Andrew townshend

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it's all too popular to say people rent because they cannot buy, this is not always the case, younger people don't want to be tied down, promotion at work often means moving to the other side of the country at short notice, they don't want the responsibility of home ownership and all that goes with it, we do seem to be going the german way, and the way of many other countries where it is the norm to rent, and it's not just property, more and more cars are on contract hire now, just add fuel and drive.

From: Andrew townshend 20 June 2018 09:26 AM

we check tenants out, then why not agents? this woman had been made bankrupt 3 yrs ago, would this not have the alarm bells ringing. if any of my rents are more than 2 days late i'm asking questions, you must never ignore debt, nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand.

From: Andrew townshend 19 June 2018 09:58 AM

if we cannot have the security of a deposit then an element will have to be added to the monthly rent to cover short falls and damage, this will be unfair to the many good honest tenants, would be a good idea if labour put their brains into gear before opening their mouths.

From: Andrew townshend 19 June 2018 09:50 AM

when business overheads increase it will always be the end user that pays, a landlord is no different here to a builder, plumber, motor mechanic or any other business

From: Andrew townshend 18 June 2018 10:53 AM

thick student, a masters degree won't do him much good now he has a criminal record, and yes as above - deport him. my accountant gave me valuable advice yrs ago ''don't display wealth boy'' i drive a 14 yr old toyota when visiting properties, not really worth their while scratching that.

From: Andrew townshend 15 June 2018 11:15 AM

has to be a win win situation for us landlords that are left, better choice of tenants, higher rents and a chance to add to our portfolios.

From: Andrew townshend 15 June 2018 11:07 AM

doesn't look good for tenants, but who's to blame there, the big bad landlord ? no the short sighted government.

From: Andrew townshend 15 June 2018 11:01 AM

fair for tenants ? well it will certainly make renting much more expensive for tenants, these fees will not simply disappear in a cloud of dust, they will be passed onto landlords who will in turn pass them back to tenants by means of increased rent.

From: Andrew townshend 13 June 2018 09:20 AM

i no longer let to students for the same reasons, there maybe more money in it, but just not worth the bother, oh and i see mr robinson has his school master hat on again today, how sad.

From: Andrew townshend 12 June 2018 09:28 AM

don't believe a word of it, furthermore the next 12 months will see rents rocket as landlords over heads increase.

From: Andrew townshend 08 June 2018 09:56 AM

i agree strongly with all 3 comments above, all tenants need to be fully checked out every time, total madness not to check every new tenant out very carefully.

From: Andrew townshend 08 June 2018 09:52 AM

the last paragraph says it all, '' landlords face further increases in their costs'' it's not rocket science costs increase = rent increases.

From: Andrew townshend 07 June 2018 09:27 AM

people do sign legal documents without reading them fully or understanding them, then winge when it all goes pear shaped.

From: Andrew townshend 07 June 2018 09:16 AM

safest route is, if in doubt don't rent to them, same as a shop or pub selling alcohol would operate.

From: Andrew townshend 05 June 2018 09:11 AM

no government either tory or labour are going to let landlords off the hook, it just amazes me how short sighted these supposedly intelligent?? people are, rents will rocket, there is no shortage of tenants out there needing homes.

From: Andrew townshend 01 June 2018 10:14 AM

the agent i use is very fair on fees, however no doubt these fees will be passed onto me, and ofcourse i will pass these onto tenants by means of a small increase in monthly rent, i don't foresee any problems here as there is no shortage of tenants in my area

From: Andrew townshend 31 May 2018 09:33 AM

i sometimes wonder how people's brains work, tenants don't pay the rent, then wonder why they get evicted and no other landlord will touch them, then this landlord gets an enforcement notice and ignores it, sweep the problem under the carpet and it will go away?? no these things never go away, they have to be dealt with sooner rather than later.

From: Andrew townshend 29 May 2018 10:30 AM

i don't see the extra 3% stamp duty as a problem, either reduce the offer to buy by 3% or increase the rent to take into account of the extra total purchase price.

From: Andrew townshend 25 May 2018 09:45 AM

i used to manage all mine myself, however over the past 10 yrs as they come vacant i have past management to a trusted small local agent (i still do my own repairs though) i now manage just 3 out of 16 properties, it works well for me, what i would say however avoid the large national chains where you are just a number and the people who are looking after your properties are wet behind the ears boys and girls that like to think they know the lot but in fact know f all.

