't check out or even the gut feeling isn't right then the answer has to be no.

From: Andrew townshend 01 January 2021 09:39 AM

Cannot answer that one, I don't know whether any of my tenants are furloughed , I do know that they have all been paying in full and on time all through so far, the only tenant I've lost is a commercial tenant of 24 yrs sadly, however I have re let that property, and had 4 people fighting over it, all the landlords I speak to here in Norwich aren't having any problems either, so it's not all bad news, well so far anyway.

From: Andrew townshend 31 December 2020 21:03 PM

@ Robert, 22, great times, that was the long hot summer of 1976 for we, a white XJ6 and a BSA Super Rocket, and no shortage of ladies, we were all young once.

From: Andrew townshend 31 December 2020 17:44 PM

Exactly David, the freehold owners of Grenfell are the council, the landlord was the council and the building control officer who inspected and signed off the works as safe was the same council's employee, yet no arrests, no prosecution and no jail, just think of the poor private owner / landlord in a similar situation, stinks, one law for them, another for us.

From: Andrew townshend 31 December 2020 13:41 PM

All those are too far distant for me, however I did buy a property in Lowestoft a few yrs ago, a regeneration area around 30 miles from me, sitting tenant having lived there since 1958, nice terraced house, close to a modern collage and big leisure centre , little old lady, every one's favorite granny type, rent always paid, even in lock down when her grandson went into the town center once a month to pay it. Lowestoft was lovely in the 50s and 60s and it could be again.

From: Andrew townshend 31 December 2020 09:49 AM

Well personally I don't do HMOs, however yes I can see the theory behind all this but everything comes with a cost attached to it, bedsits with en suite bathrooms = much increased rents which means they are un affordable to the very kind of tenants that live in HMOs.

From: Andrew townshend 31 December 2020 09:32 AM

Well George these people are all fresh out of uni, wet behind the ears and think they know the lot, where as they know F all.

From: Andrew townshend 31 December 2020 09:23 AM

The strong will survive, yes all kinds of rules and red tape being forced upon us, but for me it's the best use for my cash, being a landlord is all about experience in the real world, along the way I've made mistakes, been there and got the tee shirt, but in life we learn from our mistakes which makes us wise the next time, hence only working tenants and no single mums, having had my fingers burnt over the yrs those are my rules now.

From: Andrew townshend 31 December 2020 09:19 AM

The first few properties that I purchased came tenanted from an elderly landlord, it all started one day when my landlord came to see me to negotiate a rent increase on a small workshop that I rented from him, I asked him to sell it to me, over the next few yrs I bought 4 further properties from him, that was the mid to late 80s, and so the rest is history. I can see many landlord deals going forward as cash rich landlords buy stock from landlords having to reduce their debt .

From: Andrew townshend 31 December 2020 09:07 AM

David, I had another single mum who announced one Sept that she couldn't pay her rent because she had to buy her 4 yr old's school uniform, she went also, they consider themselves the entitled, these days I avoid single mums, leave them to the council to home.

From: Andrew townshend 31 December 2020 08:55 AM

A single mum once told me she could not pay her rent because her daughter's Christmas was more important, by Easter she was out.

From: Andrew townshend 30 December 2020 17:01 PM

It's up to people how they chose to live and work.

From: Andrew townshend 30 December 2020 08:38 AM

There will be very few Victorian houses that will get up to a 'c' we might be able to get an exemption as I have on a 'F' , If not they will all be going into property auctions, that we will just have to wait and see.

From: Andrew townshend 29 December 2020 15:55 PM

Sounds to me our friend Sed is some what the worse for drink

From: Andrew townshend 28 December 2020 22:17 PM

Sad sad man Seb.

From: Andrew townshend 28 December 2020 20:12 PM

You're a sad man Seb , you have my symperthy .

From: Andrew townshend 28 December 2020 20:10 PM

I agree, they were never going to consider 14 days.

From: Andrew townshend 26 December 2020 09:55 AM

Never had much to do with ''the smoke'' and have no wish to visit, I'm just a simple Norfolk boy at heart, I started in BTL more than 30 yrs ago, as a pension scheme, it's been my maim sourse of income for the past 13 yrs, I do my owm repairs, clean ups and decorating, I enjoy what I do and I earn more money out of it than I need, will London ways spread up to Norfolk, I hope not, but I expect you are right they will over time.

From: Andrew townshend 25 December 2020 09:57 AM

Merry Christmas to all, p s anyone know what's happend to Paul Barrett, I am missing his long posts

From: Andrew townshend 24 December 2020 14:43 PM

Norwich City Council have also lost millions on mad cap schemes, but those responcible are still in their £100k + jobs, left wing council ofcourse, sorry David W but that is a fact.

From: Andrew townshend 24 December 2020 13:26 PM

I agree David, we won't get any grant money, the money will come from tenants by means of increased rent, ''the end user always pays''.

From: Andrew townshend 24 December 2020 09:48 AM

So Vincent, you are one of these that think landlords sit on their backsides just watching the money flow into their bank accounts ? I wounder what sort of work that you do, or do you watch daytime TV watching the UC flow into your bank account.

From: Andrew townshend 24 December 2020 09:36 AM

I have one old property that just managed an F , I had a MEES report done and it was decided that it would cost £14k to bring it up to an E, I now have an exsemption on it, I paid £13.5 k for it over 25 yrs ago and have had that money back many times over, what will happen in 2025 ? if I can nolonger rent it will simply go into auction and take what ever it makes.

From: Andrew townshend 24 December 2020 09:31 AM

I have written to my MP , George Freeman, sympathy, empty promisses and bull s***.

From: Andrew townshend 23 December 2020 19:20 PM

I wouldn't pay anything like that, but then I don't own property in London

From: Andrew townshend 23 December 2020 10:04 AM

I don't think there is any doubt about it sec 21 is going we may as well get used to that one, but we need something fair to both landlord and tenant to replace it.

From: Andrew townshend 23 December 2020 10:01 AM

It amazes me the people (and not just tenants) that sign contracts without reading and understanding them first.

From: Andrew townshend 22 December 2020 16:27 PM

@ Yonnette, I use sec 21 to evict non payers, I could use sec 8, but sec 21 is quicker and cheaper, we know we will be losing sec 21, so new tenant selection now has to be very selective, no risk taking from here on in, no one under 25, no one on benefits, and no single mums, because from 30 yrs experience these are normally the problem areas.

From: Andrew townshend 22 December 2020 15:13 PM

@ Yannette, careful what you wish for, in my area the largest landlord is Norwich City Council, good luck trying to get any repairs done with them, and the standard of their housing stock is dreadful , most of my properties are now managed by a good local independent agent, however all tenants have my phone number and email address, they are welcome to contact me directly 24 / 7

From: Andrew townshend 22 December 2020 15:03 PM

I do agree with you there David, bad and unnecessary headline .

From: Andrew townshend 22 December 2020 09:24 AM

In 30 yrs the only tenants I've evicted have been the non payers.

From: Andrew townshend 22 December 2020 09:20 AM

Some yrs ago a friend of mine changed the locks on a flat, the police turned up and gave him 1 hr to change them back or face arrest , I've changed locks on commercial properties in the past with the relevant notice in the window, one tenant did call the police, they laughed at him and told him I was within my rights to do so.

