x

John Adams

CEO

1251 Profile Views

About Me

CEO

my expertise in the industry

CEO

John 's Recent Activity

Inevitably when you have ideologs instead of educated, expereienced people in office chaos ensues. We see this in Westminster all the time, where these newer Parliamentarians have gone through University, Intern and then selection at local level straight into Parliament, having gained no real world experience or relevant qualification other than a Degree in Politics or Sociology. Unfortunately the SNP and the other raggle taggle of leftwing extremists have had a stranglehold over Scottish Education for so long, the people seem incapable of making astute decisions come election time.

From: John Adams 25 April 2024 09:35 AM

Actual translation, "We have found a wheeze to pay for Tea & Biscuits whilst looking busy and we don't want the Government to take that away". I have yet to see any evidence that Selective Licensing has improved living conditions or reduced antisocial behaviour in these areas, all that it has done is make the council a few bob and push rents up.

From: John Adams 24 April 2024 07:25 AM

Lucas, should hurry up and go. An Epc minimum of C is totally impractical outside of the Islington set, it will cause a huge housing crisis in many of the old industrial towns were the cost far exceeds the value of the property. D is a reasonable standard but anything higher is unachievable in these areas. I really think these MPs should have to go on a full tour of every town in England and made to see first hand what the effects of their hand wringing will be.

From: John Adams 24 April 2024 07:20 AM

The more these groups, associations and organisations get involved in PRS the worse the outcome for everyone. I've yet to see anything that's actually gone through that has made any improvement to the sector without decreasing supply and increasing rents as a result. I just wish these folks would go back to annoying farmers.

From: John Adams 22 April 2024 07:51 AM

Use up your ISA allowance, top up your pension scheme and the rest on the Hull to Gothenburg Ferry trips which I am told is frequented by very friendly ladies 🤣

From: John Adams 22 April 2024 07:46 AM

Yes relatives indeed, I have a bunch of them, all feckless. Sad really because when I'm gone they could have prospered but I know that it'll be wasted.

From: John Adams 22 April 2024 07:44 AM

I've also seen the results of these illegal grow houses. However when you have in effect decriminalised the possession of Cannabis to the point that you can't walk down any street without smelling the stuff, then you might as well allow it to be grown under licence and tax it. Personally I'd prefer we didn't add another problem to society but since it's clear no one in Westminster actually cares about stopping the usage then what's the point? The Landlords who allow this are being offered significant sums up front in cash - usually at least above market rent for a year and a guarantee nuisance free tenant, of course the upshot is they wreck the wiring, cut holes in the walls and ceiling and turn the whole place into a giant sponge. But if you've got some back street terrace somewhere that's difficult to rent then maybe the numbers stack up, because they're are a hell of a lot of them out there.

From: John Adams 22 April 2024 07:37 AM

What ever they pass is going to be totally irrelevant in just a few months. Labour are a certainty and looking at the lunacy in Wales and their blood brothers in the SNP have passed chaos is the best we can expect.

From: John Adams 22 April 2024 07:27 AM

Presumably we can expect HMRC will only be working once a quarter too.

From: John Adams 22 April 2024 07:22 AM

Anyone considering voting Green only has to look at the chaos that ensued in Brighton and Hove, with weeds a metre high along the pavements, rubbish piled high for weeks on end to highlight just a couple of the joys of going Green, so much so they were lost to Labour at the last local election. Even their Green MP couldn't justify the mess.

From: John Adams 05 April 2024 08:53 AM

Just curious as to how this impacts the Royal Estates such as Balmoral?

From: John Adams 02 April 2024 07:31 AM

Ben achieving nothing as usual

From: John Adams 28 March 2024 14:22 PM

Scottish Sealed Bid system, is really the only one that has merit. No gazumping, no messing.

From: John Adams 22 March 2024 06:58 AM

Most of this guff is included when you purchase a house anyway and you pay about £300-400 as part of the Conveyance. It will probably help potential buyers spot problems earlier but since you still get many buyers don't bother to take out their own Survey let alone read what their Solicitors tell them, I doubt it's going to have much impact except increases in listed prices. Waste of time as usual, just to justify someone's job someewhere.

From: John Adams 22 March 2024 06:57 AM

Do the maths, 6 panels for the average suburban semi and a battery your looking around £8k. I get £50 expprt every 6 months back from a recently installed system (came with the house) and it probably knocks off about £400-500 off my electric per year. Is that better than the hassles of a Heat Pump, yes. Is it worth spending £8k+ on? Probably not.

From: John Adams 22 March 2024 06:49 AM

The good news is the NRLA seem to have increased the renewal to £100 , an absolute bargain with that clown still at the helm.

From: John Adams 22 March 2024 06:45 AM

Why is anyone bothered about this, Gove won't change his mind he'll just play silly devils now until they call an Election. He knows he's lost his seat and is probably snooping round the Private banks and management consultancy practices for a few non executive roles. Either way he doesn't give a toss. Seems to me Ross Clark should be running the NRLA, he talks more sense than Benjamin button.

From: John Adams 22 March 2024 06:35 AM

Unfortunately we have created a situation in this country where duty to your country is sneered upon and so Politics now only attracts those seeking to make a quick buck - you'll notice how the intelligent ones leave as soon as they've secured a few non-executive directorships whilst the dim ones seek to pad out their time on quangos and wait for the gold plated pension from parliament. In America of course you become a politician only after you have sold your soul to a corporate. So with both the Westminster and US systems in terminal decline we need to push for the Swiss system of Public referendum - which of course the Westminster cabal are never going to accept, less they lose the seat on the gravy train.

From: John Adams 20 March 2024 07:31 AM

It's a Barrister that tells you most of what you need to know, highly paid and detached from life of ordinary people but thinks just because he represents some oppressed minority he understands all of mankind. What we need is someone other than Ben in charge at the NRLA.

From: John Adams 20 March 2024 07:08 AM

Unfortunately it's going to take sometime before the consequences of these lunatics become so aparrent that they have to back down not because they have comprehended the results but because the public at large have and are not voting for them. We see this with the Green policies, no matter how much they tried to call the public stupid and evil for not going Green, it's not worked - the public don't see the benefit in their pockets of a car that costs double and is worthless once the battery is kaput or a heating system that requires you to wear a coat at home. Eventually the public simply say no.

From: John Adams 20 March 2024 07:06 AM

And of course ignoring their own appalling record on maintaining social housing as usual. If you are a Council Tenant in Oxford and have an issue, I highly encourage you to seek out one of these conditional fee agreement solicitors to take the council to court.

From: John Adams 20 March 2024 06:57 AM

For most people pets are part of their family and I rent to several families with various critters with few issues, kids on the other hand...

From: John Adams 19 March 2024 07:03 AM

Good, I have no sympathy for Bad Apples. As a sector we get a lot of flack and those that wilfully break the law tarnish that reputation further, so he deserves what he gets.

From: John Adams 19 March 2024 07:00 AM

Gove is the prime example of a Minister who is out of his depth, if the BBC ever wants to do a remake of "Yes! Minister" he's your Jim Hacker. Gove doesn't know what he's doing and realising it's too complex for his limited capabilities, he's playing Hot Potato in the hope that Labour end up the ones having to deal with it and catching the fall out of the consequences of increased rents, massive drop in supply and complete collapse of the social housing sector as it finally becomes overwhelmed with the beach arrivals and the existing wait list.

From: John Adams 19 March 2024 06:41 AM

London is where it definitely gets murky when it comes to property, much is owned by The Duke of Westminster and another huge chunk by various oligarchs and off shore invisible entities who combined have significant financial control and could really cause major difficulties for a sinister left Government. I think we'll see various amounts of window dressing by Labour but significant intervention? That could prove a real headache for Labour.

From: John Adams 19 March 2024 06:30 AM

This is what happens when you have amateurs in Government. Mrs T at least came from a business background and had a Chemistry degree. Most of the fools in Westminster studied Politics and little else.

From: John Adams 18 March 2024 08:42 AM

If the plan is to get small landlords out and big companies in, well that's a bust as we know John Lewis have already got cold feet, and banks etc are not going to be too happy with large numbers of repossession proceedings and bad debts. Gove needs to wake up and tell these activists they are causing more harm than good. As for Ben at the NRLA is he related to Gove?

From: John Adams 14 March 2024 07:20 AM

Whatever University this guy/girl/teapot went to, should be sued. I also think people/entities called "Ben" should be banned from having anything to do with housing, as clearly they are all nuts.

From: John Adams 07 March 2024 06:28 AM

With continued frozen tax allowances he's fooling no one with the NI Cut. As usual it's rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic and will do very little for seaside and rural communities who will now see a drop in tourism due to the tax changes on Air BnB making it cheaper to fly abroad (economy only)...

From: John Adams 06 March 2024 13:52 PM

Unfortunately the Government seems more prepared to listen to folk that have no understanding of economics and the free market, instead of people actually providing homes and jobs in the economy.

From: John Adams 06 March 2024 09:35 AM

Ah the Green Party, the fog knitting brigade that completely ruined Brighton & Hove with their policies so much so the centre of lefties and students voted them out for Labour.

From: John Adams 06 March 2024 09:32 AM

People use Airbnb because they face either hovels or extortionately priced hotels, whilst this will free up housing it will also increase unemployment as people think " I'll be blowed if I am spending £400 for a week then rain in Torquay when I can go to Croatia for a fortnight all inclusive." This is the trouble when you listen to spoilt children to write your tax policy. Removing Stamp Duty would free up larger homes from elderly people who want to downsize but can't. Increasing the IHT threshold would stop people who have relatives with houses in our cities getting clobbered just because of time. Reversing S24 would bring fresh investment into Housing but no Gove has no clue.

From: John Adams 04 March 2024 08:46 AM

I'm intrigued how will this affect all those migrant let's? And while killing off Air BnB in favour of Hotels and B&Bs might help some resorts it will have the opposite affect as prices go up and even more people hop on a plane abroad for a cheaper vacation.

From: John Adams 03 March 2024 12:59 PM

Of course the issue is the person, her, Dianne Abacus and Bob Crow all hD council places and she's made money on it and now wants to stop anyone else doing the same.

From: John Adams 26 February 2024 08:29 AM

Unfortunately this nonsense will continue until it finally dawns on their members that they now don't have a job because the bar or whatever has closed down due to lack of customers and they still can't buy anywhere because they don't have a salary....

From: John Adams 26 February 2024 07:44 AM

Oh of course she has defended it, just like the old Politburo defended their Dacha in Odessa. You can't shame these people they have no shame, just admit you made a quick buck and now you want to close the stable door.

From: John Adams 26 February 2024 07:40 AM

There has to be a balance between the two, but be careful of what you wish for, no visitors means no income. There are many many seaside and other rural towns that are struggling as it is (I suggest watching a chap called Wendel on YouTube for a real tour of Britain today) driving away tourists and then wondering why what was left of the town has died completely will be too late.

From: John Adams 26 February 2024 07:34 AM

Anyone noticed that the name Ben, seems to note incompetence in the sector....

From: John Adams 22 February 2024 07:40 AM

Section 21, Section 24 and the endless petty regulations. Are these people completely daft and it's the entire sector not just the over 55s that can get better returns elsewhere. Chickens are coming home to roost

From: John Adams 22 February 2024 07:38 AM

If you are a landlord to this guy, serve a section 21 now and if you are approached to let to him, you know what to do. It is not realistic or the obligation of landlords to subsidise tenancies. The Government are responsible for providing social housing not me

From: John Adams 22 February 2024 07:30 AM

Pension Controls are next on the agenda, with increases in the minimum age for taking a lump sum up from 55 to 58+ Retirement Age up to 70 from 68 and lifetime contribution limits reduced further. You can be certain that controls on Savings Accounts is in the queue. Gove is a WEF puppet

From: John Adams 19 February 2024 10:37 AM

He can promise free rides at Alton Towers, they are still going to lose. The public are fed up of the failures to deal with crime, extortionate prices and the green agenda. Will Labour do any better? More chance of me being Pope, but they are going to get elected unless Labour really screw up somehow.

