Naw, easy peasy, ta very for the idea. I'll float it around next week.

Wrecking houses, breaking sanitary ware, not paying rent, kitchen cupboards pulled off walls. Scum some of them.

That's why contracts exist. Trouble is they don't live up to them. It can take months to get bailiffs in and in the meantime, no rents coming in while they continue to cause damage. Some people I know start saying "why bother trying to make it nice" just factor the losses in and bump up rents and refurbish less often. Must say, JSC's idea could gain traction.

Of course, but no more than any other business, people failing to pay for work done, lifting stock, failing to disclose material facts, etc.etc,etc. The housing market is no more immune from bad customers than any other commercial operation. Where proper management is in place, because a dwelling is a fixed known location, taking the sector as a whole the incidence of bad debt is lower than average.

On the other hand, particularly in areas where prices have shot forward, particularly London, we have seen a significant increase in landlords deliberately flouting even the most basic regulations on habitable premises, overcrowding, unjustified contract terminations, imposing unreasonable and in some cases illegal fees, unreasonably holding on to deposits.

Landlords seem to want their cake and eat it. Unsurprisingly, looked on unfavourably by the public at large. Ironically, this lack of confidence in the rented sector along with the failure of wages to increase is actually causing concern to the Government, a Tory Government at that.

So they are, totally agree.

Just like the scum who fill up,with petrol and drive off, or go shoplifting; now apparently with impunity, fly tip on grass verges, and on and on and on.

What you conveniently fail to mention is the sheer number of tenants who approach us asking "if we pay cash direct can you do a better deal?". If people want to to deal with landlords who do that rather than go through agents whose duty of care is to both parties then tough luck. No contract no comeback. And these tenants think they're being clever, getting one over on the system.

Agree 👍

But its all they can afford. They cant find a 6 grand deposit. However landlord's are unscrupulous if they house people who they know cant legally afford to pay. In the gambling industry we have to check proven sources of income before accepting on line activity. I suggest the same checks and regs be put in place. Landlords should have a duty of care to the tenants and any neighbours. It would also help identify the real number of people in the Country and just how many houses we need to build.

I'm sure that's the case too. Just like the home owner agreeing to pay an emergency plumber cash in hand. Or the driver having his car fixed on the same basis. Frankly, if a landlord agrees, he deserves all he gets.

Exactly right.

Err, they already do. It's the law. As is deposits held in an escrow account, the right of appeal for unreasonable deductions, checking of right to be in the country, rent appeal etc etc.

It's ok TM, thanks to gobby the so called activist, I'm thinking of launching a new service, based around the concept of 'avin a little chat' if you get any probs give me a bell. My new motto "have crew bus will negotiate". Special rates for locals and job lots. Thinking of calling it "Scum away".

I have letted in my yoof. I had a 600 deposit in the early 80s and I lost it all. Despite my flat being in a better condition when I left than when I arrived. There are good landlords yes and like in all walks of society you can get unlucky and get a bad one. No easy answers.

Its all different now, the only bad landlords are rogues. I always tell all prospective tenants, go through the agent, no shortcuts, still don't always believe me though. Let someone else have the additional agro. Just forked out nearly seven k in refurbishment to one property and only allowed to take £250 off the deposit. I try to be careful, I always start of with refurbed nice property and pray it gets looked after. But some people treat it like a playpen.

Oh, you are all heart Turin Machine! I suppose it's only your admirable philanthropy which prevents you selling up and getting a bigger and trouble free return elsewhere.

Don't want to worry you but this Tory market based economy approach says you ought to be doing just that.

Nothing has changed. These wonderful Agents 'holding the deposit in escrow' determine the condition of the property when the tenant leaves. Guess who the Agent acts for; oh yes, the Landlord......

Stage one clearly works Je suis! Worth remembering there is more than one way to skin a cat.

Err no, I wish you would at least try to learn the facts. The agent works for both parties. What is it you can't understand about this?

Turin... Landlords are the new evil. Best sell it all up. Bitcoin and overseas property is the way. Ever done any Bitcoin mining? Get yourself a proper setup and see the real $ come rolling in. So a friend told me.....😂

You're clueless aren't you. Still looking for answers in Jeremie's little red book.

Typical Marxist puppet, sneer at everything, do nothing. Know nothing, worth nothing.

But it's got you rattled boy!

