I’m A Blood-Sucking Parasite Because I’m A Landlord

Greedy parasite landlord

It’s weird, isn’t it?

There’s a very vocal chunk of society that has stuck a “Parasite” sticker on my forehead and tossed me into the incinerator along with Grandpa’s disposable adult nappies, all because I’m a landlord. In their eyes, I’m practically selling crack-cocaine to minors, and using the profit to purchase illegal firearms for my 10yr old son’s gun collection.

They don’t know me from Adam. But they don’t need to, because there’s no redemption for my kind. So to avoid judgement and prosecution, I don’t even highlight my involvement with property to strangers anymore if it ever comes up in conversation. As far as they’re aware, I mow lawns and occasionally steal garden ornaments to support my drug addiction – a more honourable career path that tends to receive a better reception.

It’s weird, right? I’m genuinely asking. Perhaps it’s not weird, and it’s true that all landlords by definition have been compromised by unfathomable greed. But if that’s the case, what’s the better alternative?

It wouldn’t be wise of me to use my time trying to convince the world that I’m a “good landlord“, because really, it wouldn’t be useful, since it’s easy for me to sit on my arse, insisting that I run a legitimate business and I’m not the kind of landlord that profits from cramming refugees into my airing cupboard, or eagerly turns a blind eye to scathing mould breakouts, or dish out eviction notices like candy on Halloween.

So I won’t.

Moreover, I’m approaching the topic through a lens whereby a “good landlord” is a paradox.

For the record, I am a spectacular landlord.

Are all landlords social parasites?

The Lord knows I’ve tried to look at both sides of the argument objectively, and the irony is, I can’t get past the fact that I find it wholly immoral to judge an individual based on their non-illegal profession. I mean, that’s what we’re talking about here, right?

Personally, I don’t even judge telemarketers that make a habit of calling me at the most inconvenient time imaginable, claiming to have the ability to win me compensation for a car accident I was never even in.

They’re consciously lying through their teeth for a living, but I’m still sure every telemarketer has a story.

Similarly, I don’t know how I could objectively label a 60 year old lady – a lifetime charity worker, no less – that’s inherited a property and has chosen to rent it out to help support her impending retirement, a social parasite.

Tad harsh, no?

What about Airbnb and/or Holiday-let landlords? Do they get a pass, or are they also pure evil?

Of course, if we’re talking about gluttonous buffoons like Fergus Wilson, sign me up. I’m all in.

The funny thing is, I’m open to changing my mind and conceding to the fact that all landlords are parasites, but I need a convincing reason first!

“I don’t care what you say, being a landlord is immoral”

To many, it’s a foregone conclusion that I’m an immoral money-grabbing dick-stain, and it’s long overdue for me to “get a real job” (whatever one of those are. I hear they suck hard and make people miserable).

It certainly didn’t feel immoral when I was sweating my bollocks off, working 6-7 days per week; juggling a full-time job in addition to a weekend job serving tables, so I could stack enough cheese to invest in my future. It wasn’t an easy process. In fact, it was agonising at times. For anyone that’s worked in hospitality, I don’t need to tell you how dealing with an endless supply of self-entitled, uppity, douche-bags comes with the job.

I’ve lost count of how many times I heard the nauseating line, “do you know who I am?

Nope. I literally haven’t got a clue (thank God) – I’m sure you’re very successful and important – but can you kindly lower your voice, take your feet off the table, and put your cigar out with your left eye-socket, you shit-faced prick?

Oh, was that when I had a real job?

Hard pass.

I share a glimpse of my journey because one of the biggest critiques of landlords is that we just sit back and relax while some schmuck pays off the mortgage. I’m not even going to dispute that, because someone else is contributing towards my overheads, but it’s not like I woke up one day and found myself in that position. But even if I did, does that really make me reprehensible? Plus, I’ve never really understood how a landlord generating an income from a tenant is any different from any business owner generating revenue off the hard work of their employees. I genuinely struggle to join the dots with that conundrum.

Alas, I actually did work hard to put myself here, and I continue to work to ensure my tenants receive the service they deserve.

“Yeah, but landlords are profiting from a basic human right: housing”

I really don’t know where or how this argument ends.

What about food? Isn’t access to nutritional food also a human right? There’s a food poverty crisis happening in this country right now, and I haven’t heard anyone hurling abuse at shop-keepers for profiteering from selling loaves of bread. Shouldn’t they be giving that shit away for free?

I can take the abuse, but I’d like to understand it, if I may.

Either way, I do agree that housing is a human right, but at the same time, housing can’t be free. So what’s the solution?

Let me take a stab in the dark.

