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John Thomspon

Agent

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About Me

Business Owner

my expertise in the industry

Over 25 years

John 's Recent Activity

I have never known such dearth of supply in my 35 years in the industry, both for sale and for rent. Big problems on the horizon in my opinion, and an urgent rowing back is required to stop landlords exiting the market and investing elsewhere (without the hassle and constant demonsation). Couple this with IMMEDIATE steps to cut through planning red tape and bureaucracy and the government might go some way to evading the ensuing supply crisis. It will be at least another 15 years before the build to rent sector dominates the market and there is a generation that need housing before that.

From: John Thomspon 15 January 2022 11:17 AM

Build to Rent is barely scratching the surface of the private rental sector and will take 15 years + (at the very least) to do so. It would be a dangerous mistake for the media to overplay B2R's development and influence, especially to the detriment of the smaller Landlord who underpins supply....and will do for some time to come.

From: John Thomspon 15 January 2022 11:09 AM

And they think Build to Rent is going to provide better value (let alone better quality) housing than the current PRS? I cant help but laugh my head off at the utopian naivety from those who should be old enough to know better!

From: John Thomspon 12 January 2022 16:20 PM

I couldn't agree more with your end game conclusions, although this is going to take at least 15, probably 20 years to bear out. There is a positive business model for Landlords for some time yet. In my view those who are selling up now will rue the day, as inflation grabs hold for some considerable time yet and supply reduces exponentially. I would also caveat, the private rental sector will survive albeit on a much smaller scale, attracting the better quality Tenant who needs versatility or a more bespoke property/service. My humble advice to Landlords - sit on your hands for at least another 10 years!

From: John Thomspon 05 January 2022 16:24 PM

We see here at first hand the problem with many who use their media platform without deeper research. Little, or no, experience (outside of a non-nuanced book) of the core reasons we have so many private Landlord's in the first place. Most landlords became such from the mid-nineties onwards - a direct resultant effect of the failure to protect private pensions. With fraud too easy to commit, and the rich able to screw with an individual's future, public confidence in pensions was devastated. The normal, average, hard working, prudent working person turned other means to secure their future. Many put their savings into bricks and mortar... and forewent the luxuries that everyone today (including Charlotte no doubt) enjoy and take for granted. There are those landlords who have made millions, just like other prudent investors in every other walk of life! Most Landlord's have NOT though become millionaires and that narrative is never at the forefront of the discussion. All we hear is the slur and demonisation of decent fully compliant long term Landlords (decent people), 99% of whom support the creation of homes and futures for society, performing a duty that this country's consecutive governments have failed in. Not just the governments fault when they have to pander to PERCEIVED public opinion on a 5 year rotation. That's another topic, nevertheless an important one to consider. How can the UK have cohesive housing plan if its not a 'ring fenced' long term all party collective? It can't. Personally I find the naivety of Charlotte Gill disturbing... and her anti-landlord narrative nothing short of disgusting! Most young people when I were in my 20's didn't moan, weren't self entitled, didn't begrudge, and weren't hell bent on destroying the lives of the older generations. They just got on with it, got their heads down and saw older financial successful people as a yard-stick for themselves. So sorry Charlotte, but if you really want to be constructive, you need to take your head out of the sand (I'm being polite), adopt a more nuanced approach and engage with all Landlords. You would likely get the real picture of the security good Tenants (decent people too!) are afforded. Perhaps then you will stop this negative virtue signalling! Conservatives need our votes too. You should remember that. Happy New Year to all!

From: John Thomspon 05 January 2022 10:37 AM

As are many solicitors too! These days any notice and subsequent possession application needs to micro-managed from the outset. Regulation, compliance and evidence of such are all designed to make life as difficult as possible for landlords. One 't' only half crossed will see an application fail.

From: John Thomspon 16 December 2021 11:13 AM

I'm fed up with saying you were warned.....

From: John Thomspon 13 December 2021 12:02 PM

You pay peanuts.... as the saying goes.

From: John Thomspon 13 December 2021 11:23 AM

As we have all mooted before on occasions too numerous to mention, the government needs to take their time, engage their brains, not kowtow to the activists' false outrage..... and most importantly do nothing that will fuel the further exit of landlords from the PRS. A dearth of rental property, increasing rents caused by unmet demand...an ever worsening housing crisis...caused by the very people charged to stop it! I first wrote to my MP on this in late 2018 predicting a housing 'Armageddon' if the powers that be continued down their hostile anti-landlord path. Let's hope the penny has finally dropped.

From: John Thomspon 17 November 2021 09:36 AM

Problem with this idea is every landlord will automatically serve notice after 2 years. I do like the thinking outside the box though...Maybe way forward could be greater incentives for landlords in offering longer fixed term leases. Perhaps tax relief for 5 year tenant only break clause Tenancies? Whatever the way forward, as mooted in the above comments, bad Tenants cannot be allowed to get away with blue murder and hold landlords to ransom.

From: John Thomspon 05 November 2021 14:13 PM

It makes perfect sense not to rush to legislate. It has become abundantly clear over the last couple of years that rushed, ad hoc, over-regulation is reducing supply and creating more stock problems than it's solving. A less hostile nuanced approach is required with the focus on landlord incentive for longer leases and more tenant security. There is still an education issue among some privately managed landlords, but these represent a very small minority and the rogue landlord narrative is activist driven and massively over played. More often than not these ' rogue landlords' tend to be Housing Association or Local Authority neglected property, and not the small compliant landlord who offer a quality bespoke service to their Tenants. Let's hope this is the start of a 'push back' from the government with a fair and reasonable attitude from all sides of the housing debate. Though maybe I'm in living in dreamland!

