About The Landlord
Page contents:
- Who are you?
- What’s this site all about?
- Why are you always bitching?
- It’s a pity you cannot give advise without the foul language?
- Why property?
- Are you rich?
- I emailed you, you never replied- WHY?
- I’ve heard rumours of your beauty, is it true?
- What if there’s a property crash?
- What’s so special about this website?
- You’ve made spelling mistakes
- Favourite quote
- Want to have sex?
- What I want from you
Welcome to my personal landlord blog. Yes, this is a one-man show, if that.
Who are you?
I’m a 20-something landlord that enjoys sharing his morbid thoughts and real-life experiences through this blog.
I go by the alias “The Landlord” because it makes me feel powerful, and sidetracks me from the realities of my insecurities and inadequacies.
If you wish to connect with me, you can do so by following me on Twitter, Facebook and Google+. Alternatively, feel free to email me directly via my contact page.
What’s this site all about?
At a young’ish age, while all my peers excelled in masturbating and computer games, I had taken an unlikely keen interest in financial growth, particularly property investment. Despite how it may sound, I did have friends and I wasn’t bullied.
Wanting to pursue my interest, yet disabled by my fear of having zero experience, I was in a dilemma. I knew I liked the idea of owning and investing in property and in turn creating passive income and security for my future. But I had no idea how to achieve it. I literally didn’t have a clue. Sarah Beeny did as much as she could, but there was only so much I could learn from reruns of Property Ladder.
After a few years of umm’ing and ahh’ing and watching others succeed, I eventually decided to bite the bullet. I was prepared to invest my life-savings into a buy-to-let property and become a landlord. “The Landlord”, if you will.
The point of this website was to document my every step, so people (particularly bored people) could read about my transition from clueless-property-idiot to landlord. I completed the task on the 2nd of March 2007. Moral of the story? Any chump can do it. Yes, YOU can be that chump, you just need to believe.
Ever since completing my task I’ve been making regular updates to my blog, mostly covering my trials and tribulations as a landlord.
I still have plenty to learn and I regularly make mistakes, but this is the place where I share it all so others can learn and share their own experiences.
Why are you always bitching?
If you’ve already read through a few of my blog entries, you may have formed an opinion of me. Most likely negative.
Apparently I swear too much, make unnecessary sexual references, and perhaps come across as an extremely unsavoury person. Everything but the latter is true, the other stuff is down to my own brand of humour.
I don’t bitch a lot in life, but I do find it easier to blog when I want to vent, so that may make me look more psychotic, bitter and twisted than I actually am. I guess blogging on here is my therapy. I’m not a bitter person. I love being a Landlord and I’m a pretty laid back individual. People incorrectly assume I’m a miserable sack-of-shit that just complains all day. Not true! Not true.
All I can say is that I try to help people when and where I can, whether they’re a landlord, tenant, greasy letting agent or anyone with an interest in what I do. I genuinely want good people to succeed in life.
It’s a pity you cannot give advise without the foul language (your advise is good)!
You can fuck right off.
No, no, no. Come back *hugz*
Let me explain…
When I write/blog, I try my best to write like I speak in my head, and not how I’m ‘supposed’ to write. I pride myself on NOT being a dribbling drone.
In my free-spirited mind, before I apply my social filters, I swear a lot and it’s a lot more chaotic up in my head, and that’s the moment I try to capture on paper… because it’s those emotions that feel more real and human. I find people are able to relate better to those moments of initial chaos, and unfortunately, people rarely put anything “real” out there these days; everything feels robotic and processed.
But in reality, while dealing with any incident and people, I apply my social filters, and believe it or not, once that filters are blinking and operational, you’ll probably want to hug me… and caress me… all day, all night. For example, rarely do I swear in my every day conversations, in fact, I usually find it unnecessarily and disrespectful (depending on who/what I’m talking to). Needless to say, I wouldn’t say a lot of the things I do on here in real life.
Essentially, you need to take this place for what it is, and not for what it isn’t. This isn’t a tabloid newspaper or an editorial magazine- there are plenty of those landlord websites out there, which do a fine and boring job. This is a personal blog- not just mine, but for anyone that wants to comment/network in this capacity.
My main objective is to help others through my own experiences- the only way I know how to do that is by sharing my real thoughts/feelings, which includes every little morbid niggle of mine.
I know I’m not everyone’s cup-of-tea. I’m an acquired taste. Despite that, I genuinely want everyone to stick around and help the community prosper. However, based on copious amounts of dissatisfied emails I have received, I get the impression that many of you feel like I am forcing you to stick around at gunpoint. I promise you, if you never come back, there will be no repercussions beyond my very own tears.