The solution is to push all landlords into a meat grinder so house prices become reasonable, which will ultimately lead to the demise of the housing crisis.

Is that really a solution, though? Once again, I’m seriously asking, because I don’t want to be a social parasite. My parents raised me marginally better than that.

Would life without private landlords actually improve social prosperity?

If so, how do you know? Show me your calculations. Show me your Excel spreadsheet, highlighting the economic impact of making every person and company that provides a service to the private rental sector obsolete, from letting agents to landlords. While you’re at it, show me how you know that house prices will tumble while salaries remain intact. Your impeccable plan might also want to cater for those that actually prefer private renting. Or, are they also part of the problem?

GO ON, SHOW ME!!! SHOW ME!!!!

Of course, I’m bluffing to high heaven, because even if I’m shown a fancy-schmancy spreadsheet, I’d like to think that I wouldn’t have a clue what I’m looking at. And that’s precisely my point. The ramifications of pulling the plug on the entire private rental sector requires intelligence and computing power far greater than what the average person rooting for it is capable of possessing, so what exactly are we debating here? Other than nonsense, I mean.

I don’t know what the consequences would be, but my gut tells me the outcome really wouldn’t be the utopia the anti-landlord brigade are hoping for (because, simply, they don’t really understand what the fuck is going on).

I didn’t intend on dragging politics into this, because reducing someone into a raging patriotic fit is the last thing I ever want to do (that’s a blatant lie), but I think I might have a fitting comparable. I’m sure I’ll find out quickly If I don’t.

I think it was far easier to say “let’s leave the EU so we can take back our sovereignty” than to truly understand the reality of sovereignty.

Sure, the idea of sovereignty sounds okay in principle, but really, but the hell does it actually look like in real terms? *shrugs shoulders*

I’m still waiting for the endless supply of opportunity I was promised once we left the EU.

Farage, you gormless twat, where is MY NEWFOUND OPPORTUNITY? I’ve seen jack-shit of it.

Taking back control” has offered approximately FUCK-ALL visible perks to my life as of yet. On the contrary, my bloody mobile service provider was quick off the mark to change my tariff, ensuring that I now get charged extra for roaming in Europe *grumbles*

In all seriousness, I don’t care how anyone voted in the Brexit referendum, because I would *ahem* NEVER judge a whole group of folk for exercising free will. My only point is that I think it’s easy to vote for an idea, but an idea is not a solution.

Is Social Housing a better solution?

Without private landlords, it’s likely that there will be a stronger shift towards social housing. Do we really want more of that?

“Wait right there, sir! Why? Why would social housing thrive?

’cause killing the private rental sector won’t kill capitalism, which means society will STILL function with a rich and poor divide.

So, I’ll ask the following question(s): would you rather live in a society whereby private landlords exist and are legislated by the government, or whereby only the government provides and legislates social housing?

Bear in mind, at the moment the government has incentive to tighten red-tape to help improve standards in the private sector, because landlords are responsible for covering the costs. What do you think will happen if the government is responsible for legislation and covering any associated expenses to comply?

Allow me to gently jog your memory, and point out that the cladding disaster which was exposed by the Grenfell tragedy still hasn’t been resolved five years later. Blocks of social housing flats around the country are still using the same dangerous cladding. What if private landlords were responsible? I can’t help but feel many of our comrades would be behind bars.

On the flipside, when the Selective Licensing Scheme was first launched – an initiative introduced to help improve standards in the private rental sector (so they tell us) – landlords either had to cough-up the doe and comply by a specific date, or run the risk of prosecution.

Simply, it’s a lot easier for a governing body to improve standards when they’re not responsible for footing the bill. Just sayin’

In other words…

Cheap Dinner Date

“My issue is that tenants have no rights, and landlords exploit the situation [because they’re parasites]”

Okay, so in principle you’re not against BTL, but you’re against landlords because every single one of us exploit tenants. Makes absolutely zero sense, but I hear you.

For every exploited tenant, believe you me, I can find you a landlord that’s been equally as exploited by a tenant. However, I don’t want to play the blame game, because that’s a silly game with no winners, but I do want to address the concern at hand, which I hear oh-so often, by offering my following thoughts:

  • Most tenants don’t actually know what their rights are, yet they claim they have no rights. It’s a very strange paradox.

    There are plenty of tools in place to reign in rogue landlords, many of which are fully loaded with hefty penalties if found guilty.

  • Landlords don’t get to define legislation, that’s up to the government. So if anyone feels let down by their lack of rights, blaming landlords seems futile and a case of displaced anger.

