American here. My wife is a property manager. All I can say is WOW!!! Here in the States, and we're backward on many issues as you're surely well aware, renters

American here. My wife is a property manager. All I can say is WOW!!! Here in the States, and we're backward on many issues as you're surely well aware, renters have a lot of rights. If you sign a lease, there are very well-defined laws for eviction. It's a tedious process and it even involves engaging the county Sheriff. No kidding. There are even things as an owner you must provider renters: heat, water, heated water, no major plumbing leaks, no exposure to the elements. The renter may not pay the rent, they must put it in escrow, if these items are not being provided and you cannot evict the renter for non-payment in that case. The landlord cannot terminate the lease because they can make more money doing something else. They investigate "slumlords" pretty rigorously, especially given the real estate market we're seeing today. I'm honestly surprised to hear the UK doesn't have all these sorts of protections in place for renters.