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David Lester

Landlord

1995 Profile Views

About Me

Landlord in Wantage Oxfordshire area, with a small portfolio of properties

my expertise in the industry

10 years as a Landlord with my wife, prior to this 40 years in the Automotive Trade.

David's Recent Activity

Make necessary changes to the minimum conditions that you are prepared to let your property, you may wish to: - o One month’s rent in advance, regardless of who is paying. o Guarantor for all tenants from the Council or are on Universal Credit. o 6 months break clause. o 5 weeks deposit or Rent Assurance o If Universal Credit, then rent paid directly to you from outset o Decide what is included in your rent, i.e. Council Tax, Power, Water, make them part of the Tenants responsibility. The above will sort-out the "wheat from the chuff"!

From: David Lester 15 October 2020 14:28 PM

Cornwall council will take every opportunity to "penny pinch", to cover-up their bad management!

From: David Lester 08 October 2020 09:03 AM

Can I suggest a national Bad Tenant landlord register !

From: David Lester 06 October 2020 09:41 AM

County Court Judgements Having being a regular reader of this forum for couple of years and recently reading much about Section 21 evictions etc, there is a question I would like to ask, however hope that I am not “shot down in Flames”. My question is; if the Government is preventing the issuing of Section 21’s for non-payment of rent, rent arrears, would taking the Tenant to County Court with the objective of obtaining a CCJ, be a method of being first for any future payments? Rationale for this question is that a CCJ last for 6 years, thereby the Tenants: - • Will have no Credit Rating and will not be able to get Credit, Loans etc. • With a CCJ any future LL will be able to check their creditworthiness. • It will focus the Tenants to pay or set-up a payment plan. • Shelter: Generation Rent and other such bodies cannot object, the contract is to pay, otherwise it must be theft. • A CCJ is not an eviction! • Could prevent Tenants “doing a runner” i.e. leaving the property and going to another, as the new LL will know that they are a bad risk. • To date, the Government has not interfered with this type of action. • It will demonstrate to the Tenants that they have a responsibility to pay their rent. • If enough CCJ’s were issued all Stakeholders will have to take notice of the LL’s position. • It is not an expensive action to draw attention to the situation.

From: David Lester 29 September 2020 09:25 AM

Just stipulate that rent is in advance and Guarantor is required.

From: David Lester 18 September 2020 09:04 AM

Fully support helping those affected by Coronavirus, however there are some who are abusing the situation, at great cost to Landlords. The Government does not recognise the PRS as a Business, in fact they treat it as a Charity, something they can just medal with, if they want to delay evictions, then they should pay the rent arrears to the Landlords. Is the underlining recognition by the Government that they would not be able to house the homeless?

From: David Lester 15 September 2020 09:48 AM

If the Government is preventing the issuing of Section 21’s for non-payment of rent, rent arrears, would taking the Tenant to County Court with the objective of obtaining a CCJ, be a method of being first for any future payments? Rationale for this question is that a CCJ last for 6 years, thereby the Tenants: - • Will have no Credit Rating and will not be able to get Credit, Loans etc. • With a CCJ any future LL will be able to check their creditworthiness. • It will focus the Tenants to pay or set-up a payment plan. • Shelter: Generation Rent and other such bodies cannot object, the contract is to pay, otherwise it must be theft. • A CCJ is not an eviction! • Could prevent Tenants “doing a runner” i.e. leaving the property and going to another, as the new LL will know that they are a bad risk. • To date, the Government has not interfered with this type of action. • It will demonstrate to the Tenants that they have a responsibility to pay their rent. • If enough CCJ’s were issued all Stakeholders will have to take notice of the LL’s position. • It is not an expensive action to draw attention to the situation.

From: David Lester 11 September 2020 10:42 AM

From: David Lester 25 August 2020 10:29 AM

From: David Lester 24 August 2020 09:27 AM

During lockdown, Tenants have received furlough payments of 80%, Self Employment grants or Universal Credit, what have the Landlords had! and what have they done with the money? If the Government want to extend, then they should, like Wales provide Tenants loans to pay the Landlords, however it should be direct payment.

From: David Lester 21 August 2020 11:33 AM

Left wing half wit, everything for nothing (Labour)

From: David Lester 17 August 2020 09:37 AM

Because Osbourne was an idiot!

From: David Lester 23 July 2020 11:51 AM

Government to blame and it will only increase, they must realise that we are a business, not a Charity!

From: David Lester 29 June 2020 08:56 AM

At the end of this Pandemic there will be a day of reckoning, evictions, high rents and more homeless.

From: David Lester 08 June 2020 11:09 AM

None payment of rent is theft, any future Tenant will have to have a Guarantor, what will the Government do if all Landlords insisted on having one?

From: David Lester 08 June 2020 11:06 AM

A contact is a contract even under the Coronavirus crisis, if Labour or the Government want to change one side of the contract then Landlords should have the right to change their side, i.e that the Government stand Guarantor for all unpaid rent and the interest! We are not a Charity!