But yeah, it is a tragic pity I can’t give advice without swearing my tits off. Agreed.
Why property?
I know many may disagree, but I believe property is a low risk investment with high rewards (if you do it right). I heard somewhere (God knows where) that 20% of the UK rich list made their wealth with Property Investment. I like the sound of that (even if it’s not true)!
Are you rich?
No, not even close.
Give me some money.
Seriously.
PayPal me: payment@propertyinvestmentproject DOT co DOT uk
I emailed you, you never replied- WHY?
I genuinely try to reply to every email which requires a response, even the abusive ones. However, if I ignored your email (assuming it’s angling for a response) it’s probably because of at least one of the following reasons:
- Ignored my disclaimer(s) – this is the disclaimer directly above my contact form – it’s prominent and in plain view:
It’s especially baffling when I receive emails in the form of essays requesting assistance, which clearly took a long time to compile, with total disregard to my disclaimer. Not even a simple, “Hey, I know you said you don’t offer one-on-one support, but…”
Either way, I’m probably doing you a favour by ignoring your reach-out for assistance because it would be a case of the blind leading the blind. In 99.9% of cases, you’re better off contacting your Local Advice Bureau for free legal advice (if that’s what you’re after, which usually is the case)… or leaving a comment on a relevant blog post which covers the issue where the masses can assist. Better yet, take my initial advice (which you rudely ignored) and get your ass over to the landlord/tenant forum.
- Lack of manners – the amount of emails I receive whereby people don’t even comply with basic manners is pretty damn scary. For example, if you email me asking for advice/help (yes, which goes against my point above- but I do actually reply some times- but seriously, don’t email me asking for any), then at least say “hi”, “please”, and/or “thank you” (whichever is relevant).
I’m not asking for much, just manners. It’s free. It’s nice. Embrace it.
Personally, I wouldn’t have the balls to ask someone for help without being polite about it. If you do, you’re someone I have no interest in communicating with. Asshole.
- You’re a ditherer – I don’t have time to flirt (unless you’re exceptionally hot and/or big breasted), so if you don’t get to the point in your email I’m not going to waste time prying it out of you.
For example, if you’re going to email me with, “I have something that may be of interest to you and your readers, may I recommend a service?” (or something to that effect) without actually telling me what/where in that very same email- I’m not interested.
Another classic, which I often receive is, “I have a business proposition for you, please call me on 020 XXXX XXX”
Seriously? You probably don’t know how the world/business works if that’s your bate/tactic. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
If you’re trying to sell to me, then don’t make me work for information/details. You should provide all the necessary details, and if I like what I hear I’ll get in touch.
- Too lazy to do research on a topic I’ve addressed – you’re asking a question which I have already tackled in a blog post, so get off your lazy ass and spend at least 10-15mins going through the relative categories and/or use the search function. If you’re too lazy to do that, then excuse me for being too lazy to respond to you.
- Too lazy to research what this website is about – if you don’t already know, let me explain- this is a personal landlord blog– it’s literally covered in the first sentence of this “about” page. I am one person; this is my online blog; I wrote every blog post on here.
But you didn’t bother to do any kind of research on the person/website you’re contacting, not even the bear minimum (i.e. click on the “about” link)- and that’s why you sent me an email which says something like, “please can you put me in touch with the marketing department?”
There is no marketing department. Again, this a personal blog, I’m not freaking Bill Zuckerberg over here.
If you’re too lazy to spend a couple of minutes reading the “about” page before approaching me with a proposition – I don’t want to deal with you, because the odds are you’re too incompetent to offer me anything remotely appealing, but more importantly, you’d probably drive me bonkers. If I was interested in contacting someone via their website, the first thing I would do is read their “about” page to understand more about them and/or their company.
- CAPSLOCKS – for some ridiculous reason you emailed me with the CAPSLOCK on, so I’m not interested.
- You sent me useless marketing material – I’m not going to publish/share your shitty generic marketing material, which you blasted out to every mug on your emailing list. In fact, take me off your emailing list (I almost certainly didn’t subscribed to it in the first place).
I genuinely wouldn’t put my valued readers’ through that kind of torture. Ironically, one of the main reasons this blog has a healthy following is because I ignore shitty marketing material and spare them from it. Know what’s ironic? If I didn’t have a healthy following, you probably wouldn’t be contacting me with your shitty marketing drivel.
- You think I’m a letting agent – you emailed me asking me if I know of any vacant properties for you and/or your family. I don’t. I’m not a letting agent. It’s silly that you think I am. You’re silly. Very silly.
- Your website is awful – you have a website and you want me to promote it, but your website is terrible (at least I think it is) or at least, inadequate enough for me to stay clear.
