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The Autumn Statement on November 17 may contain financial measures to help private renters, the Housing Secretary has hinted.
“We know people in the private and social rented sectors are facing tough times. We’re looking to help them with targeted support for people who are in difficulties” Michael Gove told Laura Kuennsberg on BBC TV.
Gove made no firm commitment, saying that was a job for Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, but he said that assistance for private tenants faced with higher rents was one of a number of initiatives "on the table" for Hunt and himself to consider.
“It is the government’s job to do everything it can to help people through difficult times."
When questioned on the conditions of properties in the private rented sector, and on the apparently poor record of rogue landlords being prosecuted, Gove reiterated past commitments that the government would enforce a Decent Homes Standard via the Renters Reform Bill - although no timings or deadlines were set out.
The Housing Secretary also reinstated the former Conservative manifesto pledge of building 300,000 homes a year, although he conceded totals so far fell far short of this.
He also contradicted junior housing minister Lee Rowley who said during the brief Liz Truss premiership that 'top down' house building targets were to be ended; Rowley remains in post in the current Rishi Sunak government, too, but Gove insisted the 300,000 target was back. But he also warned meeting the target would be "difficult" due to the economic circumstances.
"We need to be straight with people: the cost of materials has increased because of the problems with global supply chains and also a very tight labour market means that the capacity to build those homes at the rate we want is constrained" he said.
Asked about Truss’s past comments on housing targets, Gove stated: “The top-down housing targets that… Liz was referring to are part of a broader and different calculation from the 300,000 in the manifesto. My view is that what we do need is a fair way of allocating housing need that takes account of changes in population.”
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I don't trust Gove in the slightest.
No. That’s because his help comes at our expense. Vile snake of a man.
... None of his colleagues do either !
Well at least he didn't mention rent caps or eviction bans. I thought LK was hinting that rents have gone up too much.
Muppets the lot of them. Build to rent is all they care about. Long term/life rents for the people to the government. They will do anything to squeeze us out completely. I'm so sick of it all. I don't get my pension until I drop we invested to give us a pension and now they just want that too. I'm selling as fast possible in a tax efficient way. ( for now ... even faster if they change the CGT to a higher rate ) Rents have gone up because we have to pay for too much more than we should and have minimal relief on mortgage payment etc. Every month the rents are still increasing and stock is becoming less available. The policies are clearly working.
Don't hold your breath he will, that's what is around the corner
Not yet 😬😬 I see trouble ahead.
Hide the fan, the sh#ts coming.
I fear so! And feel you're right.
I would not trust the lounge lizard Gove.
Shelley, don’t remind me about my miserable Pensions £7k something pa then £3k tax out of that, plus 62% on my personal allowance. What do they want from us ? I never ever had one penny out of the system in all those years, then hammered with costs and regulations of all kinds, they are not fit to lick our boots.
I'm seething on this subject...I was primed to set all my goal for a certain age..and then boom another 8 years! Not a happy girl. Ps I have calculated the total loss too of the 8 years and yes its criminal.
We all know Gove is not to be trusted…. I honestly see rent caps and maybe even an evictions ban…. Wee Willie Krankie has hit gold with this idea, I am talking about the uneducated population thinking it’s a good idea….. no one, literally no person likes landlords, we are always going to be the whipping boy, I obviously am selling the lot, but can I do it quick enough 🤔🤔
We are also leaving PRS. Third house sold from our portfolio.
What on earth is Michael Gove on about he said he knows renter’s are having a tough time. He didn’t say because its because of him & Johnson, any help they had so far has been taken from the Landlords, is this his intention for November to screw us even more, it certainly won’t be anything from his pocket, apparently he doesn’t know landlords are suffering too or recognise it’s because of him.
There are none so blind as those who do not want to see!!
@ Robert Black: Hear! Hear!
There is a shortage of rental properties, Councils in My arears are doing the best but with over 6000 people on there waiting list it is an hopeless situation for them and prospective tenants.
A Lady I spoke to whilst walking my dog, who`s job it was to find accommodation for Local People , Said it was very difficult because many of her tried and trusted Landlords had sold up.
This is also my experience , Try checking available properties to rent in areas where you have properties and there is nothing to rent.
The Private Rental Sector solved the problem for Maggy in the 80`s. It is needed now more than ever. The Government need to stop listening to Lobby Groups who house nobody . And start Listening to actual Landlords who actually do house people who have invested their own hard earned , and start working with us. This means talking to Actually Landlords , Not the Associations who proport to represent us. And work with us.
In local paper yesterday '' South Norfolk Council to spend £1.8m on buying temporary homes'' they have an increasing number of homeless families to house and are finding the cost of B&Bs too expensive, well I wonder who caused this problem? which is only going to get worse -- much worse !
That makes so much sense
Of course it won't happen!!