From: Andrew townshend 22 December 2020 09:16 AM

Increased costs = increased rent, market forces as in any other business

From: Andrew townshend 22 December 2020 09:07 AM

Tenants have rights now and are perfectly able to stand up for them

From: Andrew townshend 22 December 2020 09:03 AM

I've lost a commercial tenant of 25 yrs through this covid, however I did last week re let the property, other than that everyone has been paying, I don't rent to anyone under 25 and prefer over 30s, youngsters are generally a nightmare.

From: Andrew townshend 22 December 2020 09:00 AM

Another bright idea that will end up as a complete failure just like help to buy and shared ownership, laughable

From: Andrew townshend 21 December 2020 20:41 PM

You're a funny man Mark, keep it up, a laugh a day, merry Christmas mate.

From: Andrew townshend 21 December 2020 09:40 AM

Fine so we cannot put NO DSS or similar statements in adds, still will not be renting to them without a cast iron home owning guarantor, we may be the scum of the earth in some peoples eyes, I can live with that, but don't take us for mugs .

From: Andrew townshend 21 December 2020 09:02 AM

Robert, I hope you would invite Mr T , there's still life in this old dog yet

From: Andrew townshend 19 December 2020 20:03 PM

I think you will find most if not all on here pay their tax properly and honestly David.

From: Andrew townshend 18 December 2020 17:25 PM

Well hopefully it will happen at some point in the next 12 months, then he will have that record of an S8, personally I would also go the money claim online route as well, not expensive and dead easy to do, then he'll have a CCJ which will screw his self employed business up , no landlord is going to want to touch him in the future

From: Andrew townshend 18 December 2020 17:19 PM

Commercial properties are totally different, I still have a couple however I will not rent to a LTD company I will only rent to named individuals, The government can write off debts owed to it's self but not to others they would need to get a law passed to do that, it would never get through parliament.

From: Andrew townshend 18 December 2020 09:22 AM

As in all trades some might, all rents that I receive are recorded, as are all costs, my accountant checks them, then files them with HMRC on my behalf, it pays to use a good established firm of accountants that are trusted by HMRC , I also have tax investigation insurance, £60 per yr each for my wife and myself, not had to claim on it yet, however a friend of mine did a couple of yrs ago and it was invaluable.

From: Andrew townshend 18 December 2020 09:13 AM

Cannot be done, the debt is owed to private landlords, not to the government, I have a tax bill coming due at the end of Jan, will the government be telling HMRC to write that off ?

From: Andrew townshend 18 December 2020 08:33 AM

That's just too much like common sense for today's world

From: Andrew townshend 17 December 2020 19:25 PM

I used to get that problem from students when I rented to them in the 90s, ''the heating is too expensive to switch on'' but they could go out nights and get P****ed, haven't rented to students since and my mental health is much better for it.

From: Andrew townshend 17 December 2020 16:26 PM

I have an old house that had suffered damp, present tenants been there 5 yrs now and no damp issues, come rain or shine, summer and winter bedroom windows are open in day time

From: Andrew townshend 17 December 2020 14:24 PM

Well David I am one of very few landlords in my area that will ''consider'' tenants with pets, I have in fact picked up some very good long term tenants with pets because other landlords have a blanket ban on them, it used to be that I asked for an extra deposit but as I can no longer do that it now has to be a bit extra on the rent

From: Andrew townshend 17 December 2020 14:14 PM

@ David Price, you're not wrong there mate, we have 2 looney left parties now

From: Andrew townshend 16 December 2020 15:59 PM

David W , we don't have to give a reason for turning down a tenant, when I have a property become available I normally have 3 or 4 people apply, I'm always going to pick the one that I think can afford the rent, will pay the rent, and will be the leased trouble, if I have some one apply who is on benefits I ask for a guarantor, normally they cannot offer one, so that is the end of that.

From: Andrew townshend 16 December 2020 13:20 PM

Rather than fining landlords with poor quality housing councils could carry out the improvements themselves then bankrupt the landlords if they don't pay up and taking ownership of the property if needed.

From: Andrew townshend 16 December 2020 13:10 PM

Agree totally, I would just add that landlords also have the final say on who lives in their properties so those with poor credit histories will be homeless, we simply cannot take any risks now when it comes to selecting a new tenant, better an empty property than one with a rogue tenant in it.

From: Andrew townshend 16 December 2020 11:42 AM

I agree David, landlords that break the law should face court action, and so should tenants.

From: Andrew townshend 16 December 2020 09:56 AM

Section 21 is the accelerated eviction process, 99% of cases are due to non payment of rent.

From: Andrew townshend 16 December 2020 05:38 AM

@ Daniela, my tenants love me as well, we get on very well, but you see past experience has taught me to steer clear of the lowlife tenants, what ever the sob story they spin , being a landlord has toughened me up a lot over the years having been taken advantage of and stabbed in the back many a time.

From: Andrew townshend 15 December 2020 19:14 PM

Don't get me started on religion Robert, no time for it or the people.

From: Andrew townshend 15 December 2020 17:41 PM

What happens after 3 months , they stop paying, we have to give them 6 months notice, it then takes a further 6 months going through the courts, then add to that the court and bailiffs fees, it's one thing being charitable, it's quite another being a complete mug.

From: Andrew townshend 15 December 2020 08:06 AM

Boris has to go, if not we will have a labour government in 4 yrs time.

From: Andrew townshend 14 December 2020 10:18 AM

I've used the same independent agent for 20yrs there are a few about a little cheaper but I'm not changing they look after my residential and commercial properties we work well together.

From: Andrew townshend 11 December 2020 19:38 PM

So any LL that doesn't use this app is automatically a rogue LL ? stupid comment sir.

From: Andrew townshend 11 December 2020 08:41 AM

I was VAT registered for 30yrs until I sold that business 13yrs ago, what a relief it was to get out of VAT, i am told it is worse still now.

From: Andrew townshend 11 December 2020 08:38 AM

Ha, yes Simon, just spotted it, well good for a laugh anyway.

From: Andrew townshend 10 December 2020 16:52 PM

Very little if anything at all

From: Andrew townshend 10 December 2020 16:45 PM

Are Mike, common sense, very rare to day, we can thank Mr Blair for that one sending all those idiots to tin pot universities.

From: Andrew townshend 10 December 2020 11:26 AM

With the exception of maybe David Wurth I doubt any of us on here would pay any attention to what the likes of the Guardian prints.

From: Andrew townshend 10 December 2020 10:54 AM

Nothing poor about me boy !

From: Andrew townshend 10 December 2020 10:37 AM

Nice idea Luke but there would be a vast number of tenants that insurance companies wouldn't touch with a barge pole.

From: Andrew townshend 10 December 2020 10:15 AM

I have one property with a protected tenant I am allowed to apply for a new rent to be registered every 2 yrs, so every 2 yrs I apply to increase that rent

From: Andrew townshend 10 December 2020 08:55 AM

My tenants are free to phone, text, or email either me or the agent at anytime, why do I need an app ?

From: Andrew townshend 10 December 2020 08:49 AM

2033, is the yr that I will celibate my 80th birthday, if I'm still here, don't think I'll be too much bothered by then, that'll be a problem for the next generation of landlords

From: Andrew townshend 10 December 2020 08:44 AM

Our laws don't apply to this gentleman ?

From: Andrew townshend 10 December 2020 08:37 AM

In your world Sarah maybe, not in mine though.

