Transcription
The Green Party really has lost it. The 19-year-old Green deputy mayor of Hackney has declared landlords shouldn't profit from housing.
"I don't see why any landlord's making profit of rent or of housing. Right? If I pay rent to my house, it's for a human right I'm paying just to maintain that home. I think that should be the basis. So, if it has to be a thing where a two-bedroom flat literally is £600 maximum, then it is what it has to be. And for all the landlords who complain about that, I mean, it's tough luck. I mean, we're not going around playing with people's lives. So the idea is to have a cap on how much an individual can charge rent. I mean housing is a human right. Do you know what I mean? That's that's what we believe. That's what many the average person believes as well. And if you have a system where someone can't charge 2 grand, which is extortionate, by the way, £2,000 is extortionate for house um then you're going to have a much beneficial system, right? Many people spend 6% of the housing costs, sorry, 6% of their income on rent post tax, right? If you can reduce that number down to 10 15%. That's a lot more disposable income for other methods. Do you know what I mean?"
This sparked fury from property investors already under pressures from tax hikes, regulation, and anti-landlord rhetoric in general. And now, millionaire landlord Samuel Leeds has gone viral after reportedly evicting a tenant who publicly backed green housing policies whilst living rent-free in one of his properties.
"One of my workers posted an anti-landlord Green Party statement on his Facebook, so I kicked him out of his house. Before you feel sorry for him, for the last 2 years, I've let him live rent-free in one of my houses as a perk because I'm a really nice boss. However, he recently posted on his Facebook story that you shouldn't be allowed to own more than one home vote green. I'm sorry, mate, but you work for me and I'm a landlord with over 100 homes in the UK. You wouldn't be living in that house rent-free unless I owned lots of homes. So, I've served him his notice. He has to leave. Also, it's a commercial lease, so he has zero rights. But because I'm such a nice person, I have let him stay temporarily in one of my caravans while he gets back on his feet."
So, has Britain created a culture where landlords are treated like villains while the entire housing system still depends on them? And are sugary green policies like this able to survive in the real world? Well, Samuel Leeds thinks not, and he joins me now. Samuel, thank you so much for joining us. I think you're very, very gutsy to go and evict someone and really put your money where your mouth is. I mean, what led you to this? What led you to this very extreme choice?
"I don't think it's that extreme. If someone's living in your property and you're a good landlord and literally this particular worker of mine who's a member of staff, was living rent-free. So, when I saw his post, I thought it was a joke that he he posted that he was not only voting green. I mean, that's fine. It's crazy, but it's fine. But when he literally said, 'You shouldn't be allowed to own more than one house,' I was thinking, well, if I didn't own lots of houses, you wouldn't be in my house rent-free. So, we didn't fire him, but yeah, I did take away that privilege and um and and give him his notice."
And how did he react to that notice? I mean, clearly, I mean, so many of these Green voters are so entitled. Uh, and now he's actually having to face the consequences of the policies that he supports in the first place. How did he react to that eviction notice?
"I I think he he actually took it better than I thought. I thought he was going to go on social media and start badmouthing me. Um, that's why I said it publicly first because I thought I'll get my side of the story before he does. But he, no, he actually took it fine and he still works with the company."
So, he was happy to be evicted. He understood he understood I think what why I did it, right? Because he he he was living rent-free for two years. I didn't charge him any rent for two years because he moved location to work for us. He's a builder and he was working on some projects doing a good job. Hard worker. But I just thought how can I have him attacking the landlord industry and saying that you shouldn't be able to earn more than one house when he is literally living rent-free because a landlord is allowing him to do that. If landlords are abolished, he loses his house. And if he thinks that landlords should be abolished and you shouldn't be able to own more than one house, then I'll take that privilege from him."
Samuel, it seems like your type is totally under attack right now from the UK government. You know, the renters's rights bill, which don't even get me started on that. That's a Labour government policy. I think it's egregious. You're you own hundreds of properties, right? I mean, you're a massive landlord within this country. How do you feel right now? I mean, genuinely, you do you feel under attack?
"Well, I I I do. I think that the Labour government are insane and I think that the people that they are supposedly trying to help are the people getting hurt as evidenced in this story with my worker."
Well, let's bring in someone who does disagree with you. It's Andy TWS. He's a trade unionist. Andy, what do you make of this? Are you in support of uh of Sam evicting his Green voting tenant?
"To be honest, I just I actually don't think it it happened. Uh Sam's tried to do a few bizarre PR stunts like this over the years to get attention. There was one where he chainsawed through a door uh that was some paper and made a big deal about that. Got on GB News about that and Talk TV. I just don't think it happened. I think he's just desperate for attention. You know, he used to work as an illusionist. I think that's all this is. Just another illusion to be honest with you, Samara."
I mean, Sam, what do you have to say to that? I mean, you've come on our channel quite a few times. I think you've always been pretty truthful.
"Yeah, I have. And I've and I've sent Talk TV beforehand. I sent them the um the contact of the uh of the worker and the contract and the eviction notice and different things, but I mean that's fine if you uh you know, you have a right to believe whatever you."
Yeah, we've seen the notice, Andy. We've seen the notice. Let's just let's act like it did happen because it most probably did happen. What would you say to that? Do you agree with the Green Party policy that landlords shouldn't make a profit? I mean, it's ridiculous. You can't get behind that.