Harsh, but fair, right? Good.
If you don’t fall under any of the above and I still failed to reply- oops, my bad, hit me up again. I’d love to hear from you :)
I’ve heard rumours of your beauty. Is it true?
Yes.
What if there’s a property crash? There is going to be one, ya’ know?
I know. I’m actually expecting a couple of crashes during my life-time of investing.
However, that’s alright with me- I don’t plan on making a quick exist, i’m here for the long haul. I’m using property as a means to secure my future.
A crash will only hinder the short-term investor. If you can be bothered, you can read more about My Property Investment Strategy.
What’s so special about your site compared to other property/landlord sites?
Nothing at all, to be honest. The only niche I have is that I have documented my “real story”, from property amateur to landlord.
I’ve ploughed through many financial and property related websites and I quickly realised they’re mostly crammed with technical and boring jargon that no one really ever understands, or even wants to. There’s no emotion, no signs of reality, it’s all very dry and inanimate.
I try to keep things real, in the sense that any normal, average Joe can relate to my experiences (even if you’re an absolute dumbass. I don’t descriminate). I’m not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I’ve picked up a few useful tips and tricks along the way, which may even provide useful for experienced landlords, and this is where I release.
You’ve made a few spelling mistakes, are you stupid?
Fuck you.
A lot.
Fucker.
Only joking.
I’m not a published author or a self-proclaimed journalist. This is my “personal blog” where I jot down my inner-thoughts, mostly during haste, so grammatical mistakes are plentiful. If you find it truly unbearable, to the point where you physically cannot deal with the massacre, then I deeply apologise. I want to make you feel comfortable during your visit, and I’ll do what I can to assist.
How about we help each other?
Above all, I want to create content that will help people progress in life, whether it be professionally or on a personal level. I imagine that’s accomplished most effectively when sentences make sense. So if you spot any mistakes, whether it’s a misuse of a comma or an incorrectly spelt word, drop me an email, and I’ll attend to the mess immediately.
Hopefully, together, we will tidy this place up so it’s a show-piece of grammatical perfection. That would be amazing. Incredible. So delicious.
What’s your favourite quote?
I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time.
– Blaise Pascal
It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it.
– Seneca
A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life.
– Mohammed Ali
This question/answer has nothing to do with anything, and no one even asked me the question, but I wanted to jot them down somewhere as a reminder.
“I’m extremely attractive. I like your sense of humour. Want to have sex?”
Yeah, sure. Drop me an email.
I have an awesome new product for landlords, will you review it?
No.
I’ll bet my left bollock on the fact it’s total junk.
What do you want from me (YOU, the readers)?
Friendly interaction, whether that entails seeking advice and/or helping the fellow man.
That’s all for now, kids. If you would like to know anything else, just hit me up by filling in the contact form on the contact page!
If you want to be notified about all my future posts, then sign up to my free newsletter!
Kind regards,
The Landlord.
80 Comments- Join The Conversation...
Mate, careful what you say here you need a legal disclaimer this is mostly nonsense. Sort it out or risk a law suit
There's a disclaimer in my footer, on every page of my website....
I vacated a flat on Feb 1 2010. The landlord, thorugh the rental agency, claim of £720 was made on my desposit of £1800. A few of the items were legit (faulty extrctor bulb, the Inventory check-out cost, bringing cleaning up to a 'pro standard', etc..) and I conceded these quickly and reasonably. However, some of the claims were illegitimate and clearly a try on. I objected to these robustly but always with reference to the facts and what could reasonably established.
The other side did not play by the rules of good practice. The Property Negotiator on behalf of the landlord was evasive, perverse and unreasonable. She took it upon herself to extract as much money as she could from my desposit. I don't know whether she or the landlord directed the tactics but of course the landlord was ultimately responsible. I dug in, especially as I could prove I was correct over some of the claims, but what the other side did was never address the evidence instead they always made concessions 'in the spirit of good will' with an eye to obtaining a reduced settlement.
There was 3 weeks of this wrangling and they infuriated me so much that even before it was over I was threatening legal action to obtain redress for this unwarranted and unreasonable claim on my time. Right at the end of negotiations there was a tipping point when I saw something that exposed a probable fraud. I asked for specific information on why a particular item was being charged and on what basis and they suddenly capitulated.
They withdrew all outstanding claims on the deposit and offered me the £272 that I had already conceded in exchange for my drawing a line under the whole business. I pointed out that this was in effect an offer of compensation for the reckless and unreasonable way they wasted my time and I wanted a minimum of £1000. They were aware, incidentally, that I used the flat as an office to write and when I made the offer I told them that I expected to be paid for 'the merry dance' they had led me.