    On another related note, if being a landlord is truly inapprehensible, shouldn’t we be taking aim at those that allow us to exist? Or am I being totally unreasonable here?

    Similarly, I find it strange when the general public gets enraged by wealthy celebrities taking advantage of legal tax loopholes while simultaneously voting for the very people that designed and maintain those loopholes. To me, that definitely is batshit crazy. What is wrong with people?

I’m deeply entrenched in this “landlord life” and I’ve found it to be no different than any other nook and cranny of society: there’s the good and there’s the bad, and it’s never about everyone being the same.

Parasite out xoxo

35 Join the Conversation...

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Cableman 9th June, 2022 @ 13:57

I recently wrote to my MP to offer an idea for using the various agencies setup to hold tenants deposits to also hold major deposits for household building work to safe guard peoples money from rouge traders etc but provide reputable traders with confidence that the money is availble when work is completed to the customers satisfaction!
My MP only thanked me for the suggestion, but I wonder what others think about this idea?

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Matt Durcan 9th June, 2022 @ 13:57

Landlords hardly count on the negative social scale compared to MPs: high salary, expenses, subsidised food and DRINK, tax breaks and expenses on second homes, colleagues to assault and bully, lies to tell, promises to break, and if you are a Minister: free car, the security you undoubtedly need as a professional liar, free housing. Side hustles galore.

I'm a landlord; it's good business to behave decently towards my tenants and protect the fabric of my investment - mind you I've reported a cheating landlord to HMRC recently, and they are in line for a Hooooooge fine (well more than £50 at least!) I invested my pension pot in giving people a home rather than paying CEOs exorbitantly.

Most of my tenants have been very decent people too, but I could tell you some dreadful stories about what some people consider acceptable behaviour.

No landlords - no flexible or low credit requirement accommodation. Alternatively you could always wait for the government to a)sell all social housing lol b) build new affordable homes rofl. So landlords are at worst the least bad alternative - not bad for parasites.

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Steve 9th June, 2022 @ 14:19

Joint the club.

I first became a parasite in 2000 when the Government of the day brought in IR35. Overnight I moved from self employed to parasite. Though paying more tax than I ever did as a full time member of staff, I became a parasite not paying my fare share of tax.(I paid & still pay far more).
22 year on and I am a parasite many times over. As a landlord it goes with the territory, despite allowing some of my tenants to forgo their rent due to covid, or now installing solar panels to reduce their electricity bills. I could go on.....but

I AM A PARASITE!! I WAVE THAT FLAG :)

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Jackie V 9th June, 2022 @ 14:20

God you always make me laugh.

I worked 40 hours a week and did do for twenty years while, looking after my kids and buying houses to renovate them then rent out. Most of them ( ok 99.9% ) are nicer than the house we live in. We did it ethically, no hand outs, no grants, instead with our own blood sweat and tears. While friends where buying new cars and holidays we where saving. We renovate them to death, make a practical, beautiful family home and charge a fair rent.

Only one tenant has left in the last 6 years and when they did ( well lets just say that I am still trying to sort out the mess they left behind) as well as the damage, as well as, god well everything.

Tenants have more rights than landlords. After the initial period you have to have a letter from god to get them out. Even though all the time you know that they are trashing the place. Even when they have stopped paying. (Only happened once and I am still sorting it out! )

Not saying that every tenant is a night mare they are not. They are just normal people like me.

Funny though just like you when I inspect a house I tell them that I am a cleaner or whatever. Don't think I have ever said I am a landlord.

Still once again thanks for making me chuckle.

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Stephen 9th June, 2022 @ 14:47

Thanks for your insightful comments.

As a Landlord, I let my properties at a level which my tenants can afford. The so called, Market Rent is usually double what I charge. If my Tenants were to ever want to buy their home from me, their monthly payment for a mortgage would sky rocket. I don’t remember too many comments about the Bankers who make money from lending money.

The up side to being a tenant, rather than a mortgagor are so often overlooked. The maintenance of the property is someone’s problem to sort out a builder at a moments notice, just when everyone else needs them.

Add to which, when we get to our dotage, and need to receive Care, who pays for it? Not a Tenant. They have no assets so get it all paid for them. Those of us with a property, must fork out to pay for our own Care. If you’ve got more than one property, you get stung even harder as you can’t easily release the money in those properties to pay for your Care without evicting those tenants who may have been paying their rent properly for years.

So much for being a parasite. We pay more in the long run. - Unless we sell up and become a tenant at the right time (a year or so before we need to go into Care - And who can predict that?)

I’ve managed to sell / transfer some of my properties to my children, let’s hope I can live a productive life for a few more years yet, before I need to go into Care.

