“Don’t like it? Move.”
“Yeah, it’s broken — we’ll fix it soon.”
“Oh, by the way, the house was sold , you need to move out tomorrow.”
This isn’t just unfair … it’s unstable and disrespectful.
People pay good money for any roof over their heads and that roof should at least be safe, legal, and livable.
They deserve more than excuses or last-minute shocks.
A lot of landlords (often through agents) do pay for HMO licences or other council fees , but many don’t even know what those charges are really for.
Let’s be honest: most of it feels like a revenue stream for councils rather than a system that protects tenants or makes owners compliant .
Because in practice over 50%, even licensed properties often lack:
- Fire safety checks
- Written tenancy agreements
- Proper tenant information packs
- Or even a clear point of contact
- Control on the number of tenants in the property
- Waste Management
So here’s a thought: instead of constantly passing costs onto tenants, maybe landlords should be asking what they’re actually getting in return from the council.
If there’s no real enforcement or accountability, where is the value?
And if being a landlord has become so hard or unprofitable, maybe it’s time to sell — and let someone else step in who can do things properly.
There are plenty of responsible landlords and buyers out there who follow the rules, provide decent homes, and still make a fair return.
Holding on just to cut corners helps no one — especially not the people trying to live there.
So again, the honest question:
If licensing doesn’t lead to real standards being enforced across all landlords, what’s the point? Who actually benefits?
Because from the tenant’s side, it often feels like there are no basic legal rights, But I’m very aware there is .
Said with full respect — we all have responsibilities in this system. Let’s make sure your landlod neighbour meet them.