From: John Adams 17 February 2024 22:48 PM

These people deserve what they got, the trouble is it tars the rest of us with the same brush, resulting in more ludicrous rules and costs.

From: John Adams 15 February 2024 13:47 PM

Dear Tenant, your local councillor has insisted that your rent will be increased by £1,800 PA Please feel free to visit them, and ask them for an explanation. Regards Land lord.

From: John Adams 15 February 2024 13:44 PM

You wonder why this comes as a shock, you blow a hole in the finances of Landlords, guess what they take their money elsewhere. Unlike tax hikes on Booze & Fags, the alternative isn't corner shop knock offs but a tent in the bushes when the Council are flooded with the homeless.

From: John Adams 15 February 2024 13:40 PM

They promise the sheeple, free lemonade fountains and chocolate trees. That's how, you create envy and hate and whip up a bit of division, it's how Adolf got into power. The SNP acheived it by feeding on the historical hatred of the English, you blame England for everything, Tooth Decay, Drug Addiction, The Weather it's all down to the English, and you can turn that Hatred into votes.

From: John Adams 15 February 2024 13:29 PM

Presumably these looney tunes rules won't apply to properties owned by the local authorities... This is the problem when you have people in office, that have no actual qualficiations in the nonsense they are proposing. The happy clappy campaingners are incapable of comprehending the outcomes of what they propose. Scotland is turning into Canda.

From: John Adams 15 February 2024 13:26 PM

Actually most of them have at least a working knowledge of English when they so choose. Of course we currently have a whole industry of left wing extremists determined to pull down the Government and they operate at every level from school indoctrination to the legal system they use the levers of you're far right, you're a conspiracy theorist etc to shut down debate, and they are extremely successful in our overly soft tolerant society, and it's very ironic that China and Russia will rapidly remove any decent from society yet encourages these folk in our country to reek havoc by claiming rights and protections for people who absolutely detest everything they claim to represent.

From: John Adams 08 February 2024 07:15 AM

Invariably they are being placed by the likes of Serco, so you are probably not dealing with random dinghy people, but some kind of agency deal with Serco. Either way you don't need the grief for a quick buck.

From: John Adams 07 February 2024 21:04 PM

Unless Serge has friends on a Friday he doesn't stand a hope of getting elected in London.

From: John Adams 06 February 2024 09:18 AM

I wonder what the homelessness list looks like now in those wards in Sheffield... My guess new available Rentals are rarer than hens teeth.

From: John Adams 31 January 2024 08:13 AM

Perhaps the Solicitors Regulation Authority would care to investigate?

From: John Adams 31 January 2024 08:09 AM

It'll never happen. They'll be endless claims of DEI breaches and since most city councils are made up of Che Guevara wannabes they are not going to boot out anti social elements. That's why Thatcher's Right to Buy was a massive success as it gave the decent people the opportunity to flee sink estates.

From: John Adams 31 January 2024 08:06 AM

Installed heated PIV, few days later it's cold and there's this draught....how much electricity is this using.....etc etc Switched it off and evicted the tenants. There was no other solution and that'll be the same scenario for many others I'm afraid. You can only do so much but if you have a tenant that is a Mushroom farmer who won't open Windows and thinks washing dries best on radiators you've got no hope.

From: John Adams 31 January 2024 07:59 AM

I think we've all had dealings with Agents that are more "Stath does Let's" X Arthur Daley. So some legislation in the sector is welcome, but Labour would help the sector far more especially in terms of buyers in pushing for the Scottish Sealed Bid system which would put an end to much of the dubious conduct of some agents.

From: John Adams 22 January 2024 07:34 AM

Purchased a property from the original occupier of some twenty years, no issues with the property or the survey. Tenants move in 6 weeks later I had to install a dehumidifier for black mould and soaking wet windows. It's solved the issue but of course the cause remains in the that tenants will not open windows even after showering. This is the problem because most tenants have never owned a property they don't respect them and whilst there are a number of crp landlords who aren't maintaining their properties, legislation that simply reinforces the attitude of "not my problem, not my house" will result in more disputes and landlords simply selling up.

From: John Adams 22 January 2024 07:28 AM

Remind me when as a member I voted for that?

From: John Adams 19 January 2024 10:05 AM

The idea sounds good, but completely wrecked by the restrictions and tests. Many properties are unmortgagable because of the EPC or stupid things like not having a Bathroom - things that are going to be fixed anyway as part of any refurbishment before letting. As for the 3 property limit again it's a stupid restriction. They need to go and have a little sit down and rethink this potentially useful product.

From: John Adams 18 January 2024 11:27 AM

Good, the likes of Shelter think we are all rogues and don't care, but any reputable business knows potentially killing your customers isn't a good move. So banning repeat offenders through the Courts is something we should all welcome. Will it work? Probably not because what's the betting he simply appoints a family member as Director of his company and carries on getting away with it.

From: John Adams 18 January 2024 11:19 AM

How do we get rid of this fool?

From: John Adams 16 January 2024 07:03 AM

Lendlord is a better platform, like everything NRLA it's not fit for purpose lately.

From: John Adams 11 January 2024 11:03 AM

I hope you wrote to all your tenants when you increased the rents, advising them to thank x local councillor.

From: John Adams 10 January 2024 12:15 PM

Please house all the people for us, and as a thank you we'll hammer you with Selective License fees and pretend to do inspections to drive up standards - even though we already have an obligation to inspect properties and the ability to isssue fines to non compliant landlords.... But let's punish you all and then ask for your help... When did this country suddenly become over run with the stupid in the corridors of power? Was there some sort of "stupidity covid variant" they all caught?

From: John Adams 10 January 2024 12:13 PM

From: John Adams 10 January 2024 12:08 PM

Perhaps they could try this with Tesco & Sainsbury's too... maybe not they'll lose all those party donations wouldn't they.

From: John Adams 10 January 2024 12:06 PM

Just another tax grab, once they know who is doing what they'll hammer them with taxes and inspections, driving up costs in the tourist industry in Wales and ultimately decreasing revenue as people go elsewhere and provision dries up. These politicians know they can't raise direct taxation because of the backlash from the voters, so they are doing it by stealth. If you have the audacity to want a holiday, we will screw you over indirectly that way you just blame the greedy business owners and not us. Just as with Selective Licensing, if you run a B&B put up clear signs on your door and website, stating that your fees are subject to the Welsh Tax grab. - Make people understand who's doing this.

From: John Adams 10 January 2024 11:56 AM

Ironically Middlesbrough is another area with high levels of poverty and deprivation and here they are effectively reducing housing availability and increasing rents. If you are a Landlord in the area, write to your tenants and tell them that the Council has decided to increase their rents by implementing this surcharge, if they have any questions please do not hesitate to ring your local councillor and ask them why.

From: John Adams 05 January 2024 11:56 AM

Once again we are seeing mass Greenwashing by the various NGOs, Councils and Government. These grants and schemes are overly complicated and require the tenants to divulge information on their benefits and income. What's even more frustrating is the companies flagrantly lying on YouTube and Facebook claiming there are special allowances for things like Double Glazing which are simply nothing more than fake marketing scams that go unchallenged and we know the vulnerable and elderly really can not afford to lose their life savings on things that will never pay back or even cause significant damage such as Spray Foam loft insulation. It's about time the Green brigade started getting their backsides off the motorway and educating the public on things that do work and aren't scams.

From: John Adams 05 January 2024 11:50 AM

Dear Tenant, your rent is increasing due to the decisions made by xxxx your local councillor. Please do not hesitate to contact them to express your views.

From: John Adams 29 December 2023 07:34 AM

Is Diane Abbott still living in her Council Flat?

From: John Adams 27 December 2023 11:41 AM

There is no discussion with these folk, they are blindly following an agenda that many of them have no idea even who set it, only that it sounds good. We live in a society that has been corrupted by outside influences as can be seen in many areas of the media now, but to question that narrative is to bring a hell storm of accusations of discrimination despite it being bleedin' obvious that the sky is blue. As can be seen in America, there is a coming storm that will result in mass civil unrest in the coming decade, because of these lies and indoctrination of the gullible.

From: John Adams 27 December 2023 11:38 AM

Unfortunately we've had decades of an education system that's been quietly infested by the sinister left, and their corrupt indoctrination of the young. These new voters, will not comprehend the error of their ways until they have experienced the 70's all over again.

From: John Adams 27 December 2023 11:27 AM

Come the Summer, "Unexpected decline in Tourism hit's Edinburgh, SNP blames Westminster...."

From: John Adams 27 December 2023 11:24 AM

And in the words of Gino D'Acampo "If my Grandmother had wheels she would have been a bike..." Any property can get to a Grade C, the question is at what cost?? Spending £50k on a Burnley Terrace worth £70k is plain insanity to everyone except these people. The goal posts are arbitrary with many examples of identical flats receiving vastly different scores, and how long before the Grading changes again? The whole system is an ineffectual mess, that provides no benefit to anyone, resulting in rising rents and lower levels of availability.

From: John Adams 27 December 2023 11:19 AM

None of it has any credibility that's why LL aren't bothering. You can not get any consistent sensible advice, you look at the EPC measures and it might say low energy lighting ok I can do that, then solid floor insulation - no I'm not spending silly money and evicting the tenant for a £100 saving, then it'll say Thermostatic valves on radiators ok can do that, but it doesn't tell you how many points these measures individually give you as they aren't in an ascending order that makes any sense. If it started off with a sensible point system out of a hundred and then awarded points for each measure it would make more sense. So house is rated 45/100 needs to be say 60/100 so solid floor worth 20 points, light bulbs worth 5 points, Radiator Valves worth 15 points....so simple I can see that bulbs + rads is enough and I don't need to kick tenants out and dig up a concrete floor...

From: John Adams 20 December 2023 11:16 AM

Love these stories, talk about trying to flog a dead horse. It's like selling suncream in December and claiming we're in for a scorcher - although the Greta's amongst you will probably snap it up...

From: John Adams 20 December 2023 11:07 AM

If you live outside of the Westminster bubble in the real world you'll know that tens of millions of homes in the UK were built for solid fuel - Coal & Wood with open fire places, and so they were designed to allow free air flow. Come the 70s and Clean Air controls and North Sea Gas people are pushed to ditch the smoke and mess for Central Heating which was fine as it was cheap and clean but now fuel prices are rocketing and we all have to go green, people are being told to seal every nook & cranny trapping the moisture from breathing, cooking, washing inside, coupled with everything being painted with plastic and not chalk based paints results in your owh greenhouse effect complete with nature's response of mould. PIV systems, dehumidifiers can help but the reality is all these are expensive and many people can't see the benefit of something that costs them thousands to install, makes the house a little draughty and colder.... I spent more than a thousand pounds putting in a heated piv system in a property and got no end of complaints about the draught.... You can't win. The Government needs to spend money on a proper functional home improvement system for all average income homes. Of course the real irony is zero carbon new builds with Triple Glazing, Heat Pumps, Solar and Rain Water Harvesting aren't even mandatory....

From: John Adams 20 December 2023 10:51 AM

As always right to your tenants and tell them that due to Cllr x voting to increase charges on rental property, you're rent is being increased by x. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call Cllr x on ### ####

From: John Adams 19 December 2023 09:53 AM

Fact is that social tenants generally have more complex needs than private renters who by virtue of the rents charged need a steady income. Social Tenants also tend to not care about the property at all, because they aren't going to lose a deposit or generally face eviction. People in Plymouth will see their council tax actually increase due to the aforementioned issues and the maintenance costs. For years councils have secretly rubbed their hands in glee, at not having to organise repairs and take phone calls about the neighbours, indeed many Councils sold off their entire Housing Stock to Housing Associations as a wheeze to get rid of the problems. The Elephant in the room of course is where did the original tenants go? Plymouth aren't building new houses just buying the existing ones with out the tenant, so basically rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic....

