UK General Election 2024 #4

[kev1974]

A lot of this comes from a local planning level though and not a national government level. If a developer is looking to build new houses that will put a significant strain on the existing infrastructure then they are expected to contribute financially to improve the infrastructure. For example make a contribution to a school - whether it's building a new school or contributing to an extension/improvements to an existing school to increase capacity. Where I am it's a set amount per pupil based on the amount of new pupils they think the housing development will generate. The planning guidance is set nationally but down to local authorities to ensure it is implemented.

Sure. I know that's how it's supposed to work. But it doesn't. The local councils change every few years or they don't have the staff or resources to compete with the developers and force them to uphold the masterplan.

So Rachel will need to provide all the town councils with a ton of funding so they've got the resources to make sure everything comes together then.

 

[HelloStereo]

The rental market does need reform, and landlords need to be held strictly accountable for maintaining their properties and providing people with safe, healthy places to live. IMO you should need a license to rent out a property, which is contingent on your property passing regular, independent inspections. Too many get away with taking massive rents on poorly maintained dwellings - mould/damp, leaks, damaged or old fixtures and fittings. Too many make excuses that maintenance is too expensive, but if you expect someone to pay to live in your property, then the tenant should expect it to be maintained to a habitable level.

I own my house now, but had no end of excuses and trouble with negligent landlords, and everyone I know had the same. My sister recently bought her flat, and the property above is rented. The landlord has 100 properties. The upstairs bathroom flooded and my sister's bathroom had what can only be described as a waterfall in it, while the upstairs tenant - who has a severely autistic daughter - was told to turn off her water. Nobody bothered to come out to see to the issue for more than 24 hours, leaving her without water for over a day. It shouldn't be allowed.

My sister's rented flat flooded, she had a carbon monoxide alarm go off, it had damp, it had a huge hole in the corner of one room where the floor had collapsed (before she moved in). Her gas oven was so old that it was deemed unservicable, and she couldn't use it. The landlord complained that everything was too expensive to maintain...well, sell in that case. Get out if you can't afford it.

And it is often the case that people who can't afford to move will be stuck in uninhabitable dwellings or fall through the cracks and end up living somewhere with dodgy landlords.

 

[Moth]

My landlord raised my rent because "we've checked market rates for other properties in the area and realised they were renting out for more."

So for no reason really, other than "we can and if you want to move you will be paying more anyway."

Criminal. They should only be allowed to raise it if the property significantly changes in some way, e.g. they build an extension or renovate it with a hot tub and jacuzzi.

So they simply have to swallow any increased costs and if necessary subsidise the tenant? I mean I'm totally against profiteering landlords and even more against landlords that allow their properties to deteriorate to the extent that they become health hazards but that's ridiculous.

 

[miss n thropy]

That's exactly what ours did, in 'fairness' to them they have upped it very few times since we have lived here, but they didn't need the money (like I said 30 properties...) they just did simply cause, they could. You can't even argue the value of the property has gone up because they've made no improvements in the entire time we've lived here, not even fixed things that desperately need it so the property has actively degraded, very significantly as well, to the point that the corner of every wall on the bottom floor has completely crumbled away from damp, we are talking about 1 foot holes here. But yeah, pay more cause why not aye? We have holes in the walls with light fittings hanging off and exposed wiring, a huge hole around a live socket, horrific mold again to the point the walls are crumbling, and more. And the sad part, they are right and they know it. If we said no and left, they could up the price £500 and someone would rent it because people are so desperate for housing.

I believe there were a number of bills designed to give more protection to tenants in the last few years which did not come to pass.

probably nothing to do with the fact that over a quarter of Tories in the HoC were landlords

 

[unwanted.opinions]

No but maybe I should now! We had leaflets from everyone standing except Reform and an independent, I had thought it was laziness from Reform and lack of volunteers for the independent but now this is in a different light...

e2a : checked and the reform candidate for our area does exist even though he didn't get to our particular neck of the woods though TBH lack of leaflet is a mark against, unless it got lost in the mountains of paper we got from the lib dems

Farage whines about how horribly unfair the voting system is for vote share versus seats but only because his lot failed so embarrassingly on that front when compared to the Lib Dems. (see added remark about paper!)

People voting Reform in constituencies where the candidate couldn't be arsed doing anything except put their name on the list aren't victims of the system, they are victims of a cynical marketing campaign.

I only got leaflets from labour and maybe tory. Was shocked there was an A4 paper full of people to vote for as last time there where only 3/4 to pick from.

 

[HelloStereo]

So they simply have to swallow any increased costs and if necessary subsidise the tenant? I mean I'm totally against profiteering landlords and even more against landlords that allow their properties to deteriorate to the extent that they become health hazards but that's ridiculous.

Where did I say that? Their justification was that other properties in the area were charging more rent, not that their costs were increasing.

