The vast majority of new housing built since 2000 has been bought by landlords

[Rufus T. Firefly]

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/until-the-uk-int roduces-rent-controls-so-many-of-us-will-continue-to-face-a- lifetime-of-exploitation-9956512.html

[Mick the Miller]

One interesting thing about the housing market is that house building is usually higher in areas where there are generally more people renting. It's important to note that in terms of affordability just building homes is the best thing that you can do.

No question that just building homes is the answer - but it isn't going to happen in the short/medium term.

In the meantime the buy-to-let market is benefiting from some serious advantages over the buy-to-occupy market. Interest free mortgages, offsetting mortgage interest against tax for example - available to the landlord, but not the owner occupier. This inevitably skews the market and pushes both rental and purchase prices skyward.

Perhaps it is time to recognise that the property-owning democracy dream is fading, and to address the lack of protection/tenancy rights currently afforded to tenants in the UK. Germany is usually mentioned at this point ....

Reduces rents surely? I don't think there are any interest free mortgages available are there?

I agree thought that tenancy rights are an issue, I actually think a healthy rental market is really beneficial to both the economy and people's ability to live in a home that best suits their needs.

OOps! I meant interest only

I'm not sure why you think rents would be reduced? The competition to buy from a shortage of housing stock is still very much present, but is just skewed heavily in favour of landlords. Have I missed something?

You again are hypocritical. However that is typical of you .

[LoudounSquareLurker]

One interesting thing about the housing market is that house building is usually higher in areas where there are generally more people renting. It's important to note that in terms of affordability just building homes is the best thing that you can do.

No question that just building homes is the answer - but it isn't going to happen in the short/medium term.

In the meantime the buy-to-let market is benefiting from some serious advantages over the buy-to-occupy market. Interest free mortgages, offsetting mortgage interest against tax for example - available to the landlord, but not the owner occupier. This inevitably skews the market and pushes both rental and purchase prices skyward.

Perhaps it is time to recognise that the property-owning democracy dream is fading, and to address the lack of protection/tenancy rights currently afforded to tenants in the UK. Germany is usually mentioned at this point ....

Reduces rents surely? I don't think there are any interest free mortgages available are there?

I agree thought that tenancy rights are an issue, I actually think a healthy rental market is really beneficial to both the economy and people's ability to live in a home that best suits their needs.

OOps! I meant interest only

It appears that the market for rented accommodation in the UK has been artificially manipulated by government policy. If the hundreds of thousands of rents paid or supplemented by the benefit system had not been. Then rented accommodation would not be so unaffordable.

[Ray Mears]

One interesting thing about the housing market is that house building is usually higher in areas where there are generally more people renting. It's important to note that in terms of affordability just building homes is the best thing that you can do.

No question that just building homes is the answer - but it isn't going to happen in the short/medium term.

In the meantime the buy-to-let market is benefiting from some serious advantages over the buy-to-occupy market. Interest free mortgages, offsetting mortgage interest against tax for example - available to the landlord, but not the owner occupier. This inevitably skews the market and pushes both rental and purchase prices skyward.

Perhaps it is time to recognise that the property-owning democracy dream is fading, and to address the lack of protection/tenancy rights currently afforded to tenants in the UK. Germany is usually mentioned at this point ....

Reduces rents surely? I don't think there are any interest free mortgages available are there?

I agree thought that tenancy rights are an issue, I actually think a healthy rental market is really beneficial to both the economy and people's ability to live in a home that best suits their needs.

OOps! I meant interest only

I'm not sure why you think rents would be reduced? The competition to buy from a shortage of housing stock is still very much present, but is just skewed heavily in favour of landlords. Have I missed something?

I agree that there has been a lot of subsidy that has maintained rent levels, but the reality is that house price rises in recent years have far exceeded rent rises, partly (in my opinion) as a result of people investing in BTL.

[ragbone]

One interesting thing about the housing market is that house building is usually higher in areas where there are generally more people renting. It's important to note that in terms of affordability just building homes is the best thing that you can do.

No question that just building homes is the answer - but it isn't going to happen in the short/medium term.

In the meantime the buy-to-let market is benefiting from some serious advantages over the buy-to-occupy market. Interest free mortgages, offsetting mortgage interest against tax for example - available to the landlord, but not the owner occupier. This inevitably skews the market and pushes both rental and purchase prices skyward.

Labour are going to Cap the rents ( I hope ) so poorer folk who can't get a mortgage, are not robbed blind ,whilst landlords get richer

These landlords who rob people blind, is this your opinion or do you have evidence? The reason I ask is that most landlords' financial affairs are not in the public domain. Typical yields are around 5-6% so it's not the gold plated investment some people like to make out

I'm also interested to hear how labour plan to cap rents?

[Barry Dragon]

Only scanned briefly through the thread and the article - someone who's read both fully may be able to correct me.

From what I believe, no way in a million years has the 'vast majority of new housing built since 2000 has been bought by private landlords' (I know you haven't said that, but I've seen a few mentions of buy-to-let)

I would tend to agree that tenants rights need to be improved.