Miia
- Female
- Finland
My rental search
Private rental
Looking for a 1 bed Flat
Interaction
happy for homeowners to contact me
About me
Dear Landlord. I hope this message finds you well. My name is Miia and I’m a private tenant who has experienced both the highs and lows of renting in London (including the horrific S21 Notice - which are thankfully about to get abolished finally). I’ve seen first-hand the challenges faced by landlords and tenants alike over many years and I believe there is an opportunity for us to create a more reasonable balanced rental market. I’m currently gathering feedback from landlords like yourself to gauge interest in forming a community built on trust fairness and mutual understanding. Specifically I am looking for landlords who value reasonableness—who understand that rent prices should reflect the quality size and location of the property in a way that is fair not solely determined by inflation mortgage costs or any market averages. Key Points: Rent Pricing and Property Quality: Do you agree that the size and quality of a room flat and house should align with the rental price? We often see properties that do not justify the rental prices being charged particularly when the size or condition does not match the asking rate. While location matters a property in Zone 1 2 or 3 should not automatically command a higher rent if it lacks the space or amenities to warrant it. Would you support the idea that pricing should be based on the overall value offered rather than location and market averages alone? Cap on Small Room Rentals: Many tenants face skyrocketing rents also for tiny box-sized rooms. Do you believe that such rooms should have a reasonable price cap i.e. no more than £425/month + utilities if not included? While I understand legal limits can't be dictated by individuals I want to gather feedback from ethical landlords (some of whom I've also had the pleasure of dealing over the years) who see the value in long-term tenant relationships over maximising short-term rent gains keeping it simple continuous and pleasant for both parties. Long-Term Tenancies vs. Short-Term Gains: I want to hear from landlords who agree that stable long-term homes for tenants are far better than dealing with frequent tenant turnover. For example charging £700 or more for a simple room is unreasonable (renting luxury rooms are very different but they are obviously not the majority in London and as we know decent condition does not equal luxury in any way) and will deter decent tenants and create further friction between tenants and landlords which is not helping anyone. Would you agree that setting more reasonable fair rents encourages tenant loyalty reduces turnover and fosters a better landlord-tenant relationship? Your Feedback: If you share these views and would like to join a community of decent and reasonable landlords & tenants I’d like to hear your thoughts. I have created a quick survey which I would appreciate if you could fill in. Here is the link for it (I have used this same survey site before and had no issues with it): Shaping Fair Rent: A Survey for Ethical Landlords (smartsurvey.co.uk) https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/decentrent/ By coming together we can collectively set an example for what fair ethical renting can look like in London. I am also gathering feedback from tenants who typically earn between £20k-£30k/year but who are reliable and pay their rent on time. My goal is to bridge the gap between good landlords and quality tenants. Outline of this Initiative Objective: By the end of this year or sooner if possible I aim to ascertain whether this initiative can attract significant interest from a broad range of ethical reasonable landlords. My goal is to establish a collective that promotes fairness in the rental market and encourages long-term tenant relationships based on mutual respect and trust. Phase 1: Attracting Landlords I plan to gather feedback from dozens of landlords to see if they align with the values of this collective. This includes understanding whether they are willing to offer stable fair rents that reflect the quality and size of their properties rather than just following market averages. If we can attract enough landlords who share this vision it will serve as a strong foundation for the collective. Phase 2: Engaging Tenants Once there is sufficient interest from landlords the next step will be to find and engage decent tenants who value stability fairness and long-term relationships with their landlords. These tenants would typically earn between £20k-£30k/year are reliable and pay rent on time. Their inclusion is vital to ensuring the platform balances the needs and expectations of both parties. Phase 3: Organizing an In-Person Event Following interest from landlords and tenants the plan is to organize an in-person event to bring everyone together. This will foster a deeper sense of community and provide a space for discussions networking and shared experiences. Landlords and tenants can connect directly and explore ways to collaborate for long-term success. Phase 4: Creating a Website Once there’s momentum the next major step will be to create a website that brings this initiative to life. The website will be a hub for ethical landlords and tenants where landlords can advertise rooms flats or houses and tenants can create profiles to showcase their reliability and values. The website will act as a trusted platform that nurtures these relationships and helps grow the collective. Benefits of the Initiative The core benefit of this project is doing something good—creating a fairer more balanced London rental market where both landlords and tenants thrive. The satisfaction of knowing I am contributing to positive change and helping people find affordable stable housing is a huge benefit alone. You may wonder about the financial side. Should this initiative gain enough traction and grow I would likely charge a small fee (less than £10) for tenants to create their profile and for landlords to advertise. This would be to cover the maintenance of the website and ensure the platform remains functional and accessible. If things continue to grow and demand increases I might consider incorporating extra features such as tenancy agreement templates and other useful rental documents or resources. At that point I may raise the fee slightly to reflect the added value offered to both landlords and tenants. But these are decisions to be made down the line. Right now the focus is purely on gauging interest—whether landlords (and tenants) are ready to join a platform that prioritizes reasonableness fairness and a positive renting experience. ========================================================================================================================== Rest assured I only need your name and email address for the purposes of contacting you should this initiative gain traction. You won’t receive any spam emails nor will your email address be passed on to anyone. If you are not in a position to be reasonable with your rental prices because of the herd mentality (i.e. "this is the market average price so I charge it") or if you're in the uncomfortable position where you'd like to offer reasonable rental prices / lower your rental prices and maintain stable rent year after year but are unable to do so because your income or mortgage payments are largely (not only partly) or wholly reliant on your tenants paying higher rent I completely understand. However if you know of other landlords who share the values of fairness trust and long-term tenant relationships I encourage you to pass this message along. Your recommendation could help us connect with landlords who are in a better position to engage in this initiative and join a collective focused on reasonable rent and ethical practices. Thank you for taking the time to read this message share your thoughts and I look forward to hearing from ethical and reasonable landlords like yourself. If you want to send any questions or suggestions to me please do so here or by using email: decentrent@protonmail.com Please note: this initiative is for positive forward-thinking solution-oriented people. Anything overtly negative will be ignored but any constructive criticism will be taken on board. Kind regards Miia