Written evidence submitted by Ms Michelle Robertson [IOC 284]
I am a self-employed sole trader operating under the name of J1 Accommodation. Because of section 24 I pay more tax than any other self-employed person – but, as I am classed as an entrepreneur (with a yearly profit of under your limit set of £50k) I am not able to access any of the funding routes available from the government: I am reliant on tenants paying rent.
I feel some of the decisions made by the government for the PRS during this pandemic have made it too tempting for some tenants to simply not adhere to their legal obligations of paying rent. There is already a problem with ‘professional rogue tenants’ who go from tenancy to tenancy with no intention of paying rent, the lack of eviction for the foreseeable future is only going to put decent landlords out of business. I have already contacted Mr Jenrick regarding my frustration of the existing unfair situation which exists for PRS landlords.
Every day I read an article from some thinktank or tenant action group talking about why tenants should be able to stop paying rent until this crisis is over. I understand the government’s 21 page guideline does advise tenants to continue to pay rent but with the extension of the eviction process, some tenants are taking this as an opportunity to stop paying, the landlords are then stuck with them and the fear is it could be well over 12 months, plus a large amount of cost involved, to legally remove them. A rogue tenant database would help reduce the incidences of this occurring.
Another major issue is not being able to carry out viewings in shared properties: I currently have three empty units with tenants ready to move in but am unsure if I can or cannot provide accommodation especially in a HMO where there are already tenants in situ.
During this difficult time where people are stuck indoors did anyone consider asking energy and internet providers to reduce their tariffs?