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Green Party wants landlords banned from evicting when they sell

The Green Party says there should be an end to private rental sector eviction grounds “such as the wish of the landlord to sell.”

The Scottish arm of the party, which has as its housing spokesperson Andy Wightman - a Member of the Scottish Parliament - has been told that private tenants should also have “realistic and effective rent controls including the right to request a rent reduction.”

In a speech to the party’s virtual Scottish conference, Wightman says high rents and too much sway being given to landlords over tenants combine to produce one of the most unfair lettings markets in Europe.

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“Many young people in particular are struggling to afford housing being forced into the private rented sector with exorbitant rents in places like Edinburgh” he says, adding: “We are failing. Because housing is framed as a property rights issue rather than a human rights issue. Because housing is seen as a financial investment rather than a place to call homeInstead he calls for ‘a new deal for housing’ in the country.”

Wightman tells his party: “In few other countries in Europe are the rights so skewed so much in favour of landlords. In few other countries in Europe do housing costs contribute so much to poverty.

 

 

“The Recent Edinburgh Poverty Commission found that 29 per cent of households in this city were living in poverty solely due to housing costs. In short, there is no pathway to eradicating poverty that does not run through housing. And that is why Greens will be proposing a new deal for Scottish housing.”

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    Just when you think the loonies can't get loonier!

    Worrying thing is that they prop up the equally loony SNP "government"!

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    Stupid idea! Landlords should always be able to evict : even for no reason!

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    I thought a 12-month (say) tenancy agreement ends in 12 months, and then it's over (unless both parties agree it should continue). Both sides know it's a commitment for 12 months and no more. A reason to end at the end of a tenancy agreement at this point is not needed. Not really sure if the Greens understand this.

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    David

    Unfortunately this has not been the case in Scotland since the SNP brought in their loony PRS legislation in December 2017 which removed the right of landlords to agree a fixed term tenancy with tenants, who can leave any time on 28 days notice.

    Landlords, on the other hand, can only evict for a limited number of reasons, of which selling up is proving to be one of the most frequently used - hence this loony idea.

    After the new legislation came in, rents rose virtually overnight by around 30% for the most desirable properties due to a reduction in properties available for long term rentals through selling up, moving to Airbnb or furnished holiday let or just leaving empty to avoid repossession problems.

    However the SNP and their loony green allies are more interested in ideology than in helping tenants get decent affordable housing.

     
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    Its a good job that nonsense ideas like this won’t go anywhere.

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    I hope you're right but don't count on it in Scotland!

     
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    • 28 October 2020 09:27 AM

    Are you SURE?

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    The choice of a LL not being able to sell on his decision to is the same as being told you cant leave a job. Its nonsense. I am not going to be a slave to these organisations wishful thinking.
    If this Andy Wightman got this measure through be prepared for extremely low standards of living & it will be down to this way of thinking

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    And that’s why nobody who isn’t certified as insane ever votes green.🤮

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    Totally agree. Most of their ideas are counter productive. Anti Nuclear power which is carbon free, pro electric cars which would swamp the grid without more fossil or nuclear power stations, pro bikes which force cars to follow or overtake in low gear, travel in public transport and spread infections - and they are just a few of the more obvious things.

     
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    "And that’s why nobody who isn’t certified as insane ever votes green?" Did I read this right, Adrian? Other people could write similar sentences for people who vote Labour, or Conservative, or LibDem, or Remain, or Brexit, or SNP. etc. etc. Could we maybe stop writing such abusive and unnecessary comments please? Just say you don't agree because ....... - that's enough to make your point. We do have a climate change emergency ........... (Which Party has never proposed a policy which was ill-advised?)

     
    Algarve  Investor

    @Robert Brown - bikes over cars is a laudable venture, given the issues we have with air pollution - more important than ever as we're living with a deadly respiratory disease.

    A recent study of a scheme in Waltham Forest, I think, which really pushed for bikes over cars eventually won people around, with barely anyone wanting to return to the old ways of cars being prioritised over bikes.

