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Database of Private Landlords
FROM: Geoff Burgess
What NEED does this meet?
This is a resource to help tenants of private landlords make an informed choice when choosing their next property. A lot of private landlords are inept and uncaring and I believe they should provide a quality service - for which they are generally paid very well! Legislation will not change this, it is market forces that can make a difference. With a database of landlords' behaviour and attitude, expressed through personal experience of past tenants, we can praise the best and deny future business to the worst.
What is the APPROACH?
The approach is distinctive because no-one is really shouting for the private tenant. Social Housing and Council Housing have a lot of support but there's an odd smokescreen of 'enforced gratitude' with private tenancies - as though we should feel lucky to have anything. I am playing with ideas on this theme at http://www.crazywithak.co.uk/tenancy/
The format is simple: a searchable database of landlord's name, agent's name, property address, and personal experience. There must be equal space for the people in question to reply.
What are the BENEFITS to people?
The more savvy tenants are with which landlords they enter into contracts with, the more the remainder of the market will be forced to improve.
What is the COMPETITION?
There is nothing I have found so far for the bunch of housemates, small family or urban couple who aren't interested in their local community or tenancy associations but just want a decent flat to live in for the money they pay.
This isn't about extreme disputes or major legal battles - it is a gentle push for improvement in quality, civility and happiness. In a way it is the least important factor in the housing arena and that is why no-one is representing it.
What BUDGET & LOGISTICS are required?
I know nothing about databases but it shouldn't take long. We may need legal representation for each occasion we are taken to court but with the right guidance the database should be such that we never lose a case.
October 31, 2003 in Empowering Consumers, Reputation Systems, User Created Content | Permalink
Comments
Sadly I doubt this is a real starter for two reasons.
1) The legal issues referred to by the proposer are likely to cause a far greater problem that he suggests. I douby his assertion that all cases will be won and furthermore, even if that were the case, the likelihood of raising the funds to fight the legal battles is small.
2) The rate of data collection will be slow because the rate of turnover of tenancy is slow. Even if 1% of tennants supplied data for the database (highly unlikely give similar projects) the chance of a propsective tennant finding their landlord is so small as to make the site of virtually no value.
Posted by: Andrew Rose at Oct 31, 2003 4:27:26 PM
Well, tenant databases are quite a common phenomenon worldwide. Surely if they can be a success and overcome the legal issues then this idea (also one I tossed around some years ago but never did anything with) can too?
Posted by: Matthew Walker at Nov 1, 2003 8:07:01 PM
check out tenantwatch.co.uk, it's exactly the same as your idea but in reverse - for landlords to check on tenants! with cash you can check the credit record agencies too.
Posted by: nicky at Nov 4, 2003 1:58:27 PM
The landlords can have a list of bad tenants because they keep it private only accessible if you pay for the information.
With tenants, if we make a list of bad landlords it would be public and the landlords will sue to have the site taken down every time.
That has been the experience in Canada.
Posted by: toronto tenants at Feb 28, 2004 9:03:49 AM
i am looking for a rented accomadation in stockport
Posted by: kerry stone at Oct 26, 2004 1:11:19 PM
We are relocating to stockport in January and are looking for a 2bedroom garden flat or a small house furnished for 6months with a view to moveing to a 3 bedroom house garden is important as we have two small dogs(minature)
Posted by: Patricia Hickman at Dec 20, 2004 1:33:22 PM
HELLOO,
AM COLE JEFERY FROM USA I NEED AN APARTMENT IN CANADA
WITHOUT FURNICHING I WILL FURNICH IT MYSELF ,SO I WILL PAY BY MONEY
ORDER
LET ME KNOW IF THIS IS OKAY WITH YOU.
THANKS
BEST REGARD
COLE
Posted by: cole jefery at May 7, 2005 4:21:09 PM
Hello,
I am mr Mcneil Floods from Australia , am into fabric selling i have business network in some part of us and other countries . i need an appartment in these following areas cos i will be having some business investors visiting me and i wont like to lodge them in hotels any more . dont borther to funish it am gona funishe it to my taste by myself but in anypart of these following areas.