From: John Adams 15 December 2023 07:50 AM

I agree the various individuals should have received the same fines etc as a Landlord would including possible jail time.

From: John Adams 13 December 2023 23:26 PM

Would be nice if there was some kind of organisation to represent Landlords, you know one where you pay a modest annual fee to promote our interests...you could give it a catchy name say National Residential Landlords Association and they could campaign for us.....

From: John Adams 12 December 2023 10:01 AM

Tax avoidance and Tax Evasion is another thing altogether but a fair playing field apparently is completely out of the question when it comes to the tax affairs of landlords after the removal of tax relief on mortgages and changes to wear and tear, we are paying beyond that of any other business type.

From: John Adams 12 December 2023 09:58 AM

Oh what twaddle, of course rents will keep going up, just like everything else. Who remembers paying 70p for a Pint.... They might stagnant for a time but when you have an expected net migration figure next week of another 700,000 people and how many homes are being built what do you think that means?

From: John Adams 21 November 2023 09:22 AM

We live in times of false truth, where if you push a lie long enough it's accepted as truth. Inevitably and painfully the facts have a habit of pushing through eventually...

From: John Adams 21 November 2023 09:12 AM

Lovely live under a Pylon for £10k off your electric bill and £50k off your property value.... There may or may not be health issues associated with such things but I know what I'd rather look out the window and see, and a pile of humming scrap metal isn't number one on that list.

From: John Adams 20 November 2023 07:44 AM

Let's face it they are all on solid Gold pensions and they've all got second homes paid for by the state... The majority of these Turkeys are so far from reality it's just a game to them. If they lose their seats they get a couple of hundred thousand pay off and then usually go and sit on a company board or Quango somewhere.

From: John Adams 20 November 2023 07:35 AM

Paid for idiots in the pockets of others.

From: John Adams 20 November 2023 07:29 AM

Bless her little red socks, Labour are going to hit the wall quicker than she realises. Every Union is going to be demanding a significant pay rise, then they'll have to deal with the lunatic fringe protestors now of course some are being orchestrated by Labour but others are being funded by overseas supporters who won't go away, Old Soros was just this week part of the Break up Britain meeting in Scotland and so Labour are going to have him to contend with as well as his looney SNP and Green mates. The young are going to learn rapidly why us older folk voted again and again to keep Thatcher in power....

From: John Adams 20 November 2023 07:25 AM

Apart from the obvious question of where his £4 BILLION is coming from if we say an average London home is 400k X 10,000. I presume Dianne Abbott has lent him her calculator, anyway buying back all these old ex-council houses from whom exactly?? Most people sold up and fled their neighbours once the 3 years restriction on selling was up, and Housing Associations were the majority buyers as no one in their right mind wanted to move to a sink estate....And where do these existing occupant's live?? Or have these house just all been sat empty... So once again we have fantasy economic promises to try and get re-elected and try and distract the poor from the fact they've lost their car and their city is overrun by feral gangs....

From: John Adams 20 November 2023 07:07 AM

Dull man makes speech of no consequence.

From: John Adams 17 November 2023 09:12 AM

Compulsory Purchase even today never pays a fair market value. You can appeal the valuation, but you still loose.

From: John Adams 17 November 2023 09:10 AM

I'm afraid none of what you are talking about will work. The sinister left have convinced the activists that everything should be free and that they have no responsibilities in society. How you achieve these fantasies has never been explained, because as any Ex-Soviet citizen will tell you they never saw any benefits.

From: John Adams 17 November 2023 09:07 AM

Unfortunately it's been nearly 50 years since a true Labour Government has been in power, and no-one under 50 has any idea as to how chaotic and destructive it will be. During this time the sinister left have indoctrinated children and infested institutions with their clap trap and only a spell of chaos and hatred is going to correct that. When the younger generation see that Labour have only fantasy and poverty to offer first hand will we get back to normality and that is going to take a couple of decades. You only have to look at how the sheeple keep voting Khan back in to see just how dimwitted people are and how much damage has to be done before the sheep revolt.

From: John Adams 17 November 2023 09:03 AM

Unfortunately the lunatics are running the asylum. It will take several years before the chaos they have caused is fully realised and some kind of backtracking to bring back investment will inevitably happen. In the meantime homelessness is going to sky rocket, already the SNP are beginning to see the results but of course are currently unable to admit it. The current "Government" will probably fall in the coming months and lose the election, the loonie left however will have little to clap about as investment collapses.

From: John Adams 15 November 2023 15:53 PM

After today's cabinet fiasco, doesn't matter what any of these soon to be ex-MPs say. The Conservatives are toast. Thanks to Sunak, we have at least 10 years of Socialist chaos ahead

From: John Adams 13 November 2023 11:58 AM

Yes there's no denying that HMOs by virtue of occupation, generate more rubbish and tenants need to be clearly advised as to how a bin works and who's job it is to put them out for collection. However, the fact remains that the ever growing list of items you can and can't put in the forest of bins is a problem, along with the fact Council Tips seem to be increasingly working from home...so you go on a Saturday morning and the darn place is either closed or has run out of space for any more Mattresses... Local Authorities have a part to play too!

From: John Adams 10 November 2023 07:54 AM

What happened to the rules around Charities staying out of Politics? As others have said, they've let bad/difficult tenants stay up until now but knowing you could be stuck with them for ever has naturally become a cull. Had Shelter had a bit of sense, and said why don't we put a rent freeze on Section 21 for 6 months+, so that it's not being used as just away to increase rents, then maybe would have made little more sense, but as any one who is actually a Landlord knows S21 is used primarily to get rid of rent arrears, trashy tenants and not just for fun, having a void is a pain in the bottom line, not amusement.

From: John Adams 10 November 2023 07:47 AM

What was it 10,000,000 ? The increase in the UK population over the last decade or so. Number of new homes in that time, few hundred thousand.... Knock off the executive apartments and holiday homes from that total and there's your problem right in front of you. Until all the Political parties, lobbyists and other interfering busibodies wake up and acknowledge the problem and then accept that Generation Hate, Acorn Nuts and Shelter are making it worse, chaos will ensue especially when the refugees from the Israeli conflict start to head to Europe and on to the UK.

From: John Adams 03 November 2023 07:59 AM

The problem is that many of these initiatives require disclosure of the tenants circumstances and understandably I can't see many wanting to discuss those with their landlord; yes they will have given some information on the original tenancy agreement but if that has changed I can imagine most will not want to say, fearing a rent increase or breach of contract - even though you are trying to improve the property for them. This definitely needs a rethink in respect of tenanted properties.

From: John Adams 03 November 2023 07:48 AM

The far left extremists eventually eat themselves, as we are seeing with the SNP in Scotland. It's been 44+ years since Labour last had a play at socialist economics and assuming the current outbreak of internal anti semitism doesn't consume them they are likely to win, at that point the young who voted for them will learn rapidly that 1975 isn't a just a pop group but a chaotic collapse of the country, and they've voted to give it another re-run. As I try to explain to my various young relatives there was a good reason why the Country voted for Baroness Thatcher in 1979, 1983, 1987 and I don't particularly want to return to the 1970s despite being a lot younger and carefree in those days, the strikes (Labour have already promised to allow those), the power cuts (The green extremists will encourage those), the Mass unemployment (the first two will ensure that) and the economic collapse (Pulling out of trade deals and begging the EU will ensure that) are pretty much what Starmers lamas will bring with them as the young learn from bitter experience why when we were young we voted for a bossy, cold and cranky woman from Grantham to take over the Country.

From: John Adams 01 November 2023 07:56 AM

I'd like to know how a Charity like Shelter is allowed to continually get involved in Politics when the law on Charities prohibits them from so doing? And when Shelter are going to start housing people themselves? As for Ben's ramblings, it'll be a case of fingers in ears from Tom Darling "I'm not listening nah nah" Generation Rent and their ilk have made various bizarre claims, so any kind of constructive response is not going to be forthcoming, along with demands that everyone gets free toast in bed.

From: John Adams 01 November 2023 07:28 AM

Rule No.1 if you are in debt or struggling talk to your creditors. Rule No. 2 Speak to the Citizens Advice or Step Change debt charity Rule No. 3 Avoid any "Credit / Debt" management/advice company....they need your money which is why you went to them for help in the first place!!?

From: John Adams 27 October 2023 06:35 AM

Come buy my delicious Strawberries, roll up roll up it's only 4pm on a bank holiday weekend and if I don't shift them by 5pm I'll have a lot of mouldy useless sludge....so roll up roll up delicious Strawberries.....

From: John Adams 27 October 2023 06:31 AM

Potential tenants can now see where their rents will be higher and there is no actual property to rent because another council has decided to do a cash grab with the pretence that by taking hundreds of pounds they'll magically start carrying out their legal duties under the Housing Act..

From: John Adams 27 October 2023 06:29 AM

Gove desperately trying to cling onto a doomed Tory vote....and Ben blending in with the wallpaper as usual. The Tories are going to end up dead in the water because the young have been brainwashed by the champagne socialists living in a nostalgic Che Guevara poster fantasy and Landlords will not forget the treacherous treatment of our businesses.

From: John Adams 27 October 2023 06:25 AM

Don't you love a supposed expert that doesn't even know an "F" or below isn't legal for letting except when a special reviewed exemption applies? And even then good luck getting a Mortgage. Please go back to knitting fog or whatever it is you do and let the people that do know what they are doing get on with it. I don't suppose Ben from the NRLA will do much to point out her absolute twaddle either.

From: John Adams 27 October 2023 06:18 AM

The problem started in the Schools & Universities, they have been infested with academics that have no real world experience and live in a fantasy land of Che Guevara posters and Corbyn fairy tales of a socialist Utopia. Of course these are the same people that support the recent terror events and attacks on those they disagree with, remember how many of the champagne socialist celebrities clapped when Farage had a milk shake thrown at him and one saying it was a pity it wasn't Acid.... That's what's being pushed by the academics. Until the Right side of politics start rooting out the ideological rot the chaos seen in the USA now will come to our streets.

From: John Adams 26 October 2023 07:43 AM

Perhaps the only thing that will come of this madness is the Register of Landlords, might give rise to a Landlord Association that has a pair and starts to act in their interests and fight like the looney left lobbyists do.

From: John Adams 26 October 2023 07:17 AM

Do you returns by all means, but be daft enough to pay it until late January, put the money aside and earn some interest.

From: John Adams 21 October 2023 10:52 AM

Ben's frankly out of his depth and the various delusional groups run rings around him.

From: John Adams 21 October 2023 10:48 AM

It's an unpleasant fact that there are people who are basically beyond the levels of public decency that single handedly were responsible for the mass exodus of those that could afford right to buy. At the end of the 1970s vast sink estates (Think Channel 4 TV series Shameless on steroids) and so this is what will happen again, as the ability to turn these folk out on to the streets until they learn to be human ends and their behaviour ruins the lives of those around them.

From: John Adams 18 October 2023 08:09 AM

One thing is for sure you don't put your money in the UK Banks especially with the champagne communists coming into power next year. If you can't get out of the country then physical gold & silver is going to have to do, the working classes always kept some when I was a lad, so that when they popped their clogs it was all "dealt" with...

From: John Adams 18 October 2023 08:00 AM

One thing that intrigues me is that in my area it's a farming community and a number of farmers have mobile homes (ok freezing cold metal boxes) they use to house the pickers and cutters, potentially these farmers are now going to be stuck with folk in these mobile homes that have decided that jolly old England is the place to be, but cutting cauliflowers is not for me..... How will this affect other tied properties such as Pubs and Holiday Parks? Can we now potentially do deals with employers that our properties only house tied workers - potentially creating a new form of servitude??

