A small number of activists have tried to erect a four metre high mock eviction notice on one of Housing Secretary Michael Gove’s homes.
It happened at his grace-and-favour residence at Carlton Gardens in St. James's, central London. Activists claim the property is worth £25m.
A spokesperson for the London Renters Union, says: “While Michael Gove has spent years living rent-free in a £25m luxury property, renters across the country are being forced into homelessness by no-fault evictions and eye-watering rent hikes.
“In the five years since his party promised to abolish this cruel legislation, tens of thousands have been made homeless and millions have lived in fear of eviction.
“Michael Gove has shown more interest in protecting the profits of his mates in the landlord lobby than ensuring everyone in this country has a secure place to call home. It’s time to kick the landlord lobby out from decisions around our basic rights.
“Renters have had enough of the Tories and their broken promises. Labour must step up and commit to properly protect renters from no-fault eviction and unaffordable rent hikes.”
The LRU claims that ex-Prime Minister Theresa May first promised to abolish section 21 in April 2019 - but it has yet to be implemented by the Tory government that she led and the subsequent ones led by Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.
Want to comment on this story? Our focus is on providing a platform for you to share your insights and views and we welcome contributions.
If any post is considered to victimise, harass, degrade or intimidate an individual or group of individuals, then the post may be deleted and the individual immediately banned from posting in future.
Please help us by reporting comments you consider to be unduly offensive so we can review and take action if necessary. Thank you.
.jpg)
.jpg)
%20(002).png)
.png)
Join the conversation
Jump to latest comment and add your reply
I can think of other stronger forms of termination that would be more appropriate for Gove.
The Article got one little detail fundamentally wrong.
They were not made Homeless by Section 21 no fault eviction.
They are Homeless because of the Removal of Section 21 no fault eviction.
They were All Housed Cheaply for Decades based on the Existence of based on Section 21.
Now can The London Renters Union, Shelter, Generation Rent, Ben Beadle, Acorn, Citizens Advice, Theresa May, Squatter Gove , Parliament etc’ not get that into your Thick Heads.
This is the one Change more than any other that caused Rent hikes and homelessness, now isn’t that what’s Eye Watering 💦.
Landlords don't refuse to renew tenscies without reason. The vast majority of Section 21 evictions are for rent arrears, neglect or damage to the property or anti social behaviour. As such, the leading cause of homelessness is tyd above three reasons. To be fair some tenants who are evicted for rent arrears may have had genuine problems.. Most would not have. However, why is a landlord supposed to subsidy those who ge uunejy can't afford the rent? The majority of landlords are small with one or two properties for thir retirement. Shelter and Generation Rant are desperate to abolish fixed term tenancies as they know perfectly well it will then lead to rent controls. That rent controls are damaging to tenants dosent worry them. If it did, they would stop calling the abolishment of fixed term tenancies "stopping no fault evictions"...
Small typo (based on) repetition had to rush battery on last legs 👍.
I see the same signs as when people wanted Brexit. Every one who wanted it had their version of a reason. Now, most admit it's a failure, however, now they blame the government for doing a bad job of it. The same will happen when they abolish Section 21. Those who know what's happening take action to minimise the damage. Those who don't sleep walk into trouble, but then it's too late. Those who wanted it will never admit, the removal of Section 21 is a bad idea.
Strange that the facts show we are better for Brexit. 🤔 We are doing much better out than in. As for the NHS bus figure often quoted, a recent article proved that the NHS now gets TWICE that figure! Yes, I voted for Brexit and I do not regret it for one minute. I do regret the weakness of the faux-conservatives who kept capitulating to the EUs demands. Just ask our fishermen if they think Boris got them a good deal.
Sorry Annoyed, this is a never ending conversation and my point is, all the people, irrespective of what side of the argument they are, will hold on to every little positives they can. The obvious failures will be blamed on someone or something else.
My positives, as reported in the MSM were not little. However I will not reply further since I do not wish to hijack this thread.
I agree with Pat. The politicians comitted to Brexit on a vote. Then they try and negotiate a deal???? There hands are already tied. They are doing it anyway. They have no leverage for a good deal. I haven't seen any positive discernible benefits at all other than we got the vaccine quicker.
We have a weaker pound, can't return the boat people where I understood we had an arrangement that we could in the EU, lost our roaming rights, will start paying for visas, can't move freely in Europe, lost a lot of hard working Europeans which have been replaced with the freeloaders coming over. The fisherman perhaps benefited. But my local sandwich shop haas stopped selling fresh fish as has my local Sainsburys due to the wait on import time and costs.
Gove like all the other Tories will get I think their eviction notice at the ballet box.
Buy to Let private rental sector exists BECAUSE of Section21: ie the ability for the Landlord to regain possession of their property. Take that part of the Contract away and it is immediately imbalanced and deeply unattractive. The REMOVAL of Section21 is why renters are being evicted/made homeless, as landlords rush for the Exit.
