The joy of being a landlord

Caporegime
Joined
18 Mar 2008
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32,767
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.
Most people's experience with renting is likely positive or at best neutral, the problem is that it only needs one awful landlord to ruin your life to tar the whole lot.
 
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Soldato
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I think living under threat of losing your home with only two months notice, for no reason, pretty much covers it no?
Not only is that plenty of notice but its not the maximum. Many people have 6 months or 1 year+ notice all depends on the contract. I know of a guy who rents who asked for 6 months. If you don't like the short notice ask for it to be changed or find a place to rent that meets the requirements. Tenants can have plenty of rights if they choose to, its a contract after all you don't have to blindly accept the contract without amendments. Plenty of tenets ask for changes in the contract to better suite them.
 
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Soldato
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From my own personal experience I know 3 other landlords that have suffered great cost and mental health issues (in one case) due to bad tenants, on their only properties they have for renting.
There is another locally that is a scumbag and he only takes in scum.

Or one awful tenant to ruin your life to tar the whole lot.
 
Soldato
Joined
23 May 2006
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7,207
I think living under threat of losing your home with only two months notice, for no reason, pretty much covers it no?
can you not contact your landlord and get fixed extensions? it's a 2 way street remember. assuming you are a good tenant (and if not then I think I should be able to evict you asap) then a landlord also has to live with the fact that you can equally give short notice and move out.

I know if our tenant approached me and said they have no intention of moving could they have let's say a 12 month fixed contract , I would bite their hand off.
or do you think it should all be on the landlord.... the tenant can move out with little notice but the landlord is stuck even if they need to sell or move into the property to live?

cost of living and changes to the laws regarding landlords and tax means it's hard for everyone even landlords. IF the government propose a change in the law which means a landlord can no longer afford to rent out a property are you seriously proposing a scenario where the government could give less notice to the landlord of upcoming potentially crippling changes than the landlord has to give to a tenant? that makes no sense.

we have no intention of selling (unless something catestrophoc happens) but in say 11 years we may want to offer our flat to our lad. how much notice would you be expecting as a tenant? end of the day it ISNT your pad so you don't get quite the same security as owning yourself.

or what if my wife and I split or or say I died and the flat was part of an estate with inheritance tax? ultimately it has to be possible to ask even a great tenant to leave. it's not ideal but you don't own the property at the end of the day so you don't get to live indefinitely there if the landlord does not want it.. but like I said..... offer to sign a 12 month fixed contract (subject to usual rules of looking after my place) and I will shake you hand on it and get it written up
 
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Soldato
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No, it doesn't. Two months is plenty of notice (and I speak from experience).
Don’t be daft.
Tenants can have plenty of rights if they choose to, its a contract after all you don't have to blindly accept the contract without amendments. Plenty of tenets ask for changes in the contract to better suite them.
By definition they’re not rights if they have to argue for them. Example; Friends of mine keep asking to be put on a rolling contract because currently every year they have to renew and the agent charges them a fee and the landlord raises the rent. But both just turn around and say “nah you’re alright thanks” and they get nowhere. Because the landlord has all the power.
 
Associate
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15 Jan 2011
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Don’t be daft.

By definition they’re not rights if they have to argue for them. Example; Friends of mine keep asking to be put on a rolling contract because currently every year they have to renew and the agent charges them a fee and the landlord raises the rent. But both just turn around and say “nah you’re alright thanks” and they get nowhere. Because the landlord has all the power.
It becomes a periodic tenancy at the end of the fixed term automatically, you don't have to be "put on one". Maybe your friend could try playing a bit harder ball and not agreeing to a new fixed term and see what happens. However, none of that would avoid rent increases. If "all the power" means landlords are allowed to increase rent to market value, then yeah I guess so.
 
Soldato
Joined
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7,207
Don’t be daft.