From: John Thomspon 28 October 2021 15:14 PM

Thanks for the lesson in basic common sense. Just off to suck an egg now.

From: John Thomspon 22 October 2021 10:29 AM

Looks like the penny may be starting to drop. The PRS with decent law abiding landlords and hard working compliant letting agents are not the problem. The same cannot be said for the wilful neglect in the social housing sector. I would suggest that we need separate Housing Act legislation for the PRS and social housing, with the latter requiring the main focus of future legislation.

From: John Thomspon 22 October 2021 10:25 AM

Slippery slope... and we have enough of those right now!

From: John Thomspon 18 October 2021 13:14 PM

Well, well well.... who would have thought it? Successive governments, Shelter, Generation Rent, Acorn, et al, don't say you weren't warned to be careful what you wished for. This dire lack of housing stock is on you.

From: John Thomspon 11 October 2021 12:53 PM

I agree Andrew; a great sound bite but in reality how will it work? A deposit is held as security against cleaning damage etc, and the idea that this can be transferred prior to vacation, or immediately at vacation without inbuilt potential recourse to tenants is ridiculous. Similarly, how is a new landlord expected to allow possession without a full deposit? Rather than the 'ahh poor Tenant narrative' continuously churned out without brain engagement, this subject requires a far more nuanced approach. There are numerous deposit replacement products in the PRS and, in my opinion, this is yet another example of the false outrage culture we live in and vastly exaggerated by the self-entitled brigade.

From: John Thomspon 06 October 2021 09:43 AM

Exactly the sort of landlord that should not only face prosecution, but also be banned from the PRS for life. This does make me feel that Landlords with a portfolio of say 10+ property should be the ones feeling the pinch of punitive legislative costs and taxes. The smaller Landlord who sole aim is (in relative terms) a small income/financial security in retirement should receive far less hostile attitudes towards them.

From: John Thomspon 04 October 2021 11:23 AM

Yet another reason for landlords to be selective and consider high quality professional Tenants only, with a clean credit history and in solid employment. This negative for Landlords are a far greater negative for the most most vulnerable that are desperate for housing. As with any financial assessment, the less risk for a landlord, the more support a landlord is likely to afford.

From: John Thomspon 30 September 2021 09:06 AM

Finding the right Tenant usurps a few quid in rent for a the majority of Landlords but, make no mistake, the punitive costs inflicted on Landlords year after year are hurting tenants in the pocket too. Something to bear in mind when the self proclaimed 'do-gooders' shoot from their hip.

From: John Thomspon 28 September 2021 13:27 PM

The ongoing pleas from local authorities to private rental sector landlords highlight the dearth of available social housing in the UK. This isn't something that's going to be solved for a decade or two by the build to rent sector, and is likely to get far worse over the next 5 years. Right now private landlords are rightly steering well away from this type of Tenancy; preferring the decency of an equal working business relationship provided by professional Tenants, who aren't filled with spiteful hatred, nor seek to exploit every legal and financial loophole to their benefit. There is a message here to those seeking to support the most vulnerable in society. The question is can they help improve UK housing stock by adopting a more nuanced approach, rather than continuing to view private Landlords through their current prism of jealous self-entitlement?

From: John Thomspon 24 September 2021 14:25 PM

Generation Rent really do need to get their agenda organised. First they want longer term security for Tenants via the abolition of s21; now they want more flexibility to make it easier for Tenants to move! Suggesting deposits are a barrier to moving for Tenants shows a complete lack of understanding of the need for a deposit in the first place. It is security for a Landlord held against damages, cleaning, unpaid rent etc. A show of decency and goodwill from a Tenant. Should a Tenant be allowed in to a property without this goodwill? No chance. The deposit returning process is beholden to the bureaucracy and protocols put in place to protect Tenant rights and takes time to administer. Should monies be released prior to a Tenant moving out? No chance. What would be the point of taking a deposit in the first place? Messing with the deposit process will do nothing other than allow the crooks to take advantage and get away with the mockery already evidenced in the deliberate exploitative non-payment of rent over the Covid pandemic that had nothing to do with ability to pay.

From: John Thomspon 21 September 2021 08:42 AM

And the majority of that social housing will be in the form of high rise blocks, poorly constructed with ongoing maintenance problems a plenty. Sounds like we are going back to the 60/70's! In 10 years said high rise blocks will create no go areas where crime is rife and there is zero community spirit. Then a further 20 years later these blocks will be pulled down and labelled a failed project. We've seen it all all before... And so the cycle turns.....

From: John Thomspon 20 September 2021 15:32 PM

About time this was headline news and at the forefront in the minds of those intent on increased regulation. Industry progression must be for good landlords and good tenants.... and not detrimental to either. Begs the question.... why aren't the NALA / ARLA / SAFEAGENT banging this drum?

From: John Thomspon 20 September 2021 11:40 AM

So the bullying approach hasn't worked then no? Local Authorities (politicians, tenant support groups et al) should remember that 99% of landlords are like all other business professionals, making prudent decisions based on their own financial future and stability. If you over regulate and adopt a persecuting approach to them then those same business people will take their money and invest it in other businesses. Perhaps a softer tone and a more conciliatory attitude towards landlords is the way forward. I would add though that this needs implicating now/today, before it's too late. As pretty much everyone has alluded to on this and previous threads on the subject of an alarming reducing housing supply.... don't say you weren't warned.

