Rental nightmare in coastal Cornwall (and coastal Devon, IoW)

[spygirl]

This is NOT Chelsea-on-Sea: Seaside locals rage at rich Londoners pricing THEM out of housing market as they brace for onslaught of second home owners and AirBnB staycationers over Easter weekend

• Second home owners and staycationers are set to descend on some of Britain's most picturesque towns
• Furious locals have hit out at the influx, complaining that wealthy Londoners are driving up house prices
• Others have described the congestion, rubbish and chaos caused by wealthy city-dwellers visiting the towns 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10714525/How-second-homes-bringing-misery-Britains-seaside-towns.html

Furious residents of some of Britain's most picturesque seaside towns have slammed wealthy Londoners for snapping up second homes in the area during the pandemic and pricing them out of the housing market. 

Covid lockdowns and the rise of flexible working saw a surge of Londoners travelling outside of the capital, spending a record £54.9bn on properties outside the city last year - the highest value on record by far.

However, the rush for second homes has brought misery to residents of the most popular towns, with soaring house values pricing young people out of the housing market.

Wait til you've had hordes of brassic botox n west Yorkshire in boue badge mobility cars pile in..

Same old, same old.

Meg Ennis, 70, who has lived in North Berwick, a town popular with tourists in East Lothian, since 1970, said: 'People have rediscovered North Berwick. There's not so many bed and breakfasts and loads more Airbnbs. Tourists have always come here. 

'Parking is diabolical here, it's terrible. They've not got enough places to park. During the first lockdown people were coming down for the day when there were no toilets open. They were parking on double yellow lines, traffic couldn't get through, it was a bit of a disgrace to be quite honest.

'A lot of homes here are holiday homes and the youngsters can't afford to pay the prices so they have to move away even though they were born and brought up here.' 

Sarah Ronzevelli, who runs the Salt Pig Too restaurant in Swanage, said she had been searching for an affordable home there for four years to no avail.

She said: 'It has been really difficult for us especially after the pandemic because the prices are getting higher and higher - people have been trying to get out of busy cities and buy properties in quieter places like Swanage.

'We're struggling to find staff because it is mostly holiday homes, Airbnbs and second homes. There just aren't many people of working age here and we are so far away from Bournemouth and Poole that people don't want to commute. 

'I am a good example. I have been trying to find a place I can afford for four years but prices are really high. 

 

[Popuplights]

On 18/09/2021 at 08:10, Frank Hovis said:

 

That protestors turned out to oppose this eviction and it became physical is a massive new line crossed.

The individual voices of anger and dissent now have a unified movement and this will now keep happening.

I'm surprised that is has happened so quickly but it now exists.

Which is nice.

If the Baliffs are frightened for their own safety they may become less keen to take on evictions

[With a crooked smile]

On 12/04/2022 at 21:03, Don Coglione said:

20 grand a week, every week? nearly 3 grand a day?

Fuck me, that's a lot of tea and buns.

By pure chance we actually went to the tea place today. We went for a walk at Aira Falls not far away and then fancied a drink. Wife worked in Pooley Bridge years ago so fancied having a mooch round.

Up to £50 for a afternoon tea! Nice spot even on a day like today (mid week bit overcast) doing a solid trade.

Of course @spygirlthinks its a rubbish business with no scale..

Bit then @spygirl travels on a bus whereas Colin Hindle the owner has been known to travel The Lakes by helicopter. I guess one of themselves been the more successful in business.

[Bobthebuilder]

1 hour ago, With a crooked smile said:

Up to £50 for a afternoon tea! Nice spot even on a day like today (mid week bit overcast) doing a solid trade.

License to print money, a business like that, with a captive audience near a popular tourist spot.

The best example I can think of is a fish and chip shop on Swanage sea front, take away only. Queues out the door in season, minimal staff and selling above average prices. Added bonus of owning the building outright.

Hospitality does not guarantee riches of course. Hundreds of failures to every 1 millionaire restaurateur.