From: Andrew townshend 09 December 2020 15:58 PM

David W I disagree, once a wrong'n always a wrong'n, too many gullible do gooders out there.

From: Andrew townshend 09 December 2020 11:22 AM

Landlord insurance to cover non payment of rent, very few tenants would qualify for this cover, insurance companies aren't silly there is only so much risk that they will cover.

From: Andrew townshend 09 December 2020 11:11 AM

As I've said before I've never got involved with HMOs, they are not the sort of tenants I want, however housing benefit for single under 35s is only paid at the single room rate, so without these HMOs where would these people find a roof over their heads, I think the term is '' horses for courses''

From: Andrew townshend 09 December 2020 09:20 AM

It's tenants that need the support to ensure their rent is paid, that way they won't be evicted in 6 months time, but of course any financial support they do receive for rent must be paid direct to their landlord because there are always those tenants that will use the money for things other than rent

From: Andrew townshend 09 December 2020 09:10 AM

Mr Blair is a war criminal with the blood of thousands on his hands

From: Andrew townshend 08 December 2020 15:13 PM

Matthew, we are only allowed to increase rent once per year for an excising tenant, the only other way we can increase rent is to agree and sign a new tenancy agreement, personally I access all the increased costs over the past yr than increase the rent to cover, I thought we all done this.

From: Andrew townshend 08 December 2020 14:36 PM

Where a tenant is paid housing benefit then uses it other than paying their rent then this must be fraud surely .

From: Andrew townshend 08 December 2020 12:22 PM

Matthew, don't all businesses increase their charges when costs increase ?

From: Andrew townshend 08 December 2020 12:09 PM

These government grants are a waste of time, always have been and so is this one.

From: Andrew townshend 08 December 2020 08:18 AM

Tell it as it is David, there's no other way is there ??

From: Andrew townshend 07 December 2020 14:02 PM

Agreed, but isn't this true of most charities these days, very little gets to the genuine cause .

From: Andrew townshend 07 December 2020 11:03 AM

This kind of benefit fraud is wide spread, and the miss use of motability vehicles, councils and DWP know about it yet in most cases chose to do nothing .

From: Andrew townshend 07 December 2020 09:09 AM

It would depend on tenant demand in the area, might work in London, wouldn't work in Norwich at the present time.

From: Andrew townshend 07 December 2020 08:49 AM

Conversion of shops to residential has been going on for a long time, I'm down to just 2 commercial properties now the rest have all been converted to residential, the high street was all but dead before covid, this has just killed it off for good now.

From: Andrew townshend 07 December 2020 08:39 AM

@Lia, at present all my residential tenants are paying, however in the 90s I had been known to take matters into my own hands, if the need arises I will do so again, and so will many other landlords.

From: Andrew townshend 06 December 2020 22:18 PM

Never have been a member of the NRLA , however I have been a member of Eastern Landlords Assoc since the early 90s , used to attend all their meetings, and learn't a lot from them, they are local to me and very helpful, however not a lot of use when it comes to representing us in government, I have often emailed my local MP George Freeman, needless to say I just get fobbed off with empty promises and bull sh*t.

From: Andrew townshend 05 December 2020 19:28 PM

A single mum with one brat is bad enough, let alone with six of them.

From: Andrew townshend 04 December 2020 16:55 PM

Yes and that means GCEs and A levels obtained this year won't be worth Jack sh*t

From: Andrew townshend 04 December 2020 09:48 AM

''As in other European countries'' so would that also make non payment of rent a criminal offence as in other European countries or will they be cherry picking just the bits that they want ??

From: Andrew townshend 04 December 2020 09:42 AM

@ Retired Agent, Oh I can remember interest rates at 15% old boy, let's just wait and see what's around the corner shall we, recessions have always worked well for me, it's the ''flash with no cash'' that will suffer, those that live excessive life styles based on debt.

From: Andrew townshend 03 December 2020 14:46 PM

We are looking at the biggest recession of our lives coming up of course lenders are going to be careful with lending .

From: Andrew townshend 03 December 2020 07:07 AM

There should be a loan scheme for tenants to pay their rent at present, it is irreverent whether a tenant , won't pay or cannot pay both are going to earn themselves a big black mark on their credit history that will follow them around for at least the next 6 yrs.

From: Andrew townshend 03 December 2020 07:04 AM

Every one to their own, I last rented to students in the 90s, these days I rent unfurnished to working tenants.

From: Andrew townshend 03 December 2020 06:57 AM

I have to agree with you on that one David I cannot see it happening either, but there is a down side here for tenants as well because we aren't going to be taking any risks when it comes to selecting new tenants.

From: Andrew townshend 02 December 2020 11:49 AM

Paul Cunningham, I know that name from somewhere, are you a member of Eastern Landlords Assoc ?

From: Andrew townshend 01 December 2020 20:45 PM

David W, we are landlords, not social workers, carers, or wet nurses , this is down to the local council to sort out.

From: Andrew townshend 01 December 2020 10:21 AM

Every time I read something like this it just makes me more careful who I rent to.

From: Andrew townshend 01 December 2020 08:50 AM

We are not told here why the landlord is evicting her ? could it be non payment of rent ? as that is the normal reason.

From: Andrew townshend 01 December 2020 08:40 AM

Over the past 30 yrs the only advice I have ever needed is my gut feeling, the so called experts with letters after their names normally get it totally wrong.

From: Andrew townshend 30 November 2020 10:41 AM

Does it matter if house prices do drop, it's only a loss on paper, stick with them and keep drawing that rent, and if they do drop buy some more.

From: Andrew townshend 30 November 2020 09:41 AM

No council or government will tell me who I have to rent to, the property will sit empty first.

From: Andrew townshend 30 November 2020 09:37 AM

Don't want sympathy, just want tenants that pay, and a quick way of getting rid of those that don't.

From: Andrew townshend 30 November 2020 09:29 AM

Why ? only if he has too much debt, I got into BTL for the same reasons, had every spiv in a suit trying to sell me private pensions, there're a scam, a total rip off, I was the guy in the auction room that bought the worst property of the day, for cash, then got into them renovating, let them out , then back to the auction room for the next one, never looked back, and certainly no regrets.

From: Andrew townshend 30 November 2020 09:26 AM

Of course lenders are going to be careful lending money just as we are going to be careful who we rent to, hard times ahead with mass unemployment and bankruptcies.

From: Andrew townshend 30 November 2020 09:14 AM

I'm working through mine, I booked one day a month with an electrician, now just got 3 more to go, mine are in good condition so faults / up grades are minimal .

From: Andrew townshend 28 November 2020 09:47 AM

Where ever does your daughter live ? £1500 per month-- wish I could get that for a small 3 bed house, I would be very lucky to get half that here in Norwich , not everyone on benefits are skivers, but a very large percentage are.

From: Andrew townshend 27 November 2020 19:56 PM

Andrew W you would be happy to see non payers evicted in 2 months, so would every landlord, if we could do that we may well be prepared to take a risk with some tenants, however this is not the case, and never will be in this country , so I'm very sorry but for me and most other landlords this a risk we are not going to take, don't blame us, blame the system.

From: Andrew townshend 27 November 2020 19:48 PM

I've had big problems with single mums on benefits in the past so am very reluctant to rent to them now, I would at least need a cast iron guarantor before i even considered renting to one.

From: Andrew townshend 27 November 2020 17:17 PM

Has he been banned from ever letting property out again ? sounds like he should be.