Silence. Three days later the landlord's solicitor entered the fray: the remaining £272 was being transferred to my account and with all my deposit now returned to me I had no case. I retorted that I regarded this as only partial settlement for my claim and that will take further action to obtain redress.
Now I am not really sure how to go about this. I am currently asking the rental agency's lawyer for information and trying to find out from the Deposit Protection Service whether such negotiations should be conducted according to any specified standards, so as to process my claim but I am not sure under what grounds. I am not even sure that wasting a tenant's time and giving him the runaround in this fashion is liable. One would think it is but I am not sure. Someone suggested the simplest course is to just bill them for all the emails I wrote trying to deal with their nonsense, then sue if they refuse to pay.
Is there any advise you can give me?
Thanks, Jay
Jay,
My suspicion is that the Agency failed to protect your deposit in a regulated scheme and had just realised so. The penalties for this are VERY significant including awarding tenants multiples of the deposit as compensation/punishment. I would request evidence that your deposit was placed in such a scheme. If it isn't forthcoming you could make life very difficult for the Agency.
Thanks. I willchase this down but I suspect that the rental agency did ener a regulated scheme - the reason is was they are too big (JD Wood) to screw up like that. The Property Negotiator acted like a weaselly scammer though. Yet, they were not particularly diligent. My impression was they regularly work tenants like they did me and most go along with claims that they don't think are fair.
But what can I sue them for? I mean they really gave me a runaround and I want to nail them for the time they took and aggro they inflicted on me - then, I'll write it up without anyone being able to dilute or water down the copy. But I am really not sure how to go about it. I can do the litigant-in-person shtik but I am not sure of what grounds I cite. The landlord is weathly and has a hotshot property lawyer and the agency is a biggie. What is the best course of action? I have the evidence because the email trail is just a joke. I also sprung a telephone call on the Property Negotiator at the time she thought the game was finished and coughed. As I used to be a journo, I have an excellent record of her gaffs.
Thanks, Jay
Dear The Landlord.
Love your site!
Having a forum set up on my own site at the moment.
When it's live (in about 1 week hopefully) check it out!
Why?
I'm going to log in a a guest and tell people about my hideous experiences as a part-time landlord and the very nasty people who have warned me off.
There will be no holds barred and names could be named!
Respect to you.
Power to decent landlords and decent tenants
Musky
www.niceplacelettings.co.uk
Hi, love this site. People talk in real language not jargon. Just started to find my way round the landlord maze and am finding it so helpful. Keep up the good work!
Hi
my son and his mate want to move to a flat and have just presented me with a guarantor form, what is the limit of liability to myself if and when i sign this form, it would appear that no party takes any risk in the renting of the property other than the guarantor,
i would have no problem covering his rent but are there
any hidden liabilities.
Thats the thing - you will have to ask the Landlord that!
Could be just the rent - could be uninsured losses should they burn the place down. If you feel benevolent then your Son yes - mate no way! Would you like to be responsible for your Sons friend should he do a bunk or his friends wreck the place after a party?
Being a guarantor is all very nice till things go wrong!
You really need to sit down with them and discuss the situation AND the friend needs to find their own guarantor as it seems they will be jointly and severally liable - ie if one buggers off the other has to find the entire rent or daddykins will have to pony up the dough!
Good luck.
Jools
Hi jools
thanks for your reply, sound advice, unlimited liability scares the shit out of me, thought when the kids flew the nest my worries would be over
oh how wrong could i be.
thanks again
Alan
Landlord,
superb site, i can sit here laughing all night!!
the worrying thing is 90% of what you say is true!!
we deal with landlords and tenants all day every day and i can relate so many of your comments, just wish we could be as honest as you haha
keep up the good work
steve
legal 4 landlords
Reply to Jay Huggins.
I totally understand that the end of tenancy experience was bad for you, but you've got all your deposit back (thankfully!) so why waste more time and money going after the idiots that caused you such grief? Life's too short, so let it be and move on. Not worth going after them through small claims or lawyers (but it IS worth writing to local Trading Standards and telling them of your experience).
I'm a landlord and I'm going through a situation right now which is sucking up masses of my time to deal with, again caused by a so-called lettings agent called Taylor Tate Limited of www.taylortate.com. Everybody beware of this company, they are a bunch of shysters.
I placed and advert on Gumtree and within a few days received an enquiry from this company claiming they could let my property out in a week on a no let, no fee basis. I rejected their advance at first on the basis I did not want any agents acting on my behalf. Frankly they are ALL useless!
Then this guy, John Phillips from Taylor Tate Limited, got back to me and said he would only charge me £500 plus VAT to let the property. I thought why not, nothing to lose. How wrong was I!!