 

[jackolantern]

I believe there were a number of bills designed to give more protection to tenants in the last few years which did not come to pass.

probably nothing to do with the fact that over a quarter of Tories in the HoC were landlords

I honestly think as much as we may see good changes here and there from a Labour government, ultimately the country is past the point of return. Sort of like expensive properties ironically, get yourself a nice place worth half a mil but left to rot from crappy landlords and now the price of doing it up isn't worth it anymore, you may as well start somewhere else. You take a beautiful country, you let it rot for too long and what it would now take to bring it back, simply isn't viable anymore. It's like throwing a bucket of water on an Amazon rainforest fire.

 

[Moth]

Hello fellow Cambridge person (I was born and raised in King's Hedges haha). Do you think the infrastructure should be there before housing is built? Surely it makes sense to build the infrastructure such as schools, health centres, transport etc once there is demand from housing, or as some sort of caveat from the developers?

And that's exactly what's happening one the estate where we bought our new house. Phase 1 includes building a school, community centre, retail unit(s) and industrial / business units as well as creating a country park and sports pavilion / pitches. Phase 2 will include an extension to the school and another country park. There was supposed to be a health centre in phase 1 too but they couldn't find a local surgery willing to move into it (even on a part time basis) and now the NHS has withdrawn it's support presumably because it can't afford to employ the extra staff to create a wholly new surgery.

 

[bluefoot]

I don’t think rejoining the EU is on the cards for a long time. I’m not sure the other member states would be up for it even if we were. It took 4 years and loads of work/hassle before we finally exited in 2020 and no one wants to do the Hokey Cokey on this. In out in out

 

[Moth]

Where did I say that? Their justification was that other properties in the area were charging more rent, not that their costs were increasing.

Well you said "They should only be allowed to raise it if the property significantly changes in some way". That doesn't appear allow for increased costs.

I agree that simply to make additional profit is not an acceptable reason but I think there is also a downside for landlords (and tenants) in not increasing the rent. I've had a number of tenants where landlords have not increased rents for many years sometimes because they are sympathetic to the tenants financial situation but recently find that they have to ask for large increases which the tenants can't afford. My view is that it is better for landlords to ask for a small but regular(e.g. annual) increase rather than to not ask for an increase for years and then have to ask for a larger one.

 

[HelloStereo]

Well you said "They should only be allowed to raise it if the property significantly changes in some way". That doesn't appear allow for increased costs.

I agree that simply to make additional profit is not an acceptable reason but I think there is also a downside for landlords (and tenants) in not increasing the rent. I've had a number of tenants where landlords have not increased rents for many years sometimes because they are sympathetic to the tenants financial situation but recently find that they have to ask for large increases which the tenants can't afford. My view is that it is better for landlords to ask for a small but regular(e.g. annual) increase rather than to not ask for an increase for years and then have to ask for a larger one.

What costs are we talking about here? You can't surely be telling me that having to pay a buy-to-let mortgage is subsidising a tenant?

 

[pommobear]

What costs are we talking about here? You can't surely be telling me that having to pay a buy-to-let mortgage is subsidising a tenant?

I have unfortunately come across the odd landlord who seems to think in letting out their property they are performing a public service

 

[Nelly's mum]

I am a landlord, I have 2x mortgage properties I rent out, boo hiss mutter mutter.....evil landlord mutter mutter.

1x property the mortgage has almost tripled over the past three years, I am also paying monthly towards eventually recladding the building as the building regs have changed post Grenfell. I have increased the rent in line with inflation and I regularly have to top up the bank account to pay the mortgage from my Admin job.

1x property the mortgage has more than doubled in recent years. It was difficult to find a tenant the property management service would accept - most applicants were on zero hrs contracts or agency and so were deemed not to have stable employment. I had to pay £600 for a Landlord License with the council for the pleasure of being a landlord so they can ensure the property is maintained to a decent standard (it is, I used to live there).

There are evil b landlords and there are evil b tenants - I had a tenant who lived in my property for almost a year and didn't pay any rent after the first month - there are many small landlords who rent out as a means to supplement their retirement or to make use of savings they've worked hard for, as they were advised to do so.

 

[pommobear]

I am a landlord, I have 2x mortgage properties I rent out, boo hiss mutter mutter.....evil landlord mutter mutter.

1x property the mortgage has almost tripled over the past three years, I am also paying monthly towards eventually recladding the building as the building regs have changed post Grenfell. I have increased the rent in line with inflation and I regularly have to top up the bank account to pay the mortgage from my Admin job.

1x property the mortgage has more than doubled in recent years. It was difficult to find a tenant the property management service would accept - most applicants were on zero hrs contracts or agency and so were deemed not to have stable employment. I had to pay £600 for a Landlord License with the council for the pleasure of being a landlord so they can ensure the property is maintained to a decent standard (it is, I used to live there).