From: Andrew townshend 27 November 2020 08:58 AM

Personally I have never got involved with HNOs , I probably would not like to live next door to one, but we can all suffer a bad neighbor even in an area of million pound + houses.

From: Andrew townshend 27 November 2020 08:53 AM

Why is it a shock? I get on well with all my tenants (16 at present) first name terms, I have in the past had tenants that didn't much like me, generally the ones that I told to leave because they were not paying their rent

From: Andrew townshend 27 November 2020 08:46 AM

What makes you think that mummy and daddy helped any of us buy our first houses? most of us on here are of a generation that worked hard, stood on our own 2 feet from an early age and saved, we are not from the ''entitled'' generation.

From: Andrew townshend 27 November 2020 08:40 AM

Sorry Andrew our properties we chose who lives in them just as a builder would chose who he works for, as I said before we have had so much trouble getting the rent paid from people on benefits in the past, and also now it can take us a year + to evict a non payer we are not prepared to take that risk.

From: Andrew townshend 27 November 2020 08:34 AM

Yes the Mustard shop is still here but the old Colman's factory is going, expect houses will be built there .

From: Andrew townshend 26 November 2020 16:51 PM

Mostly Victorian terraced houses, couple of shops with flats over (no leasehold flats) a 1950s ex council house, and a couple of Bungalows, 16 in total slowly purchased over the past 30 yrs, Norwich area is very different to London.

From: Andrew townshend 26 November 2020 16:38 PM

@ Echis there is good reason for most of us not to rent to benefit claimants, past experience has proved that it is very hard to get them to pay their rent and that the housing benefit payments do not cover the full rent, we are not operating a charity , it is the local council's responsibility to home homeless people in their area , so people on benefits are best left to the local council to home.

From: Andrew townshend 26 November 2020 16:28 PM

I do very nicely renting property in and around Norwich, where are your properties David

From: Andrew townshend 26 November 2020 16:14 PM

Haven't noticed any drop in Norwich, even though most of the office blocks are empty .

From: Andrew townshend 26 November 2020 07:33 AM

More reason to refuse tenants on benefits.

From: Andrew townshend 26 November 2020 07:30 AM

I do my own call outs where ever possible, I did try boiler cover on one property a couple of yrs ago, that was a total waste of time and money.

From: Andrew townshend 26 November 2020 07:27 AM

Agreed, no hand outs needed, just tenants that pay their rent in full and on time

From: Andrew townshend 25 November 2020 22:12 PM

Not just any old guarantor either, one with a perfect credit history, a well paid job and a home owner, the dross are going to find life very hard.

From: Andrew townshend 25 November 2020 15:43 PM

I don't trust these kind of outfits, it's as simple as that.

From: Andrew townshend 25 November 2020 09:38 AM

At 80 he really should be handing control over to younger family members.

From: Andrew townshend 25 November 2020 09:35 AM

Bad landlord yes, but what ever sort of tenants are they living like that, vulnerable ? leave those kinds to the council to home, more trouble than they are worth.

From: Andrew townshend 25 November 2020 09:31 AM

From what I'm being told most tenants are still paying, I've lost a commercial tenant of 24 yrs who has now lost her business through no fault of here own, but have a new tenant taking over next month, life goes on, help from government, or council ? forget it, dreaming.

From: Andrew townshend 25 November 2020 09:26 AM

Longer leases, fine, most of my tenants stay longer than 3 yrs, but there has to be a trade off here, a quick and easy way of evicting non payers.

From: Andrew townshend 25 November 2020 09:18 AM

Yes sometimes we have no choice other than to swallow hard and move on, I think it has happen to all of us at some point

From: Andrew townshend 24 November 2020 20:41 PM

Mr Wirth a landlord.... LOL !

From: Andrew townshend 24 November 2020 18:28 PM

I don't have any HMOs so I don't have that problem, I have had tenants change the locks , but no deposit returned without first having the keys, I have however had to drill a jammed lock out once, it took a little while and a few drill bits but got there in the end.

From: Andrew townshend 24 November 2020 18:16 PM

If a lock needs changing I do so my self, it's not rocket science, dead easy, and all available from screwfix or toolstation.

From: Andrew townshend 24 November 2020 08:35 AM

The main fact that I would like to know here is the Lady up to date with her rent payments ??

From: Andrew townshend 23 November 2020 11:14 AM

I wouldn't trust outfits like this no further than I can spit.

From: Andrew townshend 23 November 2020 11:05 AM

Surely it's the local councils responsibility to provide for the vulnerable , personally I would not take a vulnerable person as a tenant , that would just be asking for trouble.

From: Andrew townshend 23 November 2020 09:36 AM

For you Ruan that is a very sensible comment, but I won't be finding that out because I like most others on here will not be signing up to this scheme.

From: Andrew townshend 21 November 2020 13:31 PM

I think that's very reasonable, but you could take over the management yourself then you would not have to pay any fees

From: Andrew townshend 21 November 2020 13:28 PM

I don't do developer new builds either, all but 2 of my properties were built in the late 1800s, I have 1 ex council house built 1953 and a bungalow built 1976 by a respected local builder.

From: Andrew townshend 20 November 2020 10:17 AM

My letting agent charges 10% + vat and for that I get an excellent service and the rent paid into my bank account the same day that they receive it, there even some letting agents around here charging just 8%, but I'm very happy with the one I have and have used them for the past 20 yrs

From: Andrew townshend 20 November 2020 10:09 AM

And the monthly rent for these places will be...?

From: Andrew townshend 20 November 2020 07:59 AM

18% + vat ? NO THANKS.

From: Andrew townshend 20 November 2020 07:50 AM

David, I simply pointed out that I am a landlord and as such was I was sure they would understand why

From: Andrew townshend 19 November 2020 20:02 PM

Funny thing here is I have just now received an email asking me why my membership payment to the Conservative party was not paid this month, I have politely replied as to why after 45 yrs I can no longer support them.

From: Andrew townshend 19 November 2020 19:28 PM

The government can hit us all they like, what they forget is just like any other business all costs are passed onto the end user, it really should be made law that all MPs have run a business at some point during their lives then they might just grasp this.

From: Andrew townshend 19 November 2020 19:15 PM

The simple answer, buy for long term income, not to get rich quick.

From: Andrew townshend 19 November 2020 16:09 PM

John, just P off there's a good boy.

From: Andrew townshend 19 November 2020 15:05 PM

Funnily John my tenants all think so, we all get along just fine, including the guy I termed '' as rough as old boots'' he would likely agree with me, call a spade a spade, there's nothing wrong in that.

From: Andrew townshend 19 November 2020 11:04 AM

You mention ventilation, I have a house in Norwich which over the years I have had many tenants complain about damp, I tell them to heat and ventilate it, but of course they don't, the present tenant, been there 4 - 5 yrs now, he's as rough as old boots, I know he sub lets, but he always pays and no damp issues since he's been there, why? because when ever I drive past in day time, whether summer or winter the upstairs bedroom windows are open, 99 times out of 100 damp issues are down to the person living there.

From: Andrew townshend 19 November 2020 10:11 AM

Do you contribute to labour by any chance David, just asking.

From: Andrew townshend 19 November 2020 09:40 AM

Rents and demand seem to be holding up in Norfolk, don't know about other areas.

