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John Thomspon
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Business Owner

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Over 25 years

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John Thomspon
Happy to share this letter that I recently sent to my MP. I have redacted as appropriate, but other agents / Landlords/ Tenants may wish to use some of these points and lobby their MP's too. Copy and paste if you want to! Dear Rt Hon Thank you once again for taking the time to read my communication. You may recall I wrote to you back in 2021 expressing my concerns about excessive anti-landlord interference in the private rental sector. I thought it prudent to update you on the current state of supply, as we reach a critical stage of the Renters Reform Bill. The concerns and outcomes I expressed back in 2021 are certainly coming home to roost, with a supply crisis worsening by the month and leading to exponential rent increases. Only last week I received 12 separate tenant offers on a 2 bedroom property within 24 hours of marketing. A difficult job advising 11 potential suitors they had been passed over! Such situations are becoming the norm. As previously advised, I am all for the positive reform and tenant security of tenure, with tougher penalties for landlords who ignore compliance and their repairing obligations. Fortunately, such landlords are few and far between, and appear greater in the social housing sector than in the private sector. Suffice it to say, the media sentiment of greedy uncaring private sector landlords is grossly exaggerated. With the current landlord sector exodus worsening, steps need to be taken reverse this trend as a matter of urgency. The majority of the Renters Reform Bill has overwhelming acceptance in our industry, but there are arrears that are too heavily weighed against landlords. 1. Periodic tenancies from the outset are simply unworkable. Given the costs to landlords for compliance, inventories, referencing etc, there must be some commitment beyond 2 months from a tenant from the start of a tenancy. Moreover, most tenants prefer the security of fixed term tenancies. It is probably different in the social housing sector I appreciate, and certainly a reason to consider reforming these sectors independently of each other. 2. The addition of section 8 grounds to incorporate an accelerated possession procedure for rent arrears, or anti-social behaviour, would stop new legislation becoming ‘a gift’ for bad tenants. Section 21 has previously been used for bad tenants in the main and created a buffer for potential court system overload. My view is that removing this buffer, and not including an accelerated possession procedure in a reformed section 8, will collapse the court system completely. This will create anarchy in the sector and drive much of it underground. 3. Deposit reform is unnecessary. The current system provides more than adequate tenant protection and works perfectly well. Any changes that will compromise appropriate tenant responsibility for leaving a property as they found it should be dismissed completely, otherwise it will only serve to drive more landlords away. I do sense a greater political understanding and a more considered approach is now being adopted. It is important that politicians stand firm and do not bow down to outside pressures and tenant support groups. I am not naïve enough not to acknowledge the importance of young voters, but allowing this to dominate reform will make a housing shortage a supply tsunami that will take decades to repair. Having been in the industry since 1984, I would hope my knowledge and experience can be passed on and used to support a fairer and positive sector for both tenants and landlords alike. Yours sincerely

From: John Thomspon 22 March 2023 10:58 AM

John Thomspon
The reality is that DSS Tenants are not as financially stable as working Tenants . Couple that with the politics of social housing and the increasing difficulty in evicting poor/non paying Tenants, most Landlords wish to stay well clear. An agent's job is to risk assess and select the Tenant with the necessary financial credentials. Would a lender give a mortgage to a DSS applicant? Not a cat in hells chance so why bully/expect a Landlord to take a risk they don't have to? It is not up to the private rental sector to sort the social housing crisis in this county. We are a business that relies on repeat business, directly born out by the Tenants we select. Stop blaming us and direct your angst elsewhere.

From: John Thomspon 10 June 2021 13:27 PM

John Thomspon
Section 8 will be strengthened? It's mooted to include a fast track possession procedure to get rid of bad Tenants. So effectively a Section 21 in disguise with the bonus for Landlords of Tenant debt inclusion in their proceedings? When will the penny drop that Landlords want to keep good Tenants (unless they just want to sell - which they will still do in the future, and Section 8 will include possession provision for too). In reality as most in the industry know only too well...'no fault' evictions are the Landlord giving bad Tenants an easy way out, simply because it's quicker and more cost effective. One thing's for sure - the abolition of Section 21 will mean more bad Tenants are sued and less likely to get away with debt, damage and anti-social behaviour scot free! Not a bad result for Landlords really.

From: John Thomspon 11 May 2021 12:44 PM

John Thomspon
The resultant effect of successive governments not making client money protection insurance (CMP) a legal requirement years ago. Now CMP is a legal requirement there will undoubtedly be more of this type of fraud exposed, as the criminals are weeded out. CMP needs to go further now and include private landlords too.

From: John Thomspon 15 March 2021 12:54 PM

John Thomspon
Bring it on! No one should be trading without CMP. There is no reason for not having it. The sooner those that don't have CMP are brought to book the better for the industry and the public.

From: John Thomspon 24 February 2021 14:19 PM

John Thomspon
Far too expensive. I've always had CMP, even before in became compulsory and always been transparent with my clients. Ever since ARLA merged with the NAEA, I've been a NALS/SAFEAGENT member; far better value for money and PRS specific. If ARLA/ Propertymark want the whole industry on board, they need to stop ripping off members.

