Landlords and Benefits

[Neal]

Are landlords in Burnley ruining this town?

In my opinion, yes they are. Most just want those claiming benefits to move in as they know they will get their money paid by the DSS. If someone moves in who works, there's a chance they could miss a payment resulting in costly legal action.

Laibach makes a valid point in the syringes thread where landlords move anyone in in the hope of reducing house prices in the area so they can buy more for a cheaper price.

I'd say that 90% of places I know where rented property exists in Burnley, there's local issues and problems. We moved from an area that has gone that way, and guess what? Across from or new home we have people renting, and now this area is going the same way. Glad to say though that people round here stick together and are part of Neighbourhood Watch.

[festive road]

i can't understand why the government or whoever the powers may be pays so much in housing benefit.people are being priced out of going to work and paying rent.

£30 max

There should be a responsibility on landlords to ensure that they place good tenants in their properties. When good speculators or landlords invest in the property market they will always insist on references because they have too much to lose if the new tenant wrecks the house, but far too many don't seem to care and this isn't fair on the people who work hard to pay their mortgages, only to see their lives ruined by anti social tenants who come and go while caring nothing for the neighbourhood or the property.

These anti social people ruin the area for everyone including the good tenants who rent their homes, though it is easier for these people to move away from the nutters who make life hell because the home owner is stuck there with a For Sale notice up and will end up selling to a speculator at a very low price due to the fact the no one else will buy the house as the area is perceived to have gone downhill and all because the landlords will put any old scum in as long as they get the rent off the Social every month.

[festive road]

couldn't agree more laibach.plus we're getting people that London and Manchester don't want.

That's right, Festive. It's not so long ago that Burnley council approached some London boroughs with an offer to take tenants to ease their housing waiting lists. Anyone who relocated here was offered a financial incentive to do so and the London boroughs took this opportunity to move on some of their problem tenants to us.

[Mercury]

I rent my house, and have rented houses around the country due to my boyfriend's job. The house we rented last in York was small, but easily managable. I was glad to get away from there due to my neighbours, who, incidently, were paying a mortgage. My fella and I have never had a complaint from anywhere we live, and got on well with all the majority of our neighbours, apart from the one in York. They were the problem, the kids had there mates round at all hours, standing in the street, drunk, shouting, swearing, using other peoples porches as toilets. I lost count of the number of times the police were round to them for one thing or another. The parents didn't care less, their attitude was well, we live here, this is our house, we pay for it, they can do as they please. There were so many houses on the cul de sac up for sale, and I'd mentioned it to my fella and another neighbour who had there house up for sale said they were moving because of my neighbours. They had contacted the police one evening due to the kids, and the lad and dad threatened the person for getting the police out, even though they'd approached the parents on several occasions, but got told where to go in no uncertain terms. I know this is not always the case, there are bad tenants, who dont consider the place they live in to be their responsibilty to look after it, and respect the area as they would if they were buying the house, but I think some people are bad 'tenants' whether they are renting or buying, probably more so if they are renting rather than buying, 'cos if you buy your house, you want it to be an asset for you in years to come, sell for profit, and get a bigger, nicer house, which I think is fair enough. Whoops, a bit long winded, sorry.

[festive road]

i also used to rent Mercury and thats the good thing about renting ,if you don't like the area, you can move.