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Activists use agent’s blunder to accuse landlords of “moral bankruptcy”

A group of anti-landlord activists has used an incident involving an estate agency publicity leaflet as a reason to accuse all landlords of “moral bankruptcy.”

The JP & Brimelow agency in Manchester issued a flyer on Monday describing the Covid pandemic “a blessing in disguise” for the sales market, because demand had soared and prices increased, spurred on by the stamp duty holiday.

There was a huge social media backlash and the story quickly reached the websites of some national newspapers. 

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The leaflets said Coronavirus brought “so much uncertainty, so much worry about jobs and of course concern over health” and that against such a backdrop it was “all the more remarkable how the property market has performed.”

The flyers then go on to ask: "Has Covid been a blessing in disguise for Chorlton and Old Trafford?”

The agency issued an apology after the backlash, but the Manchester branch of the Acorn group - which calls itself a renters’ union - posted a Twitter link to a story about the agency with the comment: “The moral bankruptcy of landlordism knows no limit.”

In recent days it used the social media platform to try to drum up support with messages such as “Fed up of dodgy landlords and letting agencies? Fed up of a broken system that allows them get away with it?”

It then refers to a “Manchester Member Defence Team” as a “fighting squad against landlords and letting agents.”

The same group, responding to the latest extension of the ban on bailiff-enforced evictions running until at least February 21, tweeted: “Throwing people out of their homes during a pandemic might be a government policy but we’re here to stand up for each other.”

Want to comment on this story? If so...if any post is considered to victimise, harass, degrade or intimidate an individual or group of individuals on any basis, then the post may be deleted and the individual immediately banned from posting in future.

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    This was a massive mistake sending out these flyers. However, if I’m reading this correctly they refer to the “sales market” booming so why the attack on landlords?

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    "Throwing people out of their homes during a pandemic might be a government policy...." Hmmmm.

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    And out come the crazy people...........

     
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    • 27 January 2021 09:34 AM

    Tough luck. They should be more responsible. And they deserve to be evicted.
    These people must learn to be responsible.

     
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    Throwing out tenants who received furlough but wouldnt pay to take advantage of the pandemic would be the best gift to genuine tenants. They should have been told early on move back to Mum & Dad allow someone who can afford the rent to live there thus keeping the smaller LL's from going bankrupt.

    Bankrupt Landlord = No houses creating less choice for tenants. That is what Shelter, Acorn & Gen Rent is actually causing. More homelessness.
    Tell your existing tenants this

     
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    Well Acorn have showed themselves up for being illiterate. Nothing to worry about here. Quite funny actually

  • Taifoor Chaudhry

    Fedup with all this defensive approach in the face of aggression from these so called renters group.

    Majority of tenants and Landlords are responsible .these groups have their own hidden agendas perhaps envy those who are not renting

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    So what's surprising, this clearly demonstrates the warped thinking and bent inferences of some people, associated with the accommodation / housing sector. But don't forget the biggest culprits in all this are the govt. and the councils.

  • George Dawes

    So refusing to pay rent when you’re quite capable isn’t ?

    It’s all one way

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    “Fed up of dodgy landlords and letting agencies? Fed up of a broken system that allows them get away with it?”

    What a bunch of morons these people are.

    @AJMc said in the first post this was a sales matter and had nothing to do with landlords.

    All well educated folks know that it should read "Fed up WITH (not fed up OF)..........."

    @JK above noted... " Well Acorn have showed themselves up for being illiterate". And so they are.

    We should all now go back to doing our job and not mis-interpret an article as this crowd of numpties have done. They are a joke.

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

     
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    More from the keyboard warrior . That figure that hides behind a title and not a name. Your the numpty and a yellow one at that.

     
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    I really believe its an example of someone wishing to 'see' what they want to see & they straight away published that tweet out of bias against LL's who are primarily guilty of putting a roof over the heads of people who cannot afford a deposit, cannot credit score for a mortgage, would prefer the flexibility as they are staying for a short term, too old to buy or just plain don't wish to be hindered by a property. We offer a service and this is the treatment in return. All this does is hurt the genuine tenants wishing to uphold their tenancy in good faith.

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