From: David Lester 11 May 2020 09:54 AM

The Government have taken enough money from Landlords over the last five years, Section 24, Stamp Duty etc, if these renters organisations want a holiday, let the Goverment guarantee the rent!

From: David Lester 15 April 2020 09:07 AM

Simple; No Rent, No Landlord, No Home! Where will they live?

From: David Lester 15 April 2020 09:01 AM

Why is it Landlords are expected to take a hit, we are a business not a charity, if the Government wanted to help PRS scrap section 24!

From: David Lester 14 April 2020 09:05 AM

When will the Government, Shelter and other organisations who have no in-depth knowledge of the Private Rented Sector, realise that for every Landlord that leaves the sector a minimum of one person or family losses a home? Other key factors: - • PRS represents 20% of the population • If the Council or Social cannot house the people who are made homeless, rents will rise, choice will reduce and more people will be homeless, having to stay in B&B, Hotels etc, costing the country more money. • If will be the honest and good Landlords that will go to the wall, caused by; rent holidays, no rents, section 21 etc. • The Tenants that cause the problem are usually the rouge tenants who do not deserve to be housed. • As of 5th April, many Landlords will realise that the Government Tax regulations will prove that PRS is now no longer viable and leave the sector. • Building new houses has stopped and will take many months to get back to full production, when they do it will be the houses for the private buyer which are finished the earliest. • To rebuild the UK economy will require foreign workers, with reduction in available places to rent where are they going to live? • During this latest crisis, Coronavirus, more Landlords have been put under financial pressure than ever before and after the last five years of Government onslaught of Taxes, regulations, rent holidays etc. More will go to the wall. • In three months, there will be a deluge of Section 21’s and Section 8’s, 2 to 3 months after reality of the homeless will materialise! • The Government’s generous concessions for those furloughed 80% of their wages paid, Universal Credit payments, also the self-employed, meaning that nearly all Tenants will be a position to pay rent, even if reduced. If a Tenant, then refuses to any pay the rent these benefits withdrawn and future Landlords informed of their indiscretions! • In addition to the Courts listening to section 21 and 8 applications there will be an equal number of Small Claims Court applications for back rent, damage etc from those rouge tenants. • Measures to highlight rouge Landlords are not working, they only effect the good Landlords, if there is going to be a Rouge Landlord register there should be a Rouge Tenant Register. • Any Tenant who deliberately and fraudulently refuse to pay rent should have their Credit Score effected. • With Universities closing and Students returning home not for filling the contracted rental, where will the next year intake live as these Landlords will no longer be there! • If anyone walked into Tesco’s and took several hundreds of pounds of goods without paying it would be theft! Not paying rent is theft! • All good Landlords will sit down and discuss with a Tenant payment plans. • No Landlord will ever evict a good Tenant without good reason. • Being a Landlord is a Business not a Charity and should be treated the same as any other business in the UK, this includes taxation! No return on investment leave the sector! If the above is indisputable, it follows that the UK public need a health Private Rental sector, therefore Government, Shelter and other Landlord bashing organisations should sit down with the Landlords and find a way forward to support, incentives and improve the Sector! Failure to do will result in misery for many!

From: David Lester 03 April 2020 09:30 AM

What is her remit to help Landlords who face ruin because of Governments Coronavirus legislation?

From: David Lester 02 April 2020 10:41 AM

It is idiots like him that make Labour unelectable!

From: David Lester 30 March 2020 08:57 AM

What protection for Landlords?

From: David Lester 27 March 2020 09:03 AM

If unable to work they get 80%, therefore can agree 80% of rent!

From: David Lester 24 March 2020 09:58 AM

So when my houses are repossessed where will these tenants live? Someone wake-up and smell the coffee, Landlords are a business not a charity! we have financial commitments and families to support.

From: David Lester 17 March 2020 10:05 AM

Maybe the Government and Tenants wake-up and realise that Landlords who invest their money in providing homes to rent, are a business not a charity!!

From: David Lester 18 February 2020 09:49 AM

If any tenant who may be a potential risk, why not insist on a Guarantor as a condition of renting? This would give another avenue for unpaid rent and if not option do not rent to the applicant.

From: David Lester 31 December 2019 12:33 PM

Excellent proposal, there is an urgent requirement to end this out date feudal practice dating back to 1066. Major problem is that the big institutions and the old money people have their snout tin the pot and will not give up their stranglehold easily!

From: David Lester 04 November 2019 09:20 AM

At present there are plenty of articles relating the problems in the Housing and PRS sectors, predicting gloom and despondency all with excellent arguments, however the message is not getting across to the politicians. On the other side of the argument, i.e. Shelter and Generation Rent seem to get media coverage and achieve to get their message across. As this election will be a once in a possible 5 years to get the PRS point of view, we need to rally support, I personally have written to my MP on several occasion. Can I suggest that Landlord associations get together produce a communication that all Landlords can personalise to send to their MP’s

From: David Lester 31 October 2019 09:15 AM

At present there are plenty of articles relating the problems in the Housing and PRS sectors, predicting gloom and despondency all with excellent arguments, however the message is not getting across to the politicians. On the other side of the argument, i.e. Shelter and Generation Rent seem to get media coverage and achieve to get their message across. As this election will be a once in a possible 5 years to get the PRS point of view, we need to rally support, I personally have written to my MP on several occasion. Can I suggest that Landlord associations get together produce a communication that all Landlords can personalise to send to their MP’s

From: David Lester 31 October 2019 09:14 AM

I feel that the Inventory should go further than just pointing out what is wrong, it should have recommendations and estimated costs. This would be fairer for LL and Tenants and save arguments or bad feelings upon departure.