From: Andrew townshend 24 May 2018 09:00 AM

that's fine, name and shame rogue landlords nationwide, but also name and shame all rogue tenants, there will be 10 times more tenants on the list than landlords

From: Andrew townshend 23 May 2018 10:05 AM

who owns grenfell tower? the council, so therefore the chief housing officer is personally responsible, just as you or i would be if we owned the property, but of course these kind of people are skilled at shifting the blame.

From: Andrew townshend 21 May 2018 09:12 AM

well gary we can thank the short sighted government for this, i'm not selling, but my rents will be increasing to cover the extra costs being imposed on me, so yes at the end of the day it's the tenant that loses out.

From: Andrew townshend 16 May 2018 10:32 AM

surely there is only one way to recoup extra expense, pass it onto the tenant by means of increased rent, there is no shortage of people out there looking to rent a property.

From: Andrew townshend 15 May 2018 09:18 AM

we are a country full of time wasters, dreamers and flash with no cash, this is why more and more properties end up in auctions.

From: Andrew townshend 14 May 2018 08:54 AM

give me a way of getting bad non paying tenants out quickly and cheaply and i will happily give longer tenancies, i might even consider tenants on benefits, but we all know this will not happen, so my policy of 6 month tenancies and no benefit claimants will continue.

From: Andrew townshend 14 May 2018 08:49 AM

governments are intent on sticking the knife in and twisting it, but we will survive, buy to let is an excellent investment, what it is not though is a '' get rich quick game'' . go into it with a long term view, work at it and don't borrow too much and you really cannot fail.

From: Andrew townshend 11 May 2018 09:23 AM

for me first and foremost it's the income, capital growth is a bonus, with house prices now dropping the capital growth will not be there for a few yrs, but you only make a capital loss if you sell, so don't sell.

From: Andrew townshend 09 May 2018 09:04 AM

we all have problem tenants occasionally main rule here though is to check them out first, if in doubt then don't let to them, always issue county court proceedings for money owed, probably won't get the money but you will have the satisfaction of screwing up their credit rating and their chances of renting off another private landlord, also word gets about with tenants, it does no harm for being known for issuing court proceedings.

From: Andrew townshend 09 May 2018 08:56 AM

there will always be the rogue element, whether that be landlords, car mechanics, builders or solicitors, if we had a bad solicitor we would move, so why if a tenant had a bad landlord wouldn't they move, or is the real reason here that they are bad tenants that no other landlord would touch them.

From: Andrew townshend 08 May 2018 09:02 AM

car insurance is high for young drivers, why? because of risk, same applies to the hmo tenant.

From: Andrew townshend 04 May 2018 10:30 AM

there is no ' could' about it is there? letting agent fees will be banned, but they won't go away just passed onto landlords who will have no choice other than to increase rents to cover the extra costs.

From: Andrew townshend 04 May 2018 10:25 AM

hardly the landlord at fault if she or her contractors were refused access .

From: Andrew townshend 03 May 2018 10:07 AM

i'm happy with 6 wks rent held as deposit where the tenant ticks all the boxes, but what about tenants with pets either i won't accept them full stop, or maybe there will be a higher rent charged to a tenant with a pet.

From: Andrew townshend 03 May 2018 10:01 AM

as with any business when overheads increase the end user pays, there's nothing more to be said is there?

From: Andrew townshend 03 May 2018 09:55 AM

what this daft system has achieved is '' if in doubt don't rent to them'' bit counter productive really .

From: Andrew townshend 02 May 2018 09:08 AM

i too feel for my tenants they are all good working people and we get on fine, however as with any business as my overheads rise so does their rents.

From: Andrew townshend 28 April 2018 14:28 PM

you ain't seen nothing yet, just wait until agents fees are past on to landlords and deposits are capped, it's the end user that pays every time, the government is just too short sighted to see this. £1000 per month for a basic 2 bed terraced house? it's coming soon.

