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TODAY'S OTHER NEWS

Conservatives increasingly keen on helping renters rather than landlords

A poll of Conservative voters shows strong majorities for higher taxes on second homes and empty properties, and tougher demands on developers to build affordable homes.

The survey was by polling company YouGov and The Guardian newspaper.

Some 68 per cent of those questioned wanted higher taxes on holiday lets and second homes, with a similar number wanting more tax on owners of empty homes too. And two-thirds of Tories in the UK want new-build developments to include more affordable homes.

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But it was the rental sector that brought, arguably, the most surprising results.

A large minority of Conservative voters – 39 per cent – go much further than the government and want private renters to be given indefinite tenancies which can only be ended when a tenant wants to move or in cases of criminal damage or severe rent arrears. 

This appears to be even more pro-tenant than last week’s Levelling Up White Paper which insists landlords ensure their private rental properties meet the Decent Homes Standard - originally designed for social housing - and which also plans to end Section 21 repossessions, consult on a national register of landlords and develop plans to better tackle rogue landlords.

 

“There is support among both Labour and Conservative voters for almost all the policies we asked about” a spokesperson for YouGov told The Guardian. 

“While Labour voters tend to be more strongly in favour of these policies, foreign investment in the UK house market is more unpopular with Conservatives – 56 per cent of Tory voters would support an end to non-domiciled property ownership, compared with 45 per cent of Labour voters.”

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  • George Dawes

    The current government are conservative in name only , everything else about them screams bought and paid for by outside interests … pretty obvious who

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    It does also tend to depend on how the question was asked - 'Do you think you should pay more tax or do you think someone else should?" tends to elicit a 'someone else' response! Likewise 'Do you think tenants should be kicked out for no reason or given long tenancies?' is likely to give a pro tenant answer.

    Given it is a Guardian Poll the results are not that surprising!!

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    I like tenants that stay a long time, so long as they pay and look after the property

     
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    I like tenants who stay for exactly as long as I want them to stay, no shorter, no longer.

    Unfortunately the SNP took that right away from me but the resulting shortage of better rental properties allowed me to charge 30% more and by now avoiding families I run a much smaller risk of having bad tenants staying beyond their sell by date.

    Removing this right to fixed term tenancies helps no one and only puts up rents, again hurting decent tenants most.

     
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    The biggest help to tenants would be to stop dreaming up more and more poorly thought through legislation that rarely gets enforced and stop over taxing good landlords.
    We provide homes for millions of people who don't qualify for social housing and don't want or can't afford to buy (yet).
    Very few of us evict good tenants who pay their rent and look after their homes.
    We need the government to have long term policies that don't get changed every couple of years. We only react to whatever the government throw at us.

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    I have a number of Properties, and some Years ago I stopped taking Social Tenants, never had a problem since. Good Tenants don’t get evicted, it’s a no-brainer, why would you remove a good! Tenant with all the costs of advertising etc, a costly void period and probably redecoration.
    The only People who will benefit from the Governments interference is those who don’t deserve help.

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    Yes Robert I took on Social tenants and they ruined my business by just not caring for the house themselves or anyone or anything damaging door windows meters rubbish everywhere the council see it as all my fault of course and resulted in a number of fines by them SO sold a number last year and selling more this year moving the money into stocks and shares I just can't understand the feeling of the government who think Landlords are cash cows but yes the golden goose is dying Let them spend millions on Bred and breakfast hotel rooms

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    Jacxk, I think we're all been caught by social tenants at some point, so we live and learn, full time working tenants only has to be the rule

     
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    jacuk, very sad to see you being forced out which is what it is. As you have unloaded some try and hang on in there if your borrowing is not too. Shares have been good but now risky too in those difficult times for everyone, like Mark Zuckerberg Company taking a $200’b hit in 5 hrs and costing him a reported $29 billion. Just bear in mind you are taking a hit on the way out and no guarantee with shares either at this time of high Inflation 7%, BoE interest rate gone from .01 to .5% of a sudden, now you got rid of some take a step back and have a think.

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