[spygirl]

3 hours ago, With a crooked smile said:

By pure chance we actually went to the tea place today. We went for a walk at Aira Falls not far away and then fancied a drink. Wife worked in Pooley Bridge years ago so fancied having a mooch round.

Up to £50 for a afternoon tea! Nice spot even on a day like today (mid week bit overcast) doing a solid trade.

Of course @spygirlthinks its a rubbish business with no scale..

Bit then @spygirl travels on a bus whereas Colin Hindle the owner has been known to travel The Lakes by helicopter. I guess one of themselves been the more successful in business.

In my younger years I got lumbered with helping various hotel, bnb guesthouse owners with their initial computers, mainly to prepare accounts so they could track and submit tge books to the printer.

Some had IBm pcs/ps2, some had those God awful amstrad boxes.

I watched people enter into the hospitality sector from the mid 80s, looking at their books. And I watched loads come out in the early 90s recession.

The few people who made money, made it by buying tge business on tge up of the business cycle and flipping to to someone 'seeking a slower life' before the economy.

They made fuckall from tge businesses itself. If you start paying yourself a crappy salary then the return on the business is beyond shit. Two people doing 50h weeks, running, cleaning, hanging around.

Fuck that.

Show me someone in hospitality who's made money from trading rather than accidentally getting tge property cycle right.

 

[With a crooked smile]

14 minutes ago, spygirl said:

In my younger years I got lumbered with helping various hotel, bnb guesthouse owners with their initial computers, mainly to prepare accounts so they could track and submit tge books to the printer.

Some had IBm pcs/ps2, some had those God awful amstrad boxes.

I watched people enter into the hospitality sector from the mid 80s, looking at their books. And I watched loads come out in the early 90s recession.

The few people who made money, made it by buying tge business on tge up of the business cycle and flipping to to someone 'seeking a slower life' before the economy.

They made fuckall from tge businesses itself. If you start paying yourself a crappy salary then the return on the business is beyond shit. Two people doing 50h weeks, running, cleaning, hanging around.

Fuck that.

Show me someone in hospitality who's made money from trading rather than accidentally getting tge property cycle right.

 

In my younger years I worked for TfL. Implementing the new Oyster cashless payment system. One thing I remember was the people actually travelling on buses generally didn't have the slightest bit on financial acumen and were as my manager commented more than once generally Billy Bullshitter types.

[Frank Hovis]

I can't see an obvious place to post this so I'll put it here.

This one has its own brewery 

 

 

St Austell £300k home has its own bar and brewery

It's located on the outskirts of St Austell

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/gallery/st-austell-300k-home-its-6974081

 

[One percent]

1 hour ago, Frank Hovis said:

I can't see an obvious place to post this so I'll put it here.

This one has its own brewery 

 

 

St Austell £300k home has its own bar and brewery

It's located on the outskirts of St Austell

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/gallery/st-austell-300k-home-its-6974081

 

It’s all a bit grey.  

[Frank Hovis]

Another anecdotal; family evicted from Newlyn, which merges into Penzance, by landlord last year saying he wants to live in it. Now relisted at £450 per month more.

As with several of these the priced-out family is now living in a caravan park.

This looks like the future for west Cornwall: all the low paid workers and those on benefits without a council house are going to be living in caravans year round.

And not on sites with a lovely sea view where tourists would certainly not be booking.

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/penzance-mum-living-caravan-park-6978228

 

[One percent]

1 hour ago, Frank Hovis said:

Another anecdotal; family evicted from Newlyn, which merges into Penzance, by landlord last year saying he wants to live in it. Now relisted at £450 per month more.

As with several of these the priced-out family is now living in a caravan park.

This looks like the future for west Cornwall: all the low paid workers and those on benefits without a council house are going to be living in caravans year round.

And not on sites with a lovely sea view where tourists would certainly not be booking.

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/penzance-mum-living-caravan-park-6978228

 

It’s disgusting and about time our elected leaders, both local and national, got a handle on this.  It really isn’t difficult. Make second homes eyewateringly expensive to own and this will either drive them out or provide resources to house local people. 

