My tenants are very good. Due to the current circumstances (Coronavirus lockdown) their finances also got affected. They communicated with me that they would not be able to pay the full amount. I can very well understand their situation because I am also sailing in a similar boat. I have requested for a Mortgage Payment Holiday for three months from my bank which got approved. I gave my tenants a similar option of not paying rent for three months and then later, accumulate the money, divide it with the remaining months and add it to the usual monthly rent. On top of that, I have given them the option of paying how much they think they could pay every month (eg ÂŁ100, ÂŁ200âŚÂŁ500 etc) so that they dont get under pressure of paying more (accumulated money) later on.
These are the options I gave it to them. Are there any better options people are considering for their tenants?
Thatâs the best option for everyone. But I think you have to expect that you might not see any payments in the future. You need to get a concrete agreement between the two of you. So you need to find out how much they can pay now and that has to be put into writing and you both have to agree to it. And you can also put in there that you will review it again after three months if you want. This is exactly what the landlord should be doing
Very difficult times for both Landlords & Tenants. I have look and talked to all so-called supports available.
The Governmentâs âraftâ of measures is all hot air. No actual measures or supports are in place for tenants, landlords, employed, self-employed, employer, employees, self-isolated or the sick. Thank you Rishi Sunak.
Universal Credit continues to be a mess. At the very best any support is 5 weeks away. In reality that is 10-12 weeks.
Councils are not even looking at council tax relief. All we get is âawaiting clarification from Governmentâ.
Direct line, my Rental Guarantee Insurers have just announced no new rent guarantee claims will be paid i.e. abrogation for responsibility. Further quoting - the Government have looked to provide some stability for both tenants and landlords in these uncertain times.
Whatever happens we will all have to pay more tax. if that happens i will stop my building work sell my commercial unit and stop dealing in insulation. Many years ago rental income was taxed at 40%, not worth the aggro
Very dodgy times, hang in there and fight.
Thankfully I have not heard Rishi Sunak mention tax increases, only NI increases. After the carp Labour received over its spending plans, surely it would be instant suicide for any Tory Minister to talk about Tax increases.
John39 I get where you are coming from I am well past retirement age but I love to go to work. I know what its like to be poor (and owe rent), and to have plenty of money. All these grants , temporary hospitals , paying 80% wages,. aid to hard up people, etc ,have to be paid for, Surely N I is not going to cover all this. As it happens ,past retirement age I dont pay any N I . and get a state pension. But I do pay 1000 s in income tax. Never been on the sick⌠I am quite happy but many are worse off than me , I fear more tax will tip many over the edge.I never thought i would fear that landlords would be the target of extra tax ,but i fear that now
We have many similarities.
Been monitoring very carefully since one Minister said (approx. 8 years ago) âsqueeze the landlords if they squealâ - there is link somewhere.I do not trust government or its tame Mass Media; the atmosphere has been allowed to get too toxic by far.
UK Landlordsâ real problem is the lack of opposition. We do not have a voice or even an association that is willing to stand up to them, if only to go âOi, behave, that is enoughâ.
I think there is always a danger in offering too many options .
Iâm not in the position your in currently but should the situation arise I would want 80% of the rent paid as normal with the remaining 20% loaded onto each months rent as soon as things get back to normal.
I have written to my MP Regarding Council tax relief on vacant property. I have received an acknowledgment of receipt and now hoping for a response to the question.
I would suggest that all Landlords contact their MP so we may get a faster response.
Contacting the local council is a waste of time as the resolution needs to come from Westminster
Thank you to both Geoff and Colin3.
I will write to my MP too. However, my MP is Steve Baker. He does not really do much for us.
Colin3, I too live in a dye-in-the-wool Tory County. We too have severe services cut and Taxes hiked immediated they could.
I will repeat, the first time the term Rogue Landlord was made up, we the Responsible Landlords should have spoken up and fired a metaphorical shot across their bows.
Both sides of the political divide will not support landlords, full stop. Mostly because itâs a numbers game: a couple of million landlords vs 5 million rented homes - with an average of 2 per household, thatâs 10m renters (read voters). Both Labour and Tory want to play to the gallery irrespective of any negative impact on the market, plus landlords are the whipping-boy and diversion from the real issue; a lack of house building policy. That said, I take a bit more of a pragmatic view. Whilst financial and regulatory pressure on landlords are increasing, this is forcing out the mums and dads, the accidental landlords and the speculators. If the BTL sector had been left to continue unchecked, it would have become saturated leading to an oversupply of private rentals with longer voids and less margin on rents.I do sometimes wish the likes of RLA and the NLA would think hard about their advocacy for reversing Osborneâs measures and recognise an unfettered market would damage us all just as much, if not more, than the current situation.
We can agree with this, though after 10 years we must know and recognise which partyâs dogma is quote âsqueeze the Landlords till they squealâ. We need to tell them (and show Labour) that we will fight back.
Or they can house thier own benefits and council tenants.
I also have to share that we have been negatively impacted by two other factors:
half (approx) E Europeans health workers, packers, pickers have gone back or to EU countries.
Johnsons pronouncement that renters can take a payment holiday, has been translated that by tenants into 'we do not have to pay rent. As evidenced by my cash flow crash.
Gloomily yours, John
I was told by my council (Kirklees) that no recovery action would be taken for non payment at this time, but they were waiting for government directive on suspension of payments.
I cancelled my payments on our vacant properties in anticipation of problems collecting rent. Surprisingly all my rents were paid in full for April, so will resume my payments to support the council in their hour of need.
Although I resent having to pay C Tax for vacant properties, since they abandoned any relief for vacant periods, particularly as Kirklees demand more from an empty property than one with a single tenant, i.e. we pay full rate from day one, whereas a sole tenant gets 25% single occupancy discount. Completely unjustifiable, in my opinion.
Are other councils charging the same?
Chris you have a strong point. In Barnsley we are afforded one month grace on an empty property and then the full rate kicks in!
The government is digging a hole for itself as the more legislation they pass regarding the rental market then the more itâs ultimately going to cost the tenant to live in a rented house. If the government then decided to cap the rent then the overheads and hassle of being a landlord will outweigh the amount of net return to the point it wonât be worth it and the property will get sold making for one less property to rent and a tenant who then becomes the councils responsibility to house .