Property Matters – Three Strikes for Landlords?

Added: 2026-05-27

[00:00:01]Yeah, I know.

[00:00:22]Well, all I can say is wow. Welcome on B Avenue. Welcome one and all to another property matters. In fact, our first property podcast of the week. I have with me as ever the the inevitable Hamish Mcclelay is he is swanning in from climbs distant or appears to be at least. And Tiffany Fair brother transported from the center of the sun. Uh and she is all of us uh sweltering. Hamish love this kind of weather by the way. Um I try and hide from it most of the time like a like a a thing that lives under a rock. Uh we are coping. Yes, I think that's what we're doing. We are coping. Today is property matters. Three strikes for landlords.

[00:01:04]Wow. Um Andy Burnham's comments made about possible three strikes approach towards poor landlords and that's caused some debate. Hamish, would you care to get us going? And it rather sort of saddens me that um we have a government and I I didn't notice so much with the last government probably because I wasn't listening in quite so much um because they were pretty bloody hopeless right the way through and I gave up listening to anything about them from about 2019 >> and it didn't improve until they departed. However, we've got this particular sort of situation and it can make this sort of comparison. Royal Artillery Keys what the builders decided to do that they would give uh bikes or they would give uh uh Yeah. Yeah. They would like Yes. They would they would give bikes to all youngsters between five and 15.

[00:01:59]>> Right now they could afford to do that.

[00:02:01]Surely they could afford to put the stuff right. But they announced that just before believe it or not, the uh the council elections that we just had sort of coming up and it absely swayed the people.

[00:02:17]So, they're not interested in looking after the people because I guess the best thing people would do is get grab the bikes and flog them to somebody and make profit.

[00:02:26]>> It sounds like they had a supply of cheap bikes available. That's what it sounds like to me.

[00:02:31]>> They were trying to buy votes to be perfectly honest.

[00:02:33]>> Yes. Obvious sad sad thing about the likes of Burnham I mean they're they're all shouting even all the political parties are shouting different things and one of the sad aspects relative to this particular there are if there are only poor landlords in Manchester for example and there are there will be quite a few um Andy Burnham should have sorted those out now he hasn't during his >> it does it does make the question if he's if he's now shouting about that probably to try as a pre-election promise.

[00:03:11]>> The sad thing is though there are the councils some councils and some social um sort of social housing is in a worse state than the landlords happen to be in. But people don't like to complain. The reason they don't like to complain is twofold. uh they think if they complain too much they'll get evicted, >> right?

[00:03:37]>> Uh because there there's always something in an landlord reason behind the eviction.

[00:03:43]>> Sure.

[00:03:44]>> And they they would they will be able to find it even though that section 21 thing was taken out. It's quite the moment. Uh but this the the sad aspect is even the the social and lo the the social housing and the uh the council housing that isn't and Tiffany's a prime example. She'll tell you exactly about how many times the council have been around to inspect her property to make sure everything is all right with her.

[00:04:12]She hasn't seen anybody since she moved in. nor is she like to see them unless they want to pick up some votes for some of the said colony unsurprised.

[00:04:24]>> But the thing is the landlords have had so much battering over the time period and the thing snag is if anyone knows things about statistics the bad landlords are outliers. The proportion of them is very very small compared to the number of properties that there there are landlords for. sort of out there big wide world and they're a very small number but it seems a very good way we we get all these charities and all the rest of it um complaining about bad landlords and to a large extent it's it's one of those minor things I mean it's like giving children sort of free rides on buses isn't it uh when they're already free in a lot of places what a thing to announce aren't we being good you we're going to tax the living daylights out of you but we'll we'll put you on this is not for the broadcast. Um, sorry. Uh, we better let Tiffany say something before I get too carried away.

[00:05:20]>> No, no, it's it's all right. It's it's it's I like the fact on this broadcast we say what's actually on our minds.

[00:05:26]Tiffany, fair brother. How lovely to see you again. Now, Tiffany is a lady who has spent quite a lot of time within the teny uh setup. You've been a tenant for a number of years. So you it gives you a much bigger viewpoint to be able to tell us what's really going on.

[00:05:47]>> Yeah, I think so.

[00:05:50]>> Do we believe a word they say? That's the first question. I guess >> my issue is so the whole Andy Burnham thing with the straight the three strikes and you're out thing, >> right? I can kind of see where he's coming from with but I think he's taring issues with the landlord with the same brush. So I think he thinks that landlords who aren't doing anything to the property are all bad landlords and they all need to go. What he's not considering is, and he's not taking into consideration at all, is bad landlords that are bad landlords that need to do repairs won't do repairs and the landlords that are struggling to do the work that needs to be done on their properties. That's the biggest thing that I think there's an issue with is he he doesn't seem to want to separate the two that from the the bad landlords that are genuinely bad landlords. As we spoke about a couple of weeks ago with my friend who I lived with for a time who who had a horrendous landlord who could do the repairs, didn't want to do the repairs, >> right?

