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The landlords debate

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  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    They shouldn't take on so many freshers then.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    But freshers = money for the uni, so they're hardly likely to start turning students away cause of a lack of (affordable) housing...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    it's not even a lack of housing, it's a shortage of university halls.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Shortage of housing is shortage of housing, whether it's halls or private-let housing. It's a catch-22 situation. To build more halls, the uni needs more money. To get more money, the uni has to get more freshers. To house more freshers, the uni has to build more halls.

    And to be fair, a lot of unis don't give a damn about the local community...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    My uni does. I'm always a little bit smug about that. They make a big effort to stay in contact, and uni security will come out to deal with antisocial students in town as well.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    And to be fair, a lot of unis don't give a damn about the local community...

    I don't think any do, when it comes down to it. They're quite happy to cream the cash from all the freshers, but don't pay a single penny towards the social damage a large transient population causes to the local community.

    I blame the universities for most of the problems in university towns, and its hardly a surprise that town vs gown conflict is getting more prevalent.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Loughborough Uni is a massive weight on loughborough. Fact. Loughborough is a small town with a high proportion of its population transient and absent. Fact. Loughborough university is a major employer in loughborough. Fact. Lose it and you'd lose a few thousand jobs that just wouldn't come back.

    But that's off topic now isn't it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    They make an effort to stay in contact with whom? Their students?

    And I think sending university security round to deal with anti-social students is as much for the university's protection than community policing. They hardly want to be known as the 'anti-social university'.

    When I say they don't care about the local community, it's some of the things that've already been talked about. E.g. driving up house prices.

    But more generally, any benefits a local community gets from the university is ancilliary to direct benefits the university gets. Anything the university does is for it's own advancement, rather than the local community.

    A massive influx of freshers every year is great business for the local bars and clubs. But try telling that to the local residents who are kept awake every friday and saturday night by baying students. The rubbish sweeps who have to clean the place up (I don't know about your university, but the amount of paper littering my uni during fresher's week is crazy). The police who have to deal with drunken students. And so forth.

    P.S. Just had a look at Lboro uni website, and must say, it's got a pretty decent community page. Nice job.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Make an effort to stay in touch with the community. They do a leaflet drop every term reminding people of contact numbers and email addresses and letting people know what events are happening that they might want to come to or which might result in traffic and stuff.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    seeker wrote: »
    FREE market ? ? ? ?

    A little talk of an alleged free market at the tail end of this thread, but no evidence is given of this mythical beast/beauty.("Beauty" is my suspicion)

    I haven`t encountered a free market in any housing industry.

    Could someone give me the benefit of their experiences ?

    Houses go for the price determined by supply and demand.

    The highest bidder wins.

    Inflated demand due to too much speculation causes price inflation.

    Which is pretty much the definition of a free market. (except for the government intervention thing, but like has been pointed out, stamp duty isn't sufficient to dissuade investors from buying a second or third property)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    House prices are high primarily due to undersupply, and this exists to a large degree because of government planning regulations.

    With regards to students being antisocial, it makes no difference if these students are from out of town or not, even of all students stayed in their home town they would still go out, and those who would get drubk and cause trouble would do it in their own towen as much as another....
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    We've been through this, there is no "undersupply". There is a house for everyone, even in London. The problem is BTL landlords artificially inflating prices for their own financial gain; the solution is to prevent them through extortionate tax.

    Having properties empty for half the year, as most student properties are, is a big problem for the local area- it makes it a ghetto. It isn't rocket science. It has little to do with the actual students, and everything to do with money-grabbing universities who are happy to take the cash from too many students without investing in the local area.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    can you back up any of your claims with evidence?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    There is undersupply, the proof is that house prices are very high, if there was no undersupply then prices wouldn't be this high, that is all the proof you need!

    Having equilibrium supply does not mean having exactly the correct number of households for the number of people, it will nearly always mean having more houses than there are households, if there is this kind of slack then price inflation would not be such a problem.

    Not sure what you are gibbering about universities, they provide a service: a higher education course, in exchange for fees, why on earth does this mean they should be providing housing and investing in the community (whatever that means)?

    Should schools be providing housing? What about other major employers and providers of services?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Having looked at the numbers because my mum is consdering getting a property, as a private individual you can't really lose, especially getting student accomodation. Especially in york where the University is going to be doubling it's size in the next few years, and is already being criticised because it hasn't factored in student accomodation.

    *shrug*

    Where there is money to be made, people put fairness last unfortunately.

    And toadborg: the difference with universities is that most students travel away from home for part of the year for the precise purpose of studying. Most schools and most jobs you stay in a fixed location year round.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I have had 2 experiences with landlords.

    1 was just this guy who owned loads of big houses in leeds and rented them out to students. He was so lovely! He let us paint the walls and fixed anything that needed doing.

    The other was a big company that probably owned half of all student houses in Leeds. If we ever wanted ANYTHING they would be round in a flash. "Hi, I was wondering if someone could come round to put some shelves up for me?" "Yeah sure we'll have someone round tomorrow". Free of course. They put a new kitchen floor in at the start of term and I didn't like where they had put the fridges back to. So they came back the next day and moved them hehe
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    First private landlord I had was never to be seen – flat was a bit of a dump and I only moved because I needed somewhere ASAP. He wasn’t intrusive, but then again there were knobs falling off the doors etc so it wasn’t great.

    Last one I had….well it takes a lot for me to really dislike someone, but he could see I’m a bit naïve and royally took the piss. He’d buy properties, do them up and re-sell them. Total screwjob too, he also had a Samurai sword in his room (he was a live In landlord) and he didn’t like me bringing people home after a night out, didn’t like me eating in my room so I’m so glad I’m out of there now.

