Rebate of rent

hop

hop

Well-Known Forumite
In my time I have been a landlord to over 150 tenants, it might be closer to 200 now. In this time there have been several times when I have offered a discounted rent or waved the sum. Normally this was due to issues such as a fauly heating system, perhaps a combi boiler playing up and the tenant having no hot water for what I would consider an acceptable period (3 days).

I normally buy with vacant possession, bit have recently bought a tenanted place. The previous landlord had let routine maintenance slide, but I was aware of this at purchase time. I now have some tenants who haven't said anything to me and may well be happy but I'm aware of issues in their accomodation which I will retify in due course.

So I would like to pose a few questions

- Do any of you rent and have any of you had a reduced rent as a result of problem ?
- what would you consider grounds for a reduced rent ?

I'm a reasonable person a would rather have happy tenants who remain in my properties for years. There is no point being hard nosed, the tenant will leave and a void period will probably cost more in terms of lost income.
 
darben

darben

Well-Known Forumite
I can't answer any of your questions but I would imagine they might be a scared of saying anything to you incase you boot them out or up their rent.
They'll probably be made up with the jobs being done and being able to stay put in their home.
 
Katniss

Katniss

Well-Known Forumite
You must be a millionaire by now owning all that property because we only own about 30.

Is your name Fred?
 
Katniss

Katniss

Well-Known Forumite
I am surprised the council aren't monitoring you because they are making sure all my tenants are ok.
 
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arthur

arthur

Nixon Garden Neatness
The best thing to do is talk to your tenants and arragne to do repairs

The law, that is, section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, implies a term into your tenancy agreement. It's the most important of your landlord's obligations to carry out basic repairs. The implied term applies whether your tenancy agreement is in writing or has been agreed orally.

Before taking any action, you need to be aware that some private landlords may evict a tenant rather than do the repair work. If you have a good relationship with your landlord then you may not need to worry about this.

Set-off is a defence to possession proceedings for rent arrears. It means that you accept you owe your landlord money, but you claim the right to set-off against that debt any money due from your landlord because of their failure to do repairs. This could reduce or clear your rent arrears.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/h...offsetting-rent-arrears-because-of-disrepair/
 
hop

hop

Well-Known Forumite
I have talked to the tenants, things are being repaired. That was not my point of view. I'm not in any debt and even if tenants were in arrears, which they aren't that is a different issue. I have no issue with letting someone off rent if I feel the property is substandard, I have compassion. The issues are not that severe but I would like to see it from another point of view.

Im very well aware of all laws and regulations. Probably far more so than many amateur landlords who dont even have fire doors, fire stairs, egress points etc..

All my properties are regulatated with the council if required, but mostly they are not required since I don't rent to benefit claimants or require a licence. Anyone on benefits has a rent cap, and that kind of low value is of no interest to me.

I'm asking this question since I'm not a slum landlord. I like to have happy tenants who remain for years rather than have void periods.

I have been doing this for many years and have been around through high interest rates, low rates and just about everything in between.
 
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Carole

Carole

Well-Known Forumite
@hop

If the tenants have previously lived there with sub standard accomodation and then you come along and want to put things right ........well I imagine that they are more than happy.

Someone who actually cares about their living standards and wants to make things better.

They probably can't believe their luck.
 
citricsquid

citricsquid

Well-Known Forumite
I rent (at the top end of the market), if there was a problem I wouldn't expect reduced rent -- nor have I ever asked for reduced rent. This is my home and as long as my landlord respects that I'm happy, if there's an issue and it's addressed promptly then the landlord has fulfilled their responsibility. I would only really consider reduced rent to be owed if the tenant has been financially put out by the issue, for example if the central heating doesn't work for an extended period of time and the tenant has to use more expensive electric heaters then it might be reasonable to reduce the rent to cover that cost incurred. I think one of the issues with reduced rent is it creates an expectation that any problem is due a reduction, so tying it to actual incurred costs is easy for both parties to understand.

I've been fairly lucky with landlords but some buy to let landlords are, for lack of a better term, shit. The first property I rented (as an inexperienced teenager) was with a landlord who decided not to pay his mortgage, if your tenants don't have the threat of repossession[1] hanging over them you're already ahead of other landlords. The whole buy to let gold rush of the 00's was pretty terrible, the market is now saturated with shit landlords, lining their pockets at the expense of the people who would like to own their own home. Actually I can't complain, I rent by choice, all this property available to rent is great for me, terrible for normal people though -- because unlike Germany and others, the rental rights of tenants in this country don't really allow them to consider a rental property anything more than a temporary home.

[1] I eventually found out that repossession wouldn't have meant immediate eviction, the bank would have become my landlord, I would have had time to leave of my own accord, so I wasn't particularly concerned once the immediate "oh no, I haven't found another place I like yet!" thought passed.
 