The long story short is this: the agent was instructed by me to find FOUR sharers. They found FIVE sharers and proceeded to mislead me into agreeing a tenancy to five students. Now anybody that knows even a little about HMO regulations knows that a property of 3 storeys or more, with 5 or more sharers forming 2 or more households is an automatically licenceable HMO, with all the expense of sinks, fire doors, fire alarm system etc etc.
Well apparently Taylor Tate didn't know this and then tried to dupe the prospective tenants into signing up to an agreement illegally by signing only four persons but he told them "it would be okay to move 5 people in, just don't tell the landlord". This is an illegal act and I was liable for a fine of up to £20,000 plus all the rent paid by the tenants was returnable!
So the five boys paid Taylor Tate nearly £5,000 and so far they've only got back £2,046, a loss of just under £3,000! Taylor Tate are refusing to refund them all their money back and threatening legal action against me for breach of contract. Of course there was no valid contract so I'm not going to pay them any of their fee for non-performance. I've lost no money other than the fact I could've had four rent paying tenants in the property a week ago, so until I find some new tenants I'm losing money.
To summarise, everybody (landlords and tenants) beware of Taylor Tate at http://www.taylortate.com as they are fraudsters, pure and simple.
All the best with your claim if you do decide to take it further Jay.
Ha,ha,you wind some folk up good and propper.Why? I'm sure they are very jelous of your success.Arogant?no.Smart?definatly.Good on you keep plugging away.
Gillian
Well done all you landlords enriching the country's coffers with your hard earned taxes. You see it is all supply and demand as you let out the proerties to get in the DSS rents to pay the taxes to fund the DSS rents and so on. Of course as soon as you take in a DSS tenant HMR&C know about your letting and are just waiting for that tax and interest and penalty for the taxes you "forget" to pay.
You see I can leave selling (or is it spelling) mistakes as good as the next one
Hi Landlord,
Hope you don't mind the odd "improvement " to your very good layman's tax guide articles. Any customers refer them my way and for a fat fee I can help them LOL
I like your site
A lot of the content (though by no means all) reflects what I feel though often cannot say because of my work as a corporate consultant.
Very good though.
Your comments on one post about LHA tenants and the councils should be mandatory reading for some at the Town Halls.
Kind regards
David Lawrenson
Are you in America or UK? Some of the comments sound very much American, unfortunately I have never been to USA and lived most of my time in South Africa, although I am a white British Citizen due to my parents being British, they emigrated to SA before I was even born.
Not sure what the laws are in USA on keeping animals, I know over in SA they are quite slack and most rental properties allow most animals excepting large ones like lions and elephants.
I find UK quite difficult allowing people with pets but then we were just very lucky...
I like your site and it should be exposed more especially the tennants and animal issues.
I have been in homes where they have children and quite honistly you would prefer my dogs to the children.
We have always been home owners and never rented until we arrived here in UK.
Keep up your good work, very nice and explicit site.
Best regards,
Kirston Murray.
I think your attitudes to people on Housing benefit are extremely unjustified. In the the UK there are 2.8 million people unemployed. How many of them are on benefits for no fault of they're own. Not to mention the many people who cannot work due to long term illness. You are as bad as a racists for your judgement on people who are housing benefit.
Your telling everybody that DSS tenants are always bad tenants. So what about professional working tenants who become unemployed for whatever reason, are going to become bad tenants and therefor don't deserve a home?
Put yourself in the position of someone who is to ill to work, who just needs a safe comfortable home where they can rest and recuperate and hopefully one day return to work and become as you call them "a professional tenant" Not all professional tenants are good tenants either!
@Howard
"Your telling everybody that DSS tenants are always bad tenants"
I challenge you to find me one instance where I say that.
Good luck.
'FACT: Landlords Refusing DSS Tenants Is Well Justified'
Written by The Landlord on 27 Jul 2010
The closest I could find.
Clearly not quite the same as 'DSS tenants are always bad tenants' but a good try never the less.
Have I won?
Do I get a prize?
Hi Landlord,
How is your strategy working out for you 5 years after you started? How many properties do you have now?
@thaxton
It's nice to ask someone how things are going with their life but to ask how many properties they have is rude and irrelevant. It's like asking "how much do you earn?". By the way, how much do you earn? (Only kidding :o) ).
Those that ask such a question are actually asking the wrong question because it doesn't really matter how many properties the Landlord has. He could have 1 or 5 or 50...it doesn't matter. What matters is are the properties generating positive cashflow, is the Landlord financially free, is the Landlord happy being a landlord etc etc. These are the questions I'd ask the Landlord.