From: John Thomspon 10 September 2021 10:38 AM

The government, Labour, Shelter, Generation Rent, Acorn and the anti - landlord brigade…. Don’t say you weren’t warned that your constant hostility wouldn’t force decent compliant landlords out of the market. One would hope the message is getting across that this ‘baseball bat’ approach is compounding the lack of housing and hugely damaging supply. The build to rent sector is decades away from coming to the rescue. Working with and incentivising landlords has always been the way forward for greater tenant security and safe/compliant property. Given the consequences of these tenant group’s actions, perhaps a more nuanced creative approach will ensue from those involved. I’ve said for some time that simple tax incentives for landlords who offer longer Tenancies (say 5 years) without a break clause would be a great start. The reality is that too many are making a living attempting to turn the PRS upside down, whatever the consequences, ……so I won’t hold my breath!

From: John Thomspon 09 September 2021 07:39 AM

Wonder how many of these signatures are from the jealous, juvenile, self-entitled brigade? Methinks quite a large percentage. If I had my way, I would raise the voting age to 25. We would be governed in a far more sensible grown up manner. Instead it's government by utopian ideals which, to those of us with a degree in life experience know, cannot be fulfilled. Bit of a rant on a Friday afternoon....its been a long week!

From: John Thomspon 27 August 2021 15:26 PM

Some free advice. Only fools pay ongoing fees to Agents for an introduction only service. If you want a new updated Tenancy Agreement arranged and prepared you will have to pay for it. A solicitor would charge you far more than a Letting Agent....and not negotiate a possible rent review with the Tenant, or arrange for for the Tenant to sign. They would leave that for you to organise. Couple that with the audit trail of updated compliance that most new TA's now create (very important in todays PRS), and I would say a good Letting Agent is worth their weight in gold. A far as a break clause is concerned, the finding agent is carrying out the same pre- Tenancy work, be that for 6 months or 12, so why should they pay back/credit fees? Perhaps don't have a break clause for the first 12 months and that situation would not arise. Let's be honest, the Landlord break clause is worthless/unenforceable anyway. You would also attract longer term Tenants and therefore pay agents less. A win win for you. As far as the Tenant Fees Ban Act is concerned, Landlord's fees were becoming more and more subsidised by the Tenants and you expect this to be passed to an Agent and not the Landlord? You want that for free as well? Seriously? It's corner cutting Landlord's expecting something for nothing that lesson standards and bring on the increasing bureaucracy we all bemoan. You get what you pay for in life.....Suffice it to say,....my answer is YES, YES & YES again!

From: John Thomspon 25 August 2021 09:04 AM

You will see other banks follow suit. You will then see the slow withdrawal of funding for the small buy to let landlord. Make no mistake, the aim over the next 25 years is for for big business to crush the small landlord and take over the PRS. Most of us are only landlords in the first place as we couldn't trust financial institutions with our pension monies. The irony is not lost on me.

From: John Thomspon 20 August 2021 15:30 PM

Ben Beadle....or Jeremy Beadle?

From: John Thomspon 25 June 2021 16:55 PM

The best advice would be to not leave your pets at home all day, exercise them appropriately and to train them. That would mean talking responsibility though, ........... aahh that word 'responsibility', ......unfortunately rarely something Momentum champion!

From: John Thomspon 25 June 2021 16:53 PM

Absolutely. The moment the rent is not paid mediation starts. Too often it reaches the Courts due to a tenant's failure to respond to these efforts (note plural!). I have no issue with mediation per say, but history of Tenant non-engagement must be the first consideration with no penalty towards a Landlord who can evidence that they have tried to mediate on numerous occasions.

From: John Thomspon 16 June 2021 12:05 PM

.......and here emphasises the very reason the Labour Party will be a distant memory in a decade's time. Cocooned in their own echo chamber, the activists and the militants spewing of hate filled rhetoric disgusts the vast majority of decent people in the UK. The funny think is they don't even realise what they are doing to the Labour Party!

From: John Thomspon 11 June 2021 10:47 AM

The council are on the side that effects their finances the least. That's life, but it's a still akin to looking no further than the end of your nose. They will end up reaping what they sow.

From: John Thomspon 04 June 2021 12:30 PM

This is exactly what will happen. Tenants who have previously been handed a free pass (evicted without financial penalty) by a pragmatic Landlord via the quicker possession route S21 afforded, will now use section 8 and go for the money too. There will be a new epidemic of Tenants with poor credit who will get less support because of the newly documented poor financial history. Anyone with a brain can foresee this... Says a lot doesn't it!

From: John Thomspon 02 June 2021 16:05 PM

As many have alluded to for months, even years now; consistent and continuous interference in the private rental sector from the agenda motivated and timid government will turn a housing problem into a housing disaster. They were warned by those with decades of experience in the industry that, rather than spew hate filled jealousy and kowtow to the woke agenda, they should work alongside landlords to create more secure foundations for tenants. 99.9% of landlords are fair minded professionals that have been unfairly and wrongly demonised. Had the aforementioned done their homework and not just shot from the hip, they will have learned that "no fault" evictions via S21 for good Tenants are a myth. In reality S21 allowed Tenants to get away with debt and destruction without penalty, simply because of a Landlord's wish to be pragmatic and act with speed. Sadly, the abolition of S21 will see many of the most vulnerable in society dragged through the Courts and pursued to the nth degree for recompense, with no chance of being housed again in the PRS. Most landlords will still be happy to offer an olive branch, given a more inclusive and less hostile/bullying attitude towards them. Others will say....this looming housing crisis is on you...

