Britain's richest MP forcing people from their homes!

[poppet2]

It more than possible for normal people on normal salaries to live and work in London. Millions of people do it. I should know because I used to be one of them. For the masses, it does of course mean a longer commute or a less desirable area. Isnt that the same in every other major city including Sheffield.

 

Many have commuted into London and found it just not worth it because of the long hours travelling, and the high cost of rail fares. You hardly see your family for the hours commuting. I wonder how many people spend six hours a day to get there and back to Sheffield because they can't afford to live in Sheffield. You cannot compare London rents with Sheffield rents.

[allysum]

Post removed

Edited March 25, 2015 by allysum

[Bonzo77]

What is sad though is the "I'm alright Jack" attitude taken by so many people these days where they just don't give a damn what happens to another person or groups of people, even to the point where they're prepared to reduce somebody elses quality of life to further their own.

 

This is the bit that gets me. Especially my bold.

[poppet2]

...but I did feel a bit sorry for an old lady who's lived there for 70 years as I presume the market value were not that high when she moved in.

 

This lady would be a Rent Act tenant which means only the Rent Assessors can determine her rent and not the landlord. Also, her rent would be on a parable to council rent or less and it can only increase a certain amount, regardless of market rent.

 

What is sad though is the "I'm alright Jack" attitude taken by so many people these days where they just don't give a damn what happens to another person or groups of people, even to the point where they're prepared to reduce somebody elses quality of life to further their own.

 

So true.

[Cyclone]

Bad analogy. There's no coffee crisis, people can go without a Costa. I've never set foot in one!

 

As for the car market, no one is buying up cars and forcing the prices up. Market value in London is a value that only millionaire's can afford. Unfortunately, there's still a lot of working/middle class people still living in London.

 

People can't go without coffee. Where's my discount coffee?

 

---------- Post added 10-11-2014 at 19:25 ----------

 

Not immoral if you've got the decision of the Costa or the cheaper local caf' down the road, there and then. However, if I went into Costa and bought a Latte for £2.75, half way through drinking it the wholesale price of coffee tripled and then given the choice of leaving or paying £5.50 more for finishing my drink I'd be pretty annoyed.

Rented housing isn't like that though is it.

Your rent doesn't go up whilst in contract. It's like coming in every day for coffee. But one day the price goes up.

You either pay it, or go elsewhere.

The tenants didn't ask for new ownership and £2000 a month wasn't what they signed up for originally.

So they should have signed up for longer. Or realise that once out of contract they aren't "signed up" at all.

For those of you saying they should just up-sticks and move on, take things from another slant..... you work for a company for 10 years earning £25K a year. The company gets bought out and because the business is there to make more money (as already stated by so many here) they decide to drop salaries to £18K a year to increase the owners income by reducing costs. Did you work any less hard for the company? With a reduction of £7K a year can you afford your mortgage? Do you have children that you will have to relocate to new schools, and away from family and friends? From the point of view of the tenants this example is no different in it's results.

What has this got to do with charging market rent for a property.

If my landlord suddenly decides to put my rent up to £1.5K a month was I working any less hard? Will it cause me no disruption to my life at all? Was it my fault I have to leave my home? Did I say anywhere in the last paragraph that my landlord shouldn't be making a profit? Would it make any difference if I was not a business and I was working full time as an employee?

Your landlord is running a business just like you.

What will your customers do if you put your prices up? Do you serve your customers at a massive discount because you feel sorry for them, or do you charge market price?

 

---------- Post added 10-11-2014 at 19:26 ----------

 

According to some, they should just pack up and shove off. Doesn't matter where they go either.

 

If they're nurses and policemen (as I think someone suggested), then they should move to Sheffield. They can pay £600/month rent here, so it's cheaper, for a bigger property, and there's plenty of work for nurses and policemen.

Why would you stay in London when you can't afford it?

 

---------- Post added 10-11-2014 at 19:28 ----------

 

This is the bit that gets me. Especially my bold.

 

You could argue that happens whenever there is any kind of commercial exchange.

Buying bread, milk, the car MOT, selling your labour, your products.

 

Everyone is "making their own life better at a cost to someone else".

 

That's the nature of living in a world with limited resource.

Edited November 10, 2014 by Cyclone

[allysum]

Post removed

Edited March 25, 2015 by allysum

[Cyclone]

I assume she's retired, and didn't someone else say that her rent cannot be increased without reference to some rent adjudicator.

 

You rent on a temporary basis, you agree a price for a fixed duration. When that duration ends, the price can change. You know that when you sign the rent. Nobody has been tricked or otherwise taken advantage of.

 

It sounds like they will have to rent elsewhere.

 

Nobody is making moral judgements about "good enough". They are simply charging the market price for the property they own.

[allysum]

Post removed

Edited March 25, 2015 by allysum

[Bonzo77]

If they're nurses and policemen (as I think someone suggested), then they should move to Sheffield. They can pay £600/month rent here, so it's cheaper, for a bigger property, and there's plenty of work for nurses and policemen.

Why would you stay in London when you can't afford it?

 

Mate, you're an educated man, why would you ask such a silly question?

[Cyclone]

It's true actually that if these buildings had been council owned and in a bit of a dilapidated state that the residents would have no choice about moving out when the council decided to redevelop. But the council would also have to relocate the tenants.

 

This is what surprises me more. It's already been stated that the rent is subsidised (I presume housing benefit of some sort) yet the council can just turn a blind eye to the issue without rehousing anybody.

 

I don't think it is HB. I think it was just a very low rent (very low by London standards). Over the next several years (not immediately) it will be increased to the market rate.

For the next 2 years, it's gone up just 10%.