Tax, Red Tape and Soaring Costs force landlords to quit

Whilst RRB is a factor, I have been selling all the properties that are unlikely to get an EPC C without significant expense. There are measures you can take to mitigate the loss of S21 - mostly being very picky about tenants - but EPC C looks like a complete car crash to me.

There may be exemptions from the requirement to reach EPC C if it would cost over a certain amount. We don't know about the EPC rules yet.

When there was no Section 21 in the past landlords let in different ways - company lets etc. However alternative ways of letting had their own complications.

There is no need for racism! You are the landlord, I assume you choose your tenants, therefore you do have control!

''Racism'' where Karen? Nick is stating a fact, he's spot on correct, some times the truth hurts

Typical Karen.

The comment is not intended to be racist at all. I did pick them. I didn't have many choices though. But I could have afforded to leave the property empty indefinitely. I would myself would rather have waited for a better option (a lot better) or sold the property rather than take them. But I still continued with them and gave them a chance fully expecting here to be on benefits which I told my agent I would not accept.

They passed a weak referencing system. She claimed to be a Financial Advisor. But she's on a temporary Residence Card. So I doubted she could practice over here. I checked her out myself. Neither her company or her had any registration with the FCA. Her employer had no website. Directors were Nigerian too.... But I still gave her a chance.

She was nothing but trouble. The only financial advice she can give would be down at the school telling all the other mums what benefits they can claim for. Or how to claim compensation with dodgy claims scam artists (lawyers).

She cost me a lot of money in repairs, money to get her out and left the house in a mess.

People know people from certain countries are not to be trusted. Like Russians who stop paying the rent. Nigerians are often scammers. I was very wary about having a complicated legal relationship with poor people who see you as a target for extracting money from. This was in 2019, let alone now.

The main point is with S21 going, the non-impartial ombudsman and the rest of the RRB be careful who you let into your property!

Time for you to call the manager now?

Karen

If Nick had been racist he wouldn't have let to the Nigerians in the first place but he was severely punished for NOT being racist.

If you object to his description, how else would you describe stupid people of Nigerian ethnicity?

Incidentally in Glasgow a Karen is a slang derogatory term for a female who dresses and acts in a certain way but I would never use it myself as it might be unfair to some people called Karen.

Exactly Robert. To be honest it's the first time I have used the term Karen as you have described.

I too do not see that Nick's comment is being racist, he is simply stating relevant facts.
I do not agree with finger pointing at different nations as to their honesty, though understand why people do especially after a poor experience. I have had far more issues with English tenants than any other group, this would make sense though as the ratio has been higher.
I can only see tenants becoming further empowered to challenge Landlord's and use it as an excuse to not pay rent, I cannot see the legal system improving much pver the next decade in order to tackle this problem and as such will be selling between 2-4 houses over the next 30 months or so.
The remaining 3 I will keep, however, if the existing tenants leave then they too will be sold.
I have had a good run with BTL but for me the writing is on the wall.
I would not advise anyone not to do what I have done, but I do think you will need to set up a Limited Company, i did look into it for me, but have decided against it and prefer to refurb and sell what I have.

Hi Nick - there doesn't seem to be an option to reply to replies. Anyway since my comments have generated a lot of comments I feel I should reply. Your Nigerians are not actually stupid, they know how to play the system, like so many tenants do nowadays. I used to live in Nigeria, btw, many years ago, it's was a real dog eat dog place. No such thing as benefits, you don't work, you don't eat. But for all their poverty I remember them as having a zest for life and big hearty laughs.
My worst tenant was a young white British man, gave me a good sob story, I gave him a chance, he trashed the house, grew cannabis in a bedroom during covid (when I couldn't do any checks) and stopped paying the rent. I got him out by selling the house, he owed £4000 in back rent - could have been worse. I sold at what I bought the house for, no CGT for me!

Hi Karen,

I wasn't happy to take them as I don't consider them trustworthy. But of course I could have picked someone else who I thought had a good back ground. At least then I could say I did what was right at the time.

I now they come from a hard country. So I may have encountered a difficult attitude too. Also I saw myself as a target for a poorer compensation seeker. Which I got all of it!

I'm sorry to hear about your bad experiences too.

So what did you do to sort your problem. I have also same issues if not worse they don't ventilate don't open windows keep all doors closed don't clean have too much stuff in the house. Dispute rent arrears which is significant amount as they had stop paying rent once S8 notice was issued.
Been trying get them out. The property which is a 2bed flat will cost £40k to repair as damp has increased into the wall and woodwork due to lot of condensation.

100% right Michael. I had the same experience.

Michael, in 20 years I have issued 2 S21s. The new S8 should still allow us to evict for most of the reasons we use S21 for at present so whilst unhappy about its loss I am not distraught. EPC C on the other hand......

Of course, it won't by the Govt's fault if you are forced to evict your tenants Colin, you are the demon landlord!