Hi Gareth
I agree it would be interesting to know the answers to your questions.
I am sure I speak for many others, and possibly yourselves, when I say I have followed The Landlord for quite a while now and would be interesting to see if the property market has been good for him and where he is at now. Whether his strategy has changed from his first initial strategy. How he sees the future of property investing, etc.
Yes thaxton's question is quite intrusive however as The Landlord is anonymous anyway and has shared a lot of in-depth information about his journey already, I personally don't think it would be a problem to reveal but then that is only for the landlord to decide.
So if the landlord is reading... perhaps an idea for a blog post?
Gareth, you are a sensible, well mannered chap.
Landlord, while you're at it, give me your bank account details too. Just curious mate.
Cheers.
Mr X - I agree with you... it would be very interesting if Landlord could create a new blog post on that topic. We all learn from each other after all.
Thaxton - thank you for your kind words. I'm not 100% certain that there isn't a teeny hint of sarcasm from reading the first para but even if there was I can tell you have a great sense of humour (from reading the second para) and I love it. Well done (and keep asking those difficult questions of Landlord).
Hi Landlord, I am in property rental and would like to ask anyone if there is any information about finding private landlords in the Widnes, Runcorn, Warrington and St Helens areas that would be interested in renting their properties on a 5 year no void basis.
Look Forward to hearing from anyone with such information.
We are just starting out and are looking a different properties to rent out. Have been doing the calculations regarding the yield.
What is the percentage threshold beneath which you would not consider proceeding? I have read that 7 per cent is the ideal. All my calculations show a yield of about 4.15 on the properties that we are considering.
We are in the fortunate position of buying outright without any mortgage, so in these circumstances, can one accept a lower yield?
Thanks
R.
My tenant has had his housing benefit stopped and the council have told me to "speak to the tenant about it" he now owes us over £4,000 and won't move. We pay a mortgage on the property, so it's costing us money for him and his family to live there.
His wife said to me " you've got all the answers what do you expect us to do" I said "get a job like I have to , to keep you there rent free" she went potty and put the phone down.
They run 2 cars, and have all the latest i phones, can I make them sell their cars to pay towards the rent ?
We have issued a section 8 now, and are just waiting.
He won't tell me why his benefit has stopped and times are hard for us,
I feel as if I'm working to give them a free ride.
Can anyone help?!
I have been renting my property through an agent for a few years. The lats tennant has been in or a coupl of those years. His tenancy was not renewed because I need to move back in.
The agency mucked me around something rotten as to when I could move in etc and kept asking if the tenant could have a few more days. I finally got the keys and the agent said it was ok to move back in just a little dirty as the tenant hadnt had the deep clean done that he was meant to. I went to have a look and noticed a lead and a plug coming out from below the bath. I pulled the bath panel down and there is an extension lead there with a plug plugged into it leading up into the back of the shower. I was absolutely livid and this was a Friday night before the bank holiday. I got fobbed off by staff on the Saturday so had to wait until Tuesday to discuss it properly. They are not taking this seriously at all.
I keep waiting for them to call me back and reminding them that I am not using it until it is made safe. They have checked back in their records and apparently in Nov 2012 the tenant complained of no shower pressure. A new switch was ordered by the agent and I thought it had been fitted as I didnt hear any more about it. Now they are saying that since that time he wouldnt allow them access to the property to have the shower mended. They signed a new tenancy agreement with them at the end of January knowing that he was in breach of his agreement for not allowing access and still didnt inform me of this. Apparently they also 'assumed' it had been fixed and as the tenant said he was happy to put up with the shower they had just left him alone. For a total of 10 months.
The agency are saying that they cannot charge the tenant for this because it is my responsibility but to me they should have some responsibility for not insisting on access but also they told me it was safe to live there!
Any advice please?
Many thanks
Really enjoy your website and want to congratulate you for getting into land lording at such a young age, After doing this for twenty years I just got really really screwed over by my last tenants. The fault was all mine, being that they had lived there's for 5 years I simply got complacent, simply put I got to busy to follow up on things and too confident in trusting they would just leave as promised, well the eviction from hades is finally over, my biggest mistake ever is that I had stored many personal items in the garage while I was remodeling my house, yes you guessed it. They claim they don't know who broke in and took tools supplies and even my high school car that I wanted to restore upon retirement.
In short I can tell you that it's easier to be a slumlord who only cares about money than being a kind considerate landlord who listens to his tenants, all that gets you is tenants feeding you excuses all month long, NEVER AGAIN!
I came across the site by accident whilst searching for software to use to simplify my overall logging.I have been nodding my head in recognition of scenarios you have illustrated .I have had quite a learning curve myself.I will read more.Certainly a blatant,humorous slant on it which is refreshingly funny.You picked up a lot and fast.