Another good reason to dump BTL
Same as Shelly Munn I’m selling down as quick as possible, in a tax efficient manner.
This Government and Councils obviously cannot see any further than the end of their noses and are very quickly alienating themselves from the PRS.
This then will give them one option. They very quickly start to cosy up to all the cheap B&Bs and hotels because that is going to be a major need to them when they are forced to house all the people that they have intentionally made homeless.
They need the PRS but LLs are selling up, but mostly not to other LLs. So these properties go out of the renal market.
Any Lettings Agent will tell you there stocks of rental properties are going down hill faster than a downhill skier.
I'm even looking at changing freeholds to leaseholds to get a better quicker sale on some flats we built. Just so they appeal to any buyer and Mortgage lenders! They were never going to be sold but as they are not mortgaged they are the next inline for 2023.
Simon, that’s very sad being forced out, try and hang in there don’t give them the satisfaction.
I can see it from both points of view Michael, I'm hanging on, but for how long ? I can see myself joining Simon and many others, reluctantly
All this is coming at not such a bad time, I am coming up to retirement and this has simply brought forward my plans, i genuinely like my tenants, they have been with me years, but my family comes first, god know where they will go. I did look yesterday at what is available to rent in my area 😰😰 half a page, and half of that was rooms in a house….. god help them.
So there’s a shortage of housing, their solution is to drive out Private landlords and replace us with the Big Boys with their multi-storey Blocks of flats, nicely done.
Exactly, funded cronies for the build to rent sector. They want all the money coming in and keep people in a state of renting..not buying. If you can only just afford the rent you will never be able to save for a home of your own. Trapping millions.
The BTR companies will only cater for ‘wealthy people’ or shall we say good earners. They are not cheap. A lot of people won’t qualify and there aren’t nearly enough of them either yet.
Micheal, the conservative parties business model is to liquidate other people's assets in their favour.
Simon. I didn’t retire what would you do, if the health is ok carry on and change down a gear, keep it rolling along and delicate a bit. Its too much of a shock to the body after been working all those years, you can’t sit at home and waste away. No point in travelling the World too much wear & tear and you meet them all here anyway. Plus you are going to take a hit on the way out with c/gains and other costs. Then when you pass away. none of know when that is, the residue of your Estate gets hit again for 40% inheritance tax on the remnants of what’s left after the first reduction of your Estate, I don’t give advice as they all say.
I agree Michael, I tell people that I retired at 54, I didn't though I just gave up the day job, and as you put it 'changed down a gear', I've changed down a couple more gears since then but not hit crawler gear yet, work is good I've always enjoyed it ever since 12 and that early morning paper round in all weathers -- happy days
He’s a good politician
That’s not a compliment btw
We can take a hint alright but we’ll have to wait until 17th of November to find out how much more help the housing Secretary wants landlords to give to the Tenants.
The only help the rental sector needs is his resignation.
On my wishlist would be:
Abolish Section 24,
Classify property rental as a business with earned income instead of unearned investment income,
Increase LHA to the 30th percentile,
Reinstate indexation or taper relief for CGT,
Improve and speed up the Section 8 eviction process.
Once again, spot on Jo
They are already so far committed to abolishing Section 21 that they won't dare backtrack on that. The noise from Shelter et al would be horrendous!
As I said before we need clarification and action on the section 8 proposals and court speed up proposals before they remove srction 21 not after.
Paul, that’s all they are noise and no substance, house no one. They don’t even know the very fundamentals and the reason why the 1988 Act / Section 21 was introduced the foundation very bases of all Rented Property in the Private Rented Sector in the Country.
They can’t be expected to know they don’t let any just keep braying from sidelines much safer but imagine they were actually invited onto the Parliamentary Select Committee to give advice on Housing Policy.
100 per cent right, Michael. Generation Rent et al want us to hand our properties over to tenants forever and even if we need it back to sell it, they want us to have to pay the tenants two months rent! There are Generation Rent supporters on this website.
I suggest he takes a look at the Republic of Ireland, that are now backtracking on some of the measures they introduced after seeing a huge slump in supply resulting in dozens of renter's fighting over anything that comes to market. But as usual in this country it'll be a case of we told you so.
They just don't read the room - do they?
I can't really understand why we need certificates for legionella, etc. Etc . There is plenty of legislation out there which covers unsafe premises where landlord can be sued. Eg Occupiers Liability Act. The criminal law covers manslaughter if someone dies from unsafe premises.
More Law on top of Law. May be rent abroad .
Shelley. I would have thought Flats would sell quickly with a Share of the Freehold.
However you could just give them 99 years leases and keep control of the situation, later they could negotiate with you to buy a share of the Freehold or to extend the lease. I wouldn’t part with the Freehold until all Flats sold. Then of Course you could sell to each member or they could band together and buy the Freehold through Enfranchisement where you would have to sell to them but you would get real money for it anyway.
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