I one hundred per cent agree Sarah. Unfortunately there is no way the tenant lobbyists can be convinced. With an unfair business model why would anyone be a landlord?
The removal of S21 is not the end of the world, I am getting rid of large houses that are not converted to HMO and not possible to now because of Article 4 direction issues, Keeping the 2 bed flats as those tenants will remain for long time and HMOs I am keeping too.
The reason I get rid of large houses is because most people can't afford to rent them in London, so the wrong type of tenant will come and I will lose the ability to evict them using S21.
I will gift the flats to my kids when they are ready. HMO tenants are not going to stay for long, so, do it right and have the right tenants and you don't need to worry about evicting them.
Getting rid of S21 is pretty much the end of the world for me as a landlord. Losing control is not an option. I just went through the S21 process all the way to bailiffs. It's far harder than it should be already. Once they take it the bashing will get worse. We will be all the way back beyond the 70s and 80s. Worse due to all the fines and licensing and other red tape that wasn't present back then.
I agree with Nick. I won't let if the tenants have security of tenure either. There may be exceptions like student lets, but you make your plans based on existing law, not possible law in the future.
Labour seems to think that retrospective legislation is OK though and that really prevents any rational planning on the part of the landlord - other than to leave property empty until we know what the law actually is - which is a ridiculous situation.
Nick and Ellie,
As you know the conservatives have realised the problem and are trying to kick it into the long grass, Labour will bring it in. You can evict tenants saying you are advertising the property to sell. Advertise it, after 3 months you can rent it again. This is better than any useless S21 all the way to Bailiffs scenario. Now, normally if you have a good understanding with the tenant and they are paying your rent and keeping the place well, why would you evict them? We can't make any concrete decisions until we know exactly what is coming in.
I did advertise to sell with the tenants still living there. To avoid retaliatory eviction rules for one. But a lot of people have nowhere else to go but to wait for bailiffs and the council.
My fear is with all this tenant empowerment even good tenants are free to turn bad.
Good morning Pat,
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I am sure people/landlords will look for ways of getting around the new legislation. However, it has been drafted to make it very difficult indeed to do that.
It is known that landlords will use the right to get their property back to sell it as a way of getting around the security of tenure that tenants will have. It may be that that ground becomes discretionary under a Labour government which would mean that a court would have to decide whether the tenant had to leave - and the court could well find in favour of the tenant. It might take years to get the property back. Labour has also proposed that the grounds used by landlords to get their properties back must be recorded in the property portal, so it would be difficult to use that ground more than once without questions being asked.
We are in a very difficult position legally at the moment precisely because we don't know what Labour is planning and because it seems to have become acceptable in the eyes of politicians to legislate retrospectively, thus invalidating the nature of the existing contract. It is no wonder that landlords have empty properties now.
Good Morning Ellie,
I agree with you 100%. However, I don't want people to throw in the towel. In any aspect of life, one only loses when one gives up. It is important to have a plan and execute as needed. My plan is simple, sell all standard rentals, keep two flats to gift to my kids, one is at uni and other is already working and enjoying life. As soon as they both are ready take responsibility they will have the flats. I will keep the HMOs as a regular source of income and something for me to do. I have a good relationship with my tenants, so when ever
I had to move them on, it has been easy. When you do get a bad apple, you can use means available at your disposal. For example, I have a WhatsApp group for each HMO, there is a ring Doorbell and a Ring floodlight camera at the back garden. All the tenants have access to the ring app. Prevention is better than cure. I recently sent a message to one house that I will be serving S21 notices, they have accepted the message as notice before the actual S21 notices were served. In HMOs where we have a problem tenant I will have WhatsApp messages and the tenant testimony to get rid of problem tenants.
It is becoming more problematic to manage your properties, it has happened to other sectors, the profits are not as good as before but there is money to be made.
Corner shops made a lot of easy money in the early 80s as Supermarkets only opened during the daytime weekdays and half day on Saturday. Now they are open 24hrs, smaller versions on every high street and still the corner shop survives.
IT industry were booming the government brought in IR35, we all complained and to add insult to injury, they brought in cheap it workers from India, I went to countries where they were paying good money and kept going.
Please don't give up hope, zoom out, look at the bigger picture and be positive. We humans have unbelievable resilience, believe in our ability come through any adversity.
Best wishes to you all.
I understand exactly how you feel, Pat, about carrying on.
It is good that you have devised a plan which you feel will work irrespective of the legislation.
Personally, I see myself as having two options: either to sell everything or to operate a serviced flat business. It seems that providing that you have serviced flats prior to this summer then planning permission will not be required for them. However, like everything else, we don't have details, only the knowledge that there will apparently be a short let portal.
