Monday, 2nd. February 2026

My home will be subject to inspection today by the estate agent employed by my landlord. This takes place 3-4 times a year and for me is the only visible sign that they do anything at all to earn their generous fee, paid by me of course.

The visitor is generally a pleasant enough person. Evidence gained from 9 years of such visits tells me that they are here to reassure the landlord that I am not causing any damage to their (my?) home. And that the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors beep when prodded.

I have nothing against that. Landlords are, after all, taking something of a risk when they take on a tenant. However, there is no reward for me if I look after the home, keep it clean, remove mould as it arises, decorate rooms when I have the money, and undertake minor repairs. None of this is taken into account when they put the rent up.

In the 9 years I have lived here not one single improvement has been made. No new boiler. No new kitchen worktops. No new bathroom sink. Nothing. So what am I paying for when the rent goes up? It certainly is not because the price of labour and materials have increased.

The funniest thing of all, the thing that has me rolling around the floor in fits of hilarity, is when the estate agent says ‘inflation has increased’!!! The sheer dumb imbecility of this is staggering. Inflation is an effect not a cause. When the price of a tin of beans goes up it is because of higher raw material, transport, energy and labour costs. When the price of my rent goes up it is because of…

Greed!