[00:06:53]>> Magically did them the moment.

[00:06:56]>> Yeah. And the landlords that want to do the work that needs to be done but are financially struggling, haven't got the money to do the repairs that need doing.

[00:07:05]And that that's that's the thing the biggest thing that I don't think has been taken into consideration.

[00:07:10]So what would you say? I mean I I don't know if you have do you have a friendship group of people who are also tenants and you must hear their tales of woe as well.

[00:07:21]>> Yeah.

[00:07:23]>> Are you able to distinguish as a tenant between the landlords are really struggling in their own right and therefore their own properties are probably dilapidated and falling apart that they live in as well as the ones that they own.

[00:07:37]>> Yeah.

[00:07:38]between them and for instance the landlord of that that one who perfectly was capable to do it only actually did it when it was thrust in his face and said right we're we're off and you'll never rent this place again unless you work it and which he did which meant he could have done it all along um how do you tell the difference between those two different types of landlord >> biggest thing I can say is the biggest distinguishing feature is the landlords that want to do the work but are struggling to do the work communicate the ones that don't won't.

[00:08:10]>> Right. So, communication, communication is their tell.

[00:08:14]>> Yeah. Biggest. Yeah. Absolutely.

[00:08:16]Biggest. If you have a landlord that can do the work, doesn't want to do the work, you will find you get completely ghosted. Or you'll have one or two messages of, oh yeah, I'll sort it such and such time, such and such a date, don't turn up, and then hear nothing for weeks on end. So what and and would you would it be fair to say that in the current financial climate um which has been exacerbated by our previous government frankly uh etc. Would you say that there are a good portion of landlords that through no fault of their own are in that terrible trap of probably not making enough money from the rent to cover their own stuff and they can't even afford to fix their own dilapidated property that they live in as well as the ones that they are renting out. There are >> Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. You think of the the amount of pressure that's now been put on landlord with things changing the rental right act coming in higher taxes. They have they're having to pay off their own mortgages and and you will find as well that a lot of landlords especially good decent landlords don't like to put up the rent that much.

[00:09:34]>> Yes.

[00:09:36]>> Landlords will say will put themselves unfortunately into a difficult situation because they've got good tenants.

[00:09:43]They've had good decent tenants for years, always paid the rent on time.

[00:09:47]They don't specifically like putting the rent up for good tenants.

[00:09:52]So, yeah. Yeah.

[00:09:53]>> Would logic it, it's going to sound like I'm being a bit hard-headed here, but would logic dictate that the rent should stay somewhat in line with inflation. So as inflation goes >> the biggest issue as well is the landlord will think I don't this tenants's been in my property for years always been a fantastic tenant has always been happy to pay this rent they would think if I put the rent up as much as I need to put it off they're going to leave and then I'm not going to find another tenant. But by this opposite side of the same coin, you being a tenant are potentially often scared to to raise issues to the landlord because you think they'll they'll find any excuse to meet you.

[00:10:36]>> It's a lose-lose situation.

[00:10:38]It's it's the tenants not wanting to speak to the landlords and then the landlords not wanting to speak to the tenants and then it comes it comes to a point where if there is an issue it comes to a point where if there is an issue neither party particularly wants to talk to another because the the tenants's going to think oh the landlord's going to kick me out the landlord's going to think oh the tenant wants is going to leave so they're a bit stuck. I think there should be such things and I don't know if there already are Tiffany maybe you know as as uh tenant tenant uh landlord mediators.

[00:11:10]>> Yeah.

[00:11:10]>> Who because that would that might solve the whole problem. In fact in fact to anyone watching here if you fancy starting a new business I perceive there could be a whole bunch of it for you just acting as a mediator between these guys.

[00:11:25]>> Good luck.

[00:11:27]>> Yeah.

[00:11:28]>> All right. Hamish, it seems to me that taring all landlords with the same brush, which this Andy Bernham pre-election uh rah rah speech seems to be suggesting, would be a big mistake.

[00:11:45]>> Well, the thing obviously he's hoping to pick up votes from people from probably more likely the bad tenants to be perfectly honest. Um I suppose that's a bit unfair but it's it does work like that uh to a certain extent and the sad sad sad thing is it is so so typical because what we have so much in this country and we have a a very very socialist style of government and one could almost sort of say communist style who want to put more and more control onto the population and they have a habit therefore of creating or bringing or changing laws to impose certain things upon people um whether they want to have them imposed or not, whether people are going to benefit or not because it gives them greater control.

[00:12:35]And of course, this would just be another thing that they can now control the landlords uh to a certain extent. But that was an absolute blinder. I think I'm sort of I'll try and set up a few people as mediators can work for the council and go out and visit and visit the council.

[00:12:52]>> I think you need to be of that mindset that you're trying to look for a peaceful solution from both sides >> because the council don't have a chance.