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Yashamoto 9th June, 2022 @ 15:50

Yo Landlord

Whilst you may or may not be 'in the money', you're certainly 'on the money'.
Can't disagree with a word you say Landlord.
Funny old world, used to be that Agents were the parasites, ah remember those halycon days when teachers and policeman were highly respected and landlords were largely attributed to running ale houses and much loved for it.

You know what we all need is a Landlord Tsar (or Czar if you prefer), you have my vote!

I too, avoid letting people know I'm a landlord hence my choosing your 'Nobody' tag (couldn't see one that said 'Parasite').
I think I got away with it.

Cheers!

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Andy Wright 9th June, 2022 @ 16:28

Still waiting for the day when Shelter will lobby that social housing providers have to comply with all the same laws applicable to private landlords and/or Shelter actually provides any social housing itself.* Not holding my breath obviously. ;)

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vir 9th June, 2022 @ 16:34

keep up the good work and let people think what they want

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Vince 9th June, 2022 @ 20:09

Hi Landlord, nothing you have said surprises me! However it's a version of self-harm to continue to read those criticisms. We have 10 properties we rent out and I never respond to such criticisms.

The only opinions you should be concerned with are (a) your own, and (b) tenants who have just vacated. The former is self evident and the latter provide the best chance of an honest opinion.

Current tenants may well give the opinion they think you want to hear, maybe concerned about their security of tenure.Those who have just left have nothing to lose!

The best opinion is the action of tenants;-

We have a tenant since 1 Jan 2010, who has stated to other tenants that they are very happy to remain for the foreseeable future:

Another tenant stayed 2.5. years, met a girl, left, broke with the girl, took another tenancy with us 2 years ago, just met another girl and just left!

A third tenant was with us for 4 years, she met a girl, left and moved in with her partner 40 miles distant, relationship since failed, phoned twice asking to to given first refusal on any Flat that becomes available.

I think they think I'm a good landlord!

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Paul Barrett 10th June, 2022 @ 04:48

@landlord

You provide an accommodation service for which you charge rent.

Presumably you offer a fully compliant service of a good standard.

Pray tell what business is it of ANYONE especially a tenant what you do with the rent you are paid for the service you provide!?

You may CHOOSE to spend it on wine; women and song and waste the rest!!

It is your prerogative as to what you do with the rent.

You may CHOOSE to support a mortgage with the rent.

If you do that is your choice.

Do tenants believe they are entitled to know what their LL DOES with the rent!?

If they do then they are sadly deluded as to what they are entitled to know.

The financial affairs of a LL are no business of a tenant.

LL DON'T enquire as to what tenants spend their remaining monies on.

So why should tenants moan that they are paying a LL mortgage!!!!???

It is none of their business!!

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Ruth 10th June, 2022 @ 05:35

You made me smile, as always. Thank you for being there on my landlord journey. After 10ish years I’m selling one BTL flat and would like to sell my other BTL flat (oh, but it’s got a tiny cladding problem thing going on). I thought these flats would be my pension income, but I’ve come to conclusion that although I’ve had some lovely tenants (and an odd shocking one), shares are a lot less work and stress. Good luck in your continuing landlord adventures. P.S. I never tell anyone I’m a landlord either. P.P.S. I reckon a lot of my tenants could buy if they wanted to, but prefer the convenience of renting.

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MikeLL 10th June, 2022 @ 06:34

Great Post as ever. Astute and funny. Yes there are good people and bad ones in every type of business and I suspect many of us LLs that read your blog found it because we were looking for a forum to share ideas, or to hear about legislation and are therefore good landlords. And yet if I do tell someone I'm a landlord (not often) I feel the need to immediately explain that I charge below market value and I look after my tenants needs and am a good landlord. They hide it well but you can see that some people think "good theif" keep up your posts they are ace.

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Ceri Edwards 10th June, 2022 @ 07:31