From: John Adams 18 October 2023 07:52 AM

Well the abolition of Section 21 will show one thing that the likes of Polly won't be able to explain, and that will be why are evictions rising and rents increasing? As others have said the increase in anti-social behaviour and even murder as was covered up in the media blackout in Hartlepool this week is going to eventually force a rethink. As my mortgages come to term, I'll think about my next steps but even the idiot Gove will come to realise that the legislation is a mistake; of course he still gets his pension after being booted out next year, but you can be sure Momentum are in waiting gunning for their off shore tax fiddles and holiday homes, I bet he didn't think of that...

From: John Adams 18 October 2023 07:43 AM

Wishful thinking. Take a walk down any high street, the number of empty shops is still rising, additionally places like Oxford Street in London are plagued with traders who simply disappear having never paid the rent, whilst using the premises as a front for criminal activity. Even in small regional towns the numbers of retail shops being raided by the authorities for Customs fraud remains a major problem, and then you are stuck with having to deal with getting your premises back and trying to deal with the stigma it's brought with it in the eyes of the local community. I think in terms of Commercial property some kind of Small Office premises would be better assuming we don't go through the whole lock down saga again.

From: John Adams 13 October 2023 06:29 AM

Unfortunately it's a given that Councils are going to use every trick under the sun to get someone off their books, they really don't care and as a Landlord it's frankly a fools game to do so. There are many people that are on the Council books across the country, that have been in permanent housing but who are an utter pain in the backside for their neighbours and have been eventually booted out, which is why the Councils want to pass them on to someone else. Just don't deal with Councils is my advice.

From: John Adams 12 October 2023 11:27 AM

Andrew, that's pretty cras really. There is no excuse for the kinds of issues that are usually the result of Council enforcement actions, I would be richer than Bill Gates if I had a Penny for everytime one of these cases comes to Court that didn't involve basic Health & Safety violations excluding Mould & Damp. How many cases has there been of Dangerous Electrics, Gas, Building Defects, overcrowding, sexual coercion, and illegal evictions. Of course there are vast numbers of crooked tenants, addicts and just utter trash that even the Council don't want to house, but we are supposed to be professionals and not act like we don't have an ounce of decency.

From: John Adams 12 October 2023 11:23 AM

Unfortunately there are still too many incompetent & crooked landlords in the industry, the council like most councils have screwed up, but this situation should never have even happened. I think we will end up down the path of a Professional certification of self management skills or third party agents to clear out the crooks and clowns from the industry. The industry has to become more professional overall, I see too many people trying to flog tax schemes, get rich quick and other dubious offerings, even after recent Tax Accountants have called them to task, I received an email today trying to Curry favour for a Section 24 plan...

From: John Adams 12 October 2023 10:58 AM

That'll be a Communist Cat, Chairman Miaow...

From: John Adams 10 October 2023 09:51 AM

I can feel the opportunity for lots of internet memes... Section 21 Made my Cat a Communist Section 21 Made me allergic to Potatoes Section 21 Made me turn into a Baguette

From: John Adams 10 October 2023 09:46 AM

Well we can look forward to a re-run of the 1970s with the announcement they are going to repeal all the strike laws, that should encourage investment...

From: John Adams 09 October 2023 10:46 AM

Nothing to do with a vastly increasingly population and no bricks being laid?

From: John Adams 09 October 2023 08:03 AM

We're all doomed if Ben opens his trap... They need someone like Vanessa Warwick there.

From: John Adams 09 October 2023 08:02 AM

Congratulations on today's stupid Scottish Policy. Another fine demonstration of a complete lack of basic economic understanding, so just in case some fool who came up with this nonsense is reading, here's the problem.... New Build Houses sell for more than similar existing houses...as such the rents will be considerably higher than existing properties which you will have held the rents down on...now you as a hard up Scottish comrade in the Peoples Republic of Alba, going to look for a cheaper rent or a dearer rent? As builder of expensive to rent properties, going to want to shift the lot as quickly as possible and run off with the cash or sit around paying interest in the hope you might rent one or two? Here's a clue....go boil your heed' as they say.

From: John Adams 09 October 2023 07:56 AM

I think anyone who lived in Brighton & Hove over the last few years, really enjoyed the experience of weedy pavements, widespread drug use and the bin strike, so much so they voted Labour at the last Council Elections. Caroline Lucas is standing down as MP one of their more sane members, probably because she can smell the organic chi tea when it comes to the local voters...

From: John Adams 09 October 2023 07:46 AM

100% Agree with you since the merger the NRLA have lost touch with the members and seem to busy promoting their own interests.

From: John Adams 09 October 2023 07:40 AM

Usual codswallop "research" that fails to understand why a property is vacant aside from the economics of putting tens of thousands into a two up, two down in Horden or Burnley, there is the glaringly obvious reasons of unemployment and crime in these areas. No self respecting family wants to live in an area where you get mugged, your child attacked and your windows smashed all before tea-time. The reality is until the Police do their job and Councils act to evict antisocial elements, these places will remain wastelands. You only have to look to places like Chicago and Detroit to see what happens next.

From: John Adams 08 October 2023 08:29 AM

While these funded fools have sway over Labour, Labour needs to think long and hard as to what or whom is funding them and the consequences of that further down the line. The oily lot that block the roads have been funded allegedly by Ecotricity founder, but we know that China and Russia are actively involved in what goes on at TikTok and the manipulation of content to the west. Labour could well find itself in hock again to foreign powers as has happened with the old Soviet Union and the left of the party.

From: John Adams 08 October 2023 08:16 AM

Politicians listening to experts....next week how to nail jelly to the ceiling and how to build deep sea camp fires.

From: John Adams 02 October 2023 07:18 AM

Unfortunately this is the kind of person that tars the whole sector. Reports that the majority of Private Tenants are happy compared to Social Tenants doesn't make good news print, but Rackmanesque activities do.

From: John Adams 02 October 2023 07:15 AM

When you have "Charities" like Oxfam jumping on the political bandwagon why would anyone expect the facts to get in the way. I wonder what all these groups are going to do when Labour doesn't actually deliver Utopia? Don't get me wrong there is much wrong with the Government and the disconnect with the working population but as can be seen by the widespread breakdown of society in California & New York because of the kinds of policies these folk want to push we have a difficult period of reeducation of these activists ahead.

From: John Adams 02 October 2023 07:08 AM

Conservative MPs are too busy working out what they are going to do when they lose their seats. We can only hope that the statistics behind the scenes are concerning enough to Labour that they realise the disaster their proposals will bring. Labour is like the Conservatives far from unified and upon election, Starmer faces huge rebellions internally and policies that will fundamentally damage the country will succeed and only after a rerun of the 70s will the younger generation understand. It's been more than 44 years since the chaos of the kind of Labour Government we are now facing and as Schools are mostly left wing that part of our history hasn't been taught....

From: John Adams 02 October 2023 06:58 AM

Basically a Fridge in reverse. The question is how many of our Politicians know that they are not going to solve any of our problems because they still need electricity to power them and aside from the immense cost to install them in the majority of pre-war housing, where is all this leccie' coming from? Nuclear Power stations take decades, wind is fantastic when it's windy and looking at my solar panels today I'm producing a stonking 40w... Can't wait until one dull snowing week iced up turbines and covered solar panels to see what happens when everyone plugs in their Fischer Price Electric Cars, Turns up the Electric Heat Pump and puts a brew on whilst watching the big match on telly.... burn baby burn, that good ol' time National Grid she gonna burn hotter than Hell in that ol' time religion. Hallelujah and Praise the Stupidity of the Greenies.

From: John Adams 27 September 2023 07:46 AM

It's those pesky customers, if you could just get rid of them, everything would be perfect.

From: John Adams 27 September 2023 07:36 AM

This will actually turn out to be a bit of an hilarious own goal, because how many Councillors and Council Officials have been or are landlords... Let's face it, corruption and convictions aren't exactly a rare bird when it comes to local and national politics.

From: John Adams 27 September 2023 07:31 AM

The fact is we are expected to behave like a business but are not treated as such when it comes to tax. If other businesses had the same tax arrangements the country would collapse over night, instead we are in slow motion car crash as investment in Housing up sticks and leaves ironically it seems Hunt is going to encourage that by expanding ISAs...

From: John Adams 25 September 2023 09:21 AM

Firstly people that rushed to comply where warned both on this platform and many many other places that landlords should wait and see, because none of these targets had become law. If you have spent this money, it's not dead money you've made an improvement that with the direction of travel become required eventually, the difference is hopefully by waiting the technology and materials will have improved and be cheaper in real terms like Solar. The main issue that remains is practicality these politicians live in luxury tax payer funded homes they don't have a clue of what average UK housing stock looks like and that's a problem that continually needs to be pointed out loud and clear to them. Finally the hypocrisy of New Builds that still don't have Triple Glazing, Solar PV, Heat Pumps and Rain Harvesting as standard - why are we still building problems?

From: John Adams 25 September 2023 09:11 AM

This idea of "fully tax deductible" shows yet again the complete incompetence of these councillors. I still have to pay it the fact I can reduce the amount by a small percentage doesn't mean I am not worse off if I don't pass that charge on. I'm fed up with the willful stupidity of the politicians we have today. If this scrounger has not got a clue on the basics, what hope does the country have if they get elected? We've seen the chaos in Scotland under the SNP in Housing and now Wales, unfortunately the young have been brainwashed by these idiots who have convinced them the world owes them something for nothing, and it they don't get it then there's an "ist" for that.

From: John Adams 25 September 2023 08:55 AM

That's why any changes need to be in law. But kicking everyone out who hits a genuine bad patch is why the likes of Shelter and Generation Rent are getting traction.

From: John Adams 22 September 2023 07:32 AM

It'll take time before the true chaos is seen, in Scotland it's still early days but once the consequences become truly apparent it'll be with a heck of a bump. Scotland of course relies on the race card to blame the English but eventually as this lunacy is spread across the UK people will begin to ask why can't I live in a house anymore and why are the council offering me a tent?

From: John Adams 22 September 2023 07:25 AM

There's no excuse for breaking the law and HMOs have been part of a licensing scheme for a long time. HMOs can be a problem due to the density of renter's and the fact that the surrounding area isn't necessarily able to cope with extra people. The question for York is if the Council don't engage respectfully and go in all guns blazing with Rent Repayment Orders, just where are they going to house all of them when the landlord sells up?

From: John Adams 22 September 2023 07:13 AM

You only have to watch the numerous reports of the chaos in American Democrat cities, to see the lunacy coming our way. Aside from the race wars being fought n the USA, you have places like Chicago, San Francisco and New York now overwhelmed with homeless people, massive drug issues and stores closing because of endless looting backed up by these crackpot politicians defunding the Police. In London and Wales we've seen some of these American Democrat policies start to take root, and the consequences are already apparent. The NRLA and Lettings Agents should start running social media campaigns like Shelter does, advising Investors "Leave Wales". The sooner landlords stop engaging with Local Authorities who in turn have jumped at the chance of selective licensing and planning restrictions, the better. When total chaos ensues, then they will learn. Labour have not been truly in power since the 70s, Blair was not really Labour and as such schools and colleges have the opportunity to indoctrinate a whole generation who have no idea what they are wishing for. That's the problem with our current weak national government and a Unicorns and Lemonade Springs opposition. I'm afraid only a dose of the chaos seen in the USA is likely to wake them up, and by then we'll be back in the EU for ever tied to even more lunacy.

From: John Adams 22 September 2023 07:04 AM

Over populate an area and that's the result. Every single Government of any political hue has lied about the "North" it's not Game of Thrones beyond the Watford Gap, we see it yet again with HS2 why was it started from London? It should have started East West and then South because you can already go North but try getting across from Newcastle to Liverpool and you might as well learn to knit fog. Creating low tax zones for business and Freeports would do much to create jobs and redistribute wealth for a better balanced economy but no party is interested and rather stay tucked up in Islington.