From: Andrew townshend 19 November 2020 08:37 AM

It would seem the Landlord was given time to carry out these works, he didn't carry them out so he only has himself to blame, I would very much like to see a council take similar action against sub letting tenants, doubt that will ever happen.

From: Andrew townshend 19 November 2020 08:34 AM

No different to the developers telling their buyers which solicitor to use for the purchase of their properties, I believe this to be common practice, and sometimes insisted on.

From: Andrew townshend 19 November 2020 08:27 AM

Complete waste of time.

From: Andrew townshend 19 November 2020 08:21 AM

Differing ways of looking at this, firstly there are certain areas of London that have some very poor rented properties and often illegal, checking up in this manor with the carrot of large rent rebates to the tenant seems to be the wrong way of going about it, if one of these tenants drop their landlord in the s*** , the council comes along and places a closing order on the property all the tenants will be homeless, I very much doubt these tenants will be able to find a good landlord with good properties to take them on. might be a case of '' horses for courses'' ?

From: Andrew townshend 19 November 2020 08:17 AM

Generally most of my tenants are long term, I'm just such a nice guy and a good landlord !

From: Andrew townshend 18 November 2020 08:16 AM

18 Months is a short period of time in a life time of renting, so what all landlords need to do now is serve a money claim online to every tenant that gets to 2 months in arrears, that way for the following 6 yrs every time that non paying tenant tried to rent another property their CCJ would show up on their credit history, what landlord would take on a new tenant with a CCJ now ?

From: Andrew townshend 18 November 2020 08:04 AM

That's what a lot of us '' boomers'' done, I've lived in caravans on site with wife and young children in tow, if you want things in life you need to work for them and go with luxuries .

From: Andrew townshend 17 November 2020 19:47 PM

The problem with new builds, just like new cars, is they are over priced because they are ''new'', try buying one a year old and save a lot of cash

From: Andrew townshend 17 November 2020 19:41 PM

I agree Phil, however there is nothing stopping you doing a ''money claim online'' just as that builder would do to a non payer .

From: Andrew townshend 17 November 2020 19:34 PM

David, you misread my comment, this offence was in Thetford, 30 miles from Norwich, I don't have properties in Thetford, it was the London over spill town of the 60s and a dreadful area. The offence in Norwich we all know who is responsible and so does Norwich city council, but knowing and proving are 2 very different things. Further more I do agree the fine is not anywhere near enough, neither has the guilty party been named.

From: Andrew townshend 17 November 2020 10:07 AM

A letter requesting ? well that's not law, so why would bailiffs take any notice of it ?

From: Andrew townshend 17 November 2020 09:42 AM

Even before I left school I was saving part of my wages from my paper rounds, my first house was a wreck that I paid £5k for cash, then spent a year renovating it, today's young live for today and spend spend spend, small wounder that they cannot buy property.

From: Andrew townshend 17 November 2020 09:38 AM

If the landlord wasn't guilty of the offence why would he have admitted it ? There is an old sofa laying on the path outside one of my properties in Norwich, it's not mine, and my tenant says it isn't his, I reported it a month ago, it still lays there, we all know who does the fly tipping in that area but nothing done about it.

From: Andrew townshend 17 November 2020 09:31 AM

Simple, don't sell, just keep taking the income.

From: Andrew townshend 17 November 2020 09:21 AM

The government and councils are going to regret this, once these non payers are removed what landlord is going to touch them ever again, tenants with poor credit histories, no job, or an insecure job are going to struggle to find any landlord to take them on, still good news for the B&Bs that councils use to home the homeless, better an empty property than one with a feckless tenant in it

From: Andrew townshend 17 November 2020 09:18 AM

Jay, I'm not complaining at all, becoming a landlord 30 yrs ago was the best move I ever made, I'm hands on and love it, what I don't do however is the workshy scroungers that take the P***, and in my 30 yrs experience this mainly applies to single mums breeding to avoid work and live off the tax payer, truth hurts, but that's the way it is, FACT !!

From: Andrew townshend 16 November 2020 21:59 PM

Thank you Daniela, and well said, I very much doubt Ms Jay Spence is truly a landlord at all, more likely a plant from GR or Shelter.

From: Andrew townshend 16 November 2020 20:51 PM

Clearly many would disagree with you, maybe you haven't experienced these types, I and many others have, so you rent to your single mums, but don't expect me to.

From: Andrew townshend 16 November 2020 15:31 PM

For too many women now children = a free ride, I saw this a few yrs ago with a tenant, her daughter came of school age then the job centre started chasing her to apply for jobs and attend interviews, she disappeared off to Spain for the summer and came back pregnant , it's called '' working the system '' now it's no to single mums for me.

From: Andrew townshend 16 November 2020 10:17 AM

Of course it won't work, and the lady calls her self an expert after just 11 yrs.

From: Andrew townshend 16 November 2020 09:19 AM

@ David Wirth, aren't 99% of charities corrupt ?

From: Andrew townshend 12 November 2020 21:44 PM

£15m in tax payers money, I would very much like to see a breakdown as to where that money, our money, is spent, I suspect most of it goes in over generous wages within shelter, just like most other '' charities ?'' , crowd funding ? count me in, I truly think most other landlords would chip in as well.

From: Andrew townshend 12 November 2020 21:41 PM

These grants are a total waste of time.

From: Andrew townshend 12 November 2020 17:38 PM

I'm a member of eastern landlords assoc , they are local and helpful, but no use where fighting the government are concerned, we do need someone with some balls to fight our side.

From: Andrew townshend 12 November 2020 17:16 PM

IHT isn't my problem, my children will have to sort that out, and after all even after IHT is paid they are still getting something for nothing.

From: Andrew townshend 12 November 2020 17:10 PM

They have us by the short and curlies for now but that will change when more and more landlords refuse to rent to the dregs, then who's going to house them ?

From: Andrew townshend 12 November 2020 13:48 PM

They pay their staff and management big bucks though, I wounder if Mr Wirth is on the pay roll.

From: Andrew townshend 12 November 2020 12:50 PM

Yes Micheal that's what I did in the 90s 15 minutes between viewings all afternoon, face to face, If I say myself I'm a good judge of people, give me the guy that came straight from work, not the ponce in a suit.

From: Andrew townshend 11 November 2020 21:26 PM

No Robert I like the lights on, I need to be seeing what I doing and who I'm doing it with.

From: Andrew townshend 11 November 2020 21:17 PM

Thing here Fredy is that we have to make damn sure we don't rent to this kind of scum in the first place, these kind of tenants are best left to the local council to house, I've had properties left in a discussing state, but so far I have never had one wrecked.

From: Andrew townshend 11 November 2020 21:13 PM

Yes Fredy, speaks volumes doesn't it about England, hang your head in shame Boris.

From: Andrew townshend 11 November 2020 21:05 PM

As with landlords and tenants there are good and bad agents, I have used a small independent agent in Norwich for more than 15 years, no problems, we get on well.

From: Andrew townshend 11 November 2020 12:47 PM

Even in places such as Liverpool where property prices are low few of the young will be buying, 15 - 20% deposits now becoming the norm and the average younger person more interested in ''living the life style'' than saving.

From: Andrew townshend 11 November 2020 08:28 AM

As it has now been made very difficult for us to evict non payers it's a case of being very careful the tenants we take on, I rejected a guy that worked in hospitality, just too risky, but I did have 3 other working tenants wanting the same property, defiantly a case now of '' better an empty property than one with a none paying tenant in it''.