From: John Thomspon 28 May 2021 13:23 PM

Agree totally. In my experience the bigger the agent, the worse the service. Give me local experienced proprietor run independent every time.

From: John Thomspon 20 May 2021 10:30 AM

It's not rocket science to suss out that lifetime deposits are not going to work. How can a tenant transfer a deposit to a new property when the deposit from property they are moving from hasn't been released? And then what if that deposit is claimed against for damages, cleaning etc. Possession already given up with effectively no deposit? No way! Deposits aren't a issue in the market place, so stop trying to fix a problem that is not broken....

From: John Thomspon 18 May 2021 12:34 PM

Note to Generation Rent, Acorn, Shelter et al...... your hate filled activism has turned a dearth of available rental property into a catastrophic crisis of supply. A more conciliatory and inclusive attitude towards Landlords is required but I won't hold my breath. Don't say you weren't warned.

From: John Thomspon 17 May 2021 15:22 PM

...and at the same time driving away Landlords to invest in less punitive businesses. Talk about making matters worse. You really couldn't make it up. The answer is to devolve the building of social housing to local government and give them the power / finance to do so. Oh....and stop meddling in the PRS, who provide an excellent product for transient professionals. The PRS has tried to support some of the most vulnerable in society over the last 25 years, when others have turned the other cheek. This continuous slap in the face for their troubles is wearing thin!

From: John Thomspon 23 April 2021 13:51 PM

My two penneth.... BUYERS want houses not high rise flats. The move away from leasehold property by buyers is clear for all to see in the sales market, as many flats are losing value/not selling. SOCIAL/BUILD TO RENT High rise flats were an experiment in the 60's that killed communities, often becoming no go areas and mazes of crime. An embarrassment, many of which were bulldozed in subsequent decades. Do we learn nothing from experiences of the past?

From: John Thomspon 23 April 2021 10:25 AM

Independent experienced Lettings Agents are like gold dust. Landlord's that know their Agents well, deal with the same competent local person are very lucky indeed to have such a personal relationship. That 'face' gets far more goodwill from a Tenant too. Imagine trying to get hold of your Agent and getting a call centre bot...that's the way many of the big players operate. Value you local Agent rather than try and screw him/her for every penny - you are lucky to have this level of service in today's marketplace.

From: John Thomspon 22 April 2021 11:12 AM

It is difficult to put your head above the parapet without it being shot off these days! If you want to blame anyone try the mainstream media or the metropolitan liberal elite for creating the hate fuelled environment we all have to survive in today.

From: John Thomspon 21 April 2021 13:15 PM

With respect David, 'moving back in' or 'selling up' will be Section 8 grounds in the future. The abolition of S21 will make no different to a private Landlord getting possession of their property for these 2 reasons. Furthermore it is mooted there will be an accelerated possession procedure bolted on to a reformed Section 8, making any abolition of S21 irrelevant. 2 months notice will just become 6. I totally accept that GOOD Tenants require more security, but the lack of such security isn't the fault or responsibility of the private landlord. Private industry is private industry and it will not be bullied. It will walk away and invest elsewhere....what purpose will that serve? It will mean a lack of supply and higher rents. How about working with Landlords and providing incentives for such security, understand how the world works, rather than moan about it? As a Landlord, I would be happy to guarantee more security with fixed longer term Tenancies....but only will incentives to do so.... and most importantly with the ability to penalise BAD Tenants. Is this a lack of knowledge about S21 and S8 from Mr Rinder, or simply virtue signalling? He's an intelligent man, so I would argue the latter.

From: John Thomspon 21 April 2021 12:05 PM

"It was cleaner then when he moved in"...... If I had a pound for every Tenant that falsely claimed this, I would be a multi millionaire by now! On and.... respect is a two way street....

From: John Thomspon 20 April 2021 13:08 PM

I know students are brainwashed with self entitlement nowadays, but since when did this include their financial liabilities? Mortgage lenders may have supported borrowers with payment holidays, but the interest is compounded and the borrower still has to pay. If banks won't take the debt as their own, then why should landlords? We all have to meet the commitments we take on .....it's called life!

From: John Thomspon 20 April 2021 13:05 PM

There will be an accelerated possession route in a reformed Section 8. That will in essence be the same as a 'S21' if a Tenant is in breach of their Tenancy....which is why 95% of S21's notices are served anyway! This whole abolition of S21 is nothing more than a waste of time / resources and will have zero impact on Tenant security for bad Tenants. Such resources could be providing homes for the most vulnerable that need support the most. I have 2 words for the Baroness.... Derrrrr and McFly!

From: John Thomspon 15 April 2021 11:42 AM

The politics of hate and envy are slowly being reigned in and will not wash (no pun intended) with the electorate. There are deep rooted issues hindering supply and Momentum, rather than working for a solution, are making matters worse. Perhaps they could start with the local authority planning departments, whose over-bureaucratic negativity to development, are fuelling the obvious lack of supply for both social and private housing.

