Problems with private rental properties

ive been looking for a place to move as i live in a 2 bed, first floor maisonette with 3 childre (ages 10, 8 and 1). every day ibhave the same conversation with them telling them not to run or jump even cartwheel in the house so our neighbours dont get disturbed. 8 years of the same telling off but children r children, they want to have fun, run jump. i feel bad for telling them off everyday.

so 3 weeks ago my tenancy expired and i asked to be put on a monthly rolling contract untill i find something which i havent so far. one landlord wouldnt allow for a self employed tenant, my husband being self employed. the other landlord asked for the guarantor to be a home owner and on top, if that wasnt enough, to ear 55k a year. another landlord said no to self emplyed and to a guarantor and would only allow us if we paid 12 month in advance ( aound 15.5k).

why do estate allow landlord to put down such ridiculous demands! at this rate i will still be living in this flat in a years time! rents are so high but the living conditions in some of the properties are disgusting. The Mayor needs to move and make things easier for people who can only rent and be mire stringent on landlords who make such ridiculous demands!

Letting agents - I worked in a property management office where the policy was to encourage landlords to increase rent even if they didn't want it. The business got higher fees and the individual property managers were incentivised with bonuses for each increase they got.

Landlords thinking they are providing a public service - they aren't. Most of the landlords I was exposed to did repairs begrudgingly because it ate into their profit margin. People argue that rent caps won't work because landlords won't be able to afford their mortgage payments. Who cares? Baby boomers owning 2 or 3 properties is a huge cause of the inter-generational inequality we're struggling with today. You only need one house. If more houses go on the market because of rent caps, supply is increased for 1st time buyers, if more people buy, it takes the stress of the rental market, so there's less pressure to accept extortionate rents.

Short tenancies - When you rent in the UK, you don't feel like it's your home. You're generally not allowed to decorate or even hang pictures on the wall without having to promise to put everything back to how it was at the end - even if you've improved the accommodation. Families can't settle, kids have to move schools. How can you plan your life if you know you'll have to move in 6 months or a year because your rent is getting jacked up?

Landlords flying under the radar. Nobody knows the full extent of the situation because there isn't a system in place where all landlords to have to register, or a simple, universal method for anonymous reporting of rogue landlords.

Properties being subdivided to squeeze more rent out. Most young professionals don't have a communal living space because the lounge is now a bedroom. Tiny flats, designed for 2, with 6 or 7 people living in them. There should be more enforcement on density and space regulations in a property.

Nothing is done. I've given up hope.

Private landlords, are in part encouraged to increase rents, for the reality of increasing commission for letting agents. The lack of knowledge about housing benefit and local housing allowance is a big concern. Take up should be encouraged. Ending discrimination against DSS claimants should not be allowed.

As a tenant I think it would help to:
*not pay agency fees which are disproportionate to the work done (£500+ to add my partner to the TA, £175+ for renewing)
* have longer guaranteed tenancy, especially when you have lived in an area and have become part of the community
* have some legal protection which secures tenancy when property goes on the market less than two years after last sale
* tighter regulations on overseas buyers creating property portfolios where there is little accountability for the impact upon the welfare of the humans residing in those properties.
* more schemes for low income and vulnerable families that enable them to fairly buy property and provide security for their families. Affordable homes are not really affordable at all. Living in Wandsworth we see many developments springing up in the community but it's the money moving in, the community members are being pushed out.
* serious challenges to the recent Housing Act which demands sale of high rental council and social housing properties when they become available- the money from sale is ring fenced for new social/,
Council developments but these are unlikely to be in high rental zones but on cheaper less desirable land, reducing levels of social integration and creating pockets of depravation on the outskirts of town.

Others have highlighted the same problem I, and my friends, know to be common and damaging. Overseas landlords and property portfolio investors buy up affordable housing and use it to generate profit with little regard for the impact this has on tenants.
I have lived in my building for ten years raising an autistic son. I am a single parent, have had severe mental health problems and receive HB. My son attends SEN provision nearby and can now independently use community facilities. I have worked hard to recover and stabilise and have achieved a first class degree.
Several years ago the property was sold to an investor. It has changed hands as the market waivers, the rent has risen, despite no alterations being made to the property. A well known property agent poorly manages us and we have no security. Other flats around me in the building have been sold off.
A few months ago we were told ours was to be sold. I cancelled my MRes degree, packed things into boxes, prepared my son. I began job searching instead of completing my studies. We heard nothing. Now we're told the flat isn't being sold immediately and we can renew our TA for an extra £100 pcm plus £175 fees to the agent for generating a Docusign TA. The landlord is extracting as much money from me & the council as possible.
So many friends in this situation. We want to work, live as families, be present in our communities but we're prevented, pushed out and exploited.
This has to change. The vulnerable live feeling scared and powerless, knowing councils are unable to assist when people register homeless. Many are registering homeless because landlords sell up and evict as the market fluctuates. No security, living on the whims of profiteering landlords.