From: Andrew townshend 11 November 2020 08:19 AM

Well John I have several properties that won't make the 'C' status, they all owe me peanuts, mainly purchased in the 90s, I will be 68 next year, so if I cannot rent them after 2025 I will put them in auction and take what ever I get for them, after all at that point in time I will be 72 so likely won't want the bother of them then.

From: Andrew townshend 10 November 2020 17:02 PM

Years ago I had a car repair garage, if someone didn't pay me they got a CCJ on princible, generally I did get my money even if it was only £10 a month as an attachment to earnings

From: Andrew townshend 10 November 2020 16:50 PM

@ m d Of course you are correct , however I cannot see many tenants voting tory what ever this government gives them.

From: Andrew townshend 10 November 2020 16:32 PM

Hold off until 2021 / 2 property making too much in the auction room at present.

From: Andrew townshend 10 November 2020 06:34 AM

Don't know about London, we're doing alright in Norfolk, I've got a property coming empty next month, already got 4 working tenants wanting it, one works in hospitality though so I'm giving him a miss.

From: Andrew townshend 10 November 2020 06:32 AM

Wait until next year, then buy for cash, the future is not looking good for anyone with excessive debt, cash is king again.

From: Andrew townshend 10 November 2020 06:27 AM

It won't just be the over indebted landlord properties, there will be plenty of over mortgaged owner occupier properties being reprocessed as jobs go and relationships break up, bargains to be had in the auction rooms over the next couple of years.

From: Andrew townshend 10 November 2020 06:23 AM

Come on David we all know it would be a total waste of time.

From: Andrew townshend 09 November 2020 10:12 AM

Shelter, like most charities, are in it for themselves, highly paid staff who do very little.

From: Andrew townshend 08 November 2020 16:55 PM

Maybe, but I bet it is well over 100K or even more than 200k, charities stink !

From: Andrew townshend 07 November 2020 20:28 PM

Exactly, this is the thing about these so called charities, and not just shelter, it's obscene, and why I am very careful which charities ? I give to, seems to me 90% of charities are just out for what their employees can get out of it , one big big scam which needs sorting out.

From: Andrew townshend 07 November 2020 20:25 PM

I don't know what that will achieve David, an agent is just an agent whether nationalized or not, the choice of tenant is still the landlords decision.

From: Andrew townshend 07 November 2020 15:12 PM

Boris & co are not conservatives, we no longer have a conservative party.

From: Andrew townshend 07 November 2020 11:05 AM

Seems strange that he is on remand for criminal damage, I would have thought he would have got bail for that.

From: Andrew townshend 07 November 2020 09:31 AM

You have children then it is the local councils responsibility to house you, I'm surprised that your landlord hasn't already issued you with eviction notices, all he / she has to do is date them 6 months forward from now. Also as you have children U C should be more than enough to live on and pay at least some of your rent.

From: Andrew townshend 07 November 2020 09:27 AM

I don't have a problem with this national register of landlords, just so long as we can have one for tenants as well.

From: Andrew townshend 06 November 2020 21:41 PM

Yes David they are well worth their fee and they are back at work now.

From: Andrew townshend 06 November 2020 16:38 PM

Gambling of any kind isn't for me.

From: Andrew townshend 06 November 2020 15:46 PM

Voids are very useful for repairs and up grades especially now, any new tenants taken on now need to be very carefully checked and with guarantors where necessary.

From: Andrew townshend 06 November 2020 14:48 PM

Ruan, you are getting to be a bore now, I'm not going to bother reading any more of your posts

From: Andrew townshend 06 November 2020 07:44 AM

@Robert, if the police will not act take a trip to the main police station in your area and make an official complaint, I've done it, they hate it, and yes it gets results, we pay for the service, we expect it.

From: Andrew townshend 05 November 2020 21:31 PM

I've not received any rent from a commercial tenant since March because she is unable to trade, the lady has been a perfect tenant for the past 24 yrs, thankfully non of my residential tenants have been affected and all are paying in full, you are right Alison non of us want to lose GOOD tenants at this time.

From: Andrew townshend 05 November 2020 20:31 PM

An accountant is nothing special, neither is a professor these days, as I have said before all these qualifications have been drastically devalued.

From: Andrew townshend 05 November 2020 19:35 PM

Ruan, squatters are not evicted, they are arrested as criminals , there is the difference

From: Andrew townshend 05 November 2020 19:10 PM

Interesting theory Ruan, where are all these vacant houses? Squatting in a residential property has been a criminal offence for a few years now , some how I don't see your theory becoming practice.

From: Andrew townshend 05 November 2020 17:08 PM

I expect unofficial evictions will be making a come back as well, what do you think ?

From: Andrew townshend 05 November 2020 15:56 PM

Some years ago I illegally evicted some tenants, mostly I got away with it, one guy went to citizens advice and got himself a solicitor on legal aid, we agreed on £1000 compensation, far cheaper and quicker than doing it the legal way, I suspect these times will be returning, if they haven't already.

From: Andrew townshend 05 November 2020 15:47 PM

I have some older renters as well, sold their properties and using the money to enjoy themselves while they still can, all makes perfect sense, their money and their's to do with as they wish, spend it before it's all taken in care home fees.

From: Andrew townshend 05 November 2020 15:32 PM

I don't agree Ruan, BTL is likely dead for landlords with high debt, but it's still good for landlords that own their properties and are prepared to work hard at it hands on, pick tenants very carefully, no DSS, no single mums, no one under 25, and no all day curry eaters, you won't go far wrong

From: Andrew townshend 04 November 2020 19:42 PM

Correction Fred, he's probably paid it, I doubt he truly earns it.

From: Andrew townshend 04 November 2020 19:33 PM

I was the guy in the auction room in the 90s that bought the worst property of the day, cracked walls, no problem to me, 10 yrs ago I bought a property that had been traded in to a well known national developer, no one wanted it, black carpets and a kitchen hand painted purple, other than that there really wasn't much wrong with it, odd what people turn their noises up at.

From: Andrew townshend 04 November 2020 19:29 PM

These people are squatters then, squatting in a residential property is a criminal offence, insist the police take action now, and be firm with the police, don't take no for an answer because the police will try to fob you off, any problems make an official complaint to the police, trust me that really works, I've done so in the past, they don't like it.

From: Andrew townshend 04 November 2020 19:17 PM

Qualifications have been devalued, it would seem any old Tom, Dick or Harry can become a professor these days

From: Andrew townshend 04 November 2020 17:01 PM

95% mortgages are a thing of the past, far too risky

From: Andrew townshend 04 November 2020 16:45 PM

@ Mark Wilson, I don't think you fully understood my comment, FTB are unlikely to be buying the properties landlords sell both for the reasons you quote and my reasoning as well.

From: Andrew townshend 04 November 2020 09:49 AM

A good local independent letting agent are worth their fees, most of my properties are now let that way, I'm still hands on in so much as I do my own repairs, clean ups and decorating, all my tenants know me and are welcome to contact me direct when ever they want to, it works.

From: Andrew townshend 04 November 2020 09:01 AM

Better an empty property than one with a feckless tenant in it living for free, if we cannot evict then we aren't going to be taking risks on these types of tenants

From: Andrew townshend 04 November 2020 06:08 AM

I cannot see how this is going to work, where is the money coming from. In the past I've come unstuck here, house shares don't understand the meaning of the '' joint and several '' clause, the times I've gone after the rent for one house mate to say '' here's my share mate, you'll have to see Fred about his share''.