From: Andrew townshend 27 April 2018 08:59 AM

when a property becomes available there is no shortage of viewings, or people wanting to rent it, but how many of those people do we want as tenants in our properties, that soon whittles the numbers down

From: Andrew townshend 25 April 2018 09:54 AM

surely it boils down to horses for courses, good working tenants with a good credit history will be looking for good properties from good landlords, on the other hand benefit claimants and those with poor credit histories will be looking for any landlord mug enough to take them in any property. as for pets, i am one of very few landlords in my area that will CONSIDER pets, however if i am not going to be allowed to take a larger deposits this will change , maybe there will have to be 2 rent levels.

From: Andrew townshend 24 April 2018 10:16 AM

i used to manage all mine, now i'm down to 3 that i manage myself, the rest are with an agent, i find it much easier, i'm still hands on though, doing my own repairs and using my own tradesmen when needed.

From: Andrew townshend 20 April 2018 09:27 AM

it's amusing to watch the estate agents out there desperately trying to talk the market up, in my area we have estate agents going bankrupt, don't have much sympathy, most of them are floating on cloud 9 living way beyond their means

From: Andrew townshend 20 April 2018 09:20 AM

go back less than 100 yrs and most people were renting, is it really a good thing for the young to buy, lets face it they need to avoid leasehold properties, that rules out flats, large mortgages if they fall behind , which with a big mortgage today is all too easy, they lose everything, the jobs market is very mobile, offered a better job in another part of the country, give 1 months notice and they are gone, own their own home and they have a problem, lot to be said for renting today for the young.

From: Andrew townshend 20 April 2018 09:14 AM

all speculation by those that think they know the lot, but know f***all. i'm certainly not worried.

From: Andrew townshend 19 April 2018 10:28 AM

well we can pull together or we can pull apart, this government, and labour, have made it very clear we will be pulling apart. the up shot is the homeless street sleepers will increase greatly

From: Andrew townshend 18 April 2018 19:26 PM

well where's the problem, why shouldn't they? look at mr blair he has a massive btl portfolio .

From: Andrew townshend 17 April 2018 09:37 AM

i'm sure the housing officer is right here, personally i have never got into the hmo market, i have a friend who has though, he is round there every week on bin collection day because the tenants are too bone idle to put the bins out, he finds fire doors wedged open and smoke detectors disabled, generally tenants in an hmo are their own worst enemy.

From: Andrew townshend 17 April 2018 09:33 AM

i do think these figures are exaggerated some what, but yes action does need to be taken in some areas, don't forget council and housing assocs though they are not whiter than white here, push for too higher standards though and that will push lower end rents up which will result in more people sleeping rough on the streets

From: Andrew townshend 17 April 2018 09:21 AM

the 3% stamp duty is not really an issue, it just needs to be factored into the purchase price, or the rent, the mortgage tax relief really only affects those that borrow too much, btl is still an excellent investment especially when making provision for ones old age, far better than a private pension

From: Andrew townshend 16 April 2018 08:47 AM

i found a cannabis farm in a shop i let out last yr, lucky i spotted it and there was no damage done, all my properties are local to me, i keep a regular close eye on them.

From: Andrew townshend 13 April 2018 09:23 AM

find this hard to believe, but then i expect those landlords that have borrowed too much wil havel sell.

From: Andrew townshend 12 April 2018 10:52 AM

i don't see the 3% stamp duty as a problem, just factor this in when deciding what to offer / bid if someone else wants to pay more let them.

From: Andrew townshend 10 April 2018 10:03 AM

landlords can only do so much, provide fire extinguishers, fire blankets, ensure wiring is safe, if a tenant is going to set fire to the place there is not much more we can do. and remember the block of flats here were council owned, and as such their responsibility solely, have we seen manslaughter charges brought against housing offeriers here? no, you can just imagine what would have happened had a private landlord owned the property, one law for them, another for us, stinks as normal.

From: Andrew townshend 09 April 2018 09:51 AM

put money into a pension, big fat commision to the spive selling it, annual fees, fees to access it, poor performing investments, then you will need to live to be 110 simply to get the money back you put in, not for me.

From: Andrew townshend 09 April 2018 09:39 AM

i agree terry i issue county court proceedings every time, 1) there is the satisfaction in knowing i have screwed their credit rating up, and 2) sometimes they come into money within 6 yrs, so there is always a chance, i had a guy open a pub up, flashed all over the local paper, i got my money after 4yrs.

