Selling a UK Rental Property

[Quiksilver]

Much the same here. We thought we'd sold the UK house before moving over but it fell through. Four times So we rented it out, but it wasn't an ideal solution. Pretty surprised to sell first time for full asking price a couple of years ago. It's quite enough having one property to maintain

[Veem]

I forgot to ever mention that I did eventually sell the house, which had been rented out in the UK for 31 years. The 'Modern method of auction' company Iamsold - 'the best' in the UK according to them, was a dead loss with no body ever seeming to know anything, so the sale didn't complete until end June '22. But it did sell and that, thank goodness was that - no more worry.

Was it worth having done it? Despite the hassle and the strain on my nerves, it did yield a steady, fairly low income for a good number of years and it turned out to have been a pretty good investment in view of the ultimate return I achieved. So on balance, I suppose it was worth it

[niemeyjt]

Very sensible to sell up - the UK is becoming increasingly anti-landlord - and this lot will make matters even worse.

Meanwhile, for anyone seeking to rent without at least one property-owning guarantor, forget it.

Housing Crisis? What Crisis? (to paraphrase Supertramp)

[DaveW]

Another view is that some regulation is needed to stop no reason evictions.

[niemeyjt]

And as I say with an end to section 21 evictions no sane landlord now will take on someone without a cast iron guarantor if they are unable to be easily evicted.

With a guarantor, if the tenant doesn't pay, or trashes the property - and cannot be evicted - then there is a guarantor to go after to pick up the pieces.

How many of the less well off will have such a guarantor . . . and how many will end up as unhouseable.

[DaveW]

There is a balance and that’s what government regulation should be about.

Maybe a real and regulated affordable housing policy?

[niemeyjt]

Yes, there is a balance - and the current housing crisis tells us it is already too far anti-landlord. My daughter was unable to get housing in London - even with a guarantor - as there were 80+ going for each let. I understand that figure is now over 120.

A regulated affordable housing policy, as tried in Scotland under the SNP, failed dismally with Edinburgh even having to declare a housing emergency.

[exile]

Very sensible to sell up - the UK is becoming increasingly anti-landlord - and this lot will make matters even worse.

Meanwhile, for anyone seeking to rent without at least one property-owning guarantor, forget it.

Housing Crisis? What Crisis? (to paraphrase Supertramp)

I cannot agree that the laws are becoming anti-landlord. Yes they will now favour the renter more; but that just brings the rules close to those I enjoyed in Germany and probably close to those you enjoy in Switzerland. I don't see a shortage of landlords in either of those countries.

[niemeyjt]

You consider only half the problems facing landlords.

Mssrs Osborne and Sunak have instigated a number of financial hits on landlords - that would not be apparent to tenants - yet still reduce the number of landlords on the market - contributing to the 'housing emergency'.

Anti-landlord is more than just pro-tenant - but repeal of section 21 is going to exacerbate the issues.

[exile]

But the real problem is not the number of landlords.
It is not the number of habitations owned by landlords;
the real problem is that there are not enough habitations.