From: Andrew townshend 04 November 2020 06:03 AM

The way I see things is that this government wants to bring back home ownership, by forcing landlords to selling, all these properties will be bought by first time buyers, least ways that would seem to be the theory. 50 Years ago the young left school at 15, very few went on to university, most went to learn a trade, apprenticeships, one day a week at a local college, most of us, boys and girls, started saving from day one, that isn't how the young behave today, it's all about living life to the full payed for by debt, flash cars on the drip, and credit cards . Very few snowflakes will ever own their own homes unless someone gives them one.

From: Andrew townshend 04 November 2020 05:50 AM

Taking on formally homeless tenants would be financial suicide for landlords.

From: Andrew townshend 04 November 2020 05:33 AM

Philip mate, while I agree, I have to point out that you have it all wrong, shelter use their money collected to actually house people ? no no no , the money they collect is to pay the excessive wages of their staff, noises in troughs.

From: Andrew townshend 03 November 2020 20:36 PM

We might be a bit sheltered here in sleepy Norfolk but I don't know of anymore than normal landlords with problem tenants, there will of course be a back log of non paying tenants being evicted next spring / summer.

From: Andrew townshend 03 November 2020 09:41 AM

As per normal, academic = zero common sense .

From: Andrew townshend 03 November 2020 08:49 AM

Fine let's do that David, but who do you think is going to pay that £500 fee ? as with any business it is always the end user that pays, might just be a case of shot in foot there old boy.

From: Andrew townshend 02 November 2020 22:15 PM

@ DAVID EDMUNDS, if you sign a contract that says no pets then if you bring a pet into that property you have broken the terms of that contract, I am one of very few landlords that will consider pets, it used to be that I held an extra deposit from pet owners, but I cannot do that now, so it has to be an extra rent, I have dogs and many dogs and their owners are well behaved , but that the fact remains that many are not, hence the fact that most tenancy agreements state no pets, if you don't agree that term then don't sign that contract.

From: Andrew townshend 02 November 2020 21:41 PM

When a council says it wants to help landlords smell a rat, it doesn't happen, it's a con , be very careful.

From: Andrew townshend 02 November 2020 20:54 PM

Drive around these council estates and see how many flash new cars there are, buy the property at a massive discount, re mortgage , then go out to play, there is a reason people live in council houses, they are financially illiterate .

From: Andrew townshend 02 November 2020 19:08 PM

Depends where in GB your are, still strong demand in and around Norwich

From: Andrew townshend 02 November 2020 17:21 PM

Those of us that remain will have a larger group of tenants to choose from, tenants with poor histories and those on benefits will be finding it very hard to secure a roof over their heads.

From: Andrew townshend 02 November 2020 08:00 AM

What will happen on the 2 Dec ? same as in April, the lock down will be extended, as we go into winter will this lock down be extended right through to spring ? I think this is very likely .

From: Andrew townshend 02 November 2020 07:56 AM

Don't bet on it mate, desperate times mean desperate measures, Landlord income was never easy income, you would know that if you were a landlord, easy income is for the public sector and the benefit cheats.

From: Andrew townshend 31 October 2020 20:15 PM

Well you see John, Sue and her likes think all those tenants will over night become home owners, really quite a joke aren't they ?

From: Andrew townshend 30 October 2020 20:43 PM

You have my sympathy Sue, clearly you are a woman with one big big problem

From: Andrew townshend 30 October 2020 19:23 PM

They got me some money back from a previous commercial tenant a couple of yrs back that I wasn't expecting to get.

From: Andrew townshend 30 October 2020 15:43 PM

I've never had a problem escalating up to the high court

From: Andrew townshend 30 October 2020 15:40 PM

I think the term is '' heads in sand ''

From: Andrew townshend 30 October 2020 11:02 AM

Court bailiffs are a waste of time, pay the extra to use the high court bailiffs

From: Andrew townshend 30 October 2020 10:49 AM

I'm not against that, what I am concerned about is the cost, trucks have to have an MOT every year, the operators pass that on in their chargers to their customers, so it'll be yet another cost that will be passed onto tenants.

From: Andrew townshend 30 October 2020 09:36 AM

Fill your car up at a petrol station and drive off without paying is theft, live in a property without paying and that is considered okay in this country, but not in many others.

From: Andrew townshend 30 October 2020 09:28 AM

That's just it Echis, most on here, myself included do their own repairs, call outs, upgrades, decorating and clean ups, if we just called other people in to do these things we would be losing money , I was crawling around in a loft looking for a leak today, don't get me wrong I'm not complaining here I love what I do, hands on.

From: Andrew townshend 29 October 2020 19:11 PM

Its never been easy income.

From: Andrew townshend 29 October 2020 17:22 PM

@ Echis, so landlords don't work then, we just sit in an arm chair on our laptops watching the cash roll into our bank accounts ? You have no idea do you?

From: Andrew townshend 29 October 2020 17:20 PM

Don't have a problem with the licencing, it's the cost, but then as in any business these costs will over time filter through to the end user, the tenant.

From: Andrew townshend 29 October 2020 09:52 AM

Over the last 30 yrs I have had 3 evictions and all have gone before the bailiffs have had to turn up.

From: Andrew townshend 28 October 2020 21:52 PM

I expect in your eyes anyone in business is classed as greedy from the corner shop to the garage down the road, we are all in it to make a profit, other wise there would be no point.

From: Andrew townshend 28 October 2020 16:32 PM

In the long run they just make life worse for the very people that they are supposed to be representing , but I expect most of their staff are fresh out of university, zero common sense

From: Andrew townshend 27 October 2020 20:36 PM

Most tenancy agreements state no smoking within the property, now it's one thing stating this in the agreement, it is quite another enforcing it, HMOs I would say attract more of the types that are likely to be smokers and more of the types that would not adhere to the rules, so this increases the fire risk, I don't do HMOs because of the types of tenants they attract, we are all out to maximize profits but at what cost.

From: Andrew townshend 27 October 2020 19:22 PM

You have been very lucky lady, there might be the odd exception but they are few and far between, experience proves this to be true, we landlords are not charities, leave the vulnerable to the council is the best advice.

From: Andrew townshend 27 October 2020 11:25 AM

I had damp issues with an old house, however new tenants 4 yrs ago, 2 middle aged men, when ever I drive past, come rain or shine, summer or winter the bedroom windows are always open during the day, result ? no damp issues for the past 4 yrs.

From: Andrew townshend 27 October 2020 11:18 AM

The above is all very well and good in theory, but not always in practice, while there are tenants that would honor their side of such agreements their are many that would not and just take advantage .

From: Andrew townshend 27 October 2020 08:08 AM

I assume the property was okay when they moved in, if not then why did they take a tenancy there, so the property has become damp since they moved in which sounds like it's caused by the way they live, no mention of if they are up to date with their rent, probably a lot more to this than they are letting on.

From: Andrew townshend 27 October 2020 08:01 AM

The leader of Norwich City Council ( wage well in excess of £100k ) lives in a council house on a subsidized rent, stinks doesn't it, I also understand that the leader of one of the top unions also lives in a subsidized council house because he doesn't believe in home ownership, so thereby blocking homes to those families that need them, that's labour for you.

