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jeremy clarke

Director

5397 Profile Views

About Me

Over 30 years as an agent

my expertise in the industry

managed large chain flagship office and now run my own business

jeremy's Recent Activity

Good, this needs to happen more often. Perhaps Shelter will consider funding landlord's legal bills to sue the bad tenants that they seem to think do not exist??

From: jeremy clarke 10 October 2019 09:31 AM

At least 2 enquiries this week from tenants who have been given notice by their landlords who are selling up. In both cases the tenants have pets and are still of the impression that by offering a higher deposit they will be housed. Just another example of gov meddling in a problem that did not exist. Prior to June the 1st we would have insisted that tenants took out damage insurance against pet damage, taken a larger deposit and would have written into the agreement that carpets would need to be treated and cleaned by our cleaners at end of tenancy; in 15 years, never had one tenant with pets object!

From: jeremy clarke 10 October 2019 09:14 AM

I watched this programme and as an agent was horrified but what I do not understand is why agents and landlords allow the arrears to build up? As far as I'm concerned if a rent is unpaid, tenant is in arrears and I am putting landlords on notice that they need to get all the paperwork ready either via us themselves or via a lawyer to be ready to submit to court on the day after the next rent is due and doesn't come in. This is a business for landlords and it doesn't matter how nice the tenants seem and how appealing their excuses are, get a possession order and stick to deadlines. The other thing that I couldn't understand was the owners of the flat engaging in arguments with their tenant - just walk away and let the process happen! There is of course rent & legal insurance which could save everyone a lot of hassle and heartache!

From: jeremy clarke 23 July 2019 10:47 AM

And yet gov are happy to regulate and licence agents leaving landlords like this to just carry on!

From: jeremy clarke 18 July 2019 08:22 AM

We now issue an in depth questionnaire to all online enquirers before arranging viewings, over 50% do not respond Those that then view get a further questionnaire if they express interest, so far since June 1st over 30% have lied and then fail referencing!! Main reason are the self employed who either declare virtually no income or have no accounts at all and those who fail to disclose ccj or bankruptcy after being asked twice! They have nothing nothing to lose whereas before June 1st they stood to lose a fee for lying.

From: jeremy clarke 27 June 2019 08:10 AM

And in other news landlords are given up to 4 months to pay their mortgages!

From: jeremy clarke 01 April 2019 10:20 AM

Please can we stop calling them "eviction notices?" They are not eviction notices, notice served under Section 21 of the 1988 Housing Act is the first part of the legal process used by the landlord to advise the tenants that the landlord requires possession of the property. If the tenant fails to move out then the landlord has to apply to the courts for an order of possession; even when that is granted it is not an eviction notice, eviction only comes when the tenants ignore the court order at which point the landlord goes back to court to appoint a bailiff who will ultimately attend and evict if necessary. on another note, Fergus is right, the property belongs to the landlord who should be able to choose the tenants, the more "outsiders" such as shelter and gov interfere and impose conditions the more landlords will react by selling up and getting out which will greatly restrict the market.

From: jeremy clarke 19 March 2019 10:25 AM

Hey tenants, if you don't break things and if you clean properly there will be no issues! How difficult is that?

From: jeremy clarke 26 November 2018 07:29 AM

Another legal mess, not exactly designed to encourage people to become landlords is it? Someone in government will one day wake up and wonder why the prs is in such a mess, by which time it'll be beyond repair!

From: jeremy clarke 25 May 2017 07:42 AM

Remove tenant fees, reduce the amount spent on background checking, increase claims on landlord insurance policies, increase costs of landlord policies, higher rents for tenants! Brilliant, who thought that one out then?

From: jeremy clarke 28 March 2017 08:04 AM

Even now when running landlord training days I encounter landlords who have failed to register or protect deposits. On some days I would say it's the majority rather than some; 2 weeks ago 3 from 8 had failed, 1 thinking it was okay because he kept the deposits in a separate bank account!

From: jeremy clarke 02 March 2017 08:03 AM

I just spoke to a solicitor as I'm looking to sell a little flat - a list of charges and other costs as long as my arm! What choice do I have, the fact is that if we want something we have to pay for it. If government stopped loading the work that agents had to do the charges might be less. I agree that some take the p*** but there is room for a reasonable charge to be levied for the work involved and believe me it isn't just a matter of tippex on an agreement. When dealing with several hundred properties management software is an essential tool to ensure nothing gets missed - factor that it at £5,000+/- along with office rent etc and you start to see the costs that need to be covered. As a tenant I was once asked by a landlord to meet in a pub to sign papers and hand over money!! Suffice to say i steered a wide berth and was happy to go to an established letting agents office in town and pay for the privilege.

From: jeremy clarke 19 September 2016 16:11 PM

So HSE chose to ignore their own guidelines? MUPPETS! Penalties for Breach of Gas Safety Regulations Breach of the regulations is a criminal offence with the Health & Safety Executive empowered to bring proceedings. * Landlords and/or managing agents can be convicted for non-compliance. *The standard penalty is a £6,000 fine for each item and/or 6 months imprisonment. *In the most serious cases charges of manslaughter could be brought. * Insurance cover could be invalidated for non-compliance to the regulations.

From: jeremy clarke 08 December 2015 16:06 PM

Can we see the questionnaire presented to these landlords? In over 20 years I do not recall more than a couple of landlords complaining about fees - the key is to explain fees and what they will get for that fee whilst they are in the office!

From: jeremy clarke 16 November 2015 12:55 PM

What's the problem? Why on earth have any landlords even considered letting properties without a smoke detector? Common sense to me. Since we opened here in 2013, we have insisted on a smoke detector on each floor, electrical check and gas record before we would consider putting a tenant in a property. To the best of my knowledge we have never had a landlord refuse - it's not as if this just happened, it's been on the cards/agenda for a long time. IMHO if a landlord hasn't got the basics in place he deserves the full weight of the law to come down on him from a great height!

From: jeremy clarke 22 October 2015 14:08 PM

Define rogue! What's to stop a landlord with a banning order just transferring the property to brother cousin etc. etc.?? What needs to happen is that the property is subject to an order as well as the landlord. Mind you, how often do we hear of directors being banned from being directors only to discover that they were already banned - who keeps a tab?

From: jeremy clarke 15 October 2015 15:19 PM

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