The Leader of the House of Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg, has expressed sympathy for buy-to-let landlords that have been adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, especially those who have tenants in rent arrears, but insists that sufficient measures are in place to support them.
Speaking in the Commons, Conservative MP Robert Syms called for a debate on residential landlords in the private rent sector, after stating that the sector was “very unhappy”.
He pointed out that those who invest in buy-to-let “provides valuable property for people, yet throughout this crisis landlords have been prevented from managing their properties and evicting people, even those with arrears from well before the crisis”.
He highlighted the fact that many landlords have been unable to evict people exhibiting antisocial behaviour and causing distress to other tenants because of restrictions the government have imposed.
“Some people who could pay rent are not paying rent, but some of the residential landlords are still having to pay mortgages,” he told MPs. “This is a troubled sector and we should explore all the issues and have a full debate.”
Responding to the question, Rees-Mogg said he was “not unsympathetic” to the situation many landlords find themselves in.
But he told MPs that the package of government covid measures in the PRS “strike the right balance between prioritising public health and supporting the most vulnerable renters”, while ensuring that landlords can get access, and exercise their rights, to justice.
He continued: “The stay on possession proceedings was lifted on 21 September, and landlords can now take action on possession claims through the courts. Although we have laid regulations to require bailiffs not to enforce evictions until 11 January, there are exemptions—this is important—for the most serious cases, such as antisocial behaviour and illegal occupation.
“We are grateful to landlords for their forbearance during this unprecedented time. Some may have been able to benefit from postponements of mortgage payments, which have been made available, but we strongly encourage tenants in all relevant government guidance to pay their rent or to have an early conversation with their landlord if they have any difficulty doing so.”
Political bull.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Was Rees-Mogg horizontal or vertical, when he made these platitudes?
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
‘Grateful for forbearance’!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!WTF!
Completely clueless RM.
Enforced forbearance due to LL being barred from evicting is hardly forbearance.
It’s like being robbed and then the Police thanking you for allowing yourself to be robbed with no prospect of recovery of stolen funds!!
Never have the Tories been so out of touch with a major electoral demographic; namely 2.5 million LL.
Can’t see many of them voting Tory next GE.
If they believe GR will vote Tory because of the ‘hostile environment’ Govt is creating for LL they are deluding themselves.
Once the eviction ban is ended there will be a mass movement of tenants who will have to recognise that LHA is nowhere near enough to support their market rent lifestyles.
Many of these tenants will be returning to childhood bedrooms providing parents haven’t let them to lodgers!!
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Any LL who votes Labour would have to be deranged
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Other parties are available and I do NOT mean the Liberal Undemocrats.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Surprised he noticed! He’s been far too busy investing in the the Companies the Government have been giving fat contracts too for himself and his chums!!
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Government lapdog Rees-Mogg just parroting the Government policy, as happens with all questions about policy, but never answers the question.
Virtually pointless getting questions in Parliament raised, but it does show at least one MP supporting the Landlords in his constituency. even though he’s in a safe Tory seat (maj. 19,116). With an average of ~3,000 Landlords per constituency you’d expect Tory MP in marginal seat to be more supportive of local Landlords.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Landlords have … ‘ benefited ‘ !!! from a mortgage holiday ??? This has cost landlords in extra Interest payments.- absolutely no ‘benefit ‘ whatsoever.
I used to have some regard for JRM – that’s gone.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Pity Rees-Mogg’s loyalty to the Government isn’t extended to the ~3,000 Landlords in his constituency, many of whom voted for him.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Wonder how many marginal seats there are!?
With this supposed 3000 LL per constituency could voting against the incumbent Tory for the candidate who could beat them by 3000 votes change the next Govt??
If so it has to be worth doing.
Labour isn’t such a threat now to property rights now the looney Corbyn has gone.
Perhaps the Tories need to be given a lesson by 2.5 million LL that voting Tory is not a given.
Pandering to GR is wasted if LL don’t vote Tory.
The Tories will be basically shooting themselves in the foot if they believe their ‘hostile environment’ for LL will make GR vote Tory.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
The Government have well and truly shafted landlords in this pandemic and they know it.