From: John Adams 21 September 2023 08:29 AM

Yes there are people that wilfully magpie properties and simply don't pay rent from day one but to tar everyone with the same brush is wrong. People do have situations that are transient and you need work through that with them, not simply rush to boot them out that's why the likes of Generation Rent and Shelter have an audience.

From: John Adams 21 September 2023 08:20 AM

I get their intentions are honourable, Step Change do a good job of helping people manage debt, and landlords should and DO generally work with tenants to help them but ultimately most properties have some form of finance on them, and if that can't be met then chances are the Bank will solve the problem leaving the tenant homeless and the landlord with a bad credit record which could then well impact other innocent tenants. If they want to solve the problem, then lobby the government to reverse s24 in return for a discretionary ground on rent arrears less than 6 months.

From: John Adams 21 September 2023 08:02 AM

Personally I'd rather Ben shut up and leave it to estate agents and other professionals as he achieves very little. What needs to be done is stop building new shoe box properties that still don't have Solar PV , Triple Glazing and Rain Water storage as standard. We need a realisation that a significant proportion of houses in the UK are pre-war and built to be draughty to remove the fumes from open fires and humidity, this was fine until you started sealing up chimneys and double glazing and then the issues with mould began - now these have been largely mitigated but when you start introducing heat pumps that are operate at much lower temperatures for longer and generally need more space already at premium, these homes stay colder for longer and the risk of condensation and mould goes up. And then the practicality of sighting the equipment needed in a back yard filled with a rainbow of wheelie bins? As for digging up floors and panelling walls it's simply too expensive and impractical in many terraces. Improvements in technology are coming and any changes to homes need to be in tandem with these. Solar PV is far more practical in many cases compared to whipping out a modern condensing boiler and I believe domestic gas usage is not the problem after all manufacturing and business uses far more.

From: John Adams 21 September 2023 07:47 AM

As Sunak is discovering, if you keep pushing crazy policies there are consequences. Khan is oblivious to the reality of the housing crisis in London and him and the looney Labour councils are now finding out what it looks like when investors stay away, basically they've had a reminder of what happened in the 1970s when money simply fled the country.

From: John Adams 21 September 2023 07:27 AM

It makes you wonder what the point of the MOT emissions tests... ULEZ utter scam, they could simply have increased the MOT requirements as I bet your old vehicle met them.

From: John Adams 20 September 2023 18:30 PM

How about we make tens thousands of people homeless as their homes aren't suitable for heat pumps. Let's all suffer power cuts because we have a national grid that can't cope with the increased demand from cars and heat pumps. Let's not worry about China, India and the USA and bankrupt ordinary people for this rush to zero.

From: John Adams 20 September 2023 18:24 PM

I happen to think he has a point on second homes, there are many desirable villages across the whole of the UK that have been hollowed out because of second homes. A house needs to be a full-time home not a plaything at the weekend. I don't agree with the SNP on virtually everything else they do in regards to housing but these homes that sit idle out of season, make what limited accomodation there is available, for local families even more unobtainable. Yes, there are second homes that are huge and not suitable as regular family homes, but in many cases especially in costal towns that's because half a dozen cottages were knocked down to build a couple of luxury monstrosities - the removal of which, would allow multiple homes back in there place. So yes I agree with him.

From: John Adams 19 September 2023 07:44 AM

It's what the extremist left do. Look at any of the left claims, how many times were we all going to have died from Rising sea water? How many people apparently are dying from car pollution in London, yet hop on the tube and the pollution is off the scale, meanwhile cars have had to meet an MOT emissions test for how many years now? They moan about the Boris bus, yet not one of their claims can be backed up.

From: John Adams 15 September 2023 09:10 AM

Shop around is the age old mantra. Shop around. Look at the reviews of local agents and who has the most Sale Boards, spend half an hour just doing that instead of listening to the slick dick who promises you a sale 30% higher than the old guy in the dusty looking one man band agent at the back of town who told you it was worth a little less than you dreamt it was but who has sold virtually every house in town first time.

From: John Adams 15 September 2023 08:52 AM

The whole reason property prices went crazy in the first place was foreign buyers trying to slip cash away from the prying eyes of their respective Governments causing the ripple effect Knight Frank have pointed out many times. Now we have significant supply shortages and unsustainable population growth so while the heat driving prices up has reduced for now, any escalation in the various wars and other natural calamities is only go to drive up prices as those that can flee.

From: John Adams 15 September 2023 08:41 AM

Regardless of whether these stooges get what they want, if a tenant gets in debt and then gets a CCJ for unpaid rent, they will not only still lose their home they'll not be able to get credit anywhere. Landlords are far more likely to pursue the debt under Section 8 when under the quicker Section 21 the unpaid rent is likely to have been lower and the landlord just be thankful to have them out. As we know Wales & Scotland are now seeing the consequences although still not acknowledging them... Unfortunately we have a brainwashed youth who have no experience of the policies they are lusting for, and think the 1970s are just a pop group and not a manual of how to ruin a country.

From: John Adams 15 September 2023 08:29 AM

I had to install a dehumidifier in one property because tenant won't open the windows and dries washing indoors. A brick through the window was my second option.

From: John Adams 08 September 2023 14:30 PM

It sounds wonderful if you are a tenant, what in reality it means is the choice of property lessens as larger properties become unprofitable and the general availability makes moving home for a new job or to be near family a challenge. At the moment many properties purchased today will give a rental income lower than inflation after taking into account ones costs, Capital Appreciation coupled with CGT changes and Environmental costs also mean that the overall return is less attractive and so do I stick my money into ETFs and to hell with the grief becomes a real consideration for many.

From: John Adams 07 September 2023 07:25 AM

Park Homes? Seriously?? If you are looking to buy a Park Home aka a trailer park caravan, then do your homework and get a session booked in with a good psychiatrist. The history of people being caught by extortionate site fees, having to seek the sites permission to sell, having to use the sites designated Energy provider etc is a long tale of misery.

From: John Adams 07 September 2023 07:15 AM

Theres a reason why the big players are Housing Associations and not Private Corporates in the sector and that's the tax breaks they get as quasi-charities. When JLP have to deal with dodgy tenants and damp they'll wonder why they gave up selling Socks and Saucepans.

From: John Adams 07 September 2023 07:07 AM

Something and nothing, the likes of LNPG have been doing this for years. Frankly shop around is the best advice, the likes of Argos, AO, Very, Euronics all have good deals even after taking these discounts into account.

From: John Adams 07 September 2023 07:02 AM

I don't know why you post this story as you will soon take down the comments section. The good landlords know exactly what goes on with these HMOs in London, and frankly the Council is 💯% right to deal with these people who give the likes of Shelter ammunition to tar the entire sector with the same brush.

From: John Adams 07 September 2023 06:59 AM

It's going to be interesting to see just how much Private rental accommodation they have left in Scotland by the end of 2024 The younger viewers won't remember the old council estates that existed across the UK that thanks to council incompetence and general disregard became poverty and crime blackspots as councils took the view that bad tenants would be "improved" by the good ones....yep that was a real socialist belief back in the day. Of course it just made the decent people's lives a misery and was the driving force in getting Margaret Thatcher elected on the promise of escape from these Hell Holes via the right to buy, coupled with the economic collapse Labour had bought upon the country resulting in a bailout from The International Monetary Fund... Scotland unlike that other Labour paradise of Birmingham will of course be bailed out by Westminster but it's social tenants can look forward to a return of the no go estate and crumbling homes. Welcome Scotland to 1978.

From: John Adams 07 September 2023 06:50 AM

Fundamentally all these political parties are playing with the deck chairs on the Titanic. Inflation statistics are a complete lie, the state pension is basically out of funds and so there has to be a complete rethink of public services, the welfare state and the swiss cheese tax system. It can't be right that the average family face IHT when the Royal Family doesn't. It can't be right the likes of Amazon pays less tax than John Lewis. Dentists now refuse NHS patients after training at NHS hospitals and Doctors go off to Australia after training here without paying a penny back. Now our schools are falling down but who will be prosecuted for agreeing the contracts? No one as usual. HS2 is millions over budget why is there no penalty clauses and fixed prices? There's a lifetime's work fixing the corruption in this country.

From: John Adams 04 September 2023 14:09 PM

Read the Article again. No EICR, No Gas Cert, Broken Boiler and mould - they deserve the book thrown at them.

From: John Adams 30 August 2023 07:52 AM

Ah you feeling ok Jim? you want people who don't check their boilers to go scot free and now violent thugs too. I think society needs protection from you.

From: John Adams 30 August 2023 07:22 AM

Knife Crime....I remember when it was going to get you a 5 year Prison Sentence, until they looked at the demographics and didn't want to be accused of targeting people... So there we have it, a criminal justice system that doesn't want to upset people, and instead let's violent thugs and child molesters go walkies.

From: John Adams 30 August 2023 07:20 AM

Oh come on Jim, dodgy boiler, mould, and countless other bits and bobs no doubt. This is clearly a Landlord who needs booting out. These kinds of landlords just get the sector a bad name, I have zero sympathy. These are not minor issues and you can be sure that they've been raised over and over again and they got nowhere.

From: John Adams 30 August 2023 07:10 AM

If only the NRLA / Ben put this much effort into standard BTL issues - oh wait, Ben is a student landlord...

From: John Adams 30 August 2023 07:06 AM

I think that's a fair assessment.

From: John Adams 25 August 2023 06:33 AM

Easy solution treat landlords like any other business and reverse section 24. In terms of the tax raised versus the cost of emergency housing and other support, I wonder how that's working out??

From: John Adams 23 August 2023 07:52 AM

There have been too many incompetent and rogue landlords over the years, that's a fact. The solution however is not to kill off the supply at a time when there is a huge homeless problem. The way forward would have been to mandate that landlords either go fully managed with an accredited agent or they do so themselves via the likes of the NRLA then if there is still a problem you can throw the book at them, but simply killing off supply well good luck with that.

From: John Adams 23 August 2023 07:46 AM

The owner being Newham Council...

From: John Adams 23 August 2023 07:40 AM

I can tell you exactly why, they are usually working for that landlord, quite possibly illegally or owe money to the landlord because they've been trafficked. They certainly have no knowledge of Housing Law and once lured with the promise of cheap accommodation they are told make trouble and you won't do it again, I know people.... So what do you do? You shut your mouth and pay up.

From: John Adams 17 August 2023 07:26 AM

The problem is that people have been shamed from stating real issues less they are declared racist. This is a very dangerous outcome because it allows criminality to flourish unchallenged as we have seen in the child abuse cases in Rotherham, the money laundering in Oxford Street "American sweet shops" and the numerous streets filled with "Turkish Barbers" and this fear of calling these issues out destroys any prospects of community cohesion as well as preventing the exposure of human trafficking and slavery. It's time society realised quantifying criminality is not racist, it's only racist when you fail to act to solve it. You look at who is most likely to be murdered and it's not a white kid from Windsor, but because of the agenda of denial, black boys are dying. Time to be honest.

From: John Adams 17 August 2023 07:14 AM

Ok let's call this out and be honest, the vast majority of these rogue landlords are not middle aged white men. There I said it, we all know it and I dare say the howls of protest will ensue but read these reports it's self evident there is an issue in ethnic communities when it comes to poor housing, and that then gets used as a stick to beat the sector with. Maybe a Landlord register will tackle this, or maybe requiring mandatory use of an ARLA Letting Agent but something does need to be done to kick these crooks out of the sector at the same time acknowledge that being a small landlord does not equate to being Rigsby.

From: John Adams 17 August 2023 06:44 AM

Ironically many people are going to lose their homes because many of these eco upgrades can only be done when a property is empty...This is the consequence of listening to activists and not the experts.

