Advocates for affordable housing have welcomed the plans for new rules to outlaw the practice in England, but they have cautioned that more measures will be required to address exorbitant rents.
When Jason Phillips’ landlady decided to sell, he had been residing in his apartment in Crouch End, north London, for ten years.
He searched the area for a new place to rent for over a year. But he kept losing out to other applicants, even though he had about 40 viewings and a nice salary as a business analyst.
In one instance, he was informed that a two-bedroom apartment listed for £1,800 per month had sold for £2,500 after an offer £700 higher than the asking price.
“It’s annoying,” he remarks. “It made it not only unaffordable for me, but if I’d known that was going to be the price range, I probably wouldn’t have even gone to see it in the first place.”
Jason claimed that multiple estate agents had aggressively urged him to place a larger bid than the listed amount in order to give himself the best chance, as at least a dozen potential tenants had viewed several of the apartments.
Jason, 60, finally gave up and unwillingly relocated to Stevenage, Hertfordshire, because it was simpler to find housing there that fit his budget and he was nearer to his place of employment.
