12^th Nov 2018

The 'Marmite' landlord, Fergus Wilson, who was at one time Britain’s biggest sole landlord, has just announced his intention to stop renting out 'homes' because there are not enough East European workers to maintain his properties and whether Brexit was to blame.

Fergus Wilson who together his wife Judith had up till two years ago, owned around 1,000 BTL properties which has now fallen to about 400 situated in the Maidstone area and had at one time enough tradespeople to service and maintain the housing units.

In the portfolio's heyday of around 1,000 properties he had a team of tradespeople that equated to 14 full time employees.

However in the beginning of October a highly valued Hungarian employee gave him a short notice as he had taken up an offer to work in Germany, and two Romanian workers had just handed in their notice.

His workforce is now equivalent 1.6 full time workers.

Wilson told a letting's agent newsfeed: “Without East European staff I cannot operate. If you cannot maintain houses to the correct standard and deliver Heating Services promptly in winter then there is little option but to cease to rent out properties".

Because of his low workforce Wilson has just sold off four BTL properties in the past and said: “and those tenants, all East European, have lost their homes”.

Wilson claims that some of his tenants have been with him since 2005 and 2006 but because he is unable to maintain the level of service, he may have no other recourse than to end their tenancies.

“Whether this is to do with Brexit or not need not concern me. I have to deal with the present day situation. It just cannot go on.”


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