I had a non-paying tenant. We agreed a payment plan, which he reneged on. I offered to go to mediation, and was accused of passing on his data. I did not get the ‘boys’ onto him (as offered by a much wiser and smarter property owner…)… no, being an honest and caring citizen, I followed the full process of letters, notices and finally, eviction. I offered him support and options along the way. I have a County Court Judgement for the £10,000 of unpaid rent, but not for the £2000 in legal fees it has cost me, nor for the £8000 I’ve paid to empty, and repair the damage to the smashed house. There is no compensation for the abuse and stress. I will never get back the money he owes me as he now works cash-in-hand. I still get abusive messages accusing me of being the reason he can no longer see his children as he doesn’t have a house…
But it’s ok. I’m only a landlord. Why should I have compensation? After all, I only worked three jobs to get my first house, remortgaged my house to generate deposits when my ex failed to pay maintenance so that my kids could have opportunities in life, and more importantly a roof over their heads. I’m the one that has been working everyday for two months to repair and re-decorate the house he damaged… yes, my pace is a little slow… but then I’m that 60 year old woman, who despite early retirement does not rely on the state for a penny, but lives within my means, even when those means are severely reduced by a 35 year old-able bodied young man who does not pay his rent. Had he robbed a bank for £5000 he’d be a criminal… but this is ok, after all, he’s a tenant and someone else is footing the bill.
I have five little houses, and four great, long-term tenants that are with me. Mostly single mums, who pay to keep a roof over their families’ heads… but don’t even get me started on the single mum stories (I mean, who ever moans about errant fathers?).
I’m often told how lucky I am. And of course, I am… but I provide quality homes that I have renovated from poor stock and made good. Where would social housing be without caring landlords? If I want to sell my properties, I have to pay Capital Gains Tax as if my uplift was made in a year, not from years of small increases (that once benefited from tapered relief - oh, that’s a good tax change… let’s get the landlords). I took the risks, and still do. Every opportunity carries risk, and most people could get a BTL mortgage, if they wanted to, so it’s all a choice. I’m happy with mine, and that’s all that really matters. 100% responsibility.
My blood-sucking tenant has gone, my house is re-decorated and onwards…

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north west landlord 10th June, 2022 @ 08:28

When I purchased absolute run down dumps that no one wanted to live in, and spent months renovating to a great standard so that enough people wanted to live there I had the pick of tenant was that a bad thing?
Like the writer myself and my brother went into this after years of saving hard, and both worked 7 days a week to start, then 6, then 5 ...
Nobody had any envy or bitterness when we were working flat out. We provide lovely homes always below the market rent so tenants stay. During a tenancy I have yet to put up a rent (but I will soon) sso the fatcat bit feels a bit false. Most tenants prove a higher income than mine when checks are made.

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Mick 11th June, 2022 @ 09:37

I am a landlord and I make no apologies for what I do, nor should I have to.

I run a legitimate business, obey the rules and regulations pertaining to my profession and as I deal with a 'people service' try to be as ethically and morally sound as I can.
If anyone wishes to castigate me for this, that's their prerogative.

If they berate me for providing housing for those who cannot afford to buy (or prefer not to buy their own), then I advise them to direct their resources from bleating to getting up off their moaning backsides and actually working towards a solution they feel is acceptable to them.

The basic issue here is:- Most people want to be rich but most people hate rich people, and all landlords are seen as rich (them) with poor people (us) as tenants, so we landlords are seen as rich bastards exploiting the poor, not as what we really are, business people providing a very necessary service.

Do I give a shit? About my tenants yes (I need to if I want my business to succeed), about all the detractors, moaners, mudslingers etc... Nope

Nb:- As for social housing, councils prosecute 'rouge' private landlords whilst making themselves immune from rules and regulations pertaining to the private rental sector, while providing some of the worst maintained rental properties in the country, properties which if you or I housed tenants in we would be facing mega-fines at a minimum. If Grenfell Tower was owned by a private landlord, they would already be in prison convicted of manslaughter (culpable homicide).

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Emma 13th June, 2022 @ 14:50

Interesting and amusing article once again.

I live in Cornwall and private landlords don’t get quite such the same bad rap here. That is reserved for the landlords who have pulled long term rentals for short term holiday/airbnb lets for fatter returns and a lot less legislation to deal with.

Forget the impact it has on the housing crisis and how the people who actually live in Cornwall are negatively affected by the holidaymakers who are going to shout very loudly and not give a flying feck cos they are on holiday.

Let’s face it, we are needed. There are bad landlords and bad tenants. I have amazing tenants and treat them so. Despite inflation and my dwindling retirement funds I haven’t increased the rent and jump anytime the place needs any attention.

I hear you but I don’t honestly think you are that thin skinned 😆

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GriffMG 14th June, 2022 @ 11:45

@Landlord - Love it, made me laugh, thank you.

I too am a parasite, I am proud of it, but I don't wear a T-Shirt that makes it too obvious (although the Roller on the expansive drive [VW in the parking space really] might be a give away).

Just done 50% of our quarterly inspections and completed the needed repairs etc. (a double glazing window handle that did not actually reach the closing mechanism? and glued down a threshold bar).

Were it always that easy! Lovely tenants, one made me a really nice coffee and the other a hand made tray of sushi for my wife... I'll be sent to the other 50% shortly and don't expect anything different... last inspections required new shower fitting (old one was pathetic, but serviceable) and for me to glue a skirting board back on.

