Evictions - this is a ticking time bomb
Evictions - this is a ticking time bomb
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Turfy

Original Poster:

1,071 posts

205 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
quotequote all
It seems 100k's of peoples lives have stopped due to COVID-19.

One example I have is a family member, although quite distant, who is on furlough and in all likelihood will not have a job to go back to in November. He took the decision not to pay rent and pocket all the monies he gets as an emergency fund when the inevitable happens.

His landlord has been writing weekly and calling asking for rent. It seems to me that my relative understands and believes his landlord it desperate for rent, in financial trouble and is not a wealthy man. It seems like it is every man for himself...

Ticking time bomb:

https://www.homesandproperty.co.uk/property-news/r...


amusingduck

9,643 posts

160 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
quotequote all
Turfy said:
One example I have is a family member, although quite distant, who is on furlough and in all likelihood will not have a job to go back to in November. He took the decision not to pay rent and pocket all the monies he gets as an emergency fund when the inevitable happens.

His landlord has been writing weekly and calling asking for rent. It seems to me that my relative understands and believes his landlord it desperate for rent, in financial trouble and is not a wealthy man. It seems like it is every man for himself...
Sounds like a lovely person.

pquinn

7,167 posts

70 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
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Apparently Labour won the election which is why we have this poorly thought through one-sided setup where landlords are getting screwed without compensation - if the government wants people to stay in housing without paying the rent they should pay instead.

Nick van Hoogstraten had the right idea for dealing with tenants who think it's clever not to pay.

eldar

24,915 posts

220 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
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fesuvious said:
Indeed.

Not a nice tenant
Will have an interesting reference when looking for the next rental....

anonymous-user

78 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
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Does he think the emergency fund he will build up by not paying rent is worth more to him than a trashed credit rating & the increased difficulty of finding another LL to give him a tenancy if they find out about him not paying his previous LL?

Bacon Is Proof

5,740 posts

255 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
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pquinn said:
Nick van Hoogstraten had the right idea for dealing with tenants who think it's clever not to pay.
Strong choice of role model there old chap!

loafer123

16,494 posts

239 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
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pquinn said:
Apparently Labour won the election which is why we have this poorly thought through one-sided setup where landlords are getting screwed without compensation - if the government wants people to stay in housing without paying the rent they should pay instead.

Nick van Hoogstraten had the right idea for dealing with tenants who think it's clever not to pay.
He really didn't.

He bought houses with Regulated Tenants and forced them out by taking out their windows and stairs and through threats and violence.

If that is the type of landlord you are/aim to be, I hope you end up in jail.

Oakey

27,970 posts

240 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
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JPJPJP said:
Does he think the emergency fund he will build up by not paying rent is worth more to him than a trashed credit rating & the increased difficulty of finding another LL to give him a tenancy if they find out about him not paying his previous LL?
His current landlord will probably end up giving him a glowing reference just to be rid of him!

pquinn

7,167 posts

70 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
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loafer123 said:
If that is the type of landlord you are/aim to be, I hope you end up in jail.
Only a total mug would be involved in residential or commercial property in the current environment, even pre-Covid.

dazwalsh

6,108 posts

165 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
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Emergency fund my hole, I hope landlord takes him to the cleaners for rent owed. That's not what furlough was intended for.

The gov will kick the evictions ban down the road far enough to allow the vast majority of tenants to be settled back into work, and the fallout of furlough to be assessed.

In the eyes of the country, particularly the left, landlords are rich greedy property-hoarding bds who should be removed from society, however the reality is majority of landlords have just 1 property, so if the tenant decides not to pay, it puts a lot of people in trouble.

The commercial landlords are also getting shafted, which is a bigger problem.



Edited by dazwalsh on Thursday 17th September 10:00

BritishBlitz87

742 posts

72 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
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I could do with thousands of pounds to put in my savings as well, but I won't rob someone else to do it. Because when it comes down to it, your friend isn't any better than a desperate street mugger.