From: John Thomspon 14 April 2021 09:42 AM

The threat of eviction is the best mediation. Sad to say, but such is the world we live in.

From: John Thomspon 08 April 2021 09:22 AM

So now Lloyds Bank is competing with owner occupier buyers. This extra competition, where there is already short supply, will increase house prices even more and take affordability even further away from the next generation. Maybe Acorn will want to picket outside Lloyds now!

From: John Thomspon 05 March 2021 14:21 PM

The shortage of student accommodation and increasing rents have been caused by students/student pressure groups attempting to bully the free market. Little life lesson for them there.

From: John Thomspon 04 March 2021 14:13 PM

Be careful with this strategy as you can't actually serve notice to terminate until 10 months has passed i.e. from 4 months. Therefore the minimum term now is essentially 10 months. I appreciate its a minimum of 6 months and you would therefore be serving it 10 months early, but I would imagine new legislation will close a loophole that allows Landlord's to serve notice immediately after a Tenant signs the Tenancy Agreement. It's becoming a minefield....all on purpose of course!

From: John Thomspon 25 February 2021 14:35 PM

Excellent news that at last an MP has stuck their head above the parapet. More please! Let's be brutally honest.... Licencing is not about improving standards. There is already enough formal legal compliance should a local authority wish to punish (rightly) dodgy Landlords. Licencing is plain and simply racketeering and solely about creating revenue. I suggest the council clean up the big business of social housing as that's where the majority of problems lie, and standards are lowest. Alternatively, if councils are struggling to make the necessary revenue then maybe look at some of the ridiculously high 6 figure wages they pay certain staff.

From: John Thomspon 24 February 2021 14:12 PM

Can we not have sensible debate without getting sh***y with each other. This place is getting worse than Twitter! ;0 If there is bitterness in your tone, you will never win the day, whatever your narrative.

From: John Thomspon 10 February 2021 16:41 PM

I think some nuance is required by the government here. My view is that loopholes allowing non genuine Tenants to simply play the system and take advantage of free rent for 18 months +, should be closed. A Tenant's non-engagement in the same mediation process a Landlord must now adhere to, as well as failure to provide full disclosure/transparency of their circumstances, should enable a possession order and eviction to be granted. Those genuine cases where a Tenant is trying their best in difficult circumstances, engaging in mediation with such full disclosure and transparency should not be. Seems pretty straight forward to me.

From: John Thomspon 09 February 2021 13:02 PM

As I often allude to on here and other forums, we are heading for a catastrophic housing disaster for the most vulnerable in society, created by jealous utopian idealists, who consider every landlord to be the devil incarnated, and every tenant as pure as the driven snow. The only way to halt an impending Armageddon is to decentralise, reduce bureaucracy and head in a completely opposite direction to where we are currently heading; at least until Build To Rent rides to the rescue. That is 10 to 20 years away. Landlord's remaining in the market are essential for now, so it's time for the government to put the brakes on and start supporting the Landlords they desperately cant afford to lose. If only they realised.

From: John Thomspon 05 February 2021 11:24 AM

Couldn't agree more. Steer well clear of students if you're a landlord. Not only will they wreck your property and then claim '"it cleaner and in better condition than when they moved in", with this proposal, they can leave you high and dry without rent too. Student support groups will leave their members reaping what they sow..... a complete lack of supply from the PRS. More nuance required to this debate.

From: John Thomspon 03 February 2021 12:00 PM

I would only ever accept a guarantor if it's a close relative. My advice would be to never accept a guarantor who is 'a friend' or 'employer'. Also make sure your Agreements are set up correctly to cover an ongoing commitment from the guarantor after the initial fixed period ends.

From: John Thomspon 29 January 2021 11:00 AM

Agree Andrew, though many Landlords inadvertently have ended up in this situation due to Covid. Certainly true the private rental sector's support for the vulnerable is disappearing fast....I wonder whose fault that is ? (Sigh....think Polly Neate)

From: John Thomspon 13 January 2021 17:29 PM

Non payment of Tenant receipted LHA funds from a Tenant to a Landlord is a 'pandemic' in it's own right. The Government could and should make this a criminal offense. At the very least is should be a mandatory ground for accelerated possession without a court hearing. This passive utopianism that "all Tenants are honest and decent" needs shutting down and fast. Those Tenants that are should be afforded all the protection currently in place …. and more. Those that aren't need to be shown the error of their ways. I have heard the County Court back log is now 20-24 months. A warning to the Government to get a grip of this - I would never advocate acting outside the law, but there are many landlords that are getting closer to taking the law into their own hands.

From: John Thomspon 13 January 2021 11:34 AM

I had a Tenant have a brand new 55" TV delivered, despite being 4 months behind with his rent. On my life this is true!

From: John Thomspon 12 January 2021 13:46 PM

So all Tenants aren't angels? Rightly or wrongly, it's cumulative effect David. Akin to anti-Landlord propaganda that is peddled daily; much of it unrelated nonsense too. I agree it's certainly not a media story in my eyes either....but then again I don't make the rules.

