Is that so called Garden tax really a labour policy (or future policy)?

[JohnD]

punish

I am a law-abiding motorist.

Do you think the law is punishing me by making me pay £27.50 once a year to have my car tested to prove that the brakes, lights and other aspects work?

I certainly seriously ask what will happen if landlords want to sell their houses, it is not the landlords I would worry the most, it is the tenants. Where are they going to live if lots of landlords decide to sell? Most of the tenants won't be able to afford to buy in short time.

Are you suggesting that these houses will cease to exist?

What is the market price of a house?

 

[EFLImpudence]

As usual - one extreme view and nothing else matters.

Do private landlords put tenants anywhere?



Would you be surprised to learn that tenants are not prohibited from neglecting cleaning and leaving properties in a filthy damaged state?

 

[JohnD]

I am surprised that Theresa's plan to reintroduce fox-hunting with dogs and horses may damage many suburban gardens.

If the law allows them to pursue animals onto private land, then the horses will be jumping over fences and churning up lawns. Many townspeople do not have the facilities to fit 5-bar gates and to sit by them every day, ready to open them is access is required.

Schoolchildren will be horrified to see gory body-parts being ripped to pieces before their eyes in public parks and playing fields.

 

[daxu]

yes, I have included examples of changes already made, and of changes already proposed.

private landlords moaned anyway, then they either conformed or reinvested in something else.

Would you be surprised to learn that landlords are currently not prohibited from putting tenants in homes that are unfit for human habitation?

Hi John, I am sure that there are bad landlords, but the thing is do we have to create some new law or rule to handle it? It is better handled by the Market. Surely for properties in such a low quality, no one will want to live in and the landlord will have trouble in either finding tenant or keeping tenants?

Labour's current policy about housing is not that bad, my concern is on the LabourLand document (rather not talk about that now).

One thing I am not sure in current labour's housing policy is damp. As we are in a DIY forum, we know damp can be caused by so many things. It could be leaking or could be condensation. So it is very difficult for landlord to provide a damp free house as it is impacted by user behavior.

Property size is another issue. In UK lots of private renting properties are quite small. But the reality is that there is no space for most landlords to improve.

For the landlords I know, they are not developers and they just bought the properties which came with all legal documents. In that case, how can government argue that the property was big enough to rent out when it was bought, but it is not now? Actually I don't really know if there is a minimal property size by law for studio, 1/2 bed, a house etc, will be great if someone can educate me on that.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Actually I don't really know if there is a minimal property size by law for studio, 1/2 bed, a house etc, will be great if someone can educate me on that.

I don't think there is a minimum size. I don't see how there could be.

Your definitions are a result of design; not size.
Anything less than a 'studio flat' would be called a 'bed-sit'.


Some new 'starter homes', whilst, by definition, a 'one bedroom house' are tiny.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I would agree with you about damp.

It is either caused by a leak or the tenants.

 

[Doug99]

I would agree with you about damp.

It is either caused by a leak or the tenants.

No matter how many times my son provides proper drying facilities (washing line in garden and tumble drier), the tenants continue to use the radiators resulting in condensation build up. They then complain of damp. Its his biggest headache

 

[noseall]

It is either caused by a leak or the tenants.

Or by poor insulation or poor ventilation or both.

 

[HawkEye244]

yes, I have included examples of changes already made, and of changes already proposed.

private landlords moaned anyway, then they either conformed or reinvested in something else.

Would you be surprised to learn that landlords are currently not prohibited from putting tenants in homes that are unfit for human habitation?

They don't conform John, you don't seem to get it. Bad landlords will go out of their way not to conform and not to put their names on these databases. It's all cash in hand, no deposit, no building regs. They are not scared or frigthened by the local authority because they know that they are a blunt instrument, and for the most part they are. Do you realise the amount of investigation and the proof required to prosecute a bad landlord and bring them to court? and the cost to the tax payer? More legislation will just overburden them further. It is all money squandered that could be better spent on building new homes.

 

[HawkEye244]

No matter how many times my son provides proper drying facilities (washing line in garden and tumble drier), the tenants continue to use the radiators resulting in condensation build up. They then complain of damp. Its his biggest headache

I have this issue which I'm due to solve by boring a hole through the wall and connecting it up to the cooker hood in the kitchen. There are trickles vent retrofitted. Ultimately there are almost always options to remove condensation and educating the tenant helps as well. Are you sure you have done enough ?

 

[^woody^]

Any rebate for welcoming/housing some illegal migrants in the shed?

 

[JohnD]

Here's one migrant from Romania. Are you going to call him an illegal?

How about the Moslem consultant and nurse who were both abused as they walked home after an all night shift repairing broken Londoners? Not white, you see, they have brown skin.