Back to putting my feet up (doing the day job) and roasting some coffee beans...

Look after your premises and your tenants and life if not all that bad.

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Kerry 19th June, 2022 @ 23:27

😂😂🙏💕

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GriffMG 20th June, 2022 @ 09:25

Section 21 to be taken away?

Will it make any difference if it takes a year already to shift renters?

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The Landlord Avatar
The Landlord 20th June, 2022 @ 20:27

@GriffMG

Ha, we'd be lucky to get rid of a bad tenant in 12 months these days! Courts are jam-packed.

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The Landlord Avatar
The Landlord 20th June, 2022 @ 20:35

@Emma

Thanks Emma.

Interestingly, you're like the 10th Landlord I have spoken to in a short period of time that's been praising UK holiday lets/airbnbs. Apparently, business is booming at the moment.

I guess it makes sense, with the rising cost of traveling abroad and people still reluctant to travel abroad because of COVID. Anyone with a holiday let by the coast can make some serious money in the next few months!

A friend of mine is making a few grand per weekend at the moment, from a property that he had literally written off as a failed project. He paid like £300k for it a few years ago, so now he's hoping to recoup all of his investment in the coming few years from short-lets hah.

Not sure how long this fad will last, but damn, while the sun is shining...

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Emma 20th June, 2022 @ 21:28

Hmm, dunno about praising, but I can see why people do it. Some hassle involved with bookings/changeovers/cleans etc but can be big fat profits and a lot less legislation and if you have a bad tenant they are only likely to be there for a couple of weeks max.

In somewhere like Cornwall it does mean that there are a massive shortage of long term rentals and people are living in vans and tents. The hospitality industry are saying they can’t get staff cos of lack of accommodation so the holiday makers are kicking off queuing an hour for a pasty.

Lived in Brighton for a while too and same there. Absolute hell in some neighbourhoods with stag and hen lets.

Point being, blood-sucking parasites most of us aren’t.

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James 22nd June, 2022 @ 10:07

Sadly though there are some serious shithead landlords that will try to circumvent simple affordable repairs, all at the cost of their tenants enjoyment and a bug bare to the neighbours. For example my son owns his first home, next door to him is a tenanted property. In January the shared fencing blew down and the entire length some 30ft leans over into the landlords property ..... the extent of blocking the kitchen window view. At first the 'agency' representing the landlord denied it was a shared fence, of course this was bullshit as the deeds and conveyancing was ready to hand due to the recent property purchase. Next was advised to wait for a professional quote recommended by the landlord. Who turns up? a tenant from ANOTHER of her properties who then decided he wasn't qualified to do the job for the paltry offerings from the landlord. By this time 6 months have past 6 MONTHS!!!My son has offer numerous times to put it right AT COST plus a little for his time out as a professional, alas nothing yet, no answer or communication but we did then find out the 'AGENCY' just happens to be her daughter..... then next course of action will be to repair the fence and take her to court for half the money... WHY??

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The Landlord Avatar
The Landlord 22nd June, 2022 @ 11:11

@James
Agreed, and those landlords give us all a bad name and profoundly get on my tits.

Landlords that don't attend to repairs baffle me.

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Name 6th September, 2022 @ 16:22

Other people pay your mortgage, while you profit off of a necessity. Should food/water/air be commodified? No! People should not starve because they can't fit into our system. People should not go unhoused, people should not be thrown into the gutter and forgotten because they aren't "productive". Capitalism is an evil we all suffer under, and landlords are the most obvious beneficiarys of it. You add NOTHING to society. You add NOTHING to anybody but yourself. You are NOTHING, and you deserve to be treated as such. You had to work and be treated poorly? boo hoo it's how we all have to live. You have chosen to use your accrued wealth to become a member of a hated and exploitative class, and you want us to have sympathy for you? Should the serfs have pitied the Tsar before or after his execution? Until that day comes again you will have no sympathy from the vast majority of the population. The youth hate the capitalists more and more, and your place makes you a valid target for the hate of our extractive system.

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The Landlord Avatar
The Landlord 6th September, 2022 @ 17:09

@Name
Christ, did you really say "boo hoo" to me? AFTER THAT?

Either way, I'm happy to agree to disagree with you. Something tells me having a rational discussion with you is very unlikely.

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Paul Barrett 6th September, 2022 @ 18:01

OMG @ Name

An absolute looney!!

Seriously the rant shows this poster to be deranged.

So driven by a deranged ideology that socialism is.

Love the comment that rent is paying off mortgages.