From: John Thomspon 26 January 2021 09:44 AM

John Thomspon
Any legislation for the abolition of S21 will include a revamp of S8 with an accelerating possession procedure for non payment of rent. Otherwise, let's all rent and live for free ... Happy Days! Begs the question....what's the point? Are all MPs really this thick?

From: John Thomspon 06 January 2021 16:07 PM

John Thomspon
"Not can't pay tenants, but won't pay tenants." That sir, hits the nail on the head!

From: John Thomspon 06 January 2021 16:00 PM

John Thomspon
Yes, a landlord can go it alone....and get tripped up/bullied by tenants and/or tenant support groups. Self-managed landlords are reducing dramatically in favour of a well managed fully compliant letting agent. In my opinion, Mish Liyanage is showing a complete lack of knowledge of today's PRS in this article.

From: John Thomspon 14 December 2020 09:21 AM

John Thomspon
.....And see a shortage of student accommodation follow; disastrous for future students. Message to the activists..... How about spreading a little love for Christmas :)

From: John Thomspon 09 December 2020 09:48 AM

John Thomspon
This is exactly why licencing is great news for Agents. There are still far too many private Landlords riding rough shod in the PRS. "Use a licenced Agent or face the consequences" is the best way to clean up our industry once and for all.

From: John Thomspon 02 December 2020 08:04 AM

John Thomspon
Absolutely agree, although it's my belief we are looking at a very small minority of Agents - that said, one nameless local agent I spoke to the other day has been doing renewals this year without EICR's. I wonder how many non-Housing Tenancies he has inadvertently created for his Landlords?! If you look at the private Landlords though, this is a ticking time bomb. I envisage thousands and thousands finding themselves with a sitting Tenant in the coming years. We now have a sector where the most minor of compliance errors creates a Non- Housing Act Tenancy. Any 'winging it' self-managing Landlords out there.....watch out, the Tenant support groups are coming for you!

From: John Thomspon 27 November 2020 11:34 AM

John Thomspon
They have to do the work twice and therefore should be paid twice. If they just do it once then the Tenant pays for the period they are contractually obligated for. Period. All the Agent is doing here is trying to help the Tenant and save the Tenant money. Anything else is actually costing the Agent money and you can't suggest that is appropriate surely?

From: John Thomspon 26 November 2020 15:04 PM

John Thomspon
It really is about time the Government was challenged in the Courts on the legal validity of their Coronavirus measures. Support the vulnerable by all means, but doing so to the detriment of the decent, hard working and financially prudent is a disgrace. The Government should meet this debt, not the small independent landlord. The apathy amongst landlords belies belief and it is about time they rose up, galvanised support, and made some noise. Fail to do so and landlords will continue to repent at their leisure.

From: John Thomspon 10 November 2020 10:32 AM

John Thomspon
It's one thing after another with consecutive Governments over the last 20 years, creating policy on the whim. Here's a tip from someone who's been in the industry for many decades. Stop interfering, you are creating more problems than you are solving! The Housing Act requires a complete overhaul with a considerable amount of deregulation required (not safety regulation). Changes need to be considered given extensive research.... and for god sake listen to those in the industry. The constant interfering from those with little housing experience or knowledge has created an over regulated and disjointed PRS. We have private Landlords selling in their droves right now. This is going to cause one hell of a crisis in the coming years. One the industry predicted, but did the Government listen? Did they ***. The shortage of homes will soon be at an unprecedented level ...all due to weak Government pandering to unrealistic, left wing idealism. If you think I'm exaggerating about what lies ahead....im sorry but you have your head in the clouds.

From: John Thomspon 28 August 2020 16:29 PM

John Thomspon
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From: John Thomspon 29 July 2020 08:00 AM

John Thomspon
Anyone who needs support from the local authority should 100% get it, and get is very quickly, but there cannot be 'rent free' periods. Just like there aren't 'mortgage free' periods. Deferred payments yes most definitely and many tenants, landlords and agents will need to work with a collective spirit of goodwill to work through this very difficult times for us all. I'm very concerned people will 'freeload' when they actually have the means to pay. This country has too many career freeloaders. Please do not give them free reign to drag others down too.

From: John Thomspon 18 March 2020 14:15 PM

John Thomspon
Couldn’t disagree more on this subject. The words sledgehammer to crack a nut comes to mind! Many Tenants are young, transient singles who do not want long term Tenancies. The answer should be positive persuasion, rather aggressive, ill thought out and rushed legislation. How about high tax breaks for Landlords who offer no S21 notice provision in a longer term Tenancy?...Perhaps a complete scrapping of any tax benefits for Tenancies with allowances for S21 notices? A complete ban is going to have an unmanageable impact on our County Court system, let alone reduce supply even further and therefore increase rents. Politicians of all parties need to remember that 99% of Landlords have are well meaning, hard working, decent people,who have made prudent investments to secure their future retirements; not surprising given the pension debacle that continuous Governments have failed to police in this country over the last 20 years. To punish them will only serve to increase the state pension burden in years to come. They will simply sell up, spend and many will look to the state for support in their old age. A case of ...If you can’t beat them, join them! Given the last 3 years, I would have thought by now the Government would have learnt their lesson that short term populism isn’t always in the best interests of the country.

From: John Thomspon 17 April 2019 15:46 PM

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