This is why we're getting out. I understand that people think there's a two tier system, but they're wrong. There are 100% mortgages available, and the money they pay us they could spend on paying off a mortgage over 25-35 years, if they wanted to. It's all a choice. Maybe if people cannot get mortgages, that's different, but the people we rented to could get a mortgage as they both had jobs and consistent incomes. It was a choice. I don't buy this two tier nonsense. We were charging the same as a council house because the agent lied to us about valuations and refused to put the rent up in 13 years. So we were running a non-profit, until it was losing money and costing us a fortune. Then we changed agents to put the rent up by 50% in line with market values. Then they moved out leaving us with this hell hole. They don't respect landlords who are nice to them or try to help by making life easy. This was a no pets house, but they asked for an animal after a few years and we were told they were good tenants, so we said, we'd prefer they had a hamster because it was contained (citing mess and allergies), but could push to one cat. It wasn't until after they'd moved out, leaving us with animal wee and faeces all over the house that we found out they'd had a dog and three cats living there, and the animals weren't allowed out. We had assumed that the one permitted cat would do its business outside. Mostly. Like our own cats did, growing up. We had followed up with questions about what pet they'd decided to get. Perhaps the fact that we never got an answer should have rung alarm bells a decade ago.

So sorry about what happened to you. That's actually worse than our experience. 😥