[Frank Hovis]

8 minutes ago, One percent said:

It’s disgusting and about time our elected leaders, both local and national, got a handle on this.  It really isn’t difficult. Make second homes eyewateringly expensive to own and this will either drive them out or provide resources to house local people. 

 

To their credit Cornwall council is fully aware of the crisis and doing something about it whilst trying to do more. Last year they put in for the second homes premium on CT that Wales is bringing in, this month I think, but Westminster denied them this power.

The problem IMHO is that most MPs view holiday destinations in the UK as comfortable places with decent standards of living, Cotswold picture postcard towns for instance, but the reality is that their desirability makes housing far more expensive than it is in non-tourist areas meaning that the working poor are the worst off in the country. Bar maybe in London.

[eek]

7 minutes ago, Frank Hovis said:

 

To their credit Cornwall council is fully aware of the crisis and doing something about it whilst trying to do more. Last year they put in for the second homes premium on CT that Wales is bringing in, this month I think, but Westminster denied them this power.

The problem IMHO is that most MPs view holiday destinations in the UK as comfortable places with decent standards of living, Cotswold picture postcard towns for instance, but the reality is that their desirability makes housing far more expensive than it is in non-tourist areas meaning that the working poor are the worst off in the country. Bar maybe in London.

In London there is work all year round and often paying above the minimum wage. That isn't the case in Cornwall or other tourist resorts - it's minimum wage (at best) and minimal hours (with no work during the off season) as well. 

[Frank Hovis]

2 minutes ago, eek said:

In London there is work all year round and often paying above the minimum wage. That isn't the case in Cornwall or other tourist resorts - it's minimum wage (at best) and minimal hours (with no work during the off season) as well. 

There is a lot more year round work these days but yes it's all at very low levels of pay.

[One percent]

2 hours ago, Frank Hovis said:

There is a lot more year round work these days but yes it's all at very low levels of pay.

I always leave a tip in cash, never, ever on the bill. If the greedy owner plonks a service charge on, i ask that it is removed. Then I’ll never darken their door again. You just know if they put a service charge on the bill that they are greedy and will be treating their staff poorly.  

[Frank Hovis]

This one near Lelant (between Hayle and St Ives) is up again; it was for sale during lockdown. I don't remember the asking price but it was below the current £2m.

It may look idyllic but the steps to the right are public and the beach is hugely popular with dog walkers with this being the main access to the beach so you will have people and dogs going past from early morning to evening.

Plus the nearest road access is to that church visible in the background.

Everything has to be carried down a long sloping sandy path.

Holiday lets only.

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/cornwall-paradise-home-access-beach-6979510

 

[spygirl]

21 hours ago, Frank Hovis said:

This one near Lelant (between Hayle and St Ives) is up again; it was for sale during lockdown. I don't remember the asking price but it was below the current £2m.

It may look idyllic but the steps to the right are public and the beach is hugely popular with dog walkers with this being the main access to the beach so you will have people and dogs going past from early morning to evening.

Plus the nearest road access is to that church visible in the background.

Everything has to be carried down a long sloping sandy path.

Holiday lets only.

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/cornwall-paradise-home-access-beach-6979510

 

11 hrs ago

And it has never been owned by a Cornish person 🤔

 

They might not be able to buy the house but Im sure they could afford the box of matches to set it alight ...

[sarahbell]

If I won the lottery on Tuesday I'd struggle to find a big house I like enough to splurge on. 

[Frank Hovis]

Quick - buy it before it sinks.

Now I don't think that you have to be a enthusiastic believer in vast amounts of sea level rise to see how this particular house might have a problem.

It is also only accessible by foot or boat so good luck popping to the shops if the milk runs out.

Listed for £2.5m in 2020 it has now been reduced to £2.25m; presumably reflecting that less remains above water every year.

One for the very very brave.

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/sawmills-iconic-home-studio-golant-6993784

[Chewing Grass]

8 minutes ago, Frank Hovis said:

Quick - buy it before it sinks.