From: Andrew townshend 06 April 2018 10:51 AM

just like the landlord of the disgusting and dangerous hmo on last night's program. bad tenants? if 10% of landlords are bad, then 20% of tenants are worse, but we don't get any help there do we?

From: Andrew townshend 06 April 2018 09:49 AM

do we need to compete with housing associations? i would like to study the small print in these insurance policies, would this insurance pay out? or look hard for a get out loop hole.

From: Andrew townshend 05 April 2018 09:14 AM

make it public, personally i would welcome it.

From: Andrew townshend 05 April 2018 09:08 AM

i look forward to it.

From: Andrew townshend 05 April 2018 09:04 AM

sold property prices are falling, in the past when this happens rents generally rise.

From: Andrew townshend 04 April 2018 17:16 PM

i'm very optimistic, but then i do have a bit of an advantage in that my properties are all bought and paid for, i started buying 30 yrs ago, my income exceeds my out going so every so often, when the piggy bank fills up, i buy another property for cash , it's not a get rich quick game, but it's the best pension you could wish for

From: Andrew townshend 04 April 2018 17:14 PM

tory or labour we aren't going to get any tax incentives , they are just going to make life harder and more expensive for all of us, no problem though, the extra expense will be passed onto the tenant.

From: Andrew townshend 04 April 2018 17:03 PM

no big surprise here, no matter what line of business, when overheads increase that increase is always passed onto the end user.

From: Andrew townshend 03 April 2018 09:09 AM

spot on steve, we can see it, why can't the government? i've got 2 that fail, but they are both let, so i have until the tenant leaves or until 2020, one is only just below an e, i have secondary glazing coming for that in a couple of wks, the other one is a g, but i have long term tenants there so i have a couple of yrs at that one

From: Andrew townshend 29 March 2018 09:44 AM

tenants with pets will stand no chance of renting from a private landlord when this cap comes in, young tenants will have to provide a cast iron guarantor, and as for anyone on uc, forget it, they will be sleeping under the fly over. the government really don't think these things through do they? money claims online will be busy to with all those ccj s, and as for anyone with a ccj they will be sleeping under the fly over as well, clever move.

From: Andrew townshend 29 March 2018 09:32 AM

but surely councils and government are shooting themselves in the foot here, there is an ever increasing army of homeless out there, councils cannot house them, when overheads increase it's always the end user that pays.

From: Andrew townshend 28 March 2018 09:53 AM

the only people to get rich here are the spivs in suits selling them, you would need to live to at least 110 to stand any chance of getting your money invested back, isn't this why most of us on here got into property investment, it's why i did 30 yrs ago, it enabled me to give up the day job 10 yrs ago at 54, i've never looked back.

From: Andrew townshend 28 March 2018 09:44 AM

not convinced, when the cap comes in i will be putting a bit on rents to cover any problems further down the line, i fully expect this is what most landlords will be doing, this is how insurance works, the higher the risk the higher the premium .

From: Andrew townshend 27 March 2018 09:54 AM

sorry work shy benefit claimants we don't want you and for good reasons, the ball here is in the government's court make it worth while for us to take benefit claimants, but i'm not holding my breath here

From: Andrew townshend 26 March 2018 11:23 AM

why not, you cannot take it with you, spent and enjoy it, get the timing right and die with nothing, government can't take it then, nor can the leechers waiting to inherit.

From: Andrew townshend 26 March 2018 09:35 AM

for someone in work wanting to climb the promotion ladder renting is probably best as their promotions can take them all over the country, give 1 month's notice and they are on their way. times change, people even rent their car now rather than owning it.

From: Andrew townshend 26 March 2018 09:29 AM

big fuss going on out there regarding the homeless, here is an easy solution to probably 90% of cases, pay housing benefit ellement of u c direct to landlord, for some unknown reason the government refuse to do so, so 90% of landlords refuse to take tenants on benefits, with the remaining 10% being the rouge landlords renting substandard properties to benefit claimants, the solution isn't rocket science is it?