Since when has it been the business of tenants as to what a LL dies with the rent received for the accommodation services provisioned.

Do LL query what tenants spend their income on!?

Surely if a LL wishes to spend rental income on wine, women and song and then waste the rest that is surely the LL prerogative!?

Or extrapolating from what this idiot Name is suggesting LL will need to refer to their tenants to check they have tenant permission to spend rental income as tenant deign to give permission for!?

Idiot Name clearly fails to appreciate that without private capital invested in private rental accommodation millions of people would be homeless.

Govt is in no position currently to house all these currently being housed by the PRS.

If Name is a reflection of a majority of population views that is very worrying.

LL can vote with their feet........tenants CAN'T!!

Socialists fail to understand that without capitalism their lifestyle would be severely degraded.

The best way to achieve a degree of Socialism is to encourage capitalists and slowly squeeze them for income without the capitalists necessarily noticing what is happening.

That way Socialists could stand a good chance of achieving a degree of socialism funded by capitalists who won't realise this occurs.

So Socialists need to encourage capitalism whilst also taking appropriate amounts to fund Socialism.

Attempt to take too much from capitalists and they will run away.

There is no point in killing the Golden Goose

Socialists need golden eggs to be continually produced.

The Golden Goose needs to be encouraged so that it's Golden eggs can be provisioned.

Idiot Name seems to want to kill the Golden Geese.

Therein lies the way to a destructive and violent Animal Farm type of Society.

Does the UK really want a Soviet type of society which this idiot Name clearly is espousing!.

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Mick 7th September, 2022 @ 12:12

In Internet slang, a troll is a person who posts inflammatory, insincere, digressive, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, a newsgroup, forum, chat room, online video game, or blog), with the intent of provoking readers into displaying emotional responses, or manipulating others' perception. This is typically for the troll's amusement, or to achieve a specific result such as disrupting a rival's online activities or manipulating a political process. Even so, Internet trolling can also be defined as purposefully causing confusion or harm to other users online, for no reason at all. (Definition taken from Wikipedia)

@name Has posted one of the most pathetic, banal and hysterically amusing bits of trolling I have ever seen, and I've been using online forums since the birth of the internet.

I urge all Landlords to print it and place it in a place where they can look at it every morning, as in these dire times it's nice to have something to smile at first thing in the day, and this tripe is pure gold dust.

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TheOneBillyGunn 11th January, 2023 @ 00:03

The problem with this post is that OP is literally going "Lol, I'm a parasite, nothign you can do about it", instead of actually displaying a counterargument.

The problem with some landlords is that they charge rent which is more than what they're paying a month for the mortgage. Don't get me wrong, I'm not "anti-landlord", I've had some really sound landlords in the past; never bothered me, always repaired faults promptly, etc, but on the other hand there are bad ones who do truly do it to exploit.

The ones I do actively dislike are the ones who state "No pets", but have like four german shepherds themselves (I get they don't want their house wrecked, but not all animals are destructive and/or dirty).

And HMO owners. They can just dive into a fire as far a I'm concerned. I wouldn't mind if they actally made the "rooms" affordable, but they charge more than a three bedroom house per tenant for said rooms.

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The Landlord Avatar
The Landlord 11th January, 2023 @ 09:56

@TheOneBillyGunn
"Lol, I'm a parasite, nothign you can do about it"

Did I really suggest that?

I don't think I did.

This blog post wasn't intended to highlight why I'm personally a good landlord (I do have a blog post on that), but rather, why being a landlord doesn't automatically make someone a parasite.

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GriffMG 12th January, 2023 @ 10:04

@Landlord

Just reread your article and not one word of it is out of place, well done!

What is up with the market though? Just had tenant(s) leave on Friday, new one
in on Tuesday - people offering over the asking price, significantly over.

Took a tenant who turned up clean, not whingy, who could afford the rent asked for
and understood that drying washing in a room with the windows closed was not a good
idea...

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Paul Barrett 12th January, 2023 @ 10:50

@GriffMG

You may well have seen the worm turning.
Tenants finally realising that LL and their assets are not to be abused.

LL properties are now rare and tenants can see many other tenants wanting the same property.

We may finally be seeing tenants appreciation of LL offers.

Funny how stock reduction makes people polite!!

I believe the days of mass rent defaulting are over.

Tenants can't afford to risk a duff LL reference.

Tenants will actually start complying with their contractual obligations!!

They won't wish to upset the LL.

So no more sneaking in pets and sub-letting etc.

Shrewd tenants will now realise that a good LL reference could make all the difference.

The things you mentioned about rent going substantially over asking.

Have you seen the campaign to stop this bidding over asking rents!?