By definition they’re not rights if they have to argue for them. Example; Friends of mine keep asking to be put on a rolling contract because currently every year they have to renew and the agent charges them a fee and the landlord raises the rent. But both just turn around and say “nah you’re alright thanks” and they get nowhere. Because the landlord has all the power.
that is crap of the agent. we don't do that and neither does our agent.
rent going up however is sadly a fact of life at the moment (even tho we haven't put ours up) but all of our costs have gone up, why would you assume your rent being protected is a right of yours when the person you are renting from is paying more?.
btw rolling contract is exactly the thing you are complaining about. a 12 month fix should give you the security you were asking for in an earlier post.
usually at the end of a contract it automatically becomes rolling. our tenants is. I wish it wasn't exactly for the reason you mention. they can move out with very limited notice and I would much rather they commited for longer... but am happy for the tenant to have which every they are more comfortable with.
 
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Soldato
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Don’t be daft.

By definition they’re not rights if they have to argue for them. Example; Friends of mine keep asking to be put on a rolling contract because currently every year they have to renew and the agent charges them a fee and the landlord raises the rent. But both just turn around and say “nah you’re alright thanks” and they get nowhere. Because the landlord has all the power.
Well it's illegal to charge tenants fees for contract renewal (since 2019) AFAIK

Landlords get charged that.
 
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Soldato
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To add that the family have recently used Section 21 to remove a tenant that by my estimate, has caused around £15,000 worth of damage to the property.
I cannot obviously show the photo's, but if seen, I'm sure a few of the landlord haters in this thread would be shocked.
 
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Caporegime
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I doubt anyone would be shocked tbh, nobody is unaware of the presence of garbage individuals in all walks of life.

All the more the reason why we need a better system and more housing so the trash becomes noise rather than talked about incessantly.
 
Soldato
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Outside your house
I doubt anyone would be shocked tbh, nobody is unaware of the presence of garbage individuals in all walks of life.

All the more the reason why we need a better system and more housing so the trash becomes noise rather than talked about incessantly.
Agents seem to be the only ones that win in our current system. They get their money no matter what and have to do very little most of the time.

If I ever rent out again it'll be in Finland. My OH's dad rents properties out there, tenants have more rights, longer contracts and if rent isn't paid his agent guarantees his income while they deal with the situation. They also make sure landlords fulfill their obligations.

No agent and you can end up like my OH's mum, a tenant who's caused problems, damage and not paid but won't leave.

As for housing, it's not just a blanket build more I don't think. Some areas already have more stock than is needed. It'd mean a redistribution of jobs around the country in order to level out demand I guess.

Edit: although that'd only be part of it, the property market it crazy. When you have the poorest county in the country, Cornwall, with crazy high prices that locals can't afford, well, it can't be right.
 
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Man of Honour
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Ottakring, Vienna.
Most people's experience with renting is likely positive or at best neutral, the problem is that it only needs one awful landlord to ruin your life to tar the whole lot.
But that's true of many things.

Crossing the road is something I feel neutral about at best, I'm pretty sure I'd only need to be run over once to tar that (there's a pun in there somewhere)
 
Caporegime
Joined
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But that's true of many things.

Crossing the road is something I feel neutral about at best, I'm pretty sure I'd only need to be run over once to tar that (there's a pun in there somewhere)
All those millions of years evolving mechanisms to avoid trauma and it resulted in being unable to appreciate the positives.
 
Soldato
Joined
23 May 2006
Posts
7,207
Agents seem to be the only ones that win in our current system. They get their money no matter what and have to do very little most of the time.

If I ever rent out again it'll be in Finland. My OH's dad rents properties out there, tenants have more rights, longer contracts and if rent isn't paid his agent guarantees his income while they deal with the situation. They also make sure landlords fulfill their obligations.

No agent and you can end up like my OH's mum, a tenant who's caused problems, damage and not paid but won't leave.

As for housing, it's not just a blanket build more I don't think. Some areas already have more stock than is needed. It'd mean a redistribution of jobs around the country in order to level out demand I guess.

Edit: although that'd only be part of it, the property market it crazy. When you have the poorest county in the country, Cornwall, with crazy high prices that locals can't afford, well, it can't be right.
I think you hit on a truth right there. why the hell are most of the jobs and opportunities all round london. some parts of UK (technically nice places too) have very little. in principle had I not already got roots (and I didn't when I started) I would happily work in North Wales for instance...... and there is no reason at all why the company i work for could not be there. but everything is in or within commuting distance of London.
 
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Associate
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We had a property near the Sage sat empty for 18 months because of bad cladding. We have also had good tenants in for decades. Swings and roundabouts for us.
 
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