From: Andrew townshend 24 March 2018 09:43 AM

the way i see it there are 2 ways around this, 1) build the extra deposit into extra rent to cover ourselves, 2) in the event of a tenant not paying their last month's rent county court them, we may well not get our money but if we all do this we will screw their credit rating making it very difficult for them to rent another property or get a loan.

From: Andrew townshend 22 March 2018 18:58 PM

yes a good idea, personally i always issue county court proceedings against anyone who owes me money, even if there is little chance of getting paid, easy to do online and not expensive, gives me great satisfaction in knowing i have just screwed their credit rating, also tenants talk to each other, so if you are a soft touch word soon gets about.

From: Andrew townshend 21 March 2018 19:25 PM

a cap on fees would be the best and fairest way for agents, landlords and tenants, the out come will be ,as said in this article, more expense for tenants as the end user always pays .

From: Andrew townshend 21 March 2018 19:13 PM

i expect some of those sleeping in shop door ways might quite like one of these empty rooms

From: Andrew townshend 21 March 2018 19:04 PM

but will this encourage people to take on debt that they will not be able to service either now or in the future, which would end up with their property being reprocessed, them to lose a lot of hard earn cash and make them bankrupt, ultimately back to renting.

From: Andrew townshend 20 March 2018 09:19 AM

there are some bad landlords and let properties out there, but no where near the number labour are saying, as terry above has said tenants are free to move, the simple reason that these living in bad conditions are not moving is that they themselves are bad tenants that no landlord with a good property would rent to.

From: Andrew townshend 19 March 2018 09:26 AM

there are bad landlords out there, and there are a thousand times more bad tenants out there, as our friend terry sullivan says above always push for a ccj against none paying tenants, it's only £60 online (tax deductable) and worth every penny, even though you cannot get blood out of a stone.

From: Andrew townshend 15 March 2018 19:37 PM

well i'm not selling up, i'm buying, less landlords, less properties to rent, can only be good news for us, supply and demand, up go rents, more tenants to choose from, suits me just fine, thank you mr osbourne, if you had a brain you would be dangerous .

From: Andrew townshend 15 March 2018 19:16 PM

where else can you get a decent return on your cash, but then if you haven't got the cash and are going to have to borrow heavily there really is no point. the 3% stamp duty isn't really a problem, just take this into account before making an offer or setting your max bid at auction, i will continue to buy as i accumulate the cash.

From: Andrew townshend 15 March 2018 18:45 PM

depends how you go about it and what you want to achieve, if you are having to borrow heavily then forget it, it's not for you. for me it was a long term cash investment to provide a pension, i bought slowly, and as i could afford it over the past 30yrs, and am still buying as i have the spare cash, has worked really well for me.

From: Andrew townshend 10 March 2018 18:46 PM

generally tenants get on well with me, the only one's that don't are the none payers i evict, however since i've stopped taking benefit claimants i don't have that problem anymore. when you have good tenants look after them, i carry out repairs swiftly generally myself.

From: Andrew townshend 10 March 2018 18:06 PM

as the government makes life more difficult and more expensive for us rents will increase as a result, it's the same as in any business it's the end user that picks up the tab

From: Andrew townshend 10 March 2018 18:00 PM

i look forward to having my say, but they probably won't like what i have to say.

From: Andrew townshend 01 March 2018 10:48 AM

fine if you live that way, or are happy to be an absent landlord, all of my properties are within 15 miles of my home, except one, which is 25 miles from home, i like to visit my properties regularly and carry out my own repairs where possible, i have slowly gained 16 rental properties over the last 30 yrs, no borrowings purchased when i have the spare cash, i'm more interested in yield than a capital gain, some will say i have done it wrong, but i'm an old fashioned boy who likes to own my assets, it works for me.

From: Andrew townshend 01 March 2018 10:44 AM

really what all this means is that landlords will have to be even more careful who we rent to, no benefit claimants, no one under 35, and no single mums, oh won't council housing depts, and social workers have a mountain of problems.

From: Andrew townshend 28 February 2018 09:35 AM

we all know where benefit claimants are concerned we stand a very high chance of not being paid, and this can be even more of a risk where single mums are concerned, u c is only going to make matters worse, maybe we should not put no dss in the advertisement, let them waste their time and ours we don't have to take anyone we don't like the look of, and we don't have to give a reason.