Worse actually, since you've said he can afford the rent, but is simply refusing to pay to better his own financial position at the expense of his landlord.

HTP99

24,776 posts

164 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
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What is this person going to do once it all finally catches up with him, he can't go on indefinitely not paying and living rent free?

classicaholic

2,171 posts

94 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
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I assumed that the 80% furlough was to help people pay the rent not the netflix and porn bill.

I do feel sorry for the tenants who have fallen through the gaps and will be evicted but not for people like the above who deserve what they get.

98elise

31,553 posts

185 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
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Given that tenants now have a free pass not to pay rent, and a six month notice period, yes it's a ticking time bomb.

Having been through the eviction it's also long, painful and expensive process at the best of times. Once this is over the system will be clogged with thousands of evictions, and the news will be full of nasty landlord/sad face tenant stories.

If the government wanted to introduce social housing on this scale, it should pick up the bill, not just make the landlord shoulder it. It's still better than Labours plans to offer your property to the tenant at a 25% discount (at the Landlords cost).

I'm ok so far, but I know someone who's lost their day job, and both their tenants are refusing to pay rent. He is totally screwed financially. The mortgage companies want paying regardless, and they have the option to take the property.

Edited by 98elise on Thursday 17th September 10:05

Taylor James

3,111 posts

85 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
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Maybe on here, but you won't find much sympathy for landlords in the wider community.

Perhaps more importantly, has the same protection been offered to residential mortgage payers or are banks more important than landlords when it comes to missed payments and taking possession of properties?

Turfy

Original Poster:

1,071 posts

205 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
quotequote all
HTP99 said:
What is this person going to do once it all finally catches up with him, he can't go on indefinitely not paying and living rent free?
I think like 10's thousands, if not 100's thousands, once thurlough ends, there is going to be very sizable problems. The unemployment queue is going to leap at an alarming rate.

I think we can agree, and I hope it was not coming across that I was condoning his actions. He is looking for a job like many thousands of theatre set designers...(add cabin crew, retail, etc, etc...to the list).

At the moment, no money is coming in and he has to feed his young family and he has prioritised this over paying his rent; it seems.

ETA...the landlord is directly affected by this too as he too is struggling. Unlike so many on here, I'm not anti-landlord. I'm anti scumbag, slum landlord but if the business is run correctly and adheres to the legislation set down and the tenants are treated as they should be, no issues.

Tough times ahead...


Edited by Turfy on Thursday 17th September 11:05

98elise

31,553 posts

185 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
quotequote all
Taylor James said:
Maybe on here, but you won't find much sympathy for landlords in the wider community.

Perhaps more importantly, has the same protection been offered to residential mortgage payers or are banks more important than landlords when it comes to missed payments and taking possession of properties?
I can understand it from the public, but the government should know better. A typical BTL will yield about 5% gross, so before you factor in any costs. It's not a hugely profitable business, but that's because it's reasonably low risk.

The government is paying people 80% of their wages, or UC/Housing benefits if they are out of work, so why the need to make the Landlord foot the bill?

Lots of people will lose their homes and end up with CCJ's because the government is legitimising non payment of rent. In my experience once rent becomes "optional" it's the first thing a tenant stops paying when they are short of money.


Biggy Stardust

7,068 posts

68 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
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When there is a massive shortage of properties to rent the government will say that they never intended this (entirely foreseeable) consequence & it will all be the landlords' fault for not providing the necessary capacity.

ChocolateFrog

34,954 posts

197 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
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HTP99 said:
What is this person going to do once it all finally catches up with him, he can't go on indefinitely not paying and living rent free?
Put a deposit down on his own house with the 9 months+ worth of rent he's squirrelled away?

Edited by ChocolateFrog on Thursday 17th September 20:42

PrinceRupert

11,613 posts

109 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
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Biggy Stardust said:
When there is a massive shortage of properties to rent the government will say that they never intended this (entirely foreseeable) consequence & it will all be the landlords' fault for not providing the necessary capacity.
Landlords aren't going to board up and abandon their properties.