Katniss

Katniss

Well-Known Forumite
hop said:
I have talked to the tenants, things are being repaired. That was not my point of view. I'm not in any debt and even if tenants were in arrears, which they aren't that is a different issue. I have no issue with letting someone off rent if I feel the property is substandard, I have compassion. The issues are not that severe but I would like to see it from another point of view.

Im very well aware of all laws and regulations. Probably far more so than many amateur landlords who dont even have fire doors, fire stairs, egress points etc..

All my properties are regulatated with the council if required, but mostly they are not required since I don't rent to benefit claimants or require a licence. Anyone on benefits has a rent cap, and that kind of low value is of no interest to me.

I'm asking this question since I'm not a slum landlord. I like to have happy tenants who remain for years rather than have void periods.

I have been doing this for many years and have been around through high interest rates, low rates and just about everything in between.
Click to expand...

We do have some benefit claimants in some of our houses which have caused us some problems in the past. One young single mum moved her drug dealer boyfriend in and we had problems evicting them because he was a nasty piece of work. Some of our tenants are long term and they have made their house their home and we hope they will stay with us for many years. We are not "slum landlords" and care about our tenants.
 
hop

hop

Well-Known Forumite
@criticsquid makes some valid points.

Buy to let has caused many problems and in many cases caused issues in local communities. Whole areas with tenanted properties can destroy the very soul of a community.

Staffordshire is still a relatively cheap area and property is a fairly low multiple of incomes compared with other regions, where a whole generation have been effectively priced out of the market. In part this is driven by the rediculously low interest rates and cheap debt which has been around since 2008.

As I approach my 40th birthday I have come to evaluate things differently and have realised that really I should be giving things back to the community and should participate in philanthropy. Recently a bought a small brown field site (0.15 acre) which I intend to apply for a lottery grant to build a community building on (basically a scout hut for use of the local scouts, guilds, cubs, brownies and rainbows). I will then gift this to the community.

Its always beneficial to try and see things from another point of view. Day to day I'm surrounded by more or less identical people, basically stereotypical WASPS. However this can easily lead to a collective mindset. Visiting this forum occasionally and listening to the socialist ramblings of Withnail and Marwood brings a different perspective. I still don't agree with their politics however.
 
hop

hop

Well-Known Forumite
Katniss said:
We are not "slum landlords"
Click to expand...

I never said you were. I'm seeking different point of views. Day to day everyone I deal with is basically like myself. It doesn't matter if I'm dealing with someone in New York, London or San Fransisco - they will all basically think and believe the same since they have pretty much attended the same educational institutions and have the same background.
 
Katniss

Katniss

Well-Known Forumite
hop said:
I never said you were. I'm seeking different point of views. Day to day everyone I deal with is basically like myself. It doesn't matter if I'm dealing with someone in New York, London or San Fransisco - they will all basically think and believe the same since they have pretty much attended the same educational institutions and have the same background.
Click to expand...

What do you mean by similar educational institutions?
 
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arthur

arthur

Nixon Garden Neatness
I went back and read your original post, my apols for quoting laws. I did not think such an experienced landlord would be asking questions about reduced rent on a forum, especially one with such socialist ramblings

Your questions

Do any of you rent and have any of you had a reduced rent as a result of problem ?
What would you consider grounds for a reduced rent ?

No I don't rent and i haven't had a reduced rent as a result of problems
If i did rent I would not consider a reduced rent for problems i would expect the property to be in good order

I would expect:

The law, that is, section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, implies a term into your tenancy agreement. It's the most important of your landlord's obligations to carry out basic repairs. The implied term applies whether your tenancy agreement is in writing or has been agreed orally.

Would protect me from having to even consider a reduced rent, as it clearly states that the landlord has an obligation to ensure that the property reaches the decent homes standard.

Would anyone given the choIse live in a home that needed boiler repairs - water or heating problems.

I don't often rant on this site but this really pissed me off
 
arthur

arthur

Nixon Garden Neatness
i didn't think it was anything it was anything dodgy either, i think you must have misunderstood my rant
 
Glam

Glam

Mad Cat Woman
Way I read it, Hop has just purchased a property which has sitting tenants. This property needs some work doing to it, which Hop is more than willing to do. In the meantime while they are having the work done, he is prepared to drop the rent to a lower rate or to not accept rent off them at all.
Am I correct in assuming this @hop ??
I wish my sons landlady was this nice. They've had problems with their combi for ages now, ended up with the kitchen being flooded the other day.
 
Alee

Alee

Well-Known Forumite
IV always rented and I've never received any discount or rebate. I think your tenants will be more than happy with paying full rent since you are doing the repairs . I know i would be. I think the only time id expect lowered rent would be if the work being done ment i had to spend alot of time out of the house ie house was taken over by builders doing major work
 
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