[00:13:01]They don't have the staff to be able to cope with that. Lumbering more and more work on the local councils who don't have the money anyway. I think there should be I don't know of the people who do this, but if there are them, I'm I'm begging for you guys. Property mediation, I think, is going to be the big the big new thing out there. You don't have to charge a lot for it, but you get a lot a lot of clients, I think.

[00:13:26]>> Well, the thing is a lot of as as as Tiffany so rightly explained, there's some of those landlords out there, they're really caught up because of the governments. It was it was the Conservative government started it all off in round about sort of 2014 I think when they started starting to sort of kick landlords about oh we can get some money out of these landlords.

[00:13:49]>> Exactly.

[00:13:50]>> If the conservatives can do it wow um certainly the uh the Labor government can actually sort of do it as well. But it's back to this imposing regulations.

[00:14:01]You know there's an obsession with regulations and of course we don't have appropriate we don't have a appropriate sort of lawyers representing people now we don't have enough of the decent quality lawyers >> as frustrated with so many cases and there's so many cases waiting to go through those poor landlords some of them are stuck with the most objectionable sort of types of tenants they can't get rid of them because the council's telling them to stay where they are. Uh, so they're staying exactly where they are. The poor old landlord's not getting any rent for it. And somebody's going to turn around and say, "Wow, wow, wow. You aren't fixing the property." Well, how can he afford to fix the property if he can't even get into the property?

[00:14:43]>> It's a chicken and egg situation. I'm going to tell you a brief story. A friend of mine, Jackie, who used to be a fashion designer in the in the 70s and 80s, who had pretty much retired, bought for herself three houses in London.

[00:14:56]You'd think she'd be set for life. Well, perhaps through uh not being on it as much as she, she hasn't raised the rents. Now, she's making a loss at a couple of those properties and covering that off herself while not having enough income to pay necessarily her own mortgages. It's a ridiculous situation.

[00:15:20]Um, and uh I I think potentially, for instance, she could be had up because she's not been able to fix all those doors or or fix all those windows in good time because you haven't got the income to cover it. There's very much chicken and egg. Um, Tiffany, this must be um every time you rent, you must be thinking, well, there's going to be a problem at some point because there always are with an in tenity.

[00:15:48]It's that's the point when you find out what your relationship with your landlord's truly made of, isn't it?

[00:15:55]>> Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Like I said, you either get the good landlords that are communicating well. Say, I'm aware.

[00:16:03]Yeah. You move in. I'm aware this needs fixing. This needs fixing. This needs fixing. It will be done this time, this time, this time. And it gets done. And you have communication the whole way through. Communication is the big thing.

[00:16:14]That is the biggest teller. And it always I I I can't see that ever changing other than you said mediation.

[00:16:21]But then you get the landlords that will go, "Oh, it's fine. It'll last such and such time. You'll be fine for years.

[00:16:29]This doesn't need doing now." And then leave you completely alone and never hear another word often.

[00:16:35]>> Right. Promise a lot, deliver nothing.

[00:16:37]Hey, Mish, would you like to have the last words and take us home? Well, if they're going to bring in regulation, it needs to be approp. But it needs to be regulation with investigation. You can't just batter everybody just for the sake of battering them as a great great way to sort of try and grab grab votes. I mean, your chance of getting that in.

[00:16:57]Well, mind you, they've got they still got massive although everybody disagrees with it.

[00:17:02]>> He's not yet been parachuted into his his new seat yet. So, uh it's still, you know, speculation. He's still angling, isn't he?

[00:17:12]>> But there's no there's no telling as to who who else might have picked up that idea within the Labor government as well. So, you know, once those ideas come through, it it does make it very very difficult. And I think the struggle is regulation after regulation without that investigation.

[00:17:31]And as Tiffany sort of said, if you've got a landlord there who is actually communicating with basically his his tenants and he's probably communicating with the council as well, they know about this, >> right?

[00:17:43]>> But it's like everything else. Things happen automatically. And we've spoken, we were speaking last week about artificial intelligence and the way that can actually be used and primed and basically what it can do, it can they can send it out and say, "We haven't heard about this restoration. it hasn't been done. That's your second warning.

[00:18:04]And then it could be a week later, Fortnite, month, I don't know what it's going to be. Then out comes that third one. That's it, mate. You get the chop.

[00:18:13]What the hell they can do with that property? You can't steal it from the guy.

[00:18:16]>> No, I'm not sure. I'm not sure. I It doesn't feel It feels like a halfbaked idea if I'm really going to be honest with you. It feels like it was a, as you said, Hamish, it's a a vote winning uh shameless uh grab uh attempt. And I think I think I I used to quite like Andy Bon, but this feels a bit this feels a bit I don't know. I can't think of the right word, but not not halfbaked. I'll stick with that. Uh thank you so much, Hamish.

[00:18:48]Uh and of course, Tiffany Hamish Mclair surgical Tiffany Fairb brother of all sorts. Um, and all of you out there, please, for God's sakes, carry some water with you, wear some sunscreen like the song says, and and for goodness sake, please look after your mental health. until tomorrow. In fact, uh take care and goodbye.