Came across your blog today & have been smiling ever since!
I work for an ethical lettings agent, with no hidden fees, no sales and plenty of integrity.
Both myself & the boss come from a social housing background so we bring a lot of that experience with us.
We are neither totally online or a high street presence (its a bit like where's wally...)
and are always looking for new innovative ways to attract landlords, so please have a look at our website too.
Sharon
www.raylets.com
Kool site I can relate alot as I'm a Landlord too.I've never used a letting agent ever as sure there are a small minority that are good agents so I'm not painting all with same brush. However what they actually do is simple to do yourself and with more passion obviously as care more than any letting agent in filling your own property. I could honestly write a book on being a Landlord it wouldnt be hard and sure it comes with its headaches to no end.Just as it has its own rewards.Need to be certain character I feel to be a Landlord as it does test you so have be on your toes and like anythink do your homework and due dilligence.Its a learning experience with tenants don't judge a book by its cover tenants come in all shapes & sizes just be organised & over prepared for any eventuality should it arise.Going to have look around your site more Cheers Paul.
Hi,
Just came across this site and it seems to suit me just fine.
I a s semi pro landlord, ie I have a day job and the property income is my supplemenary income/pension pot.
I am glad I became a landlord, albiet accidentially, but never looked back.
Spent a lot of cash fixing up my house ( residence), then soon afterwards has to move two hundred miles away.
Decided that I would only just cover my costs, if I sold. so decided to rent the property out.
Anyay, my porfolio is such that I am now thing about buyng my next property via a limited company, but I hear that HMRC will still clobber you for tax that you would have saved.
Ie CT is 30%
income tax is 40%
HRMC will ask you for the 10% you saved.
is this correct?
I love your site. It's made even more of an entertaining read by the added expletives!!
Looking forward to receiving your email updates. Keep telling us just how it is - I get so fed up with reading the smarmy blogs out there.
Fabulous work!!!
Accidently stumbled across this whilst trying to find information on how evict a nightmare tenants. Absolutely love, made me laugh and very good insight - if only I came across this before!
So, we have tenants - who won't leave. The long and short of it is, it was a 6month contract, if they were okay, we would consider renewing again. It really started from day 1, didn't pay rent (made excuses), so much for trusting, giving someone a benefit of the doubt, second chance if you will. Definitely, will think before and get a credit reference check done and will go by my gut!
Anyhow, they paid the rent, fell behind and then got up to date again. We notified them to leave after the contract period and like fools believed they would. Date comes around they don't leave and state we need to issue a notice to them if we want them out. We have been played, had I known this was the case would've issued section 21 soon (arghhhh)!
They had their 2 months to leave. Yep you guessed it, they haven't left. To add insult to injury they haven't paid last 2 months rent, 3rd is now due.
Just processed online accelerated possession claim. Understand that this is the quickest and less time consuming way to evict tenants. Can't wait for the day. Will be throwing a freakin party. So, yes, planning on sending papers to court shortly.
Some Questions:
q1 - can we claim for the unpaid rent? will this be via the small claim courts?
q2 - can we visit the property whilst going through the accelerated possession claim?
q3 - how do we stop (if at all) tenants causing damage - can we claim this? If you haven't guessed already we are clueless when we started this and didn't take a bond - low income, we felt sorry!!!
@Aanie,
q1. Yes, https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/web/mcol/welcome
q2. Yes, with reasonable notice but be careful of accusations of harassment.
q3. Yes, you can claim for damage, if you can prove it.
If the tenants are on benefits and more than 8 weeks in arrears, apply for direct payment.
Hi Landlord
Just wanted to say I LOVE your blog and think you are very fair on both sides, made me smile a lot....I havn't been doing that a lot lately. I can see both sides of the coin so to speak as a 51 year old female DSS claimant. I have been a worker most of my life but due to an attack I have been disfigured facially, suffering with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Depression so it limits me mentally. However, as I find it extremely difficult to be in face to face situations I have been trying to find work that I can do from home to get me out of my current accommodation without success I must add. I have been living in a bedsit for over 2 years now with the landlord in the same house. In this time I have been sexually harrassed by him (physically touched). Along with that there have been mushrooms growing in the bathroom, I have been electrocuted in the shower, accused of not paying my rent even though I paid it to him in front of another tenant. There are numerous other scenarios too, too many to mention. I have been to the council, contacted my local councillor(who only acknowledged the unsanitary conditions none of the other things that have happened and he was vice chairman on the committee for safeguarding adults!) and put out private ads to no avail. Oh they did put me on the Rent Deposit Scheme where they guarantee the Deposit. But I now believe this is done just to get rid of you. I have been so honest but it is like I am scum and nobody wants to touch me. All I get from the authorities is 'Contact Environmental Health', easier said than done when the landlord allows NO visitors in the house as he doesn't pay tax on 4 tenants and a family in a flat adjoining the house. And of course if I call them in I have to continue to live here being harrassed....not so easy to do with nowhere else to go as I have no family. Unfortunately none of my friends have room for me to live with either as they all have kids and partners.
