Will Renting Become Harder After Covid 19?

Will Renting Become Harder After Covid 19? Many will have found themselves in financial trouble due to the current pandemic, with some unable to pay their rent as a result and there’s no doubt this is a terrible situation to be in.

“Many will have found themselves in financial trouble due to the current pandemic, with some unable to pay their rent as a result and there’s no doubt this is a terrible situation to be in. Director of Benham and Reeves, Marc von Grundherr, commented: Unfortunately, it isn’t the responsibility of UK landlords to take this financial hit on behalf of their tenants and to expect them to continue to is somewhat unfair, considering they have already done so for some months having had no choice in the matter. Those tenants who have found themselves in financial hardship due to the coronavirus have now had time to seek alternative living arrangements without the pressure of eviction. In any other scenario, it’s unlikely they would have been afforded this luxury. It’s also incredibly unfair not to consider the landlord in this scenario as many are reliant on rental payments in order to survive and have had no choice but to swallow this loss of income due to the eviction ban.”

This eviction ban has been extended by one month, it was due to end on the 23rd August and according to Shelter reasearch nationally near a quarter of a million private renters have fallen into arrears.

Of course, there will always be a few unscrupulous landlords wanting to evict their tenants, but the reality is that the vast majority of landlords have been working with their tenants to reach an agreement that suits all parties, in what has been a tough few months for all. have seen an opportunity to play the game knowing they can’t be evicted.

Given that some landlords will have already had arrears, the Covid 19 arrears plus the new 6 months it takes to give notice it will mean more landlords calling time on their portfolio.

This will see the number of properties available to buy rising in the middle of next year, way to late too late for the new purchaser to take advantage of the ‘lower stamp duty levels’ that close on the 31st March 2021.

In Worcestershire our rental stock, other than student housing, is already low so a further fall will see our young people further disadvantaged. n

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Doorstep Wildlife

As our lives have been turned upside down this year, have you been taking more notice of our amazing natural world?

KEEP UP TO DATE Worcestershire Wildlife Trust @WorcsWT t worcestershirewildlifetrust G worcswildlifetrust.co.uk w Since lockdown began, we’ve been helping people to stay connected with nature and to find out more about what they’ve been seeing on their doorsteps – whether that be gardens, community spaces or local walks. Our Facebook page, Twitter stream and website have been packed with videos, spotter sheets, garden blogs, craft activities, recommended nature reads and more.

It’s been wonderful to hear from so many people about what they’ve been seeing and how much they’ve enjoyed the birdsong or noticed the bees and the butterflies. Hopefully, the wonders of our amazing natural world have inspired many of you to help our beleaguered wildlife. Did you know that the UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world? It may not have sounded like it when, during lockdown, birdsong was louder than traffic but there are fewer numbers of fewer species in fewer places.

Take insects, for example. 41% of our insect species are at threat of extinction. From the bumblebees in your garden to the rare beetles on a nature reserve, that’s a shocking thought. The good news is that it isn’t too late – we can all do something to reverse this trend. If you’ve got your own patch that you look after, make sure that it’s filled with a variety of nectar and pollen rich plants. Don’t forget, though, that flowers aren’t everything – caterpillars of moths and butterflies often need foliage and sometimes need specific plants. We had lots of reports of scarlet tiger moths being seen this summer; to attract them to your garden plant some comfrey and don’t wage war on the green alkanet that springs up when you’re not looking.

Creating spaces for insects is vital but it’s equally important to do away with the chemicals. Nature has its own checks and balances - predators that prey on what you might consider to be pests. Just like slowworms will devour your slugs, hoverfly and ladybird larvae will happily munch on aphids. If you plant flowers to attract the adults, their offspring should take care of your aphid-concerns.

How can we measure whether what you’re doing in your own patch is making a difference? Recording what you see is important so, working with Worcestershire Biological Records Centre and members of the Worcestershire Recorders, we’ve launched a simple online form so that you can let us know when you see any of six easily recognised species of insect that should be found across the county. Knowing where wildlife is and in what numbers can help us to track their successes and failures.

Discover more www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/doorstep-wildlife

Take action for insects www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/action-insects

Record your insect sightings www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/wildlife-sightings. n Wendy Carter, Worcestershire Wildlife Trust