From: Andrew townshend 27 February 2018 09:14 AM

i like tenants that stay a long time, so long as they are paying the rent, when they they don't pay the rent they go, no ifs buts or excuses, section 8 is a waste of time, section 21 gets them out quicker, then issue a county court money order, may not get the money, but i have the satisfaction in knowing they have a ccj against them.

From: Andrew townshend 22 February 2018 07:57 AM

well i won't be mortgaging, i buy mine for cash, the rents come in when there is enough in the pot i buy another one, old fashioned? maybe but it's worked well for me over the last 30 yrs.

From: Andrew townshend 20 February 2018 10:35 AM

licensing will be coming to all of us at some time, i don't altogether object it should rid us of the rogue element who get us all a bad name, however there will be cost involved which no doubt will be high, another excuse to tax the landlord, so up with rents again to cover these costs, the government aren't doing tenants any favours at the end of the day are they?

From: Andrew townshend 20 February 2018 10:31 AM

i aim to attend to problems same day where possible, and it's normally myself that's knocking at the door to put problems right, this goes a long way to keeping good tenants happy

From: Andrew townshend 19 February 2018 16:24 PM

property has been my prefered investment and has paid off really well over the last 30 yrs, you need to be very clever and lucky to make money out of the stock market, and i certainly do not trust these financial advisers. auctions are a good way to buy and sell, but they are not altogether transparent as there are often bids coming off the wall to run the biding up.

From: Andrew townshend 16 February 2018 09:02 AM

if we keep our properties to a reasonable standard and attend to faults quickly, as we should, then surely we have nothing to worry about. there's a cost, but as always this will be passed onto the end user, probably for round figures around £10 wk increase in rent.

From: Andrew townshend 14 February 2018 10:05 AM

link rents to inflation, that's at present a 3% increase every yr, i'm happy with that, if labour get in inflation will go through the roof. landlord bashing? no i don't like it, but i'm not going to roll over and let them win, they normally end up shooting themselves in the foot.

From: Andrew townshend 14 February 2018 09:58 AM

i'm one of very few landlords in my area that will consider pets, a single cat or small dog with an extra deposit, i have found over the yrs that tenants tend to ignore the term no pets, that's if they even bother to read the tenancy docs, so what's the point, alright you could evict them, but that's going to be very expensive and take months, so once again the tenant has got the landlord by the short and curlies, if labour get in in 2022 they are going to be after us landlords but we will just have to wait and see how it all pans out, labour could well end up shooting themselves in the foot.

From: Andrew townshend 14 February 2018 09:50 AM

deserved all he got, had a chance to get the licence, if he had repaired the boiler the tenants would not have had the need to complain and the council would likely not have found out, most landlords operate properly, it's idiot landlords like this one that gets us all a bad name.

From: Andrew townshend 13 February 2018 08:56 AM

the flash with no cash landlords, we know who they are, there the ones that pull up outside their rental properties in their leased range rovers.

From: Andrew townshend 12 February 2018 14:44 PM

landlord licencing fine but no doubt there will be a cost which will be passed onto tenants by way of increased rent. data base for rouge landlords, no problem with that. rent controls would need to be fair and based on similar properties in the area. advice on tenants rights, no problem there. not a ban on upfront fees but a cap on them would be fair. longer term tenancies, fine but only if we can get non payers out more quickly and cheaper. direct communication with landlords, fine. credit score, fine. decorate property, with in reason, and to a good standard.

From: Andrew townshend 02 February 2018 13:35 PM

a cap on letting fees would be a better idea, to ban them all together will simply mean that they will be passed onto landlords who in turn will increase rents to cover their extra expense.

From: Andrew townshend 02 February 2018 13:19 PM

there are many council owned houses that stand empty for yrs, i've purchased some of them when the council finally agree to sell.

From: Andrew townshend 01 February 2018 08:55 AM

''to address the uk shortage of housing'' no to generate a decent return on money same as we do

From: Andrew townshend 01 February 2018 08:47 AM

rogue landlords and unsafe conditions do need sorting out, longer tenancies? fine, but what happens when the tenant stops paying the rent? at present we are looking at a long drawn out process with very expensive court fees, so how about a quick cheap way of getting non paying tenants out? ain't going to happen is it?

