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[Sparrow]

Hello everyone,

I am lucky enough to have a flat that I rent out (unfortunately the blocks ground floor car park is flooded at the moment, but hay ho), and I have just received a Christmas Greetings email from my letting agent.  I thought you might like to read it as it's sentiments are very relevant.   



Will you have a merry Christmas?
_______________________________________________________

It might sound like a stupid question, because no doubt you have every intention of having a good one! However spare a thought for some people for whom Christmas may not bring much cheer.

An estimated 280,000 homeless people will be rough sleeping, or living in temporary housing and hostels in England on Christmas Day – about one in every 200 of the total population, according to housing charity Shelter.

That's pretty disgraceful in my opinion!  The charity's figure, which is probably understating the true level of homelessness because it does not include people who are sofa-surfing or living in sheds or tents, is 3,600 higher than in 2018, and up 23,000 since 2017. John Handley, CEO of local homelessness charity the Bridge Trust, recently told me that the numbers never paint the true picture. They paint a pretty awful one, I thought!  However, he reminded me that just because you can't see homeless people around, it doesn't mean they don't exist. A sofa in a mate's flat is not a home, nor is the back seat of a car or the garden shed of the local vicar.

Please particularly spare a thought for at least 135,000 children in the UK who will be homeless and living in temporary accommodation on Christmas Day – the highest number for 12 years. Hopefully they will get to open some presents..... although the best present of all, is too big to wrap up!

Merry Christmas to you all !

[Two hoots]

I'm not sure how I would feel if that was sent to me 

[Krystal]

Homelessness exists all year round not just at Christmas which is why there are Food Banks and so many local small charities that work throughout the year. British sentiment of helping others never seems to waver,

[Pennyfarthing]

I don't understand the message the Lettings Agent is trying to get across.  They're not offering anything to the homeless  and they're not asking anybody else to either. 

[CLKD]

Also: no one is 'homeless' when living in a Hotel.  Homeless to me means Box City ------- under a blanket in a doorway with no access to shelter, safety, warmth or fresh water.  Sadly not many shelters allow people to 'lodge' there on a regular basis.  But it's catch 22: without an address 1 cannot get work, benefits etc. and if a migrant waiting for asylum to be agreed/not, not even access to the NHS!  [Big Issue recently].

Each one of us can assist when able, like dropping that pebble into a puddle, at a local level.  We can't solve the problem but we can assist those who are affected by it. 

Even if Agents aren't able to assist by providing lodgings, it is good that we are reminded. 

[Hurdity]

I don't understand the message the Lettings Agent is trying to get across.  They're not offering anything to the homeless  and they're not asking anybody else to either.

It's pretty straightforward isn't it? "Spare a thought".... If it prompts some property owners at least to feel some guilt about owning more property than they need to live in, or compassion towards the homeless and so to donate to a homeless charity then at least that is a small step? I presume they are doing it like this so as not to promote one particular charity but just to raise awareness amongst a group of people that have demonstrably more property than they need?

Hurdity x

[CLKD]

However: these people with several properties have made the investment.  Which benefits the Agents.  Why should anyone feel guilt  we have worked hard for our home as did my parents ........... grandparents were in long-term rental and did their own repairs, maintenance, decorating etc.. 

We have a 3 bed house for 2 of us but it's stuffed full of furniture; carpets; clothing: the loft is full of things that we might require.  There has been a push by the Government for people like us to down-size to allow a family to live here: but a family would be unable to afford the Deposit  ......... and we can't afford to move in2 this area.  Can't afford to move North yet.  Years ago we had visitors.  Often.  So the spare room was of use.  Now those people are no longer alive ............. 

[Sparrow]

It's not about guilt (why would our letting agent want us to feel guilty), it's about being socially aware.

The message was 'spare a thought'.  Hopefully those that do that will also be charitable.

[Kathleen]

Hello ladies.

Not enough is still not enough whichever way you slice it.

More homes are needed that people can afford to live in. Compassion and charity are important of course but we need action now and how we or our relatives managed in the past is irrelevant.

Take care ladies.

K.

[Pennyfarthing]

I don't understand the message the Lettings Agent is trying to get across.  They're not offering anything to the homeless  and they're not asking anybody else to either.

It's pretty straightforward isn't it? "Spare a thought".... If it prompts some property owners at least to feel some guilt about owning more property than they need to live in, or compassion towards the homeless and so to donate to a homeless charity then at least that is a small step? I presume they are doing it like this so as not to promote one particular charity but just to raise awareness amongst a group of people that have demonstrably more property than they need?

Hurdity x

Sorry, but it wasn't straightforward to me or I wouldn't have asked. 

We own another house which we rent out and why should I feel guilt about that?  We worked hard all our lives and we have now been renting it out  to local people at a very fair rent for 8 years.    i didn't put their rent up for 6 years and then realised we are well below the going rent so we put it up by small amounts for the next 2 years.  We are still below the going rate but they are brilliant tenants.
believe me I could make a lot more money out of it if I rented it for holidays as we are in a popular tourist area. 

[CLKD]

That's what happened to us when we lived in a tourist area when we were students.  Had to be out of the rental in time for Easter until we found a long-let.  The T&Cs then, were no increase in rent/rates for the whole time we were there, the owner was unable to raise it until new tenants went in.  We were there 4 years paying £32.00 per month 

[sheila99]

What a very unprofessional letting agent. Whatever his political views he should keep them out of his business. LAs can set up in business without any qualifications and knowing nothing of the law but it is the landlord not the letting agent who will be taken to court if something isn't right. This would ring alarm bells for me. He may be perfectly competent but it might be wise to make sure.
 Given your support for shelter and the homeless perhaps you should make it available to genuinely homeless people? Now that really would be an act of charity.

[CLKD]

It doesn't work like that.  One could have problems with collecting rent/rates: property might be destroyed, that happened in the 1970s to an Uncle who let his 4 bed house in good area because he was posted abroad for 6 months.  Came back to a mess which cost £Ks to put right.  My sister had professional people in when she went abroad for 3 years, had to come back after 18 months because they had done a runner.  Agent was as useful as a chocolate fire guard  .  They still wanted their money so she told them that she would see them in Court.

Many people have homes but don't get on with the family dynamics.  So it is often a case of a blow up in the house when the [usually] teen walks out and finds themselves too proud or too scared to return.  The longer it is left B4 making that 'may I come home?' phone call, the harder apparently it is to make.  One of the presenters of Repair Shop found himself homeless when his marriage broke up .......... fortunately he has skills and people in the business who helped him get back on his feet. 

When we were kids a family of 14 in a Council house in the next village burned everything that could be taken off the walls including the bannisters.  Nowt new there then.  I was raised in a Council house until the age of 13 ............ we had tramps who regularly called for water.

[Sparrow]

What a very unprofessional letting agent. Whatever his political views he should keep them out of his business. LAs can set up in business without any qualifications and knowing nothing of the law but it is the landlord not the letting agent who will be taken to court if something isn't right. This would ring alarm bells for me. He may be perfectly competent but it might be wise to make sure.
 Given your support for shelter and the homeless perhaps you should make it available to genuinely homeless people? Now that really would be an act of charity.

Rubbish, he is a very good letting agent. You have totally missed the point.   

Our flat is housing two teachers.  What would be the point of kicking them out to house someone else. Nonsense.

[CLKD]

Sad.