From: John Thomspon 12 January 2021 13:14 PM

I agree wholeheartedly Matthew. This is a disaster on the horizon, whichever way you look at it and whenever it comes to fruition. The most vulnerable in society have been supported by the private rental sector since the early 1990's, but this partnership is coming to an end. A combination of the inept lack of Tenant pandemic government financial housing support, and a politically motivated anti-Landlord path, based on the false narrative (in 99% of the industry) of exploitation, is about to create the biggest housing crisis since the 1950’s. There is a Build to Rent rescue plan, but you're wearing rose tinted glasses if you don't think this will be profit led.... and it will take 20 years to fill this impending void! The industry has not been broken by those in it. In the most part it has been broken by those outside, interfering to unbalance the previously fair balanced rights between a Tenant and a Landlord. For now, immediate financial Tenant support (with a deregulated mechanism for this to be paid direct to Landlords), coupled with a far more positive strategy of Landlord engagement is the only way forward; certainly not more rushed, ill-conceived anti-Landlord legislation.

From: John Thomspon 11 January 2021 11:22 AM

Some Tenants think I'm 'Carson' their Butler! No idea how to clean, let alone ventilate and understand that condensation occurs in all property; it just needs to be managed and managed often in the cold weather.

From: John Thomspon 06 January 2021 15:41 PM

This is very true! I have NEVER in my 30 years as a Landlord served notice on a Tenant without very reasonable cause. If I have a respectful, truthful and honest Tenant I will support them 100%, even at my own financial loss. That's the decent way I (and most Landlords) operate. The way this false statement "NO FAULT EVICTION" has been allowed to be politicised is nothing short of disgraceful - it's simply FAKE NEWS. Landlord's really need to rally - excuse my French, but get off your arses and write to your MP. The current situation where a Landlord is being forced to be saddled with a Tenant's debt has been allowed to happen and will get worse.... simply because of Landlord inaction and lazy apathy. It will take you a few minutes to write to your MP. Stop moaning and do it! ps. Happy New Year!

From: John Thomspon 05 January 2021 15:13 PM

Not something I would ever entertain. Trusting someone else’s compliance and potentially landing myself with a non-Housing Act tenancy and a sitting tenant? No way. I wouldn’t touch a tenanted property with a barge pole.

From: John Thomspon 31 December 2020 10:14 AM

What a pathetic ill informed statement. Investment is what makes economies thrive. it gives hope, creates jobs and a better future for millions around the world. Without investment there would be no future. Methinks you need to educate yourself a little my friend.

From: John Thomspon 24 December 2020 13:24 PM

That's because we pick up the phone and speak to people. Big business needs to give this a try!

From: John Thomspon 18 December 2020 09:56 AM

The media and left are drowning in their own woke. Risk assessment is part of any buisness decision. Why should housing be any different? There are far too many liars and cheats out for what they can get at the expense of others. I am kind, fair and a generous person to people with the same decent morals. The sooner the wokists understand this, the sooner genuine vulnerable people will again get my support. Bully me and you most definitely will not.

From: John Thomspon 18 December 2020 09:53 AM

Yet another trap laid to ensure unprofessional Landlord's are unable to gain possession. If you are not on top of everything (and I mean everything), then you may well end up with a sitting Tenant. Any corner cutting landlords out there will be shaking in their boots...if they are not, they jolly well should be.

From: John Thomspon 10 December 2020 12:11 PM

Given the Landlord 'trip-wires' and possession issues on ASTs, more and more landlords are moving towards small HMOs now. Many (small percentage accepted) see this as the future. It is easy to dismiss, but there is a lot of this is fear of the unknown. I know a Landlord who has 6, strictly let to short /mid term transient professionals. It works very well indeed for him, although no doubt the vultures will loom over the next few years!

From: John Thomspon 09 December 2020 10:36 AM

Landlords will use S21.....yes quite often.....as it is a quicker route to possession (well it used to be!), and to mitigate their losses! In the main this is due to rent arrears or Tenant's breach of contract (severe breach of contract). Section 8 isn't used BUT... S21 can't be used to pursue a Tenant financially, so a Tenant moves on without financial penalty and leaves a Landlord licking their wounds and counting the debts. Take away S21 and every Tenant will be sued for every penny they owe under S8. S21 is better far better for Tenant to recover from hard times in the long run. No one in the PRS will touch a Tenant with a CCJ for rent arrears. I say this almost every day but the fools driving this change really need to be careful what they wish for.

From: John Thomspon 04 December 2020 12:29 PM

I agree that Landlords (not property) should be licenced. It is one sure way to tidy up the sector and rid us the non compliant and corner/cost cutters. I disagree that this should be expensive and a licence should not be required if a Landlord has their property managed by a fully licenced Agent.

From: John Thomspon 04 December 2020 12:15 PM

So then what is the point of abolishing S21 then? This is S21 dressed up just to appease the left. There is nothing wrong with the current Housing Act that licencing Landlords will not sort out. The reality is Landlord's DO NO evict without fault. I've said all along that unless a Landlord can gain possession to get rid of bad Tenants on mandatory grounds, they will exit the market and we will be fall into a housing crisis of dramatic proportions. All these virtue signallers need to be very careful what they wish for.

From: John Thomspon 02 December 2020 11:01 AM

Only if you are forced to sell. Those with minimal lending will ride out whatever challenges we face. If there is one thing i've learned over the years, it's not to panic. Those who panic will be the ones that lose the most.

From: John Thomspon 30 November 2020 13:50 PM

Agreed Andrew, but the increasing loop holes of non -compliance that create non-Housing Act Tenancies will see more and more HMO's in the future. Landlord's move to a 'safer' platform where possession is concerned.

