bad Landlord

Private landlords come under a lot criticism especially from the Likes of Jeremy Corbyn and his left wing entourage most of its is unjustified BUT every now again you find out how some Landlords deserve the bad publicity

I am a Private Landlord and I would like to think a good one I rent one bedroom flats and bedsits and most of my Tenants have been with me long term one for over 30 years. My rents coincide with what the Local Council will give in terms of Housing benefit as several of my Tenants receive this.

Yet I have heard recently that a Landlord in Sittingbourne has put the rent up for a disabled person to £700 for a two bed flat, which is well above the Housing Benefit level. So this may force this individual into becoming homeless.

Now why the increase in Rent? You could understand if the Landlord was By to Let owner and the interest rate had increased or they had done some extensive modernisation but this not the case with this landlord All my flats have not had a rent increase for many many years and I have no future plans to increase. So the only reason I can see is greed and the ploy is obvious get rid of people on Housing benefit rent to some in work or several Eastern Europeans and increase the rental income. When this happens you can understand why some want Rent Control.

One thing that Landlords need is protection against is bad tenants who refuse to pay rent and damage property. Some years ago I had a female tenant who was on Housing Benefit she had this paid directly to herself she built up a debt of 4 months rent, I contact both the Council  and Police stating she was obtaining Housing Benefit fraudulently neither could or would help me. Eventually I made an agreement with that she leaved immediately and I would forgo the debt spending money on Court action is useless if the person has no money or property . This cost the Council Taxpayer £2000 and annoyingly she found another property and went straight on to Housing Benefit again with no punishment for her deception. Yet what was most galling was that I had turned away many deserving tenants who were in desperate need of housing. After she left I took on a tenant from the Reception centre who ahs been with me for several years, he started with housing benefit but is now working sometimes people need just a little helping hand to re-establish themselves. Maybe those who are prepared to give up rooms to foreign immigrants should look closer to home to satisfy their moral needs