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TODAY'S OTHER NEWS

We won’t accept ‘battered wives’ or ‘plumbers’, says UK’s biggest landlord

The UK’s largest private landlord has drawn up a list of the sort of tenants that the he will and will not accept in his properties.

Fergus Wilson, widely considered to be one of the most controversial landlords, runs a property empire in Kent alongside his wife Judith, and has said he will no longer take victims of domestic violence.

Wilson has banned “battered wives” from occupying his properties claiming he does not want to risk ex-husbands or boyfriends returning to destroy his buy-to-let investments.

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He has also excluded plumbers from becoming tenants in his investment properties because he believes that they may rip him off when it comes to advice about repairs.

“It is just economics,” he told the Telegraph. “I live in the big bad world of reality, if I do not let properties and do not get the rent then I do not eat.”

He continued: “It costs us money [if the property is damaged] and we basically have all the trouble of putting it back together again.

“You have the property empty for a couple of months if something like paint has been thrown around. If we don't take battered wives, this doesn't happen.”

“There's nothing about not taking Chinese people, black people, homosexual people, as long as they can pay the money I don't care what colour they are,” Wilson added. 

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    So he's trying to minimise business risk. Can't say I blame him.

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    doesn't have to be made public. I'm a landlord myself and have many 'battered' women in my properties and have done for the last 20 years with lots of support, not once has my property been trashed by ex-boyfriends and husbands, in fact those sort of tenants are more protected from them coming near the property than any other. Police protection orders, non-molestation orders ect prevent perpetrators from the women. The properties can be trashed by ANY tenant. 1 in 4 women suffer domestic abuse and most are too ashamed to admit it and get help! how are they going to know who is battered and who isn't?? its not public knowledge and wont show up on any data base or reference agencies.

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    Having lived next to a battered woman, I can assure you that you will know by the constant rows, the shouting, the yelling, the disturbance, the police turning up on your doorstep, the dragging of the perpetrator down the communal stairwell while he is shouting and she is begging the police officers not to take him (????) etc etc.

    And as a landlord you are now virtually responsible for problem tenants. Thanks to the government I believe we have enough problems already, thanks very much.

    Like I said. I don't blame the man.

     
  • Brit Sixteen Sixty Four

    He is a horrible man, hard to believe he was once a teacher. I don't think anyone will shed a tear when he goes bankrupt. He is tarnishing the reputation of good landlords.

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    M Goe. I take your point however, like i said domestic abuse is a problem that doesn't have to be answered on an a application form, unless you work in the DV field you wouldn't know the perps were unless you went down Claire's law route which isn't there to be used for landlords only former partners. what evidence will he have when he decides on a choosing a tenant, most perps male and female are charmers in public. its no different to drug users, mental health, domestic abuse from teenagers towards their parents, alcohol problems, anti social behaviour, I am presuming you are not a landlord, and have never had an arguments in your property. There isn't a perfect person out there I'm afraid, or don't rent.

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    Funnily enough, I have been a landlord for over 20 years. And I'm the sort of landlord who actually speaks to prospective tenants as well as their previous landlords.

    You'd be surprised what people will tell you if you ask nicely. A bit of common sense also comes in handy. You may want to try it.

     
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