Others have highlighted the same problem I, and my friends, know to be common and damaging. Overseas landlords and property portfolio investors buy up affordable housing and use it to generate profit with little regard for the impact this has on tenants.
I have lived in my building for ten years raising an autistic son. I am a single parent, have had severe mental health problems and receive HB. My son attends SEN provision nearby and can now independently use community facilities. I have worked hard to recover and stabilise and have achieved a first class degree.
Several years ago the property was sold to an investor. It has changed hands as the market waivers, the rent has risen, despite no alterations being made to the property. A well known property agent poorly manages us and we have no security. Other flats around me in the building have been sold off.
A few months ago we were told ours was to be sold. I cancelled my MRes degree, packed things into boxes, prepared my son. I began job searching instead of completing my studies. We heard nothing. Now we're told the flat isn't being sold immediately and we can renew our TA for an extra £100 pcm plus £175 fees to the agent for generating a Docusign TA. The landlord is extracting as much money from me & the council as possible.
So many friends in this situation. We want to work, live as families, be present in our communities but we're prevented, pushed out and exploited.
This has to change. The vulnerable live feeling scared and powerless, knowing councils are unable to assist when people register homeless. Many are registering homeless because landlords sell up and evict as the market fluctuates.

Alongside the problem of the very high price of privately renting there is enormous
difficulty with insecurity. There's the constant threat of being evicted because landlords want to sell up as they make a huge profit on their property. This causes tenants massive insecurity and adversely affects mental health of tenants stuck in this situation especially as so many of us have nowhere else to go if we do get evicted due to ridiculously high deposits/upfront fees required to secure alternative rentals.

Good and Fair Landlords are ver much the exception and even well meaning landlords are manipulated by estate agents .
A few ideas for solutions to the problem:
When the Landlord does not comply with obligations of repair , the tenant should have the right to withhold rent immediately.
No property should be allowed to go for rental unless insulated and energy efficient. This should be good for the environment and for costs to tenants . It is ludicrous that in London , flats are rented at exorbitant prices with worn out windows and leaky frames , let alone proper insulation. In most European countries this is against the law.

Council tax should be paid by the Landlord and should be substantially higher. It is ludicrous that properties worth millions are on 100 pounds per month council tax.
There should be rent control like everywhere else in Europe.The Councils should have more power to enforce legal obligations on landlords or impose hefty fines.

On the landlord side, I agree that there are far too many tenants now in London subletting on Airbn , it has become a business. Some tenants manage actually to live free or even make a profit , in breach of their tenancy. In such cases, eviction should be immediate and with no refund of the deposit.

I think it's pure shear greediness, I never see my landlady thank god,! she only turns up when she wants more money, it took her nearly 5 years to refurbish the inside of the house it was a absolutely tip, tenants do not have to live in a rubbish bin because it's private and they should not be made to feel intimidated, I had to write to the mayor with regards to my problems and heard back that there will be a law enforced that landlords will have to put a stop on increasing rentals whenever they feel like it especially low income earners.

I feel that we have become a very expensive and greedy nation, who says that we have to be expensive! people are made to feel a lot of pressure due to the unnecessary increases, pay increase do not rise so how does our government expect us to live well and they wonder why so many thousands of people are filled with anxiety and depression, they are ruining peoples lives and running us into the ground to pay rip off prices, and they wonder why Londoners move abroad.

Yes we know we have to pay for our bills and rentals etc, but with what if no extra money is coming in.

Expensive heating and electric bills as house has single glazing, little to no insulation, very draughty. Have to keep heating on 24/7 during colder months so as to keep the mould at bay as well as move beds, furniture away from outside walls to stop mould growth. We repair things ourselves rather than bother letting agent as too scared of annoying them. If we ever have contacted them they just ignore us. Major faults occur regularly as old house that was not refurbished well before we moved in. We spent six weeks without a bathroom sink, weeks without a bathroom when they decided to refurbish without consulting whether it was convenient for a large family to exist in a 'building site'. I really detest the letters we receive saying they will let themselves in for their far too regular property 'inspections', where they take unnecessary photographs of your possessions instead of sticking to the property structure! This is just not a home as owners constantly violate your privacy. Basically living in private rented is very draining and stressful. Tenancy fees should be banned.

There are many problems associated with private rental this varies from landlords who are only in it to make money as they know they have a captive market. Yes there are good landlords out there but we don't get to hear about them.

High rental costs especially in the area I live.

Letting agents who won't accept people on benefits or a low income, large deposits needed and maybe 6 months in advance along with a guarantor.

No security or protection against raising rent increases or length of tenancies.
The main problem is there's not enough social housing.