There are evil b landlords and there are evil b tenants - I had a tenant who lived in my property for almost a year and didn't pay any rent after the first month - there are many small landlords who rent out as a means to supplement their retirement or to make use of savings they've worked hard for, as they were advised to do so.

No one is making you rent property out. If you can't afford them then sell them.

 

[Moth]

The rental market does need reform, and landlords need to be held strictly accountable for maintaining their properties and providing people with safe, healthy places to live. IMO you should need a license to rent out a property, which is contingent on your property passing regular, independent inspections. Too many get away with taking massive rents on poorly maintained dwellings - mould/damp, leaks, damaged or old fixtures and fittings. Too many make excuses that maintenance is too expensive, but if you expect someone to pay to live in your property, then the tenant should expect it to be maintained to a habitable level.

I own my house now, but had no end of excuses and trouble with negligent landlords, and everyone I know had the same. My sister recently bought her flat, and the property above is rented. The landlord has 100 properties. The upstairs bathroom flooded and my sister's bathroom had what can only be described as a waterfall in it, while the upstairs tenant - who has a severely autistic daughter - was told to turn off her water. Nobody bothered to come out to see to the issue for more than 24 hours, leaving her without water for over a day. It shouldn't be allowed.

My sister's rented flat flooded, she had a carbon monoxide alarm go off, it had damp, it had a huge hole in the corner of one room where the floor had collapsed (before she moved in). Her gas oven was so old that it was deemed unservicable, and she couldn't use it. The landlord complained that everything was too expensive to maintain...well, sell in that case. Get out if you can't afford it.

... and that is of course what many landlords are doing, which is reducing the number of properties available for rent and leading to rent increases. Not that I can argue with anything that you've said. Actually it's ironic that I have found myself in the position on this thread of slightly defending some landlords because I spend a lot of time every week trying to help tenants with rent increases, repair issues, eviction and deposit refunds. I think the condition of a properties at the bottom end of the rental market are disgusting and there definitely needs to be a much better way to force landlords to keep properties up to a reasonable standard. Having said that my brother is a landlord and his tenants refuse to allow him to arrange for improvements to the property (he wants to refurbish the kitchen and bathroom etc) and this seems to be because they think that if he doesn't improve it, he can't ask for a rent increase. As with almost everything there are good and bad in tenants and landlords.

 

[Nelly's mum]

No one is making you rent property out. If you can't afford them then sell them.

Ok Captain obvious

 

[HelloStereo]

I am a landlord, I have 2x mortgage properties I rent out, boo hiss mutter mutter.....evil landlord mutter mutter.

1x property the mortgage has almost tripled over the past three years, I am also paying monthly towards eventually recladding the building as the building regs have changed post Grenfell. I have increased the rent in line with inflation and I regularly have to top up the bank account to pay the mortgage from my Admin job.

1x property the mortgage has more than doubled in recent years. It was difficult to find a tenant the property management service would accept - most applicants were on zero hrs contracts or agency and so were deemed not to have stable employment. I had to pay £600 for a Landlord License with the council for the pleasure of being a landlord so they can ensure the property is maintained to a decent standard (it is, I used to live there).

There are evil b landlords and there are evil b tenants - I had a tenant who lived in my property for almost a year and didn't pay any rent after the first month - there are many small landlords who rent out as a means to supplement their retirement or to make use of savings they've worked hard for, as they were advised to do so.

Isn't it a risk you took with buying a building with plastic cladding and taking out a mortgage?
---

I have unfortunately come across the odd landlord who seems to think in letting out their property they are performing a public service

And that they should push the costs onto a tenant for maintaining the home to a basic standard. They should be doing these things and undertaking the cost because it is their home that they bought.

If the ceiling is caving in and you decide to raise rents to fix the issue, tenant goes "see ya" and then you're unable to rent it out again because prospective tenants do not want to live somewhere that is falling apart, they'll have to dig into their own pocket eventually instead of asking tenants for money to fix their own house.

 

[Blueblue123]

I don’t think rejoining the EU is on the cards for a long time. I’m not sure the other member states would be up for it even if we were. It took 4 years and loads of work/hassle before we finally exited in 2020 and no one wants to do the Hokey Cokey on this. In out in out

Right. I voted remain but for the sake of democracy and not going back and forth, it's best we just aim for a beneficial agreement. The UK isn't the only country not in the EU and not all non-EU countries suffer.

 

[jackolantern]

I think sadly multiple property ownership often falls in the wrong hands, just as politics does. I know I wouldn't increase rent where I didn't need to, just because I could, if you are living comfortably why would you want to make someone struggle anymore than they already are? And before you argue you aren't comfortable because your bills have gone up to - clue, if you own more than one home, you are comfortable. If not, bleeping sell it.

 

[Nelly's mum]

Isn't it a risk you took with buying a building with plastic cladding and taking out a mortgage?

Yes sure. The purpose of my post was to give balance and another perspective, I realise it's probably the wrong thread for this though.