Having had 2 previous owned homes myself which is the route I would prefer to be in but unfortunately lost those to redundancy in bad climates. So my conclusion as having been a home owner and now a DSS claimant I feel that we are let down by our government and yes the councils should automatically return to paying rents directly to landlords maybe then it would improve the situations for all of us who claim and need a home and landlords losing money to people on benefits who don't pay!
Conclusion had to finally tell my landlord yesterday that I am actively seeking to move in the hope that he will leave me alone. And hoping that a nice landlord/landlady will find my ads and provide me with a safe environment so that I can heal myself and get back into the workplace.
Keep up the good work and sharing your witty banter I am sure it makes many people smile:)
Andrea.Bless you.An honest and proud tenant makes for a good one.Yor landlord is way out of order.I am sorry for the things that have happened to you and your suffering as a consequence.I don't know which area you are in.You deserve a flood of help.I hope your efforts will be rewarded very soon.Keep your spirits up.
Thank you Carole for your kind and genuine words and it does lift up my spirits to know that there are still kind and caring people in this world.
I am in London and trying to get back to South West Herts where my friends live being my support network. I had been to the council there after my attack and the sexual harrassment but they wouldn't help as I had been out of the borough for a couple of months (even though I had just lived there for 5 1/2 years and once back in the borough would have to wait for another 5 years before being allowed to get on the list.....hopefully by then I will be well and fit to return to employment).
Fortunately, I have great friends always looking out for flats for me, so I know it will change but just a matter of time. I also have an amazing support worker but their hands are tied as to what they can do for you unfortunately.
I am a great believer that when you pay for something you should receive value but unfortunately, where I am that is not the case.
Classic! You made my day :)
Finally someone who speaks their mind-thank you Landlord.
Sifting through the website Ive found Im already on the right track to be ready to start the process.
Not yet got to the stories on crap workmanship from tradespeople -this is the hole my dosh is sinking into at the moment.
(an idiot electrician and then a boiler man who completely f**kerised my boiler -4k to replace it)
Love your blog. Find your experiences are a great help Thanking you
Renting residential to tenants is educational. I've seen the very worst in Human nature and wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I'm aiming to sell all the residentials within five years and retire.
Younger tenants are now are so challenging and alien to what tenants were ten years ago, that it is not a pleasant business to be in. My advice is to have an over 25 policy, and even then, there still like overgrown toddlers at that age. 1 in 25 are lucky to have any common sense. In my day, things were different. The world's gone mad if you ask me.
Tenants have to many rights and to few recourses. Pls to sell up soon as well.
I've been a landlord since the time before buy to let became popular . I have recently sold my small portfolio of properties in order to retire and things east yippee no more worries about tenants and boilers , only this week I find myself almost instinctively buying another property to rent out . Am I addicted ?
Gavin
Gavin.It's a honed instinct.At what point is it wise to sell up ? I'll be looking into it but not just yet.(I say that every year to myself)Cashing it in inevitably leaves you compromising especially after the tax.More stringent measures for landlords will no doubt be looming though.You have made a calculated decision on retiring then spotted an good opportunity which is easily manageable.If it doesn't impede your quality of retirement then I hope it is fruitful.The question is what constitutes your retirement.
Hi landlord!
Just dropping by to say I love reading your blogs. 😂 Makes me feel human. We’re all humans right.
Keep them coming. Not sure if this counts as consent to hear from you, but whatever, I enjoy reading your dribble, some of it is actually very useful.
Thanks and have a nice day!
Amazing down to earth realistic blog.
Well done landlord
Good job on the site, LL. It's amazing how many people get very worked up at someone else's claim of moderate success. I remind those who have that they are free to publish their own blog.
I feel an important distinction to make is the difference between landlording and buying and selling for profit. Landlording is a business, and if done correctly, the risk can be managed effectively. Buying at the top of the market, frankly, doesn't matter; if you've calculated your potential income vs. expenses at a moderate interest rate, allowed for vacancies, and insisted on only properties that generate monthly cash flow, you'll do fine in the long run.
Flipping houses is purely speculative and relies on the ups and downs of the market.
The 'x-factor' is having the patience to deal with tenants and service-people.
Good luck to you.