From: Andrew townshend 30 January 2018 09:31 AM

we are of course responsible to see that our properties are safe and that boilers are checked every yr, but when you see the filth some tenants live in i would say they are their own worst enemies, from experienced teachers and nurses seem to be among the worst

From: Andrew townshend 25 January 2018 17:59 PM

i am one of very few landlords in my area that will take a pet, within reason, i also allow walls to be painted, but not until i have ok ed the colour, i find generally i get better tenants that stay longer.

From: Andrew townshend 19 January 2018 09:06 AM

£181 wk housing benefit? max in my neck of the woods is £92 for a person over 35.

From: Andrew townshend 19 January 2018 08:50 AM

so basically the ' flash with no cash boys' who have borrowed far too much will be selling, good, should be some cheap properties to be had in the auction room then.

From: Andrew townshend 18 January 2018 09:31 AM

i do not see that as a problem, seems fair enough to me, many councils will find they have problems, the state of some of their properties.

From: Andrew townshend 15 January 2018 08:54 AM

i agree terry, but then we are no different to any other business, when costs increase they are passed onto the end user, there is no shortage of tenants in my area, or come to that any other area of g b

From: Andrew townshend 12 January 2018 10:20 AM

cannot see any letting agents simply reducing their charges, they will pass them onto landlords who will pass them onto tenants by increasing rent, really clever move by government??

From: Andrew townshend 11 January 2018 08:48 AM

a move in the right direction? let's hope so. i have one tenant left on housing benefits who will go over onto u c later this yr, at present i will not consider any new tenants on benefits until i am happy with the way u c pans out, we will have to wait and see.

From: Andrew townshend 09 January 2018 10:03 AM

waste of time having cash in the bank, investment into property seems to be the only way to get a decent return, but to borrow heavily to purchase property investment seems like a mugs game.

From: Andrew townshend 03 January 2018 15:52 PM

interest only = flash with no cash fool

From: Andrew townshend 29 December 2017 22:01 PM

hands on long term property investment has worked really well for me, short time get rich quick it is not.

From: Andrew townshend 28 December 2017 11:13 AM

i have slowly built up my portfolio over the past 25 yrs with no borrowings, i'm still buying, in fact i bought another one just last wk, i think the problem comes when landlords borrow too much.

From: Andrew townshend 14 December 2017 09:27 AM

i'm 64, i was able to give up the day job 10 yrs ago, i enjoy being a landlord and get on well with my tenants, it helps because although most of my properties are let through an agent all tenants are able to contact me direct, also when there is a problem it is me who turns up with my tool box to put things right. i first got into buy to let in the 90s because i had no faith with private pensions or the suits that sold them, i have never looked back.

From: Andrew townshend 14 December 2017 09:20 AM

less rental properties = bigger chose of tenants and increased rents for us landlords that are left, i'm not selling, i may even buy more, after all where else do you put your money to get a return on it ? i expect the landlords that have borrowed too much are the ones that are selling up.

From: Andrew townshend 05 December 2017 08:49 AM

i have made it my policy to always issue a county court summons for unpaid rent or costs involved in repairing damage, it's easy to do online and not expensive, the tenant gets a ccj, i thing it's worth every penny.

From: Andrew townshend 04 December 2017 09:22 AM

when any business over heads increase it's the end user who pays the price, so it follows that rents will increase to cover these additional costs, government really thought this one through didn't they? shot in foot comes to mind.

From: Andrew townshend 01 December 2017 10:23 AM

yes it takes time and hard work for most of us, i started my portfolio in the late 80s as an alternative to the rip off private pensions, run down terraced houses and corner shops out of auctions and renovated, today my portfolio is probabley worth around 2 -3 million, all paid for and earns me a good income, in fact it enabled me to retire from the day job 10 yrs ago aged 54, i'm still hands on though, clearing up the mess some tenants leave behind and repairs as needed. it's not a get rich quick game, but it is well worth it over time.

From: Andrew townshend 16 November 2017 14:25 PM

i am happy to give longer term contracts, but i want something in return, a way of getting non paying tenants out quickly and cheaply, give us that and tenants can have long term contracts.

From: Andrew townshend 15 November 2017 19:58 PM

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