bandrui

I was going around in Street View to see what was in the village.

bandrui

Here is a link to a campaign for re-opening rail lines that identifies where local groups are working to reopen lines:

http://www.bettertransport.org.uk/ca...ould_reopen#sw

Pistolpete2

A lot has happened since 26th August 2009, the date of this article:

Change of Government
Realisation that there is no money left
Change in priorities
No longer anybody with a vision like Lord Adonis

The biggest ongoing project is Crossrail and there are tentative plans for the fast Birmingham to London link (definitely Location Location Location there on the noise issue) which have significant objections already, including from the Mayor of London.

As has been discussed on BE in the last month, a lot of this dreaming is actually simply vanity on the part of successive Ministers Of Transport.

dunroving

There was a survey recently indicating that something like 40% of tenants are in arrears on rent. I think that quite a few landlords these days are more concerned with getting "good" tenants than getting a specific rent. I think as long as you are not taking the mick with an offer and have strong references, or can show you are in a good job, etc., a landlord may be more likely to be flexible on rent.

bandrui

That seems like an extraordinarily high percentage so I have been trying to confirm but have only been able to find stats for May 2011 when the percentage was around 12%.

The company providing stats seems to be LSL Property Services. They have published this Buy-to-let report for Sept 2011. (Not sure what the "Under embargo until Friday October 21st" means ):

http://www.lslps.co.uk/documents/buy...ndex_sep11.pdf

Added: I see it posts a figure of 8.6% arrears.

Pistolpete2

I think that it is more likely a stat that 40% of private landlords have experienced rent arrears problems in the last year but the tenants are not necessarily in arrears at this point.

Pistolpete2

Late in posting as my computer was in the shop too.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011...swanage-dorset

Oh to be able to sup on oysters and Cava at Gee Whites.

Pistolpete2

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011...uy-to-let-boom

Ref buy to letting and tenant arrears.

"tenant arrears have dropped to their lowest level since April 2010, with just 8.6% of all UK rent unpaid or late by the end of September."

sallysimmons

It just means that the media department didn't want any newspapers to publish the story until October 21st although they had sent the press release early.

I'm not in the 'high speed rail makes no sense' camp. I actually wish the US congress would get its finger out and realize that high speed rail here would create lots of jobs and improve the country's competitiveness. But of course they're against any kind of government spending no matter how much sense it makes.

The planned high speed rail in the UK would eventually reach Leeds I understand, which would be a huge boon for a city that has done a lot to revitalize itself over the last 20 years. As has Birmingham, I understand. Any time we can do something to spread the wealth from London outwards is a good thing in my book because the growing divide is good for no one.

PistolPete, I realize you don't agree, but I wanted to offer a different perspective. Feel free to continue disagreeing

cheers

quote

"statistics are a composition of lies"

bandrui

I continue to keep an eye on Swanage ever since Gab suggested it (her Gran lived there). Not cheap but realatively unspoilt.

Gabgoeshome

dunroving

I think the statistic was associated with private tenancies, and from memory, it may have been the number of landlords, not tenants, but I also found this:


http://www.e1buytoletmortgages.co.uk...ears-4558.html

Quote: "As a result, the number of tenants in arrears has hit 84%."

and this:

http://citywire.co.uk/money/rental-a...income/a530357

Quote: "Some 10.7% of all UK rent was unpaid or late by the end of August – up from the 9% in July."

and this:

http://www.rman.co.uk/article_huge-r...ears-4955.html

Quote: "The charity National Debtline has reported an 84% rise in the number of tenants seeking advice on rent arrears."

- the stats all depend on who you're asking and what you ask/how you ask, of course, but in the current econiomic climate I think a lot of landlords are much more interested in people who will pay reliably and on time than people who will pay an extra £25 a month.

cheers

I was looking at a listing and it showed the price and they said it was a shared ownership and there was a rent of £200 per month plus there were some other minor fees. It is a little confusing because if you own the place why do you have to pay rent?

I'm guessing if I had a 25% ownership then when I sell it I would get 25% of the selling price so why would a person have to pay rent?

I know if I showed the listing it would explain something.

Cheers

Gabgoeshome

We used to have this set-up!

One owns *with* the housing association ...you must pay rent on the part you don't own

We owned 50%~they owned 50%

If we hadn't come here, we could have 'staircased' and bought more shares -thus lowering our rent portion.