I have been letting as short lets for quite a while now. I have granted tenancies for three to six months (for visiting academics and doctors etc), and given shorthold assured contracts, now the contract will have to change to a serviced flat agreement. The cleaning requirement will entail a bit more work, but I think it is worth it for the control over the flats - and also I like the flats to be kept in a clean condition all the time. In addition, I like the flats heated and will be including unlimited gas, electricity and water in the rent - using the company Huddle for a flat rate for doing that.
That's exactly it Ellie, you have a niche market that works, it is little bit more work but pays. On the planning side, if current legislation permits you to continue with out planning, see if it permits you a retrospective planning approval. If that is possible, it may be a better safeguard. All the best.
There is no such thing as right Tenant when the Law changes in their favour their attitude changes immediately.
When I have let houses they are let joint & several so they are all equally responsible even if only one left.
When one wants to leave the others find a suitable replacement subject to mutual agreement / checks and the Contract is up dated or replaced, they are not going install a lame duck that will impact on themselves.
In the likely hood that one gets into financial trouble at least the others will be paying you, then deal with the arrears leniently.
Removing Section 21 is total disaster full Stop 🛑.
who ever the new tenant is I'm insisting on a guarantor now
Micheal,
My right tenant in my HMO is a young professional, with a career a head of them, don't want a bad credit score or criminal record. So, in order to attract such a tenant, you have to have your HMO close to tube, in very good condition with good facilities. Charge them 1k pcm for a room and use your rent rise clause to up the rent when you have to. They will stay with you as long as they need to. They don't cause problems and even when you get the odd bad apple, these tenants will want that bad apple out. They will support you.
Having said all that, I agree S21 is a disaster for the industry. However, you can evict tenants if you need to sell or for your relative to move in. So, I am keeping properties where I can apply either of those rules. Getting rid of ones where I am likely to get problem tenants.
I’ve taken my one beds off the market permanently and aim for the high end and six months to a year up front if that doesn’t go according to plans I’m selling up
Whole thing is rapidly descending into farce
"While Michael Gove has spent years living rent-free in a £25m luxury property"
This demonstrates the real motive behind these activists - the politics of envy. A bunch of lefties who feel they are owed a slice of someone else's pie, right up until the point they are required to give someone else a slice of theirs, I might add!
Martin, You are absolutely right. This happens all the time.
I think it’s very sad that you have to sell your house to get it back, then you have lost it for good, am I missing some point here.
It designed to get rid of you, its none of their Business whether I want to keep it, live in it, sell it or raise it to the ground.
I didn’t need their advice when I bought it or get any financial support from them, now what gives them the right to dictate to me what I should do, how dare they.
I agree good transport links are essential which is why All the Big New Fat Corporate Boys are Building next to Tube Stations, also I have parking in 90% of mine. My rents are low at least £100k below the Market but still under attack from Authorities even though they are all licensed & Re/licensed 3/4 times since 2006. Well if I am to charge the Market Rent most of my current Tenants couldn’t afford it, but most of them are good living people and I have no desire to get rid of them for financial gain, in any case as a 45% tax payer it would be another £45k pa tax to keep the doss.
The lunatics are definitely running the Asylum and aren’t they doing very well for themselves at the top with all this soft money. God help the rest of us they don’t know the difference. I don’t know anything about Credit Scores or want to know but Experian messages me sometimes its 100% other times tell me it has changed don’t log-in to find out so they can play with their percentages no one gave me anything for nothing.
No Michael,
It's a fake sale, you advertise it, but you don't sell it.
One of the conditions under which you get the property back from tenants is if you are going to sell it. That rule states that you cannot put it back on rent for 3 months. I suspect landlords will use this loophole when S21 is gone.
Its not the way we were told or read it, how long does a loophole last Regulations changing on a whim, if it’s the case what’s to stop those rogue regulators making it 12 months or permanent, there is no loopholes only bog-holes no confidence left in those so called regulators, there only aim is to destroy. When I hear a Council say they always prosecute the landlord if the Tenant Complains how biased is that, so the Court is just to rubber stamp the Tenants are the Magistrates, the Councils always say following the case let that be a lesson to all other landlords.
I agree with the no confidence thing. And the rest!
The one thing I would like all of you to understand is that we are judging tomorrow's market based on today's market factors that we understand. It is human nature. However, the truth is the tenants attitude will change too, we will have to work with the tenants more, the tenants also has to work with us more but ultimately we hold the final say. Like: You tell the tenants, it is too much of a hassle renting this place and you are going to move in - it will be a nightmare to find new places and so they would rather comply with your demands within reason than fight you in court. The councils are already struggling, so currently if you get kicked out for non payment they take a harsh view. In the future they may want to see the details of why you got evicted before deciding on the service they offer, another deterrent that stops tenants from misbehaving. The rental market will never be the same again, but, there are always opportunities if you search for them.
Please login to comment