From: John Adams 04 August 2023 07:14 AM

Increase the rents, and tell the tenants it's been imposed by the council. Until these councils receive the backlash they'll keep on doing it.

From: John Adams 03 August 2023 12:22 PM

Not that simple. The mortgage companies won't lend soon and if Labour copies the SNP you'll be banned from selling until you do....any one see a stitch up??

From: John Adams 26 July 2023 08:19 AM

Huff n puff, that's what will come of it for the reasons I posted earlier. Councils are already broke. They will not be able to meet the criteria either.

From: John Adams 26 July 2023 07:32 AM

Don't worry the SNP has a solution... You won't be able to sell your home until it does...

From: John Adams 26 July 2023 07:29 AM

Very few, that's why you have sink estates people are desperate to flee.

From: John Adams 26 July 2023 07:20 AM

Shelter that great social housing provider... Until then shut up. You are completely ignorant to the fact that no business wants to lose a paying customer. Yes there's abuse of section 21, like any other law, but as I said what business wants to lose a PAYING customer? Voids are not something that any landlord wants. All that they are going to achieve is more homelessness as landlords hand the keys back to the bank when they can not afford to fix the damage caused by drug users and other anti social tenants that would have been booted out.

From: John Adams 26 July 2023 07:18 AM

Oh please, the real reason for the delay is nothing to do with Private Landlords, we know from all the legislation that Gove and the opposition have not a care in the world about the impact on us. The real reason is Councils and the original Housing Associations like Peabody have a few million properties between them that are pre & inter-war, that will not meet these standards. Travel around places like Barnet or Dagenham for instance and see those 1930s terrace estates that are still largely council owned and you'll see the problem. To hit target is going to cost the councils money they simply do not have. Anyone for another £300 on their Council Tax?. No? So don't listen to the nonsense that Gove is trying to help private landlords, the truth is both him and Labour know this is the real reason.

From: John Adams 26 July 2023 07:03 AM

EPC is too much, too soon. It's ridiculous that I'm still seeing swathes of our local farm land being turned into ticky-tacky boxes built that have no treble glazing, no heat pumps and no solar. Yet literally hundreds of thousands of pre-war and inter-war terraces are going to be forced into measures that will cause endless mould and condensation issues by the virtue of the fact they were designed intentionally to allow air flow to remove noxious gases from the heating and cooking sources contemporary to their construction. Where Gove expects owners of back to backs and Victorian terrace workers cottages to stick a heat pump, I don't know but I do know where I would like to stick it.

From: John Adams 10 July 2023 06:42 AM

When you have Ben from the NRLA having naïve cosy chats with Gove and the likes of Nationwide saying there is no exodus of private landlords, this madness will continue. The likes of Shelter and Generation Rent will continue baying for the blood of landlords and idiotic suggestions such as "sharing the profits" are obviously going to end up with a home in the PRS being rarer than Hens Teeth.

From: John Adams 06 July 2023 06:21 AM

We hear the claims of "you had it easy" etc but always forgetting that in 1985 Basic Rate Income Tax was 30% and the allowance was just £2205 for a single person. A higher rate was up to 60%.. add to that Mortgage rates of around 12% it's not quite the garden of roses, there was no help to buy schemes or PEPS

From: John Adams 04 July 2023 08:08 AM

Everyone to work together...I wonder just how many "licensed" properties have had an annual inspection by the Council? Or is it just another tax with no benefit to either the tenant or the landlord....

From: John Adams 04 July 2023 07:53 AM

Frankly Ben and the NRLA are a joke and should hang their heads in shame for not calling Gove to account instead of letting Gove spout more utter tripe.

From: John Adams 04 July 2023 07:49 AM

Prince William is going to build lots of social housing so that should fix it, King Charles is giving up his council house on the Mall, so wheres the problem?

From: John Adams 19 June 2023 13:26 PM

My membership in the NRLA is due soon, and I am afraid I have no confidence in Beadle so probably will not be renewing after being a member for several years. As for people like this Green representative, you only have to look at the shambles they have made of Brighton & Hove to see they have no economic understanding whatsoever. So she gets her wish, smaller Landlords pack it in, and she is left to deal with the multinationals who have the clout to tie her up in the Courts for years, and determine Government Policy - she may think otherwise but the reality is they can and they will, resulting in more homelessness and vastly inflated rents. Unfortunately the "young" are too young to fully understand the consequences, Labour of the 1970s was a total disaster, and eventually, people elected Thatcher to fix it, she's just hoping that Starmer will drag the UK back into the EU but if that happens it won't be the utopia she believes, the EU has significant problems financially and as we have seen in France the trouble that ensues when people are told they are going to have to pay for it. I see a lot of trouble ahead, unless people like her, educate themselves on what is really going on and who actually controls the purse strings - and it is not government, the Unions, or her fanatical groups. The Conservatives need to sort out their party fast, as it appears to be infested with people living in cloud cuckoo land, whilst the far left has been quietly indoctrinating our schools and universities with all sorts of guff.

From: John Adams 25 May 2023 12:07 PM

In practice many of these empty properties are unsuitable for housing the average family, being either in very poor condition or large mansions. The main stumbling block is much of this apparent sea of a vacant property is owned by overseas governments and companies, who would tie him up in the Courts for years, not to mention trash inward investment. A sensible solution is to increase Council Tax on Vacant properties on which there are no current or active plans to occupy. In addition, restricting the construction of properties that are not designed as family homes bunging up shoe boxes for Chinese investors to launder money should be made impossible by minimum room sizes for example along with minimum occupancy rules to prevent gaming the system with AirBnbs.

From: John Adams 24 May 2023 12:35 PM

What next, organise child care?

From: John Adams 26 April 2023 17:28 PM

If you are selling up, it's massively important to make the tenants aware this is due to Government Policy, and to contact their MP to ask why they made them homeless.

From: John Adams 26 April 2023 17:25 PM

Those pesky overseas companies pop up, when all you are trying to do is make a living as a small farmer.. Prince Charles’s private estate, the Duchy of Cornwall, secretly invested in an offshore company which lobbied to change climate agreements, documents from the Paradise Papers have revealed. Sustainable Forestry Ltd lobbied politicians to amend global agreements to allow ‘carbon credits’ from rainforests to be traded. The Prince made speeches in support of this – and his estate, the Duchy of Cornwall, tripled its investment in Sustainable Forestry in the space of a year. It is not clear why this was. The Duchy says the prince has no direct involvement in investment decisions. Prince Charles denies ever speaking on a topic simply because of a company the Duchy may have invested in. Find out more about the Paradise Papers. BBC Published 7 November 2017

From: John Adams 21 April 2023 12:38 PM

Kind of Ironic, perhaps Mr. Khan can have a chat with his compatriots after Friday prayers..

From: John Adams 21 April 2023 12:00 PM

Maybe hire the same people that conduct the EPC's for the Council properties, I am amazed at how well they seem to be rated, despite 100mm of loft insulation, no led lighting, poorly fitted windows etc...

From: John Adams 06 April 2023 11:40 AM

It will be interesting to see how they do in Brighton this time around, they've had Refuse Strikes and have told residents to weed their own pavements and verges, neither of which have been that popular locally. They do have some good ideas which are in theory already law, but largely side-stepped such as local infrastructure improvements when new developments are built and energy improvements. I see lots of new homes going up, but no new GP surgeries, local shops, or bus routes, and these same properties have no Solar panels, Rain Harvesting, or Heat Pumps built into them. Their ideas around rent controls and other financial policies are sadly ill-thought-out, but I do think they are on the right track regarding house building and community facilities.

From: John Adams 06 April 2023 11:33 AM

Yes all very well and dandy, but many people have jobs and or savings and as much as I would love my P60 and P11D and bank interest statements to magically appear tomorrow, they don't in fact it can be several weeks.

From: John Adams 05 April 2023 07:35 AM

Super refers to the salary increases.

From: John Adams 05 April 2023 07:30 AM

I wonder how many council Properties fail to meet these standards, and how many Council Executives will be prosecuted accordingly?

From: John Adams 04 April 2023 07:50 AM

The end result is that private rental will be as rare as Hen's teeth. It is surely not difficult to understand that you are allowing tens of thousands of people to enter the country at the same time failing to even attempt to catch up with the existing shortage of housing. The lunatics will say oh there is a surplus of housing - which there is but these are in areas that are already deprived and over run with crime and unsurprisingly any normal person will not live in them. So these properties remain uninhabitable, and the majority of which require significant investment by Councils who simply don't have the money. Yet by simply supporting the private sector these homes could be bought back into use... Anyway if you are selling up, I suggest you tell the tenant that the local MP is to blame and tell the MP you have explained to the tenant why you are to blame for this as the MP and that they are going to house them.

From: John Adams 04 April 2023 07:46 AM

If you have property in Scotland you should be contacting the MSP and MP for that region. Inform them you are selling up and why. Tell them you will be informing the tenant that their MP is responsible for this situation. Until these MPs are given grief by evicted tenants they'll keep doing it. It's no use waiting for the NRLA to grow a spine and take these clowns to court, because frankly they are pitiful in their representation of landlords.

From: John Adams 04 April 2023 07:34 AM

Can I sue the Council every time I see one of their properties in disrepair?

From: John Adams 24 December 2022 14:24 PM

Well, it largely escaped the media, but in Hunt's financial statement, was a little clause that should prove interesting for the unwashed folk at Generation Rent, the Government is going to increase the frequency of back-to-work interviews...And with Starmer seeking to end Charitable Status at Public Schools the rest of them might find mummy and daddy are not going to be able to fund their siblings. The mainstream media don't seem that keen on finding out how all these rent-a-mob folk are funded.

From: John Adams 01 December 2022 23:07 PM

Mr Central Heating are extremely competitive, used them many times, and as you say these Grants just don't stack up. It's all a dressing-up exercise.

From: John Adams 29 November 2022 12:17 PM

Brighton is a prime example of mismanagement with Refuse Strikes, and Weeds growing out of the pavements are some of their recent achievements of ideology over public service. Brighton and Hove, like most seaside areas, is a magnet for the homeless, assisted by the policy of Seaside & Country whose aim is "ethnic cleansing" but of the over 55's. So this shifting of the elderly to these areas, invariably increases demand on Council Social Services and Local Health Care, at the same time reducing income as financial support is more likely required for this sector of social housing. Add into this the fact it is a University City, Students aren't generally a great source of revenue, and so the persistent attacks on Landlords who can afford to pay Council Taxes, maintain properties, and house those that are low on the Council criteria is a recipe for disaster. Unfortunately, it will take many years for commonsense to filter through to these Councils.

From: John Adams 29 November 2022 12:05 PM

Unfortunately, these campaign groups that want to see affordable rents to the total end of private landlords, don't seem to understand some basic facts. Firstly for the vast majority of Landlords, you want a happy customer, having to put up prices and not provide a good service should end your existence as a business - now being honest we know that regulation continues to fail to ensure this happens, but the problem, of course, it's making the sector unattractive to the legitimate landlord, who can get similar or better returns in other assets in the current economic climate. So all they are doing is reducing supply, increasing the burden on Social Housing, who they seem to be reluctant to acknowledge has a long and tragic history of tenant deaths and misery from Mould to Fires to Entire Building Collapses. I can't recall the last time a Private block of Flats collapsed or Caught Fire, but I can recall Ronan Point and Grenfell...

From: John Adams 29 November 2022 11:52 AM

I suggest he takes a look at the Republic of Ireland, that are now backtracking on some of the measures they introduced after seeing a huge slump in supply resulting in dozens of renter's fighting over anything that comes to market. But as usual in this country it'll be a case of we told you so.

From: John Adams 31 October 2022 15:24 PM

Shall we book into the Hilton this weekend, and knock the bathroom through to as ensuite? I mean they can't be upset at that, after all Labour say we can make reasonable alterations to things we don't own...

