The joy of being a landlord

Soldato
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Am I right in thinking that rental prices have gone through the roof because landlords have been forced out of the BTL market? How does that work? Less rental properties mean more permanent homes so the rental market should have shrunk accordingly and everyone should be happy. So why are renters complaining about the cost of renting when the markets/ government have achieved exactly what they’re after?

UK has a shortage of new housing. Also separately a shortage rental supply. When anything is in short supply the price goes up.

It's not like the renters have moved into home ownership. It's all in short supply.
 
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Caporegime
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Am I right in thinking that rental prices have gone through the roof because landlords have been forced out of the BTL market? How does that work? Less rental properties mean more permanent homes so the rental market should have shrunk accordingly and everyone should be happy.

Why would everyone be happy? If the rental market has shrunk then there is less supply for renters so higher prices.

People still need places to rent, the sort of simplistic views some people have re: getting rid of landlords to somehow make things better are naive, people need rental accommodation too.
 
Soldato
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Worst thing about renting in the UK is everything skewed in favour of landlords, with no rights for tenants to have a secure home.

German system is miles better. You pay your rent and you can stay as long as you like. Landlord is only able to evict you if they are personally moving into the property.

You can redecorate and do what you to the property, but you have to return it as you found it, or pay for it to be returned to that state (less wear and tear).

No inspections or any of that BS. You rent and you have secure place you can call your home, with rent control so you can't just be forced out by rent hikes. That's how the rental market should function.

Not this landlord-skewed model where you can be evicted on a whim...where you're little more than a guest in someone else's investment...having strangers snooping round inspecting your life.

I wouldn't live in the UK if I had to rent. It sucks ****.

In Germany you'd pay a bigger deposits and they will chase the tenants if they cause damage etc. Also landlords don't have the same costs of furniture and repairs and have protections.

The problem in Germany is renters don't move on because they are locked into old contact rents. New renters find it hard to find places and they are much more expensive.

But it's a better system no argument. For renters and landlords.
 
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Caporegime
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Because most of this thread is folks bitching about landlords and renting. Less rentals mean more houses on the market to buy

That doesn't really help renters though... that helps people seeking to buy a home. Meanwhile demand for homes, in general, keeps on increasing and we have a lack of supply in general so of course, if you reduce one sector further then you're to squeeze people even more.
 
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Soldato
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Worst thing about renting in the UK is everything skewed in favour of landlords, with no rights for tenants to have a secure home.

Not this landlord-skewed model where you can be evicted on a whim...where you're little more than a guest in someone else's investment...having strangers snooping round inspecting your life.
Whut?
 
Soldato
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Tbh, I hadn't realised how much rents have gone up and also the lack of properties available.
I got an email from my agent recommending that I increase the rent by an eye watering amount :eek:
 
Soldato
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I guess a thread about good landlords and happy tenants would be a **** idea then....

Tbh, I hadn't realised how much rents have gone up and also the lack of properties available.
I got an email from my agent recommending that I increase the rent by an eye watering amount :eek:

Many across the South are being snapped up by inner city councils to house their waiting lists. Canterbury council being outbid by a London council for an old barracks is a classic example.
 
Soldato
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Sadly you're correct.
I sometimes wonder if these people whom seem to spend their entire life complaining about things other people have and they don't, might do a little better if they actually made an effort.
And by effort, I mean stop going waaah waaah, boo hoo, woe is me etc etc and focused on something other than moaning all the time.
You never know, that idea might catch on.
 
Caporegime
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Sadly you're correct.
I sometimes wonder if these people whom seem to spend their entire life complaining about things other people have and they don't, might do a little better if they actually made an effort.
And by effort, I mean stop going waaah waaah, boo hoo, woe is me etc etc and focused on something other than moaning all the time.
You never know, that idea might catch on.
This is Britain, that is blasphemy.

We will all descend the toilet to the great sewer together or not at all.
 
Soldato
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London
Am I right in thinking that rental prices have gone through the roof because landlords have been forced out of the BTL market? How does that work? Less rental properties mean more permanent homes so the rental market should have shrunk accordingly and everyone should be happy. So why are renters complaining about the cost of renting when the markets/ government have achieved exactly what they’re after?
Rental prices have gone up because of inflation. Landlords are seeing their costs rise (whether their own food/luxuries etc. or something directly related to their BTL like their mortgage or insurance). I know off the top of my head a number of colleagues and friends in London that have been in the same rented place for more than a few years now and landlords are just happily upping the rent by 15-20% just because.. which when you’re in London and paying £2k/month is not an insignificant amount to find. It’s a vicious circle because once local rents go up a bit the landlords just call it “market rate” and up theirs as well - even for long term tenants.
 
Soldato
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I don’t think private landlords who own 1/2/3 properties are the problem.

It’s the companies who own large blocks of apartments and are happily tacking in monthly service charges etc that seem most egregious.

I say this as someone who rents, and has rented with both private landlords and companies. The companies were worse by far.

But full disclosure, I’m a landlord with one property I let out. I just want good tenants tbh. when I’ve found good ones I like to keep them, so do not raise the rent until they decide to move out ,at which point I put it at market rate.

(See the rest of you fellow landlords in hell, I’ll bring the Pimms).
 
Man of Honour
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I rented in the UK for six years. In that time I had almost no contact with the landlord - they emailed me once to do an inspection (that they didn't actually turn up for) and they emailed me once to increase the rent by £25 a month in year 5. Oh, and an electrical inspection where the guy doing the inspection broke the power shower by mistake and replaced it same day no questions asked.

In return I don't think I ever proactively contacted the landlord. I kept the house in good shape, I replaced a door lock gearbox when it jammed, and replaced a broken toilet fill valve - both things that would have actually been more inconvenient to arrange for the landlord to fix than for me to do it myself.

Overall my renting experience was pretty positive tbh.
 
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