Akron Geneva Obetz
Alexandria Girard Old Washington
Alliance Glouster Oregon
Amherst Granville Oxford
Ashland Greenville Perrysville
Ashtabula Hamilton Pickerington
Athens Harrison Piketon
Aurora Heath Piqua
Austinburg Hillsboro Poland
Austintown Holland Port Clinton
Bellefontaine Hudson Portsmouth
Bellevue
regads
Mcneil Floods
Posted by: Mr Mcneil Floods at May 18, 2005 6:42:52 PM
Hello,
I am mr Mcneil Floods from Australia , am into fabric selling i have business network in some part of us and other countries . i need an appartment in these following areas cos i will be having some business investors visiting me and i wont like to lodge them in hotels any more . dont borther to funish it am gona funishe it to my taste by myself but in anypart of these following areas.
Akron Geneva Obetz
Alexandria Girard Old Washington
Alliance Glouster Oregon
Amherst Granville Oxford
Ashland Greenville Perrysville
Ashtabula Hamilton Pickerington
Athens Harrison Piketon
Aurora Heath Piqua
Austinburg Hillsboro Poland
Austintown Holland Port Clinton
Bellefontaine Hudson Portsmouth
Bellevue
regads
Mcneil Floods
Posted by: Mr Mcneil Floods at May 18, 2005 6:44:24 PM
Hello,
I am mr Mcneil Floods from Australia , am into fabric selling i have business network in some part of us and other countries . i need an appartment in these following areas cos i will be having some business investors visiting me and i wont like to lodge them in hotels any more . dont borther to funish it am gona funishe it to my taste by myself but in anypart of these following areas.
Bellville Jackson Richfield
Berlin Jeffersonville Sandusky
Bluffton Kent Scio
Bolivar Kenton Seaman
Boston Heights Kings Island Senecaville
Bowling Green Lancaster Seville
Brookville Lebanon Shelby
Brunswick Lima Sherrodsville
Bryan Lisbon Sidney
Buckeye Lake Logan Solon
Bucyrus London South Point
Burton Lorain Springboro
Caldwell Louisville Springdale
Cambridge Lucas Springfield
Canal Fulton Macedonia St Clairsville
Canal Winchester Mansfield St. Marys
Canton Marblehead Steubenville
Carrolton Marietta Strasburg
Celina Marion Streetsboro
Chillicothe Marysville Sunbury
Cincinnati Area Mason Swanton
Circleville Massillon Tiffin
Cleveland Medina Tipp City
Clyde Mentor Toledo
College Corner Middletown Troy
Columbus Milan Twinsburg
Conneaut Millbury Uhrichsville
Coolville Millersburg Uniontown
Copley Monroe Upper Sandusky
Coshocton Montpelier Van Wert
Curtice Mt. Gilead Vermillion
Cuyahoga Falls Mt. Orab Wadsworth
Danville Mt. Sterling Wakeman
Dayton Mt. Vernon Wapakoneta
Defiance Napoleon Warren
Delaware Nelsonville Washington Courthouse
Posted by: lomax at May 18, 2005 6:46:48 PM
Hello,
I am mr Mcneil Floods from Australia , am into fabric selling i have business network in some part of us and other countries . i need an appartment in these following areas cos i will be having some business investors visiting me and i wont like to lodge them in hotels any more . dont borther to funish it am gona funishe it to my taste by myself but in anypart of these following areas
Delaware Nelsonville Washington Courthouse
Dellroy New Paris Wauseon
Dover New Philadelphia Waverly
East Liverpool Newark West Chester
Eastlake Newbury Wheelersburg
Eaton Newcomerstown Willard
Elyria Newton Falls Wilmington
Findlay Niles Wooster
Fostoria North Canton Xenia
Franklin North Lima Youngstown
Fremont North Randall Zanesville
Friendship Norwalk
Gallipolis Oberlin
Posted by: lanre at May 18, 2005 6:49:55 PM
LOAD OF CRAP INIT YA WANKER!!!
Posted by: crap at Jul 17, 2007 4:50:12 PM