Summary: <p>What are the implications of renters knowingly overstretching themselves in the private house rental sector, particularly in competitive markets like London? How does the practice of selling council houses impact the availability of affordable housing and the council house stock? What are the benefits of repurposing empty buildings, such as shops and commercial spaces, into communal living areas, to address the shortage of affordable housing?</p> <p>In this episode Stuart and William delve into a thought-provoking question sent in by listener Alec, in Angel, London, England:</p> <p>“You may have discussed this before but wondered what your views were on the private house rental sector. Primarily the fact renters are knowingly over stretching themselves, and being allowed to. Here in London people are offering higher rent that is being asked so as to secure somewhere to live, even though they can't afford it. I saw a letting agent on the news the other day, working on behalf of a landlord who said it's up to the renters to ensure they are paying what they can afford, but if they want to get a property in a competitive market, they have to do this. I feel this is passing the buck of responsibility. Also, tenants are being kicked out after 6 months as they can’t afford to stay, so the landlord is left with a void period when the property is empty, and extra costs finding a replacement. This sticking the head in the sand makes no sense on any level really within modern society”.</p> <p>During this episode they explore the consequences of tenants being evicted after just six months, due to their inability to sustain the high rental costs. Landlords are then faced with the challenge of finding replacements, resulting in void periods and additional expenses. This short-sighted approach seems counterproductive in modern society, raising concerns on multiple levels.</p> <p>They also go on to examine the impact of council house stock not being replenished. The ability to purchase council houses at competitive rates, only to sell them to private landlords who charge significantly higher rents, which depletes the availability of affordable housing options. </p> <p>Ultimately Stuart and William approach the topic from a humanitarian standpoint, emphasising the importance of providing safe and secure housing for those who are homeless. In times of crisis, such as the one we are experiencing now, they also consider the environmental benefits of adapting empty buildings, rather than constructing new ones.</p> <p>What do you make of this discussion? Do you have a question that you'd like us to discuss? Let us know by sending an email to thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com, or record us a message in your own voice by going to<a href="https://anchor.fm/thepeoplescountryside/message"> https://anchor.fm/thepeoplescountryside/message</a></p> <p>This podcast's overall themes are nature, philosophy, climate, the human condition, sustainability, and social justice. <br>Help us to spread the impact of the podcast by sharing this link with 5 friends<a href="https://podfollow.com/the-peoples-countryside-environmental-debate-podcast/view"> https://podfollow.com/the-peoples-countryside-environmental-debate-podcast/view</a> , support our work through Patreon<a href="https://www.patreon.com/thepeoplescountryside"> https://www.patreon.com/thepeoplescountryside</a> or just 'follow' to avoid missing any public posts. Find out all about the podcast via this one simple link:<a href="https://linktr.ee/thepeoplescountryside"> https://linktr.ee/thepeoplescountryside</a></p> --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message