From: Andrew townshend 26 October 2020 19:34 PM

@ David Wirth, trust me I will never be in those kind of dire straits as you put it David.

From: Andrew townshend 26 October 2020 15:51 PM

''Vulnerable'' tenants are not worth the bother, leave them to the local council to house .

From: Andrew townshend 26 October 2020 07:08 AM

I don't know about others on here but I wouldn't touch a homeless person referred by a council, that's the local council's problem not mine, maybe shelter could house them ??

From: Andrew townshend 26 October 2020 06:58 AM

Echis I doubt you have any idea what you are talking about, landlords big and small need to evict non paying tenants, and that includes social housing landlords

From: Andrew townshend 25 October 2020 08:24 AM

@ Gerrad Timms, I take and agree with every thing you say about London, but wild horses would never drag me there , I 'm a Norfolk boy, while there is money to be earn't in London cost of living is high, that way of life may suit many, it certainly would not suit me .

From: Andrew townshend 22 October 2020 21:28 PM

It's an age thing Paul, so do I.

From: Andrew townshend 22 October 2020 20:14 PM

Andrew or Andy is just fine Paul, but please not Anthony

From: Andrew townshend 22 October 2020 17:41 PM

Bankrupt sandwich shops, I've got one of those, well the lady's on the verge of bankruptcy, she has been a good tenant of mine for more than 24 yrs, I've not charged her any rent since March in the hope that she could get going again, but it is really not looking good.

From: Andrew townshend 22 October 2020 16:40 PM

It is exactly these kind of landlords that give the rest of us a bad name, ban them and take the properties away from them. What will happen to their tenants though, I doubt very much that they would be the kind of tenants any of us would consider at any money, still that's the council's problem to home them.

From: Andrew townshend 22 October 2020 13:39 PM

@Echis R , you think property values would drop low enough for homeless families to become home owners ? sir you are dreaming.

From: Andrew townshend 21 October 2020 16:51 PM

The only flats that I own are ones where I own the freehold of the property, and all brick built, never done leasehold, looked at some over the years, until I read the lease terms, then walked away swiftly

From: Andrew townshend 21 October 2020 09:38 AM

I expect London will take a kicking, people moving out and who can blame them.

From: Andrew townshend 21 October 2020 09:31 AM

As Paul says keep sec 21 for a fast track way of evicting non payers, that's all I've ever used it for, then no one can call it a no fault eviction, problem solved.

From: Andrew townshend 21 October 2020 09:18 AM

Mediation doesn't work, it a tenant isn't paying there is only one thing to do, evict ASAP.

From: Andrew townshend 20 October 2020 14:02 PM

There will always be that element out there that consider our laws don't apply to them, or that they are above the law.

From: Andrew townshend 20 October 2020 13:56 PM

Agreed, vulnerable / benefits tenants are best left to councils and housing associations to home.

From: Andrew townshend 20 October 2020 08:08 AM

Yes Paul but the landlords that will be bankrupted will be those that borrowed too much, those that tried to run before they could walk , said it before, and I will say it again, the saying in the motor trade was '' flash with no cash'' cash will be king again.

From: Andrew townshend 19 October 2020 21:45 PM

What turns around will come around Paul, it always does in the fullness of time .

From: Andrew townshend 19 October 2020 21:32 PM

@ Paul, agreed, you, me, and many others on here are old school, and were bought up properly with proper values, not the way it is now, now we have the entitled generation who want and expect it all now, new flash cars on the drip, 3 x holidays per year, nights out, designer clothing and all those coffees, then they have the nerve to whinge that they cannot afford to pay their rent, and far less buy a property, it is however this very generation who will have the miserable skint retirement, that is is if they can ever retire, sympathy ? none, zero, self inflected, and well deserved.

From: Andrew townshend 19 October 2020 20:31 PM

Guaranteed rent for a yr, so what happens after that? Norwich tried it once, a farce .

From: Andrew townshend 19 October 2020 08:32 AM

I suspect there are many landlords within the labour party, certainly Mr Blair has been for yrs.

From: Andrew townshend 19 October 2020 08:28 AM

Spot on Paul, would seem Lou Valdini doesn't know what he is talking about, clearly not a landlord.

From: Andrew townshend 18 October 2020 17:19 PM

We can however ask the tenant to supply their own referencing from a suitable source, that way the tenant wastes their own money .

From: Andrew townshend 15 October 2020 09:17 AM

These properties belong to landlords, so landlords will decide who lives in them, we don't have to give a reason for refusing a tenancy, it'll still be NO DSS, but not in those words.

From: Andrew townshend 15 October 2020 09:09 AM

Don't do gambling, a total mugs game.

From: Andrew townshend 14 October 2020 21:59 PM

@ Paul, yes you could be right, most of us so far obey the rules, but we are all only human, push anyone too far and what happens ? well I don't need to spell that one out do I ?

From: Andrew townshend 12 October 2020 21:59 PM

I also have a very good independent local agent who I have used for more than 20 yrs now, money goes into my bank account the same day that they receive it.

From: Andrew townshend 12 October 2020 08:11 AM

The courts and bailiffs will be very busy come March next year, it will likely take them a year to get through the back log, but it will happen, those that don't pay will be out, we'll know who they are so who will be housing them ?

From: Andrew townshend 10 October 2020 13:37 PM

I stopped renting to students back in the 90s, give me decent, down to earth, hard working people any day.

From: Andrew townshend 09 October 2020 08:25 AM

Without the loans their credit score will be trashed, section 8 evictions and money claim online for monies owed .

From: Andrew townshend 08 October 2020 16:43 PM

I feel really sorry for Mark'

From: Andrew townshend 08 October 2020 09:47 AM

David, would it be any different to all the student loans that are handed out each year, how many of these will ever be paid off ?

From: Andrew townshend 08 October 2020 09:46 AM

I could never vote labour' but I'm also a Conservative party member who at this moment in time could not vote for the conservative party as they stand, I even voted for Boris to be leader, in hind sight wasn't that a big mistake .

From: Andrew townshend 08 October 2020 09:37 AM

As with Robert and many other landlords I was the guy in the auction room which bought the properties than no one else wanted then rolled up my sleeves, got very dirty, and renovated them, I'm the one that clears up after tenants leave, carry out repairs, up grades, and re decorates, don't get me wrong here I'm not having a whinge , I love what I do and have never been afraid of hard work, it's all to easy for people on the outside to think that other people's job is easy.

From: Andrew townshend 08 October 2020 09:31 AM

I''ii second that !

From: Andrew townshend 07 October 2020 19:21 PM

I have many long term tenants, one retired couple, been my tenants nearly 10 yrs, transformed the garden, hard and soft landscaping , new kitchen unit fronts, new work tops, decorated to a very high standard and even installed a wet room, all at no cost to me.

From: Andrew townshend 07 October 2020 16:11 PM

Who would have thought it, we voted conservative and got labour.

From: Andrew townshend 07 October 2020 08:59 AM

Poor quality properties do need to be brought up to a decent standard, but there is a trade off here, once these poor quality properties are improved they will be suitable for a better quality tenant, so what then happens to the low life feckless tenants that had been living in them,'' horses for courses ''

From: Andrew townshend 07 October 2020 08:57 AM

He's got a daytime TV show, now that sums the sad little man up perfectly, not a clue about the real world out

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