Council "wants to better understand landlords’ problems"

This has to be a joke 😂 if they don’t know by now then they will never understand 🫤

To be fair most of the problems arise from government policy not local authorities. So relatively little that they can do other than not join in the anti-landlord rhetoric and maybe be more helpful with ASB issues. And maybe deal more effectively with the rogue landlords that give the rest of us a bad name. Having said that I sold one of my rentals because it adjoined council land which was a monstrous bramble patch, got fed up with cutting back their brambles.

Most of the local authority staff/decision makers have no business/self employment experience and it really shows them up. They simply don’t have the mindset to understand how business and the provision of private housing supply works.

• Robert Brown
• 06 June 2023 16:26 PM

I had one young wet behind the ears bank "manager" tell me that with £1 million of debt on a £4 million portfolio and over £250k gross rental per annum I was overextended as I was totally reliant on renters paying to cover my debt interest of £20k pa.

I pointed out that I only needed 8 % of tenants to pay to cover the interest.

He said I should be able to cover it from guaranteed earnings and couldn't quite grasp that no earnings are 100% guaranteed as every job in every business is potentially at risk. He got promoted to a Head Office job a few months later!

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It's so they can tick the, "we've consulted with landlords" box!

Before Council’s want to understand the LL's problems, they need to learn how to address their own problems, first and foremost.

As landlord's, we have to provide the following before letting;

1. How To Rent Guide (Updated version)
2. Energy Performance Certificate (Rated C by 2025/2028 if tenant is existing)
3. Landlord's Gas Safety Inspection Report (If applicable)
4. Deposit Protection Certificate & Prescribed Info
5. Landlord's Licensing (If applicable)
6. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Letter/Notice
7. Tenancy Agreement/Addendum to Add Clauses
8. EICR Report
9. Right to rent

Failure to implement any of the above, can result in heavy fines.

If a tenant decides to create a problem within the property, concerning damp, mould or condensation, it's not hard for a tenant to incriminate the LL even though the LL has proof of evidence to show works carried out. If a tenant decides to not use a dehumidifier provided or ventilate the property as recommended in the guidelines by the LL, it's the LL's who will be liable snd not the Council.

In my case, I was advising the council to please come an inspect the property, as new windows have been installed, the damp, mould and condensation specialist have completed their work. I wanted them to log and identify the problem that all the tradespeople could see, was that of the tenant and not the LL.

The council were simply not interested.

The child in the property is asthmatic and the mother is uncooperative.

No damp was ever identified on the previous tenants, going back 10 years.

The council worker just cut me off and said I've got to go.

The point I'm making here, is that we have to be assessed and it should be mandatory and statutory, that a tenant agrees to at least 2 mid-term inspections per annum, a tenant can not commence an AST Agreement without tenants insurance, a tenant must provide the LL with the governments guide on damp, mould and condensation and they should do a course on how to be a good tenant, rather than just turn up to collect keys, talking about they know their rights when they actually know nothing!

APOLOGIES FOR THE LONG MESSAGE

Franklin, no need for apology for long message it could be several times longer and still only cover a fraction of what they have done to us, not least removal of Section 21 with no understanding whatsoever of the consequences of that Action, or about it being rarely used missing the point completely.
The fact remains it didn’t need to be used very often because it was there do you not even understand that.

Franklin I, got that right the 9 nine requirements listed and has to be repeated every time a New Contract is issued or Tenant change.
How many landlords know or can cope with all this extra expensive unpaid work load added in recent years, the idea seems to want to force landlords to use Agents and the millions of extra of VAT it will bring in, driving rents even higher for the Tenants they pretend to love + add approx another 10% to cover the Agent, then the Mayor wants to cap the rent, it’s a conspiracy to Bankruptcy get us out of the the way for the big boys & Institution’s to take over.
Franklin 1, if HMO just add 2 more Emergency Lighting and Fire Alarms, Annual Certificate’s about another £200. pa without remedial work or replacement (did Tenants pull them from the ceiling) so add them 2 + your nine as a minimum to do a Tenancy Agreement or to Apply for a License it’s ridiculous.

Nice try by the Council but way way too late!