From: John Thomspon 27 November 2020 12:45 PM

Don't see this ever being a front page headline in the Guardian!!

From: John Thomspon 27 November 2020 12:38 PM

Actually David, I am an Agent who has run my own business for over 3 decades. Over this time I have gained vast experience, dealing with both Landlords and Tenants. Rogue Landlords have, in the main, been brought to heel and fortunately are now few and far between. Landlord's are being wrongly targeted and this is wholly disproportionate to the decent, compliant, and yes kind/caring, private Landlords who operate in the sector. We are now in a situation where the anarchists and unruly are dictating policy and that, in my view, is based solely on idealism, jealousy and self entitlement. You can create whatever 'think tank statistics' and bubble facts you wish from any algorithm or researching graduate report. It almost certainly comes with a left wing agenda. Again, this is just my view, but it is precisely this methodology you suggest that will make the housing problem in this country a major crisis. There is a reason that the older generation mellow from idealistic to realistic in time....it's called experience. Something in today's mad world which is highly underrated.

From: John Thomspon 24 November 2020 10:24 AM

Lies, lies and statistics Hello Reposit! :) You're selling a product, so you are going to churn out the ones that suit your narrative. The reality is the insured deposit simply hasn't taken off like we thoughts it might. Whether 'Hello Repost' likes it or not, Robert Brown is 100% right.

From: John Thomspon 23 November 2020 17:48 PM

Excellent example of the ridiculous over regulation in the PRS.

From: John Thomspon 23 November 2020 15:47 PM

I would consider my own personal experience being over 35 years, handling over 100.000 Tenancies good enough to make this statement. I'm sure most others would too.

From: John Thomspon 23 November 2020 10:49 AM

If 'accurately described' being the appropriate question here? The slanted misrepresentation by the media is bordering on 'criminal'. From my experience (vast), there a far more cheating, lying Tenants then there are cheating, lying Landlords. There may well be mitigation for mediation in this case, but there may well not be, and it is unlikely the whole truth is being reported. If Tenants were as fair minded and decent as the majority Landlords, I guarantee you there would be far less evictions taking place. The sooner these militant Tenant support groups adopt more balance to their argument, the sooner they will achieve their goals.

From: John Thomspon 23 November 2020 10:13 AM

I have written many times on the ad hoc, 'shoot from the hip' regulation by consecutive Governments and we have reached the point where PRS regulation is all over the place. Enough is enough; this has to stop immediately. Stop regulating for regulating sake, take a step back and start engaging your brains! We need a streamlined regulatory system that supports the competent and compliant supplier.... not one where you continuously look to screw the supplier and expect more and more for free. Landlords and Agents cannot spend their whole lives chasing Tenants for compliance, when Tenants often don't or wont engage. We do have a living to make you know! If you want Right to Rent updated then make it the responsibility of the Tenant. Personally I have had enough of being a gofer for the Government!

From: John Thomspon 18 November 2020 09:32 AM

Section 21 cannot and will not be abolished until Section 8 has been reformed. Those in the industry accept changes are a foot, but PLEASE, let’s have some joined up thinking and due consideration before, what has increasingly become, a rush to legislate. The Government has 3 to 4 years to get this right. Use it wisely. Let’s stop this 'back of fag packet' populist, accelerated regulation and get it right. Failure to create a balance between tenant and Landlord rights will stop PRS support of the most vulnerable completely, and the homeless issue will be a worsening national crisis for a generation. Hey, but why listen to me...I’ve only been working on the front line for 35 years.

From: John Thomspon 12 November 2020 09:52 AM

This wont be a popular view, but the apathy of landlords have made them an easy political and financial target. Be honest...How many of you reading this have contacting your local MP about the atrocious treatment you're expected to just suck up? I'm guessing very few. You are being asked to take on Tenant's debt... and you are just taking it on the chin! It's disgraceful that decent and financially prudent, mainly single or small portfolio landlords are being forcefully and 'legally' saddled with another's debt. The Government should be supporting tenants, but their smoke and mirror Universal Credit support is not fit for purpose. FACT...In many, many cases tenants are just pocketing the money, not passing it on and getting away with it! Landlords are getting financially screwed, but doing little or nothing about it. I'm no expert on the legal challenge of Government statute.... but you can have my tenner to support a crowdfunded legal challenge by someone who is.

From: John Thomspon 11 November 2020 09:33 AM

The Government will reap what they sow. Attacking decent, hard working, financially prudent tax payers for the benefit of jealous, lazy, self entitled, ne'er-do-wells is exactly the reason this country will be brought to its knees. WAKE UP! (the Government, not you Paul!)

From: John Thomspon 05 November 2020 12:46 PM

Mr Murphy....I think your argument is better directed at Jeff Bezos. Idiot.

From: John Thomspon 03 November 2020 09:25 AM

I can concur that this is 100% accurate, with Landlords leaving the sector in their droves. Generation Rent, Shelter and other short sighted tenant support groups attacking Landlords have blood on their hands for turning a housing shortage into the national disaster that is on the way.