From: David Lester 17 September 2019 11:13 AM

There not rising in my area Oxfordshire, or near London Heathrow!

From: David Lester 17 September 2019 11:09 AM

If they are elected we will sell immediately!

From: David Lester 02 July 2019 11:43 AM

Can you take them to court and make them bankrupt, thereby ensuring that they never get credit or a credit rating?

From: David Lester 21 June 2019 09:15 AM

The day this happens I will sell up and get out of the market!

From: David Lester 11 March 2019 09:07 AM

Question, are these 2,000 houses Leasehold?

From: David Lester 05 March 2019 08:52 AM

I am not an expert, however why can't you take her to the small Claims Court for the damages, loss of earnings etc. If you win and she doesn't pay make her bankrupht thereby resticiting her of any credit, credit cards and her credit reference. This will ensure that her and others like her will not be able to rent privately or get credit.

From: David Lester 10 January 2019 08:58 AM

Why is it that no one in the UK press hasn’t realised that there is direct link to these policies and homelessness? The monies raised with these extra taxes will be paid out ten-fold in housing the homeless, benefits and the NHS, in other words affecting those who are most vulnerable! As Landlords we do not want preferential treatment, we need to be treated like any other business, income; minus expenses including borrowings, equals taxable profit!

From: David Lester 02 January 2019 11:25 AM

I totally agree with the comment that Osbourne was an idiot, although I would have put it in stronger language. Hammond has had several opportunities to put right the Osbourne wrong, however decided against it. Why is it that no one in the UK press hasn’t realised that there is direct link to these policies and homelessness? The monies raised with these extra taxes will be paid out ten-fold in housing the homeless, benefits and the NHS, in other words affecting those who are most vulnerable! As Landlords we do not want preferential treatment, we need to be treated like any other business, income; minus expenses including borrowings, equals taxable profit! Whilst about idiot Chancellors we must not forget Brown, if it wasn’t for his outright attack on pensions, many of today’s rental businesses would not exist. The UK has not had a competent Leader for many generations, i.e. Blair, Brown and Cameron, (BBC). Do not know how the above bunch of idiot’s sleep at night, or even look in the mirror without feeling embarrassed! They all do a rubbish job, leave with fat pensions, without realising that their policies have resulted in death and misery to millions!

From: David Lester 31 December 2018 15:29 PM

My wife and I are in the property business for profit not as a charity, mortgage interest is a cost of sale and should be accounted for as such!

From: David Lester 07 December 2018 09:01 AM

Has anyone had Airbnb respond to an email?

From: David Lester 14 November 2018 09:07 AM

Great idea, protect those who are doing the job correctly!

From: David Lester 26 October 2018 09:04 AM

Full agreement, I will not rent to anyone on benefits, sooner or later Councils/Government must learn and make Tenants responsible for their actions, i.e. refusing to rehouse them if they damage property.

From: David Lester 02 October 2018 09:45 AM

If Labour get in will sell portfolio, realise that Conservatives see Landlords as "cash cows" however this bunch of lefties want everything for free!

From: David Lester 25 September 2018 08:52 AM

Did someone say that the Goverment listened! whatever next? maybe tax reviews!

From: David Lester 06 September 2018 09:37 AM

Are there any MP's that support Landlords? If any why have they not said anything?

From: David Lester 29 August 2018 09:25 AM

Not intending buying any more until, longer tenancies and Section 21 are resolved.

From: David Lester 28 August 2018 09:40 AM

Beg to differ, out of five Estate Agents in my immediate area two could not communicate to save their lives. One of them I pulled-out of a sale after five weeks of not hearing from him. If I were to spend any time in an Estate Agents, would introduce basic communication skills and account management recording. An example of how bad their skills are, my Son and his wife (Mr & Mrs) sold their house last Saturday, the Estate Agent sent an email address to Miss! Totally agree with your comment on Solicitors, however last year dealt with five different Solicitors, all crap! there must be a quicker and cheaper way of legalising the sale and purchase of property.

From: David Lester 14 May 2018 13:53 PM

Major frustrations in buying properties and the reasons I have pulled-out of purchases are poor communication and time taken by both Estate Agents and Solicitors

From: David Lester 14 May 2018 09:39 AM

What about a database of bad tenants?

From: David Lester 20 December 2017 09:55 AM

Dear Sirs, Having read your article and wondered if there was a forum regarding the corrupt practice of Leasehold Management Companies charging extra when the flat is let-out? David

From: David Lester 21 June 2017 15:22 PM

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