Renting with greedy landlords and letting agents
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Wealthy people who buy up houses to let and their treacherous minions the letting agents that bleed their tenants dry make me sick. Such a despicable example of pure greed and what is the government doing about it? As usual, absolutely nothing! "There you go, of course you can buy as many houses as you like, and don’t forget to rent them out for as much as you can get so your tenants can cover you’re mortgage." I really hate way the housing market works these days. It's very polarised, designed to make the rich richer and the poor poorer! There is a real shortage of 'affordable housing' in this country now that the property market has gone nuts and house prices have gone through the roof. The only real option for some of us is to rent, and unless you’re a single teenage mother or an asylum seeker, renting a council house is pretty much out of the question. So what else do you do? You rent a house privately of course and that leaves you at the mercy of unscrupulous landlords and their letting agents. |
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It really grates on me that there is no such thing as fair and reasonable rent. Landlords are always hiking up the price to get as much money as they can, squeezing tenants for every last penny. It’s just ridiculous, particularly here in the South East where we live together like sardines. Some private landlords that rent the house themselves are okay. I have had good experiences as well as bad. So many of them however, are just out to get you to pay their mortgages on their second home. If these people hadn’t bought up all the houses there might be a few left that the rest of us could afford! |
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When it comes to renting a house, another thing I hate is inspection day. The letting agency that I rent through at the moment, insist on inspecting the property every six months even though I’ve been there for nearly two and a half years and have always looked after the property! I have nothing to hide and I am clean and tidy etc., but I just don’t like the thought of these people wandering in when I’m at work (they don’t do inspections at weekend) and nosing around. It feels almost… degrading. |
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Comments from visitors
Think about that silly quote from the bible:
"Exalt the humble and meek".
In my experience if you exalt the humble and meek, they don't remain humble and meek for very long.
Or, as my rich Indian friend says:
"Never give a peasant too much lift".
It is the same sentiment and how very true it is..
So I decided to do something about it...
www.IHateLettingAgents.com
Enjoy!
What was your point again?
I'll have to disagree with that. You're just argumentative. And no I'm not who you think.
Clearly you've never heard of inflation then. It seems that some of the realities of life have passed you by.
Athair Siochian - 20-Jun-11 01:58
Oh MikeP that did make me laugh the words pot, kettle and black spring to mind!
Your implication is that landlords don't 'do what they are supposed to do'. That would apply to some - I can't speak for them as I'm not in that category.
As we are seeing this from diametrically opposed sides, me as a landlord, you as a tenant, we will never agree.
You are giving credit to a landlord who is doing what they are supposed to do. Hence, weak and lacks foundation.
As for bad tenants, the discussion is not about them, so why bring them into it?
Allow me to explain. Letting agents charge a fee to landlords who wish to use their service and in many cases the cost of this will be added to the rent rather than incorporated within it. So what we have is landlords benefiting from a service, letting agents being paid to provide it, while the cost is met by tenants in the form of higher rent who rarely see any benefit to this arrangement.
Then factor in that letting agents, including the one I currently have the misfortune to be currently part-financing, don't exactly rush to tend to repairs and other duties,
Yep, despicable is spot on.
" A responsible landlord should be prioritising repairs and seeing that they are attended to as quickly as possible and not all tenants are bad tenants."
That is precisely what is done, or are you not able to understand that? A sticking letter box flap is less urgent than a leaking pipe or a non-functioning geyser, can you understand that?
Please show me where I said 'all tenants are bad tenants'.
I think you need to learn to read and assimilate what is in front of you.
Your argument is weak and lacks foundation.
Obviously the agents you rent from are bad ones. There are also bad tenants who trash houses, pay rent late or not at all, cause a nuisance, run illegal businesses from the property, and so on. but you are only seeing it from your corner.
Allow me to explain. Letting agents charge a fee to landlords who wish to use their service and in many cases the cost of this will be added to the rent rather than incorporated within it. So what we have is landlords benefiting from a service, letting agents being paid to provide it, while the cost is met by tenants in the form of higher rent who rarely see any benefit to this arrangement.
Then factor in that letting agents, including the one I currently have the misfortune to be currently part-financing, don't exactly rush to tend to repairs and other duties,
Yep, despicable is spot on.
I have been a landlord for several years and a renter for several years also. So I know both sides of the story. Don't try and tell me I don't know the world and how it works.
athair_siochain - 6-Jun-11 05:45
They supply a very much needed service. I don`t believe they are evil because of this.