    Place I’m in now though, the landlord is sound. Really nice bloke, I’m paying a fair price for the flat and he’s really approachable if there’s a problem. Can’t say fairer than that.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Toadborg wrote: »
    There is undersupply, the proof is that house prices are very high, if there was no undersupply then prices wouldn't be this high, that is all the proof you need!

    That's a circular argument.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Toadborg wrote: »
    There is undersupply, the proof is that house prices are very high, if there was no undersupply then prices wouldn't be this high, that is all the proof you need!

    Circular and nonsensical argument.
    Having equilibrium supply does not mean having exactly the correct number of households for the number of people, it will nearly always mean having more houses than there are households, if there is this kind of slack then price inflation would not be such a problem.

    That would be oversupply. Which is just as wasteful, just in different ways.
    Not sure what you are gibbering about universities, they provide a service: a higher education course, in exchange for fees, why on earth does this mean they should be providing housing and investing in the community (whatever that means)?

    What are you wanking on about?

    Universities bring in a large transient population. They should make arrangements to accomodate that large transient population without simply dumping them on the local community to deal with.

    Your comparison with employment is completely spurious.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ShyBoy wrote: »
    Especially in york where the University is going to be doubling it's size in the next few years, and is already being criticised because it hasn't factored in student accomodation.
    Doubled in favour of foreign students and the large amount of money they bring with them :rolleyes: /off topic

    The problem is definitely BTL landlords inflating the market - what other reason is there for it? Seriously, I can't see one.

    Our landlady is a pain in the arse, very unhelpful. I wouldn't say York is like a ghetto during the summer though, I think a lot of students stay during the summer anyway, and the houses people rent in seem to be quite spaced out among a few different areas. The place where I rent has a lot of students but far more local residents, and it's about as close to the uni as you can get.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ShyBoy wrote: »
    Houses go for the price determined by supply and demand.

    The highest bidder wins.

    Inflated demand due to too much speculation causes price inflation.

    Which is pretty much the definition of a free market. (except for the government intervention thing, but like has been pointed out, stamp duty isn't sufficient to dissuade investors from buying a second or third property)

    You appear to have overlooked where all the money has come from.

    Some might say that is irrelevant to this thread, but I`d suggest any reference to free markets is far more irrelevant.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    seeker wrote: »
    You appear to have overlooked where all the money has come from.

    Some might say that is irrelevant to this thread, but I`d suggest any reference to free markets is far more irrelevant.

    A rise in incomes predominantly in the south east.

    Excess demand causes inflation, no?

    It doesn't have to be a big debate, I was simply stating why house prices were increasing, it's a perfectly acceptable albeit simple model, what's the issue?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ShyBoy wrote: »
    A rise in incomes predominantly in the south east.

    Excess demand causes inflation, no?

    It doesn't have to be a big debate, I was simply stating why house prices were increasing, it's a perfectly acceptable albeit simple model, what's the issue?

    The money.

    From where does it come ?

    (Or perhaps, in this case, I should ask from where does it appear)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Fuck me. I leave this argument come back two days later and there is an influx of even more idiots.

    Loving the stupid comments.

    This is how shit capitalism is, unis should pay for accomodation for students and a whole load of other bollocks, 200% council tax on second properties blah blah blah

    I could quote a hell of a lot of dumb comments, but ill be here all night.

    People generally always will find ways of making money, whether it be residential buy2lets, cars, cucumber or cocaine...... There is little or fuck all you can do about it. Im astonished how many bitter people there are.

    They next explosion expected in the next 10 years is going to be commercial buy2lets, will we then be discussing ..."nobody can afford to buy a shop these day" ? Bollocks.

    People loose money in property as well, look at the early 1990s. Swings and roundabouts.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ^

    well that was a worthwhile post :confused:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Blagsta wrote: »
    ^

    well that was a worthwhile post :confused:

    lol
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Blagsta wrote: »
    ^

    well that was a worthwhile post :confused:



    heheheh is that a mate of yours :p
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    deceelpool wrote: »
    Fuck me. I leave this argument come back two days later and there is an influx of even more idiots.

    Loving the stupid comments.

    This is how shit capitalism is, unis should pay for accomodation for students and a whole load of other bollocks, 200% council tax on second properties blah blah blah

    I could quote a hell of a lot of dumb comments, but ill be here all night.

    People generally always will find ways of making money, whether it be residential buy2lets, cars, cucumber or cocaine...... There is little or fuck all you can do about it. Im astonished how many bitter people there are.

    They next explosion expected in the next 10 years is going to be commercial buy2lets, will we then be discussing ..."nobody can afford to buy a shop these day" ? Bollocks.

    People loose money in property as well, look at the early 1990s. Swings and roundabouts.

    Rather a weird comment don't you think? If you don't want to debate an issue it seems a bit pointless to have ago at other people debating on a forum that is about having a debate?

    People aren't idiots just because you disagree with them, and they certainly aren't idiots just because they are actually prepared to explain what they think, rather than just insulting people.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Jim V wrote: »
    Rather a weird comment don't you think? If you don't want to debate an issue it seems a bit pointless to have ago at other people debating on a forum that is about having a debate?

    People aren't idiots just because you disagree with them, and they certainly aren't idiots just because they are actually prepared to explain what they think, rather than just insulting people.

    schpank schpank
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    schpank schpank

    That made me lol so much. :D
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