From: John Adams 26 September 2022 11:39 AM

Governments have short memories of the sink estates where Councils would not or could not evict bad tenants. This will only increase crime and misery for residents

From: John Adams 07 September 2022 11:39 AM

Yes sadly the SNP are fundamentally a racist party, they blame all the country's problems on the English, we stole their oil, we stole their land etc it's an argument that doesn't float economically but it does to those who don't understand who economic policy works. The SNP can't explain where the money is going to come from, Oil is increasingly under pressure to be replaced by Green energy so then what? Are Whisky exports going to support 5million people? Are the EU going to want a net beneficiary as a member? The SNP have no credible answers. I see much trouble ahead for Scotland, as for Labour cheering from the sidelines an English only parliament is significantly more likely to remain Conservative due to the electoral structure currently offset by the Scottish votes.

From: John Adams 07 September 2022 11:29 AM

The argument is that you are helping tenants well in short term yes, but with rising interest rates expect more properties to go up for sale as the property increasingly makes no economic sense. The lunatics expect this to decrease prices but with an existing shortage you are just swapping occupation so prices won't fall, instead those that need to rent are going to end up being put in council hostels, as the rental market dries up. Expecting big corporations to take over is equally naive as the returns on investment will be lower and the grief of trying to deal with anti social behaviour will rise for the other residents.

From: John Adams 07 September 2022 11:01 AM

The council try to justify this on the basis of compliance failures, yet we know from published statistics Private tenants are more content than Council ones, and it would be interesting to see the council repairs backlog...

From: John Adams 04 August 2022 08:32 AM

These different organisations just don't seem to grasp the fact that a Housing Shortage isn't resolved by changing who owns the property. You can't pour another Pint into a full glass, there is as Johnny Depp can tell you no such thing as a Mega Pint. This is purely socialist nonsense to deflect away from the fact they have no credible plan to build homes, whilst the population is growing quicker than supply. The worrying thing is they are a Charity and if they can't work out simple facts, should they be allowed anywhere near public funds?

From: John Adams 29 July 2022 06:50 AM

Can't wait to see where he proposes to stick a Heat Pump on all those interwar and pre-war back 2 backs... Yet we still aren't mandating a minimum EPC of an A on new builds...we still aren't installing triple glazing and Solar by default on new builds, they still aren't mandating net zero heating in new buiilds....but we'll waste money trying to force through heating systems that will be unaffordable to operate and that are totally unsuitable for many old properties that make up huge swathes of the North.

From: John Adams 14 June 2022 13:22 PM

Drive out long-term landlords and this is what happens. Drive out Airbnb etc and they'll sell up but it won't solve the housing shortage and it won't decrease prices, it'll just carry on but with even less rental accommodation available, decreasing the supply of workers in the services sectors and forcing tourists to go elsewhere to stay. The solution is to convert more of those old office blocks into social housing as opposed to "affordable".

From: John Adams 14 June 2022 13:16 PM

It's not going to make him many friends, but is it any different to the rest of the Holiday sector? try booking a family holiday abroad in the school holidays. 4 beds x 2 people works out to around £400 per person per night, well you'll find a lot of places charge that elsewhere. The usual culprits are complaining, but when you keep having a pop at the ordinary landlords don't be surprised there is no long-term accommodation available, you now have the farcical situation of local Councils pleading for Landlords to come forward and provide housing, but failing to recall they've spent the last few years driving them out... Just because a landlord sells up it doesn't free up a property for a family, it simply swaps the current tenants for owners, it doesn't somehow become two new homes.

From: John Adams 14 June 2022 13:06 PM

Aside from the basic physics of heating and power consumption, if this stuff is all over the walls, what happens if someone decides to bang a nail in the wall to hang up a photo of Aunt Gladys?

From: John Adams 01 June 2022 12:12 PM

Ah The NRLA or Shelter as they are now known....

From: John Adams 25 May 2022 10:57 AM

The problem is there is a mentality taking root that housing is not only a right, but it should be free. The concept of repairs, and where the money is going to come from seems to be beyond these people, "The rich" is their answer and the trouble is the likes of Shelter and Generation Rent are encouraging these beliefs. The upshot will be huge numbers of homelessness, they forget that there is an enormous shortage of housing and developers won't do it for free. They also ignore the large numbers of people who want to rent because of work or other commitments and can't do that if there is no prs sector.

From: John Adams 07 May 2022 15:44 PM

Can yousee the likes of The Duke of Westminster and The Duchy of Cornwall playing along ?

From: John Adams 03 May 2022 13:49 PM

Utter nonsense. Far worse, are the boarded up windows, covered in graffiti, old mouldy posters and blocked weedy gutters. An occupied shop be it by a charity, retailer, or community group ensures that the fabric of the building is better maintained, and the overall area less threatening in feel to passers-by

From: John Adams 19 April 2022 10:24 AM

It's about time, some commercial and retail has sat empty for decades, and not just off some forlorn village back alley either, so what if it means that they are turned into charity shops?, it's better than boarded up windows covered in graffiti and peeling posters. It might get some of these big commercial owners to start to think about charging an affordable rent, there are small-sized shops in my local town which has a low population, where the rent is more than £750,000 pa and they sit empty because of it, despite many small start-ups that could flourish if the rent was anywhere near reality.

From: John Adams 19 April 2022 10:05 AM

Be interesting to see what the likes of John Lewis and the other big players will make of any such regulations? Already tenants are facing rent increases because of selective licensing and the changes to EPC losing even more available properties is only going to force rents up, while any rent controls will reduce supply to rarer than a hen's teeth, cripplingly local employment as people are unable to find homes.

From: John Adams 24 March 2022 09:48 AM

If these policies reduced Energy usage and provided proper heating without major upheaval then maybe, but heat pumps are going to be of no use in the back2backs of Barnsley and Sheffield. The cost of heating is going crucify tenants. Then we have the ridiculous situation where we are still building new houses that are not Carbon Neutral, no heat pumps, no triple glazing, no rain water harvesting, why? These should be enshrined in law for new builds before we worry about combi boilers.

From: John Adams 24 March 2022 08:59 AM

Very misguided if you believe people will rent on the basis of the EPC. A property using an All electric system will be eyewateringly expensive compared to one still using Gas but with a poorer EPC. Until the regulations are actually finalised any work could be a complete waste of money. A bad policy is simply going to make rents far higher and choice restricted as Landlords leave

From: John Adams 24 March 2022 08:52 AM

No one put a gun to any tenants head to buy their property and people were offered significant discounts at a time when most Council properties were at a very low value. So how you conflate this into anti Thatcher rhetoric makes no sense whatsoever.

From: John Adams 11 March 2022 09:03 AM

The long term solution is of course to build more social housing but as I have already said how much of it is mismanaged and turns into sink estates. Local authorities are useless at it, where as true Housing Associations such as Peabody run excellent housing dealing quickly with anti social behaviour and repairs, this is the best way forward.

From: John Adams 10 March 2022 07:45 AM

Well Selective Licensing is only going to muddy the waters further, and increase rents and decrease supply.

From: John Adams 10 March 2022 07:39 AM

And how long will it be before these self same Councils are begging for Landlords to buy and let them properties? See the article on Devon council..... The increase costs inevitably reduce supply and force up rents and do nothing to improve housing standards as these self same councils then carry out next to no inspections while at the same time their own social housing remains in poor repair...

From: John Adams 10 March 2022 07:36 AM

The experts have a short memory, many of these estates became no go areas because of poor management and lack of repairs by local councils and the tenants were desperate to leave at the first opportunity and for the lucky ones buying them and selling was the only way out. Even today you'll find plenty of social housing in terrible conditions with the Decent Homes standard being a joke when compared to the enforcement on private landlords the vast majority of whom are running it as a business and therefore maintain their assets unlike local authorities who are at the largesse of the tax payer spend their money on bicycle lanes no one wants and changing offensive street names.

From: John Adams 10 March 2022 07:22 AM

Realistically I can't see that the majority of Rentals would be attractive enough as Air bnbs, so instead what will happen is Landlords will simply sell up, reducing the supply even further in the face of Rent Controls, the deluded out there jump for joy at the end of evil landlords, but fail to realise that A) Demand will outstrip supply B) The supply will be snapped up by the big multinationals such as Banks, Insurance Companies and others such as John Lewis and these companies will have a lot more sway over the government about increasing any rent cap and evictions than the average private landlord. As usual it is a case of being careful what you wish for, you might not like it when you get it.

From: John Adams 21 February 2022 10:30 AM

Need to shift some old properties quick, then get a report published claiming they are in the newest hot spot. Plenty of better places than Bayswater.

From: John Adams 28 January 2022 12:04 PM

I have never found pb to be particularly competent and you pay for what you get. However I find these claims where no loss has actually occurred quite ridiculous, sure fine them heavily for breach of the law, but surely the whole point of law in general is to rectify and compensate for actual loss, not what could have been. If that's how we are going to interpret laws going forward, then let's start suing for Pot Holes we might drive over even if we've never been there..

From: John Adams 13 December 2021 11:06 AM

£15-£20, really what is the problem? The paperwork and voids are much more hassle with a dead tenant..

From: John Adams 24 November 2021 20:48 PM

The irony is that all these politicians have access to some of the best economists in the world but yet they seem to think they know better. Look at when Brown sold off Gold at the lowest market price in decades, Economists across the spectrum were screaming at him that it was madness... Rent Caps, Tax Increases and Green Regulations achieve nothing for the tenants, instead, I have a bigger tax bill to find, and less money to actually carry out improvements like adding modern thermostats and solar electricity, which is what I was going to do, as contrary to the fools at Generation Rent and Shelter, the majority of good landlords do - they repeatedly overlook the fact that LHA and HA's are responsible for some of the most appalling failures in housing quality, black mold, broken fire escapes, poor repair times are all far more common to LHA and HA homes.

From: John Adams 18 October 2021 12:07 PM

Scarcity of Rental Homes. and rental increases....I know how to fix the problem, Rent Caps, and more Green regulations that should do it. After all making things more expensive for the supplier always works out so well, just look at the wonders it has worked on the energy supply market when their costs increased... What can possibly go wrong??

From: John Adams 18 October 2021 11:57 AM

I can't say I share this unbridled optimism, setting aside the tax changes on Mortage Payments, there are several dark clouds on the horizon. Firstly the absurd pressures on EPCs which would not be so bad if there was a clear and obvious logic to the process, so you could easily work out what each piece of work would achieve Then we have the whole saga of Heating changes, there are huge numbers of Pre-War homes in the country, heat pumps and electric heating are simply unaffordable both in terms of running costs and the installation, even with a grant you are still looking at over £5,000 per home for a system that will in older properties mean a colder home that will cost the tenant a small fortune in electricity. Whilst we need to go green, modern gas combi-boilers are extremely efficient and if you are going to need to use more electricity to achieve the same level of comfort then how is that an efficient use of resources? Then there is the National Grid, which has lacked serious investment for decades, and coupled with all these Electric vehicles & home heating systems, what's the chance that's going to fail every time we have a spot of bad weather and a big match on the TV? I can only see two things happening, rents will saw as costs are passed on to tenants, and the availability of rental accommodation will plummet. Whilst a flood of older properties on the market might be seen as a good thing for the young, many will struggle to bring them up to a reasonable standard, and probably end up stuck unable to sell them on very easily. Government should be encouraging PRS landlords to invest, not divest. We already have a housing shortage of many decades, and if people can't find a rental home what happens then?

From: John Adams 16 October 2021 13:54 PM

If your are an NRLA member, this is included in the membership.

From: John Adams 15 October 2021 08:39 AM

And no one wants as neighbours... Local Authorities and Social Services are notorious for failing to deal with the havoc and misery these failed families cause in the local community.