According to your lights, you must realise that your customers know you are trying to do them down? That's capitalisim!

What don't you understand about basic economics? Summed up in a simple very, very old adage 'man cannot serve two masters'.

So I might be, but I sleep nights.

I love it when you fools rattle on about capitalism and the other great Satan globalisation. By tweeting on their iPhone before getting in their Ford and going for a latte at cafe Nero and a McDonald's. Sweet.

So do I, usually in my power ranger jammies, in between my Spiderman sheets.

In this case they can. It's the law.

Yeah, but I wouldn't be seen dead in a Ford, don't drink coffee and McDonalds smell puts me off. Globalisation doesn't worry me, indeed it solves the only worry I've ever had when voting leave. That is the UK no longer has the effective entrepreneurial and managerial skills for us to survive on our own - as you so amply demonstrate.

I'm sure it is and the law leaves the interpretation of the condition of a let on termination to them.

No, it doesn't. It allows for 'fair wear and tear' and there is an independent arbitration service available if the outgoing tenants disagree. You seem unable to grasp that tenants rights have come on recently, I can't even turn of the Lecky and gas if I don't​ like what they put in the window box.

Then Jeremie's in trouble, he'll have no one to fleece.

OK. yes I'm willing to accept that. However, it will be worth waiting to see what actual effect this has in practice, hopefully good. I must admit though, experience with small letting agents in west London still worries me, but that may well be an issue with enforcement.

Not asking you to accept it, it's the law and it's there for the benefit of the tenants, the landlord far as I can see, derives no benefit at all from it. Unless you count knowing where they stand. But, if you go down the cheapo back Street option then you will of necessity be less protected. You only need to look at what went on in Slough with people housing workers in sheds in back gardens to realise there are landlords and there are landlords. ☺️ Gnite johnboy.

I meant I was agreeing with you pointing out that I wasn't au fait with latest legislation. So, yes, you are right if the legislation is followed it does protect the tenant. That leaves the 'back street' option which seems more prevalent than ever. The only way to prevent that and inevitably it affects the poorer and more vulnerable end of the market would be to make the new legislation compulsory by enforcement. That is the issue with sheds in gardens; which is still going on and not only in Slough. Again, it's the poor and disadvantaged being exploited. In this case, the planning rules, reasonably straightforward ways of detection are all available but simply lay unused because the Local Authorities responsible cannot afford to employ resource to do the job. That's actually the nub of the present crisis.

I doubt he would disagree. Remember, he's the Leader, not the party. That's the trouble with Labour, it actually listens to the masses it tries to represent. Some advice dear Theresa might well have heeded eh?

Quot homines tot sententiae as they say in the popular taverns . Guess Saint Theresa of Wokingham doesn't frequent to many ale houses . More the pity .

But,. Malum consilium quod mutari non potest 😎

Yet another good reason not to make plans . Least not ones that one neither has to justify nor deliver .

Latin is a language
Dead as dead can be
First it killed the Romans
Now it's killing me.

Like Jeremy??

When the country's opinion was that she should stay PM why go to the ale House?

Fast forward 2,000 years and one wonders if English will be taught as a " classic language " in the schools of the day . Never quite understood it's purpose other than to perpetuate the elitist myth and justify the sadistic approach of the respective tutor .

Very good point! Arguably a good example of how our education system has contributed to our national decline. It's also ironic that defenders of Latin studies often claim that it assists with learning other, modern languages, given our international reputation as poor linguists!

Knowing Latin can improve your foreign language vocabulary. Much of the commonly spoken Romanic languages like Spanish, French, and Italian derived from Vulgar Latin. You’ll be surprised by the number of Romanic words that are pretty much the same as their Latin counterparts.

Yes, that's the theory....presumably we in GB are the exception proving the rule?

Not really, lots of people speak other languages, I for instance speak a little French, my friend is fluent in Italian and another is fully fluent in Spanish, so much so that she is now teaching in a Spanish school. If people can't be arsed that's down to them really.

Dos cervezas por favor!

👩‍🎓🗣️👏

One can always rely on the Brits to solve everything over a pint . Not to difficult to get by with a limited grasp of what Johnny foreigner is trying to relay .
My son in law hails from a place called Falkirk and I have more chance of understanding a Mongolian troglodyte with a lisp .

Very true. Presumably the self same people who voted Brexit on the basis that we'd be better off trading with the rest of the World.