Landlords are parasites.
It’s a phrase that gets bandied around a lot. Just start typing into Google ‘Landlords are…’ and it’s the top auto-fill suggestion.
I’ve been a landlord for almost twenty years. I like to think I do a good job (I’ve even won an award from the National Landlords Association for doing it well), but that doesn’t mean I get off lightly. My tenants – granted not all of them – have put me through hell. I’ve been close to a nervous breakdown too many times to tell. I think I still suffer from PTSD.
There are almost 2.6 million landlords in the UK with around 5.45 million rental properties (mydeposits.co.uk). What makes me different is the size of my portfolio and the national reach. I deal with every type of tenant from benefit claimants to high-end professionals. Let me tell you, shit still stinks the same, no matter where you come from.
The last few years have been tough. I’ve wondered many a time to sell up and quit. But still, despite the pressure and the pain, I love my tenants and my properties and I’d struggle to know what to do without them.
The idea of this book came about from a friend of mine. He urged me to write it having regaled him for many years with my various tales of human misery and utter craziness.
‘You couldn’t make it up!’ was what he’d say when I told him the latest shenanigans I’d been going through.
‘How about you? How’s your work?’ I’d reply.
‘Nowhere near as exciting or a story to tell as yours,’ He’d say.
And his response was something I’d heard from many friends. My workaday tales were the stuff of legend. Friends would text me and ask what the latest was on an ongoing situation I’d told them about.
They all wanted in on the action. To live vicariously through my real life soap opera.
And for years I’ve just got on and dealt with the various whims and wonders of my fellow human beings. But last year, prompted by my friend’s idea, I started to write it all down.
When I did, well, I won’t tell you what happened next, but the book changed my life.
And it’s interesting after all this time, to reflect on that period of my life where I was writing about my life, while living it. And to now be at the stage where this book will soon be shared with others, if they want to read it, feels strange but right.
I know already most people won’t care. It won’t matter what I say. I am a landlord and they will always cast me as the evil villain. For those people, I cannot help.
But for those people who are interested in being a landlord, or are a landlord, or maybe they’re a tenant renting a property and want to know the other side of the story, then Parasite? The Secret Diary of a Landlord is for them.
This book is my side of the story. And it’s a side of the story that’s not been told before. And I think it’s about time it gets told – because it needs to be.
It’s time to share the hidden life of a landlord – the truth the other side of the door.
Parasite? The Secret Diary of a Landlord exposes the shocking reality of what tenants do, the practices of local councils and how the government is hell bent on destroying the private rental sector.
It’s a contentious, controversial and gritty look at the realities of the rental sector – but this is real life.
Many of those who’ve read the manuscript have said it’s a whistle-blower account that smacks of an authenticity and insight yet to be seen in the property world. ‘Gripping’, ‘anxiety-inducing’, ‘stimulating’, ‘entertaining’, ’emotional’, ‘raw’, ‘real’, ‘instructive’, ‘informative’, ‘inspirational’ and ‘depressing’ are just some of the descriptors that have been used by early readers.
‘Never boring’ is the key word they all used. And I think that sums up my life as a landlord perfectly.
It’s exciting and scary to make this book available to the world. But I feel the time has come to tell-all and share what it’s really like being a landlord.
So let me ask you: Are you ready to learn what what really happens behind closed doors?
Landlords facing harassment from charities obtaining legal aid, help with fees.
Introduction
This report has been made in response to the effect legal actions have had in the community by registered charities focussing in housing issues on the Fylde coast highlighted by two in depth case studies.
The report will highlight the harm this is having in the Community and can lead to
1 Increase in antisocial behaviour.
2 Increase in criminal activity.
3 Persecution and harassment of housing Landlords and Housing associations through the courts.
4 Abuse of the courts and legal process for financial gain.
5 Stigmatisation of private landlords in the community.
6 Misuse of legal aid and help with fees applications
The report has found that instead of using mediation and avoiding costly and stressful legal casework, The charities go straight to litigation in a determined and deliberate manner to harass and intimidate victims and landlords for cash.
Report by Eddie Fewings 58 Vice Chair Talbot PACT community volunteer, experienced community volunteer and Former elected Community Rep North Shore area Forum and Gateway Forum Blackpool, social care worker Blackpool, former Chair Lancashire branch Chartered Management Institute, previous Vice Chair Police Authority and Community Meeting (PACM) Western Division Lancs. Constabulary, and spokesperson for Reform a public interest campaign group, resident in Blackpool.
The author has twenty years experience in community volunteering and neighbourhood watch groups in the local community and third sector in Blackpool and the Fylde. During that time effective multi agency working together with the police and specialised agencies in the local community has led to an improvement in quality-of-life issues that affect everyone. Housing and the consequences of drugs, illegal activity and antisocial behaviour emanating from members of the community who engage in such behaviours has led to an effective partnership in Blackpool to improve the situation.
An effective Police and Community Together PACT meeting held in the heart of Talbot ward meet monthly.
The PACT meeting Talbot ward has received recognition for the joined up and effective work it does in Blackpool from The Crime Commissioner, Local councillors, pastors and community reps, as well as members of the public and local authority specialised agencies and Police. The Chief officer Lancashire Constabulary has recognised our good work. The Author is the Vice Chairman and as a neighbourhood watch co-ordinator is a part of the community response to any issues affecting our communities and is able to pass information on at PACT level.
This effective partnership works as members of the public have a voice in raising issues and awareness of any community problems and getting appositive and correct response form the specialised agencies, police and local Authority.
This report highlights that some legal charities can make matters worse by focussing solely on the help- to -pay fee schemes or legal aid monies and once they have the cash pursuing cases not in the public interest or in the interests of Justice.
Coast advice and Legal centre, claims on their website “The Coast Advice and Legal Centre exists to provide social welfare and human rights law services for people who are on low incomes, disadvantaged, oppressed or marginalised groups.”
Both charities claim legal aid to fight cases on behalf of their clients and, on the face of it loving our neighbours and making life better for all. However, they must rely on the conduct and integrity of their employees, trustees, solicitors, caseworkers and volunteers to ensure governance. The same applies to evidence put to the courts by these charities.
These case studies show that solicitors and caseworkers acting on behalf of the organisations in question can lead to possible miscarriages of justice, harassment of Landlords and possible fraudulent activity on behalf of the charity.
They employ solicitors who can use caseworkers to harass and intimidate responsible Landlords and co-ordinate legal actions against fellow citizens for monetary gain with no proof ref case HOOBC066. They exploit the law to threaten injunctions against landlords with no credible evidence and tie private landlords, housing associations up in legal action so they make cash settlements.
Our county courts are inundated with legal actions from these people, falsifying covenants of peace and threatening injunctions to stop landlords going about their lawful work. They are in effect making housing matters worse in our communities.