Landlords delaying repairs

[vetran]

But whenever something is mentioned about reducing profits / making it harder for borrow to let landlords the repeated response is "foreign investors will buy all of the houses". Which is complete bollocks. If it were true they'd already be buying them.

Renters may not be able to buy the houses - how would they save up a deposit while paying the landlords mortgage? You assume that the houses will all sell quickly for high prices. That may be true. It may also be true that landlords will find they can't sell at that price if lots of previously let gaffs go up for sale at the same time.

As for rents going up and up - now that the government are cutting back on benefits you can't expect them to subsidise rents indefinitely, and you can't expect renters to magically have a wad of cash they're able to hand over. You might be able to squeeze some more blood out of some, but there will be a number who will simply say "we can't afford that", and the market won't be supported.

Foreign investors buy 80% of homes in Thameside developments | Society | The Guardian

Bryony Gordon: Foreign property investors are ruining our country - Telegraph

where there is a wish there is cash

Brighton is named gazumping capital of Britain in eMoov research | This is Money