Simple way to get round that is to consider what market rents are and then add £300 suggesting offers under asking will be considered.

A LL is ENTITLED to market for as much rent as he wants.

Nobody could complain if eventually the LL accepts less than asking!!!

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GriffMG 12th January, 2023 @ 11:19

@Paul

I think that maybe you need a lie down with the lights out... that is never going to happen...

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Jim 31st March, 2023 @ 16:59

Not all landlords are the same, but while there is a housing shortage you are contributing to a system that makes it very difficult for ordinary working people to buy a home of their own.

I believe you put forward your own case in good faith, so I will do the same.

Low supply and increasing demand = ever increasing house prices. As long as that is the case, it will continue to be almost impossible for renters to get on the property ladder. Many renters are forced into renting and end up spending money on the LL's mortgage rather than being able to save for a deposit or contribute towards a mortgage of their own.

The reality is that if you own one property, you can more easily get a second (and third, fourth, etc.). You have security (a house) and lenders trust you. You're using your capital to buy up stock for your own benefit. (I don't think LL's are driven by a passion to house the less fortunate).

Now, you can say that we tenants are lazy or unwilling to make the sacrifices to save enough to buy a house (perhaps like you did).

Let's explore that.

The average house price in the UK is around £290k. A first time buyer usually needs a 10% mortgage, which is £29k to put down. (You can, of course, got lower if you want to buy a one-bed or studio flat.)

Average salary in the UK is about £30k. Average (non-London) rent is £983.

After tax, you've got about £2k in your bank each month (not including student loan repayments or pension contributions). So, that's about half of your income going on rent.

There's another £500 or so to cover the other basic expenses (food, utilities, council tax, etc.)

Best case scenario, you are left with £500 to spare each month.

Let's say you are particularly frugal and you save most of that and leave yourself a meagre £100 a month for things like clothing, books, seeing friends or family, Christmas, birthdays, unexpected expenses, etc. (Unlikely, but maybe just about within the realms of possibility).

So that's £400 a month into savings. It would take about six years to save enough for a deposit.

That's the best case scenario for a very frugal and disciplined person. Maybe six years is short enough to be motivated. Is that what you did?

But if you could only save half of that (and saving £200 per month is quite good for most people) then suddenly you're looking at 12 years to save for a deposit.

Add to this that the median salary will tend towards younger people being paid less and older people being paid more. So, first-time buyers (younger people) will not usually be on £30k per year. If you want the higher salary, you need to either a) live in the city where rents are much higher, or b) commute to the city and pay for transportation to get to work. Either way, you have to pay a premium.

A decade of living very frugally is surely deserving of a house, no doubt. But should that really be the norm? Is that the society we want? And let's be honest, this isn't how young people are buying houses. They are inheriting vast sums or living at home while working for a few years and saving as much as possible with Mum and Dad covering the cost of everything else. Nice if you can get it, but not available to most of us. I don't know anyone who has done it purely through hard work and sacrifice. How did you get yours?

This is historically unprecedented. Many older home-owners never had to make anything like those kinds of sacrifices to buy a home. Everyone knows house prices have gone up faster than wages. It's simply a fact. I'm sure you did work hard, but it was a feasible and realistic goal to buy a home. Could you have lived like that for a decade or more?

Taking all of this into consideration, tenants don't like you because not only are you making it harder for us to get our of our shit situation but you're also benefitting from it. We're paying for your asset. You'll have a house at the end and we'll have nothing. Hence the parasite comparison.

Yes. Of course it is legal.

But so too was slavery, once upon a time. I'm sure some plantation owners were very nice to their slaves.

So, in summary: you, the human being and person trying to get by in the world, we don't (necessarily) hate you. You might be generous. You probably work(ed) hard. It might be your pension.

What we hate is the fact that our society permits a landlordism that benefits the few at the expense of so many, and you seem to be okay with it and happy to profit from it.

P.S. This is mostly about landlords who buy a house and rent it out. If you bought a house and spent a lot of time and effort doing it up... why didn't you sell it?

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Breb 23rd November, 2023 @ 00:00

I don't think landlords are entirely a problem. Good landlords are just that, good. But in a world where affordable housing is becoming less available and houses are being bought in droves by single entities to be rented out for stupid-high rents, many people, ESPECIALLY those with low incomes, are pushed into expensive shitholes. Many of these shitholes have shitty management on top of it. I think if buying a house were realistic for the average person like it was 20 or 30 years ago landlords wouldn't be vilified as much. but unfortunately real estate prices are ridiculously high and wages are ridiculously low. I've always loved my good landlords but the bad ones make it so hard to trust another one.

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