Any Questions for the Housing Minister? ... | Discuss

GarryD said
If you want to rid our communities of anti-social behaviour why isn't tenant referencing a mandatory requirement?

Because if they did millions of tenants would be homeless!!

You have recognise that there are millions of feckless dysfunctional citizens and as such they rely on LL taking a risk on them.

Without LL prepared to do this then millions would be homeless.

1) good tenants pay for bad ones via higher rents :-

a) What will be done to speed up and reduce the cost of section 8 eviction ?

can we have an accelerated process for section 8 evictions similar to section 21 - and the 'accelerated' process isn't fast enough either - if a case is being done purely 'on the papers' why can't it be turned round by the court in a week ? - employ more judges just to do these 'one the papers' cases.

bailiffs - once a order has been granted getting a bailiff takes too long - if the court bailiffs can't do it within 7 days of the order being granted should be able to use a 3rd party certified bailiff.

target - should be able to have a non-paying tenant removed from a property in 2 weeks from applying for section 8 notice (remember they have to be 2 months in arrears before S8 can be applied for - so you're still looking at 3 months lost rent as a minimum.

b) civil debt enforcement is too costly and time consuming - again good T pay for bad.

getting a small claims judgement for debt the process is ok.

enforcing the debt is a nightmare - the process was only fit for the 1950s when people were less mobile.

If a judgement has been obtained - and you know the debtors NI number it should be possible to enforce it via HMRC / benefit service collecting directly from PAYE or benefits. This would also benefit utility companies in collecting their bad debt - when again good customers pay for bad.

---- all we want is a level playing field so that if tenants are getting more rights - we have the tools to enforce the contract when the T breaks it.

Well I did it! There were over 150 people in the room and I got my hand up but sadly we weren't allowed a lot of time each before he answered. Only about 20 people got the chance to speak.
A lettings agent asked him to explain the thought process behind section 24 and increased stamp duty which will only increase rents when the government are looking to solve the housing crisis , so I followed it by standing up and telling him I was a living example of what section 24 is going to do.
I told him I've been a landlord for 12 years I had bought poor housing and renovated it I homed 55 people in 34 units, I had not raised rents in many years. I told him in four years he will make me bankrupt. I asked him what would happen to my tenants. I told him I have put my portfolio up for sale and nobody is looking to buy it for residential. I explained the people who have shown interest are looking for yield and are looking to turn my houses into HMOs displacing those families. And that with my flats they are looking at how much they can increase rent when they have bought from me. I decided as I did not have long to speak just to give him a real life example of the carnage section 24 is going to cause. He answered that the Chancellor George Osborne had bought in section 24 because he was warned by the banks that The buy to let market was creating a bubble that would burst so they had to calm the buy to let market. He also said it was to level the playing field with homeowners, and that it does not affect many landlords (that old chestnut) At that point I got back up without a microphone and asked him was one landlord and 55 people potentially made homeless not enough? He answered that they have to look at the bigger picture. He did say it's being phased in over four years and they will monitor its affect as it goes. So my only glimmer of hope is that all landlords make the tenants aware and publicise The rent increases and evictions due to section 24. It is clear private landlords mean nothing to them and it's all about building new homes and creating affordable homes. Buy to let landlords are seen as insignificant. I am only just coming down from the experience it was very daunting and I was pushed very far out of my comfort zone !! I'm sorry I didn't get to ask all the questions people have but I just would not have been given the time.

PaulBarrett said
Agree with your contentions

However with S8 does not equate to 2 calendar months

If rent is paid in advance monthly then the 1 month and 1 day of rent default is 2 months of rent arrears 

So you serve the S8 on the 2nd day of the second month.

Only if rent is indicated on the AST that rent is paid in arrears would you have to wait 2 calendar months.

Paul I believe that the law has been changed (clarified!) and now it has to be a full two months in arrears before one can take action.  The legal experts will no doubt correct me if I am wrong.

Dave I will take your advice under advisement should I need to evict

Perhaps the change you quote came about after the S21 change!?

I agree with you about samjack.

He/she did well!

At least questions were asked and it does confirm what we all have thought and known.

This Govt is NOT for turning and S24 will proceed without any interference.

If that means bankrupted , forced out of business LL, homeless tenants then so be it.

BTL is not a threat to the housing market

Overgeared OO are though!!

S24 LL have to accept the unpalatable reality that they may have to sell up or reduce portfolio size substantially unless they are able to increase rents to cover normal rent increases and S24 additional rent.

For those LL that are unable to pay CGT bills they are effectively bankrupt.

They need to sell up and hide all their cash or assets away from the OR.

But they need to do it now.

Or they could hope for a HPC and then sell to trusted parties paying reduced or even zero CGT.

I do know that many S24 LL are in for some devastating and very stressful times

OK. HMO Landlord that i know has just been offered his new license for his large house. 

He has been told to reduce his house down from 6 tenants to 3. 

The one single tenant who has been in situ for 5 years has to go- that tenant already pays for two rooms and Landlord  has been adviced to offer both rooms to one couple. 

The other single tenant who has to go has been told his room should be 10.22 but is 0.9 square meters too small. (what are the governments mandatory sizes  for a single occupant room? ) So he has to go. 

The council has advised that the other tenant ( in situ for 3 years ) room should be a living room. 

So thats 3 tenants gone straight away. They work and have homes elsewhere and live away from home whilst working. 

Because. The tenants all complain about the cost of their rent or living conditions the government listens and tars all Landlords with the same brush. 

Because. Landlords do not shout or yell . No one listens. 

The utility bills are included in the rents of HMO and with less people paying , rents will go up ..... the tenants and government will blame the landlords. 

Address all comments on your own personal experience of life as a landlord or tenant to Kim Malthouse please. 

I have .