In todays news...

[Hoonercat]

The drawing that led to a 13 year old Russian girl being put into a care home, and her father being sentenced to 2 years in prison for anti-war posts on social media.

Russia_Drawing.jpg (136.02 KiB) Viewed 311 times

Full story

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65102392

[Mussels]

I don't think Ukraine is much more tolerant of things like that but at least they aren't trying to pretend it isn't a full blown war.
FWIW there's more to it than just the drawing.

[Ant]

Mmmmmmm, so it turns out that the Guardian was built on slavery.....interesting given that the paper and it's readers often celebrate victim culture. Hmmmm.

[cheb]

Mmmmmmm, so it turns out that the Guardian was built on slavery.....interesting given that the paper and it's readers often celebrate victim culture. Hmmmm.

IIRC there's also something about the ownership being in a trust and thereby avoiding taxes.

[Mussels]

The number of homes available to rent in the UK has fallen by a third over the past 18 months.

The sharp drop in the number of listings has helped drive up rents for new tenants by 11%.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65090846
Has anyone changed their mind about strangling the BTL market being a good idea?
I was a long term renter, I'm certainly glad I don't need to do that any more.

[Yorick]

The number of homes available to rent in the UK has fallen by a third over the past 18 months.

The sharp drop in the number of listings has helped drive up rents for new tenants by 11%.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65090846
Has anyone changed their mind about strangling the BTL market being a good idea?
I was a long term renter, I'm certainly glad I don't need to do that any more.

Yup. Landlords get a rough deal. We rented out properties in UK and the tenants were always happy.
We made some good dosh, but helped folk along the way.

[Mr Moofo]

The number of homes available to rent in the UK has fallen by a third over the past 18 months.

The sharp drop in the number of listings has helped drive up rents for new tenants by 11%.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65090846
Has anyone changed their mind about strangling the BTL market being a good idea?
I was a long term renter, I'm certainly glad I don't need to do that any more.

I gave up a few years ago - yields quoted are nothing like when you take off taxes and the damage caused by tenants. Letting agents in Brighton are terrible - and because of the transient population the tenants don't give a fuck.
With the new rulings and mortgage increases - and more and more people going to de-fault I think the halcyon days of property have gone. Mind you the increase in capital the house gave me, when sold , was rather nice.

[DefTrap]

The number of homes available to rent in the UK has fallen by a third over the past 18 months.

The sharp drop in the number of listings has helped drive up rents for new tenants by 11%.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65090846
Has anyone changed their mind about strangling the BTL market being a good idea?
I was a long term renter, I'm certainly glad I don't need to do that any more.

Can't be bothered with the sob stories. Too many houses available to rent and not enough to buy was apparently a landlords problem, now it seems too few houses available to rent is also a landlord's problem.

I'm more interested in -why-, it seems, landlords are getting out of the renting game.

[JackyJoll]

When you think it through, who ends up paying the increases in landlords’ taxes?

[JackyJoll]

[MrLongbeard]

I'm more interested in -why-, it seems, landlords are getting out of the renting game.

The need to bring the stock up a couple of notches on the EPC ladder can't be cheap.
Currently you can rent out any old draughty inefficient shed providing it's at least an E or better, from 2025 (or 2028 if already occupied with tenants) it's got to be C or better.

For the gaff we're living in that'd mean new windows, a new boiler, extra loft insulation and cavity wall insulation at the least.

[Cousin Jack]

Lots of older rental properties will need a shed load of money spent to meet the standards. No cavity means either internal or external wall insulation, both usually present significant and expensive problems.

Then there is the constant pressure to ban S21 notice to quit. No S21 means no easy way to sell with vacant posession.

If I had my money in property I would be selling up too.

[Treadeager]

My understanding was/is , if you are off a mains gas grid ( therefore limited to oil or propane heating ) , you would get an exemption with a D rated EPC ?

[Mussels]

My understanding was/is , if you are off a mains gas grid ( therefore limited to oil or propane heating ) , you would get an exemption with a D rated EPC ?

You forgot electric heating which is all I had when I had no mains gas. I suspect the answer may be to get air source heat pumps installed, you'll probably get a good EPC rating but it will be a rubbish solution.

It was a terraced house on an 80s estate, bigger houses had mains gas so I was amazed the developer could be that tight fisted not to run the gas main 100 yards further.

[MrLongbeard]

My understanding was/is , if you are off a mains gas grid ( therefore limited to oil or propane heating ) , you would get an exemption with a D rated EPC ?

Dunno, I've not seen that, but in all honesty it wouldn't apply to me so I've not looked that hard.

[Yorick]

I had to stifle my giggles

[irie]

This is a big deal.

https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/ ... 022-02-18/

Members of a trans-Pacific trade pact have agreed that Britain can proceed with its bid to join the group, Japan said on Friday, as it looks for new trading relationships after leaving the European Union.

The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is a free trade agreement (FTA) between Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam.

If the UK is admitted to full membership this will include four of the Five Eyes, with the remaining 'eye' being the USA which will hopefully either become a future member, or negotiate a separate trade deal with the UK.

A year later ...

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britai ... 023-03-29/

TOKYO, March 29 (Reuters) - The 11 members of a trans-Pacific trade pact which includes Japan and Australia are expected to soon reach broad agreement with Britain on it joining the partnership, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.

An announcement is expected to be made soon, the sources added, declining to be identified because the information has not been made public.

[David]

I had to stifle my giggles

Whoever was driving the police car wants their arsenal kicking for not stopping him.

[Noggin]

I had to stifle my giggles

Whoever was driving the police car wants their arsenal kicking for not stopping him.

Aren't they restricted about interaction with bikes? Especially fuckwits not wearing helmets?

[mangocrazy]

They're not allowed to engage in situations like that, and the kids know that.