    If we want to deal with the climate crisis - and we need to, as the disruption of it could be 10x that of Covid - we need to encourage walking and cycling as much as possible.

    Plus, from what I've read, there's been no evidence that the virus is spreading lots on public transport.

    While I agree with some of your points, I can't agree that a pro-bikes stance is a negative. Ditto encouraging more people to ditch their cars and walk.

     
    George Dawes

    Climate crisis , lol

    Another ratchild fuelled con

     
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    I’d like to question them on the detail. If a landlord cannot sell at all, how does he access his money for retirement or emergencies? Could the property be sold after his death, and if so, how? Or, if a landlord cannot sell with vacant possession, how are all those FTBs the left are always banging on about going to buy the landlord’s property? And if a landlord has to sell to another landlord, where will he find them if they stop buying because they also cannot evict? And what would any of this mean for quality standards or supply of new property? And would BTR funds suddenly decide it wasn’t such an attractive proposition? I’m amazed that even people as thick as the Greens cannot see the obvious consequences.

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    • 28 October 2020 12:35 PM

    Unfortunately the bonkers Green ideas are not an irrelevance.
    Their taxing turnover idea was taken up by that idiot Osborne resulting in the equally bonkers S24 policy.

    The direction of travel is clear.

    LL are gradually being stripped of any sense of control of their businesses.

    To remain an AST LL will be pure financial suicide.

    Time to diversify away from all AST lettings and if not possible just sell up everything.

    It is pointless remaining an AST LL.

    Move to multiple resi homes and take in lodgers which aren't subject to any of these bonkers new AST requirements.

    We are effectively in sitting tenant territory already.

    The current eviction ban is likely to continue well into next year.

    Being an AST LL is really no longer viable.
    If BTL lenders take fright at all that is happening they will leave the market.

    Who wants to be a mug LL holding a BTL property when most if not all lenders have left the BTL market....................not me which is why I want to sell up ASAP.







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    If you wish to compare like for like look at the tax rules in other countries. If you let a property for more than 10 years you have no CGT to pay in many European Countries including Germany. In addition you have tax relief on your business loan.
    It is foolish to compare if you do not look at all the issues.
    One that the Landlord bashers would like is that you cannot evict in France in the Winter months, for any reason. That said if you owe rent money there it is a criminal offence and not civil so most people act with responsibility.

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    • 28 October 2020 15:34 PM

    If rent default was a criminal offence I doubt any LL would object to no evictions during winter.

    But of course prosecution should proceed whilst waiting to be evicted.
    The German system is an excellent idea.
    It motivates LL to be in for the long term.

    After 10 years of ownership no CGT what a brilliant policy.

    Of course the UK Govt would hate that as CGT from SE property sales is a major tax earner.


    No way will the UK allow LL no CGT Bill after 10 years of ownership.

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    • 28 October 2020 17:06 PM

    Correct. In Germany and Australia where rent default is met fast by police intrusion in a few days and the default is also considered a criminal offence and carries a gaol sentence.

    In both countries, rent default is hardly ever heard of.

    NEED I SAY MORE as to the whole solution?

    If it was that way in UK, I rater suspect the same would happen and tenants would not default because they would have no Government or judicial assistance to allow stealing from ladlords.

     
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    • 28 October 2020 18:11 PM

    As it seems the system works very effectively in Oz and Germany why not in the UK!?

    This fast track system is only for rent defaulting.

    It seems to me perfectly reasonable for these fast track evictions to be used ONLY in rent defaulting cases.

    Of course as we all know if a LL wishes to evict because the tenant refuses to vacate then the other far slower processes should be used.
    However as soon as the LL is forced to evict then the tenants invariably stop paying rent.

    If a fast track eviction was available then immediately as a tenant stopped paying rent the fast track system would kick in.

    Now I fully understand that I would be seriously deluded if I ever thought such a system would be instituted in the UK.

    Of course I am NOT that deluded because I know such a system will NEVER be implemented in the UK.
    Indeed the situation is scheduled to become even more difficult to get rid of rent defaulting tenants.

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