Due to the paucity if any public sympathy with private landlords, no doubt the Conservatives feel its safe ground to trample rough-shod over.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
That is the point though isn’t it? If LL get their act together then perhaps those marginal seats can be taken away from the Tories. Tory arrogance could be severely dented if LL didn’t vote Tory. Political power is all the Tories understand. LL have the ability to change things if they act in unison. By now there must be surely a lot of fed up LL. They may well finally decide the next GE is time to act.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
I only voted Tory in last election for the same reason that Brexit party lent them their support.
My next vote goes to Farage.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Yep I concur.
Problem is voting for the Reform Party could allow a Tory to win in a marginal seat.
Potentially voting Labour though it would stick in the craw would be the only way of defeating a Tory candidate in a marginal.
3000 LL votes shouldn’t be wasted by splitting a vote that allows the Tory in.
All very awkward.
But LL must surely be furious with the treatment they have received from this Govt such that they wish to give the Tories a ****** nose to remind them who their important electorate is.
It certainly ISN’T GR!!
The ideological attack on small LL in favour of big business is all about filling Tory Party coffers with no thought at all for the plight of tenants who will find the invaluable small LL has disappeared to be replaced my faceless BTR corporations where the offer will be far more expensive.
Indeed with the collapse of commercial lettings and requirements big pension funds might reasonably consider that residential lettings could produce useful lettings income to replace that lost from commercial.
WFH is going to severely dent commercial lettings profits.
Residential could replace commercial income.
I have NO issue with FAIR competition from corporates.
A ‘level playing field’ it has been called.
That means corporations should be subject to a S24 tax or it should be abolished for sole trader LL.
That would be fair.
As has been announced recently corporate investment into family homes is to occur.
So be it.
The small LL has no pre-determined right to exist.
But let there be fair competition with the tenant being able to assess the full transparency of different offers and to then make a consumer choice.
BTR will not be the answer.
The only way corporates will be able to increase their market penetration is to just buy up existing stock for pension funds.
So all that will happen is tenants will swap their small LL for a corporate.
My contention would be that many tenants wouldn’t like their new corporate LL at all.
LL will be only too glad to sell their properties to corporates.
Tenants should be careful what they wish for.
They will rue the day small LL were forced out of business by iniquitous bonkers Govt anti-LL policies.
But it will have been their fault.
A corporate lettings regime will be far from benign.
It won’t put up with the grief that tenants give small LL.
Difficult times ahead for tenants as small LL leave the sector.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Hi all,
I am a Director of a small company (6 employees) and a Landlord of 3 properties.
I also live in Manchester where we have been locked down for what seems to be forever, I get very little help as a Director and am required as a LL to be very tolerant. when is this government going to realise that they can’t keep squeezing.
My business is just about afloat because I have put all my savings into it. I have a couple of properties that I rent out that I was hoping that someday would be my pension. Sometimes I just feel like 27 years of being in business is all going down the pan. I expect taxes are going to rise to for Small Businesses to help pay for the pandemic, but where will the money come from? My question is WHO do we vote for?
We need a government that understands that Small Businesses and Landlords have not got a bottomless pit of money.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
You have obviously been one of life’s strivers and in being so you have achieved much.
Unfortunately you are a category of business that this Govt seeks to put out of business.
It despises everything you have achieved as a LL and seeks to remove as much asset value and income it can from you.
It would much prefer you sold up and stopped being a LL.
It seeks to make a void that it’s big buddy BTR donors to Tory Party funds can fill once you are eradicated.
Make no mistake the Tories aren’t interested in small business.
They seek the big bucks from large corporate enterprises.
The likes of comparative minnows like you don’t concern them at all.
Unless you take actions to minimise the various tax grabs on LL the Govt will strip you of all your gains and income built up over the years.
It knows it can do this with impunity.
The general electorate wouldn’t be concerned at at all with LL being bankrupted or otherwise put out of business by the Govt.
You’ll receive no thanks for all your hard work over the past 25 years.
Your main concern should now be of wealth preservation.
Have no doubt that should you remain a LL Govt will gradually strip you of all associated LL wealth.
Perhaps time to recognise the game is up and time to get out while the going is relatively good!!
Govt is coming for property owners to strip them of wealth which it desperately needs.
Property is where the money is and you have some tasset strip.
I reel very sorry for your predicament.
There are many in a similar position as you.
Make no mistake the Govt is out to get you!
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register