From: John Thomspon 02 November 2020 09:16 AM

Surprisingly I find myself in agreement on the licencing of Landlords. 99% of Landlords have nothing to worry about. In my view a Landlord should either be licenced i.e. have the same RoPA qualifications as an Agent, or would have to legally have their property managed by RoPA licenced Agent. How many Landlords do you think would be able to pass these qualifications right now without further education? You may be surprised but the answer is, without doubt, not many. Landlord's will have to be prepared to educate themselves further. Not a popular opinion on here I appreciate, but my view is... rightly so. Any future reform should be considered and encapsulate the whole restructuring of the sector though. It is obscene the amount of individual adhoc regulation that has become statute with little or no joined up thinking. Any licencing requirement should be coupled with Housing Act reform (i.e. S21 abolition & S8 to include an accelerated ppssession procedure). Message to the Government -PLEASE stream line the PRS with reforms in one go, over a considered period of time. We will then all know where we stand and more likely be on board, rather than worn down by the constant tweaking (some call it meddling!) of the Government. There are not many left, but at least this will get rid of the rogue Agents/ Landlords for good. Here's another idea - have a all political party policy with a non-affiliated Housing Minister who stays in the job for more than 12 more months at a time!

From: John Thomspon 30 October 2020 09:26 AM

What a pathetic argument. Your jealous, self-entitled attitude lacks economic sanity. It's these non-sensical ingredients that will make this country poorer and the housing shortage a disaster. Grow up and wake up.

From: John Thomspon 28 October 2020 17:57 PM

it appears that London is 'yesterday's' place to live. Elsewhere demand is 8-10 times supply.....probably people moving out of London. The phrase 'reap what you sow' could be levelled at London's Mayor by many.

From: John Thomspon 28 October 2020 13:28 PM

I have negotiated some 80 Tenancy renewals since the pandemic started. In 67 of these the rent has remained the same. In 9 the Landlords have offered a reduction for a 6 month period to support their Tenants, in 4 the rent has increased - none I would add over RPI. This is simply BS from Generation Rent whose finger is nowhere near the pulse of the reality in the private rented sector. This constant 'bully boy' lobbying is turning Landlords away from supporting the most vulnerable in society and making matters worse for them. The supporting and understanding attitude of Landlords to their Tenants has been heart warming. The nasty, divisive and aggressive hatred we see in society today is fuelled by organisations like Generation Rent promoting an idle, self entitled and unaspirational lifestyle.

From: John Thomspon 28 October 2020 09:19 AM

Be aware Robert, as they are trying to trip you up and secure your Tenant's housing by making your let property a non-housing Act Tenancy. Using compliance, evidenced compliance..... and moving the legal and goal posts several times a year. I'm sure you cross every t and dot every i, but there are thousands of Landlord's out there who are in for the shock of their lives over the next 18 months. many that think they are compliant are way off the mark. The days of the sitting Tenant, not seen since the early 80's are about to return.

From: John Thomspon 26 October 2020 16:56 PM

Rarely do I ever agree with Generation Rent, but on this occasion they are 100% right. There are far, far greater number of rogue Landlords than rogue Agents. Uncomfortable fact for many, but it's the real truth. If Agents are legally required to be registered and qualified (see RoPA) then this must be the same for private DIY Landlords too. Many Landlords are already reeling from finding out their DIY (non compliance &/or non-evidenced compliance, Tenancy renewal without EICR, etc etc... I could go on) has created a non-Housing Act Tenancy and no right of possession. This industry is desperate for higher professional standards and the landlords that continue to do it 'their way' without far greater knowledge won't survive. Yes rents will go up, as standards rise and wages too, with a higher grade of professional demanding greater remuneration. We can argue the rights and wrongs but this is the future. With all party approval, I'm afraid it's a fait accompli. Embrace it or just leave the industry - those are the stark choices every Landlord faces today.

From: John Thomspon 06 October 2020 16:34 PM

Finger on the pulse again Paul. it is common knowledge that there is a long term political plan to replace private landlords with the build to rent. Landlords will continue to face more regulation, compliance and cost, all designed to eventually force them out of the market. What we all know on the ground is this strategy will take decades and create a desperate shortage of housing for the most vulnerable in society, as Landlord risk assess with far greater diligence - ill conceived is an understatement! All the Landlord talk of CCJ's on this forum is a pipedream. Tenants will simply disappear when the day before a bailiff arrive and in most (not all) cases, you're simply throwing good money after bad trying to enforce. Makes us all angry I appreciate, but that's the truth of the matter.

From: John Thomspon 14 September 2020 17:40 PM

Paul, you are 100% correct. The level of ignorance from some Landlord's belies belief. I have over 35 years experience and I have to continuously educate myself.... almost on a weekly basis right now. The days of simple 'mandatory' signing off by local county courts are gone. If a Landlord fails to educate themselves they will repent at their leisure. One small serving or compliance error (including audited evidence of such) and they have a Non-Housing Act Tenancy with the potential of not being able to get their Tenant out. There are new protocols which, if not followed to the letter, will stop Courts providing you with the possession order you want. Cut corners or fail to evolve your approach and there could well be huge financial repercussions, especially if faced with a knowledgeable Tenant and/or one of an increasing number of Tenant support groups.

From: John Thomspon 14 September 2020 11:31 AM

I predict 1000's of Landlords wont be able to get possession of their property in the coming years as Tenant knowledge of loopholes increases, especially with the correct serving and evidencing of compliance. I have just submitted 25 individual pieces of evidence to a solicitor for a 'simple' s21 possession claim. There is far too much complacency from Landlords who think they are compliant but are not.

From: John Thomspon 11 September 2020 14:03 PM

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