Now I don't think that you have to be a enthusiastic believer in vast amounts of sea level rise to see how this particular house might have a problem.

It is also only accessible by foot or boat so good luck popping to the shops if the milk runs out.

Listed for £2.5m in 2020 it has now been reduced to £2.25m; presumably reflecting that less remains above water every year.

One for the very very brave.

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/sawmills-iconic-home-studio-golant-6993784

I remember that place as a kid as you have to go under the railway line to get to it.

Think it has changed hands multiple times as I have seen it for sale before.

[Frank Hovis]

26 minutes ago, Chewing Grass said:

I remember that place as a kid as you have to go under the railway line to get to it.

Think it has changed hands multiple times as I have seen it for sale before.

 

In many ways it's idyllic - your own private creek in 30 acres of your own woods - but the sheer mechanics of bringing anything substantial there or getting tradesmen in would outweigh the advantages.

I'd love to live there for a summer but buying it would be a no.

It only really works as a business - letting and recoridng studio - and realistically you would have to buy the parking as wel.

There are also, available by separate negotiation, four parking spaces in Golant with planning permission for garaging and an office above.

 

[Wight Flight]

Just got my email from the agent stating my fixed term is up soon, and do I want to renew, and if so for how long Slightly cruel as they haven't yet asked the landlord what he wants to do, so offering false hope.

Difficult situation as the house would now rent for about 40% more than I am paying, but the lease, if renewed, only allows an inflation rent rise next February.

I have a feeling, if the landlord isn't going to move in or sell, that I will be kicked out and have to re-apply to stay here.

 

Edited April 25, 2022 by Wight Flight

[Wahoo]

On 20/04/2022 at 16:31, One percent said:

It’s all a bit grey.  

It's also bullshit.   £350 home brew equipment.  A bit like including the sofa with a sale.

[Andersen]

The chickens are coming home to roost. UK.Gov / shelter / etc... have created so much legislation "To protect the tennant" that LLs are selling up. Now there's a shortage of housing and tennants are suffering as a result. The law on unintended consequences (or "It's bleeding obvious even to a blind man" depending on your point of view).

https://propertyindustryeye.com/have-your-say-bbc-want-to-know-why-there-is-a-shortage-of-privately-rented-homes/

The list looks bad but I suspect reality is worse as some reasons are missing, ie 300% CT for 2nd homes in Wales (I'm guessing a significant proportion of 2nd homes are rented out at least some of the year)    https://gov.wales/new-tax-rules-second-homes 

 

[tank]

1 hour ago, Andersen said:

The chickens are coming home to roost. UK.Gov / shelter / etc... have created so much legislation "To protect the tennant" that LLs are selling up. Now there's a shortage of housing and tennants are suffering as a result. The law on unintended consequences (or "It's bleeding obvious even to a blind man" depending on your point of view).

https://propertyindustryeye.com/have-your-say-bbc-want-to-know-why-there-is-a-shortage-of-privately-rented-homes/

The list looks bad but I suspect reality is worse as some reasons are missing, ie 300% CT for 2nd homes in Wales (I'm guessing a significant proportion of 2nd homes are rented out at least some of the year)    https://gov.wales/new-tax-rules-second-homes 

 

They'd be renting them out as AirBnB type arrangements, so the locals won't be getting a look in.

If wealthy English people want to buy up holiday homes in areas of coastal Wales where the median local wage is ~£20K a year, they should have to pay through the nose on CT and face added burdens.

The Welsh don't elect Tory governments, so they shouldn't have the same arrangements as Cornwall.

Edited April 26, 2022 by tank

[Wight Flight]

6 hours ago, tank said:

They'd be renting them out as AirBnB type arrangements, so the locals won't be getting a look in.

Or worse. In AirBnB land landlords consider 6 months as long term, so advertise the property to let on this basis in October.

Tenants, in the other hand, see long term as many years, and are very surprised when they are kicked out after 6 months to make way for the more profitable summer holiday lets.