Be Excellent To Each Other

In your faces, other landlords!

Good tenants are worth their weight in gold. My landlady knows about that, and offered me £60 off my rent on renewal just to make sure I didn't try to go anywhere

While it is tempting to spread faeces all over the walls, I have so far managed to resist.

Make sure to smear "ONLY £60?!".

I also had to somewhat insist that she protect my deposit, required by law, and even then she failed to do it on time. Pros and cons....

Actually we currently have no signed paperwork for my continuing lease, which puts her in a much weaker position than me. Ho hum.

My tenant just renewed for 12 months. The inspection by the letting agency used the words "clean and tidy", which can't be bad

Is everyone on this forum a landlord? Crazy...

I suspect the housing market crash created a lot of unwilling landlords as it left people with properties they literally couldn't afford to sell so when a life event (e.g. moving locations for a job; moving into a different place with a new partner) takes you out of that property you either start renting it out or resign yourself to losing loads of money every month. In fact technically the latter isn't even viable as buildings insurance will typically require that the property isn't empty for more than a month at a time (or some such period) so someone needs to be in it or you're taking a massive risk. The whole situation's pish and makes me want to kill people.

Indeed. We were very much unwilling landlords and still are. We were in a 2-bed semi which was fine for the two of us plus MiniPaz, but when MicroPaz came along, we had to move. After 6 months on the market, we had no offers and pretty much had no choice. Luckily, we had enough to finance the move without the equity from the house sale, but it's meant for a very tight few years.

If the tenant hadn't resigned for another 12 months, we would've been looking to sell again. It's just not viable to keep an empty house dangling.

Right?!

Yep, same deal. Not worth selling at the point I wanted to move. I'm just finishing up selling it now but it hasn't been a cash cow.

More like rationalising it wasn't the world's best buy but fuck it, and moving on with life.

Heh, the thought of my house being a cash cow...
Even when it is rented out it costs me £400 a month, when it isn't rented out it costs me £900 a month.

My tenants moved out in January... mortgage + council tax (Manchester city council, the fucks, only give you one month free if it's unoccupied and unfurnished with no other discount, not even single persons!) + basic electric bills for 6 months... yeah, that's not the most financial fun I've ever had.

All of this. With the added insult of the immediate neighbours waiting for the estate agents to leave then going outside and telling prospective tenants what a rough area it is and how vicious the neighbours dogs are etc. Now have to take a day off work to have a meeting with area housing officer about harassment. Ugh.

The fuck? That's an awful thing to happen. I'm really sorry to hear that. I hope it gets sorted. And soon.

Thanks Mali, it's been quite stressful recently. May bore you all with the full story at some point for my own catharsis.

Yeah do, who are these meddlesome bastard neighbours of yours? Sheesh.

Selfish, small minded, nothing better to do with their days than watch JK and meddle in other people's business type people unfortunately.

\
They're watching me again!

The tenants have admitted the damage etc, and are willing to give me 50% of the deposit. Teh estate agent seems to think that is fair...

Surely it comes down entirely and only to how much it would cost to get the damage fixed? Get a quote from someone and that's your number.

The tenant will disagree. The agent won't want any hassle and just pass it over to the ombudsman. The ombudsman will rule it as 50/50 regardless of any evidence.

That's my experience anyway...

That is what the agent said.

I completed my house sale today. Woo. The relief at never having to think about that money pit again is palpable.

I am about to go into a meeting with the police and council about this. Please send all the good vibes you can muster around 3pm. Thank you all. X

Hope it went well.