From: John Adams 01 October 2021 10:00 AM

The costs and any benefits from this market tampering is probably impossible to calculate. It would have made for more sense to use the money to build social housing, creating jobs and lowering the demand on the private sector, instead of distortion of the market.

From: John Adams 01 October 2021 09:52 AM

It's no surprise, that rents are going up, Local Licensing schemes, EPC changes, Section 21 changes, Tax changes, all these things have to be paid for and the reason many landlords are in property was because of the fact Pension changes made years ago, mean that for many this is the only way to secure some kind of income. LL's operate in the Private sector and supply and demand are the arbiters of prices, and Government failures over the last century to build social housing together with increasing population levels particularly amongst those that require social welfare is the route of the crisis we now facing. Hastings LA looking for Rent Controls, well that's simply going to reduce supply, as Mortgages have to be paid, perhaps they should focus on spending their money buying and building properties, instead of I don't Know, wasting money on Councillors expenses...

From: John Adams 10 September 2021 09:10 AM

With increasing complaints about rents etc, one wonders how any of them will cope when they have to pay for a home of their own, you know when the big nasty bank demands they pay the mortgage or face bankruptcy and eviction, why Mr. Plumber doesn't work for free? and is it cheaper to buy a new sofa in a DFS Sale?

From: John Adams 01 September 2021 18:30 PM

Ironically a fair heft of them are from families, where mummy & daddy or is that Donor & recipient these days? own a second home...

From: John Adams 31 August 2021 13:26 PM

The problem is no one in Government seems to have any ability to understand the consequences, of these increasingly nutty demands. Cornwall could ban AirBnB etc, which would only decrease the number of visitors for an area that is dependent on tourism, forcing up prices as these more affluent tourists won't be shopping in some quaint village store but in a Waitrose, etc. As for Second homes etc again most of these properties would not be affordable to a workforce that is largely on minimum wage... What is needed is more social housing and local authorities and Central government aren't interested, they rather play who can be the most woke at the local level, and where can we build something no one wants at the National level.. Just think HS2 is going to knock about 20 minutes off the journey from London to Birmingham at a cost of £56 Billion.... just how many 3 bed council houses could you build from a properly overseen tender?

From: John Adams 31 August 2021 13:21 PM

So with a huge gap in Social Housing, the Scottish Nutty Party think that by pressuring Landlords to sell up will solve that crisis? Assuming they don't close the glaringly obvious loop hole of an Income Test for renters, the poor really are going to be up the creek. These folk that support these policies, obviously have no understanding of economics or history. As most peoples parent or grandparents can tell you Council Housing was often Damp, poorly maintained and miserable, what makes them think that Councils can do any better when they are swamped with ex-private renters?

From: John Adams 25 August 2021 14:58 PM

Banksy best going into hiding, the Council's going to get you.

From: John Adams 25 August 2021 14:43 PM

The results of all this madness are reduced supply, a massive increase in rents, and 0.01% decrease in our CO2 emissions as a Country. But hey in the meantime it's perfectly fine to build whole new estates that don't have Solar, Rain Harvesting, or Triple Glazing, go figure that out as a joined-up policy.

From: John Adams 25 August 2021 14:41 PM

These policies are heavily influenced by folk who have never left London, anyone that lives in any Town outside of the South East, will tell you that the amount of pre-war housing and indeed 60s bodge builds mean that much of the proposals are both impractical and will result in more derelict housing that blights parts of Liverpool and other areas. Take your average 2up2down terrace, most of them have limited back yard space, which is now filled with at least 3 Wheelie bins, to this you are going to add Heat Pump compressors which are ineffective below 7c - and exactly how many Winter Nights in Newcastle are a balmy 10c ?? So these homes will see their energy bills sky rocket for an inferior heating system that will have to be topped up by electric. Which brings us to the next point, in the next 10 years most new Cars will be electric, Gas heating will be phasing out, and here we are on Saturday night in late November, the weather is forecast to be -10c across large chunks of Northern Britain, There's a Big Football Match on.... And bang the already decrepit National Grid comes crashing down, old folk are left for hours with out heating as they are now all electric, no gas cooker to sit next to in the Kitchen waiting for the grid to come back up.... These people are deliberately ignoring the screamingly obvious, the money needed and the poor National Grid make this a disaster in the making both financially and in lives.

From: John Adams 16 August 2021 09:49 AM

If Government and the Rent Activists want to solve the problem, guess they'll just have to build some or buy. After all what do you expect if you drive Landlords away, these properties still sell because of the lack of supply, and you end up with overcrowded B&Bs instead of Rentals. These people just function with no basic understanding of economics, and think the world should be Free, forgetting they tried that in the USSR and North Korea, and China isn't exactly paradise if you can't agree with the Party line.

From: John Adams 05 August 2021 11:30 AM

You've got trouble on your hands there.

From: John Adams 05 August 2021 11:25 AM

A novelty will be when tenants manage to enforce these Repayment orders against the numerous Councils and Housing Associations properties that are often in a very poor bad state of repair...

From: John Adams 05 August 2021 11:23 AM

As a buyer I'll knock them off my offers, but will insist on seeing proof of any other offers as set out in law. But where ever possible I simply won't deal with such Agents. If you do view such a property, take a good hour or two, drive the agents nuts. And if the property is not exactly as described demand money back if need be small claims for False Description, they won't want to keep having claims to deal with. Stupid money grabbers.

From: John Adams 28 July 2021 08:23 AM

And how many in The Lords?

From: John Adams 26 July 2021 10:31 AM

Part of the problem is that many LA have sold off the admin to the likes of Serco, and so one hand doesn't know what the other is doing. These schemes fail as a consequence and just used to make cash.

From: John Adams 21 July 2021 08:04 AM

I don't see why rent should be repaid to the tenants because he didn't have an HMO licence, a fine to the Council but they weren't evicted or suffered because of it. Yes he failed to fix the shower but £11k? Totally disproportionate.

From: John Adams 21 July 2021 07:44 AM

Not sure anyone be they from Swindon or Sudan, would be wanting to pay rent to live in a windowless railway arch at the back of a garage. The guy is an out and out sc**bag.

From: John Adams 20 July 2021 11:59 AM

632 Repossessions including Mortgage defaults in the first 3 months, hardly an avalanche and how many of these were for pure rent arrears, as opposed to driving the neighbours up the wall, drug dens, and various other scenarios? How many were local authorities having to evict? I suspect that if you had an actual breakdown of these numbers the truth is as a business a landlord doesn't want to lose a good tenant and will work with them to get the rent paid up. The reality is these folk live with mummy and daddy and learnt only the politics of envy at the University of Corbyn. The idea that they are owed something for nothing has become ingrained in society, and it will come home to roost if PRS becomes Corporate, I can't see the likes of John Lewis, taking on any of these folk who are protesting.

From: John Adams 20 July 2021 11:53 AM

6 Unrelated people would be an HMO...

From: John Adams 20 July 2021 11:41 AM

Unfortunately, these schemes are becoming widespread, but they don't serve the published purpose of removing bad landlords, they simply become money-making schemes for local councils who then don't actually carry out the inspections. If they were a reasonable fee subsidised by fines for those who are in serious breaches and have had past warnings, we might get somewhere, but rather like Parking Tickets the claimed purpose is superseded by the money-grabbing potential.

From: John Adams 20 July 2021 11:38 AM

Don't make excuses for people who know what the law is, and could have killed 10 people. The fact is he could provide accommodation that is safe and profitable to him, but he chose to make a fast buck. These people are the reason the PRS gets a bad name, and we need them locked up.

From: John Adams 20 July 2021 11:32 AM

If you are going to put an end to these people doing this, you have to make the fines truly significant along with custodial sentencing. In this case a fine of £50,000 and 3 years in prison would have been a far better warning, than what is probably less than 4 months rent.

From: John Adams 20 July 2021 11:29 AM

Fly-tipping is unforgivable, however the current systems of Council Tips having restricted hours because of Covid (Who knew Covid was the only highly infectious disease one could catch at a rubbish tip?) and the increasingly complicated and ridiculous domestic recycling schemes that are turning gardens into Bin parks are not helping. Common sense needs to be applied to the refuse and recycling system, otherwise, the country is going to disappear under one big rat-infested fly-tip.

From: John Adams 21 June 2021 11:32 AM

Funny how comments get switched off, the reality is that Councils are quick to condemn PRS Landlords, but faced with the facts that they and successive governments have failed to build social housing they now come cap in hand. Perhaps the PRS landlords in Bristol should make those facts very clear to Bristol Council.

From: John Adams 21 June 2021 11:25 AM

I agree, and there are many property types and areas the banks are simply not going to want to take on. Certainly, be interesting to see what they do when they have defaults, and properties where the tenants are trashing the place, or anti-social but at a level that can't be easily tackled, but generates complaints from the residents. Lloyds will quickly realise that they are going to have to stick to serviced Riverside apartments, and not the run of the meal stuff that makes up 99% of the PRS.

From: John Adams 21 June 2021 11:18 AM

Majority of these schemes have not provided better housing conditions or driven out rogue landlords. Instead they are just propping up the Councillors tea and biscuit fund. If these schemes were low cost, involved actual inspections and dealt with both rogue landlords AND bad tenants, they might have legs, but I might as well live on Mars to believe a Local Authority could do that especially when the evidence is that many local authority and housing association property is neglected and tenants struggle to get issues resolved being trapped in the points system for moving out.

From: John Adams 14 June 2021 07:20 AM

Until the Government comes up with a coherent Energy Grant strategy for all housing nothing is going to be achieved in terms of improvements and energy use. It is farcical that new build Property is still not required to have Solar panels and instead they are pushing Heat Pumps when the UK has so many older properties that already lack space due to the plethora of recycling bins and will become extremely expensive to heat using these systems.

From: John Adams 04 June 2021 09:03 AM

You can see it now... Mediator "So why are you looking to evict your tenant?" LL "The industrial waste pile they are accumulating in the back garden, the all night parties, the rent not being paid for the last 6 months, the harassment of the neighbours by their "children", shall I go on?" Tenant "Well the LL didn't buy me any bin bags, and I work shifts so that's why I have late night parties..." Mediator "So the rent arrears?" Tenant "I ain't got any money, because they stopped my benefits..." Case Dismissed....

From: John Adams 09 April 2021 10:46 AM

I agree that the likes of China and India, will likely counter anything we do for many generations, but that's not a reason to make homes more energy efficient. What is needed is a fair and properly run grant scheme for these retrospective improvements. The issue at the moment is the rating system, a property with a "D" from 10 years ago, may now not reach a "D" due to the changes in assessment, which makes the whole thing a movable feast and unaffordable.

From: John Adams 09 April 2021 10:35 AM

What i find incredible is that the Government is still allowing developers to throw up houses that do not incorporate measures such as Solar PV, Triple Glazing, Rain Harvesting etc and other measures that are much easier at construction than retrospectively. In many areas of the country there are old pre-war terraces and back to backs that simply can't be fitted with Heat Pumps or Solar technologies and simply giving exemptions is not the answer, a proper grant scheme run by the local authorities to cover at least 75% of the upgrade costs or repurchase and rebuild is needed.

From: John Adams 09 April 2021 10:29 AM

Whilst regulation is needed to ensure standards and safety are maintained, the constant anti landlord campaigns by the likes of Shelter (Surely a conflict of charity and politics) make availability and rental increases worse, they simply fail to comprehend that many people do not want to either own a home with all the expenses incurred, or require flexibility due to their careers. Driving Private Landlords out of the market is going to result in even higher prices, and larger unaccountable organisations in their place. A quick scan of local news, will show many many tenants in damp mouldy and dangerous conditions - that are LA and LHA properties, where getting any kind of recompense or remedy can take months, Shelter seem to forget that...

From: John Adams 09 April 2021 10:10 AM

Breaking News