Won’t someone think of the Landlords!

[Inque]

 

[Yadda yadda yadda]

Just now, Inque said:

 

How can she freeze private rents?

[King Penda]

These are vote winning tactics 

[Option5]

The landlords will just get the old tenants out and let the place out at a higher price to someone else.

Badly thought out policy.

[One percent]

2 minutes ago, Yadda yadda yadda said:

How can she freeze private rents?

Exactly my thoughts. She can freeze housing benefits but I can’t see how she can interfere with a private contractural arrangement 

[spygirl]

She can ban evictions.

The Scotish rental sector will hit a very hard brickwall at that point.

 

 

[Inque]

Well that’s the Private Landlords rushing for the exit then.
 

At-a-glance: The programme for government

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been setting out her plans for the year to come, with a focus on the cost of living crisis. 

She told MSPs it was "humanitarian emergency" that was pushing millions into poverty and threatening the viability of businesses. 

Ms Sturgeon called on the UK government to take action to freeze energy prices and support for those already struggling to pay bills. 

She said she could not do everything that, in more normal times, she would want to do because of a lack of money but she wanted to provide an emergency safety net for those struggling to pay bills. 

Measures include: 

• A moratorium on evictions from rented accommodation - private and social - to give people security of having a roof over their head this winter 
• A rent freeze - for both social and private tenants - in place until the end of March next year

[Yadda yadda yadda]

11 minutes ago, Inque said:

humanitarian emergency

Quick, launch a disaster appeal. 

FFS, we're going to have a line of destitute asylum seeking landlords at England's northern border.

[Wight Flight]

It really is looking like the week for setting records for the most moronic political decisions ever.

And it's only Tuesday.

[HousePriceMania]

2 hours ago, Yadda yadda yadda said:

How can she freeze private rents?

Housing Benefit cuts would do it

[With a crooked smile]

Expect rents to go up massively before any policy goes through. 

[Wight Flight]

11 minutes ago, With a crooked smile said:

Expect rents to go up massively before any policy goes through. 

I think the ruling takes immediate effect.

Ripping up contract law is a brave move.

[With a crooked smile]

29 minutes ago, Wight Flight said:

I think the ruling takes immediate effect.

Ripping up contract law is a brave move.

Didn't know that, I'm sure this will result in a lot of unexpected consequences. Be interesting to see how things develop. 

[Wight Flight]

Just now, With a crooked smile said:

Didn't know that, I'm sure this will result in a lot of unexpected consequences. Be interesting to see how things develop. 

My lease gives the landlord the option to increase the rent by inflation every year.

We both signed it 

The government doesn't have the right to modify an agreement legally made.

But if it decided it does, confidence in all legal contracts is lost.

 

 

 

[Guest]

6 hours ago, Option5 said:

The landlords will just get the old tenants out and let the place out at a higher price to someone else.

Badly thought out policy.

How will landlords get the old tenants out? There's no such thing as a S21 no-fault eviction in Scotland.

[Guest]

22 minutes ago, Wight Flight said:

The government doesn't have the right to modify an agreement legally made.

Government definitely does have the power to override contracts with legislation.

[Wight Flight]

19 minutes ago, Darude said:

Government definitely does have the power to override contracts with legislation.

Just because it can doesn't mean it should.

[Option5]

1 hour ago, Darude said:

How will landlords get the old tenants out? There's no such thing as a S21 no-fault eviction in Scotland.

There are less subtle methods.

https://www.mygov.scot/private-tenant-eviction/grounds-for-eviction-private-residential-tenancies-if-your-landlord-starts-the-eviction-process-from-30-march-2022

[Lightly Toasted]

1 hour ago, Wight Flight said:

Just because it can doesn't mean it should.

Nor that it (the government) will get away with it in the courts.

https://ukhumanrightsblog.com/incorporated-rights/articles-index/protocol-1-article-1/

If Scotland were still in the SNP's beloved EU there'd be an opportunity for landlords to take it there:

Article 17 - Right to property
1. Everyone has the right to own, use, dispose of and bequeath his or her lawfully acquired possessions. No one may be deprived of his or her possessions, except in the public interest and in the cases and under the conditions provided for by law, subject to fair compensation being paid in good time for their loss. The use of property may be regulated by law in so far as is necessary for the general interest.

Doubtless she'd try to claim that it was necessary for the general interest and that "fair compensation" was zero.

 

[wherebee]

Look what the French did.  Made it illegal to raise rents or evict in a wide range of situations.  So... landlords just stopped investing in property repairs and the like.  Lift broken?  No repairs for you.  walk 5 flights.

Eventually tenants move out voluntarily.  Then you can sell or refit and rent at a higher rate.

Rachman tactics also come into play.  You force out the amateur thicko landlords, because they sell to Rachmans who WILL use heavies to smash your place up if you try to stay put in a rent fixed flat.

[spygirl]

4 minutes ago, wherebee said:

Look what the French did.  Made it illegal to raise rents or evict in a wide range of situations.  So... landlords just stopped investing in property repairs and the like.  Lift broken?  No repairs for you.  walk 5 flights.

Eventually tenants move out voluntarily.  Then you can sell or refit and rent at a higher rate.

Rachman tactics also come into play.  You force out the amateur thicko landlords, because they sell to Rachmans who WILL use heavies to smash your place up if you try to stay put in a rent fixed flat.

Well, the reality is that with majority of IO BTLers buying on sub 4% yields, this moment was going to come, Dwarf in tartan or not.

The biggy for british tenants will be removing access to UK benefits and free public services.

Do that and - poof! ~3m rentals free up.

And Im expcting this or something v close to it.

 

 

[Chewing Grass]

We played with rent controls after WW1, by the 1950s it was slum clearance time.

[spygirl]

1 hour ago, Chewing Grass said:

We played with rent controls after WW1, by the 1950s it was slum clearance time.

Im, not one to not kick a LL.

Rent controls are a bad idea.

Simply clearing out the migrants on benefits and raising IR well north of 4% will do the trick.

 

[Guest]

12 hours ago, Option5 said:

There are less subtle methods.

https://www.mygov.scot/private-tenant-eviction/grounds-for-eviction-private-residential-tenancies-if-your-landlord-starts-the-eviction-process-from-30-march-2022

What grounds for eviction should a landlord in Scotland use if the intention is to re-let the property at a higher rent? I can't see a legal route there.

Also, whichever grounds they choose the process has to go through a tribunal who will expect to see evidence supporting the grounds, it's not like S21 in England where the landlord just wangs over an email to the tenant.

[Guest]

5 hours ago, wherebee said:

Look what the French did.  Made it illegal to raise rents or evict in a wide range of situations.  So... landlords just stopped investing in property repairs and the like.  Lift broken?  No repairs for you.  walk 5 flights.

Eventually tenants move out voluntarily.  Then you can sell or refit and rent at a higher rate.

My understanding is that in Belgium their solution to the problem of landlords failing to make repairs was to allow tenants to get the repairs done themselves and send the bill to the landlord. The tenants just have to follow the right process and paperwork e.g. get 3 quotes, fill in the right forms etc.