Reading a lot of the #VentYourRent posts does, of course, reveal some appalling conditions that some #tenants have been expected to endure however, as someone who’s been renting for 21 years & a #LettingAgent for 17 of those it actually highlights the following:

1. Pushing to legislate & regulate 4m PRS homes based on the conduct of a tiny % is both dangerous & ill-advised and will cause a negative impact on the overall market if rushed through.

2. Property Licensing- this is a shambles. This has been treated as a cash cow by far too many councils. Reaping £m’s mostly from quality landlords, with tiny processing teams, little to no ‘active enforcement’ & ignoring the real intention- tackling the worst rogues

3. As much as groups like @genrentuk & @Shelter love to demonise Agents & #landlords alike- viable, effective change comes through debate & compromise. This is perfectly highlighted by both groups warning Deposit caps would mean higher rents for higher risk tenants....

...and tenants with pets. This is now being ‘investigated’ by @NTSELAT but, if banned, will not solve the issue but worsen it with many simply deciding the risk is not worth it- making it even harder for these two demographics.

4. Envy is ugly! I’ve seen tenants seemingly happy with their home/rent set up until they find out their landlord is making some profit & then go mad. I don’t see this anger about water companies, supermarkets, home furnishings or so many other suppliers of ‘life essentials’

5. Campaigners are happy to present landlords as large portfolio, immensely rich people. This is simply not true. The typical landlord has 1-2 properties and this usually sees them through retirement that they would struggle if relying on just a gov pension. What is more....

...recent tax changes mean many landlords now see little profit in their pocket each year (after all costs, voids & taxes are applied) but instead make a 10-25 year commitment to provide a more stable (but usually far from luxurious) retirement.

6. Almost every major issue stems from 2 key failings from 1 demographic- that is the failing by successive governments to build enough/any social housing or implement an effective housing strategy. All parties are very happy for campaigners to keep this focus away from them.

7. Housing must be taken away from gov- we now see every party making broad, vague or ridiculous pledges to win the #RentersVote in the upcoming #GE2019 - like so many of these promises they are ill thought out and will never get implemented or, worse, will but very badly....

...the revolving door of uninterested & ill-equipped housing ministers for nearly 20 years is proof enough of that. The de-politicising of #housing should be what we are all REALLY fighting for to establish an effective & broad panel who are given time to effect real change.

8. Our rental market actually has legislation/regulation in place to tackle every issue I’ve seen. However there is virtually no funding for pro-active enforcement & tenants need access to better tools to be able to enact & enforce their rights without knowing property law.

9. The media (be it TV, newspapers, online or otherwise) are very happy to whip this in to a mad frenzy and jockey the agent/landlord ‘greedy/evil/slum’ message without balance, question or seemingly a lot of the time, any investigative journalism (there are a few exceptions)..

...again they know this gets them clicks & makes them money. They are not interested in furthering a quality, effective debate but are far more interested in handing out glowing torches & pitchforks to an already angry mob.

10. When you really look around it is staggering how few people publicly active in this sphere actually make sound, balanced, researched suggestions to make real headway. Too many are too happy to have a singular, polarised position and to refuse to ‘compromise’ one mm.

11. There are still issues & it is still far from perfect but, like so many things nowadays, we ignore the fact that it is often better than it has ever been before & is on a (generally) upward only trajectory.

12. We focus too much on the bad 1% and nowhere near enough on the best 5%. We need to focus on what works & is done right, celebrate this, share it & replicate it. Tenants who are constantly told to expect crap & have no protection- will expect crap & won’t enforce their rights.