"I think what Dylan, the deputy mayor of Hackney, was saying in that politics Joe interview was that we have such an egregious gap of wealth. You've got renters in London who are earning, you know, 35, 40 grand a year, who are doing, you know, all right for themselves, but are still losing so much money on rent, paying £1,200, £1,300, £1,400 quid a month for a box room in Hackney. And I think he was just pointing out that that's really not that fair. If they're working hard and doing their bit, they shouldn't be living in a box room for £1,400 quid. And I don't think it's that egregious to be honest with you. I think, you know, we've got Samuel. He's an economic migrant to Dubai who left because he doesn't want to pay 99.9% of his taxes. His words, he's evicted. He's evicted a British a hardworking British builder. I just I just I just don't care. He's he's he's really he's really showed that landlords are the good guys here by an economic migrant evicting a hardworking British builder. Yeah, you really won the argument on that one, Sam."
Sam, anything to say, Samuel?
"Well, I he is a hardworking British man and that's why he's paid well and that's why he lived rent-free for two years as as a reward for that. Um, but I don't you must you must think it's ironic that somebody who's not paying rent is then saying that it should be uh landlords shouldn't be able to earn more than one house. I mean, that is ironic."
Yeah, I agree with parts of what Samuel's saying here. Look, I mean, if landlords shouldn't make a profit, what happens when the boiler breaks at 2 am?
"Well, that's I don't think that they shouldn't be allowed to make profit. I think there's just such an egregious gap of wealth that they shouldn't just be making profit off of being a landlord. I I just don't think you should be able to make your whole income off of that. You know, I hope I don't know about this British builder. I haven't seen the papers about it. I don't know who it is, the guy that works for you, but I just hope he doesn't kill himself like Danny Butcher, the 37-year-old uh army veteran that killed himself after he got into loads of debt after he did one of your courses, Samuel. I just hope he doesn't kill himself like Danny Butcher. I think people should check that out when you're, you know, the voice of landlords, the voice of entrepreneurs and all the rest of it. I think they should check out Danny Butcher who killed himself after he got into £13,000 worth."
"I think I think we're I think we're going well beyond the actual debate here. I think what we're trying."
"I just hope the guy doesn't kill himself. That's all."
"This is But this is what lefty loons do. They just come out with accusations and attack people's character rather than actually talking about."
"It's in the BBC news, Samuel. It's in the BBC news. What we wanted to talk about was essentially the fact that landlords are the ones under attack in this country. I mean, why would."
"He's an economic migrant to Dubai, Samara. He's an economic migrant to Dubai. He's he he moved to Dubai. So he didn't pay 99.9% of his taxes in this country. He doesn't care about entitled to heit to do so."
"Let's not let's not act like he's some Labour government has driven moral figure like he he went to Dubai. Do you think it's good? Do Do you think it's good that wealthy people are leaving the country?"
"If they're like you? Yes. Yeah. I think I think you're a parasite, Samuel."
"We've had an absolute exodus of multi-millionaires leaving the country, which has resulted in massive economic issues for us. I mean, it is a it is a massive problem. It we should be the country of growth. Thatcher said herself, you can't tax people into growth. Well, I think there's a difference between people moving because the tax burden's got too high and people moving because they don't want to pay 99.9% of their taxes. It's not because taxes on Samuel got above 35 or 40% or whatever. It's because he doesn't want to pay tax at all."
"He said it himself, 99.9% of his taxes. He only pays 0.1% of taxes. Like, come on, Samaria."
"I mean, listen, ultimately it's people like me that are building houses, that are refurbishing rundown houses, that are employing people. I mean, I've got a lot and and I do pay tax in the UK. I'm Yes, I might not um live most of my time in the UK, but I'm still I'm still paying tax in the UK. I'm still I'm probably paying a lot more tax."
"I'm that zero point."
"You say you say you say percentages, but the tax that I'm paying is probably more than you'll ever earn in your life. And I think that you should thank me for that."
"Oh, sick burn. Nice one, Samuel. That showed me. That's really showed us. I I think ultimately the the the having the mindset of rich people are bad, rich people are landlords are hurting the community, they need to pay more taxes. I I don't think that's healthy. I think it's."
"I think they need more 0.1% tax, Samuel."
"I think they need to pay more than 0.1% tax, Samuel."
"Okay, fine. I also think people like myself that's employing people um and that's, you know, building houses, refurbishing houses, I think that should be encouraged rather than attacked. I I I don't think you're a benefit to this country at all. I think you're a grifter who's just desperate for attention. You know, you've done a few of these stunts over the years and you've only managed to get daytime television slots on GB News and Talk TV. I mean, come on. You know, you're just clearly just quite insecure and just want to do these big shocking things. You're just a poor man's shock joke. That's all it is."
"I mean, listen, you you you can attack my character over and over, but the bottom line is I pay a lot of tax in the UK. I pay more tax in the UK than you probably."
"How much tax do you pay? How much do I earn?"
"Samuel, you made this great ass. How much do I."
"Well, no. You're the one that made lots."
"Tell me what my salary is. You said You said that you pay more tax than I earn. How much do I earn, Sam?"
"Considerably less than I pay in tax."
"How much do I How much do I earn?"
"I can tell. I can tell by."
"Andy, if it was how much do you want Samuel to be paying if it was up to you?"
"I think it's I think just give 100% of his money over to the government wasted."
"I think more than 0.1% Samara. I think his fair share, not 0.1%."
"Uh Sam, I do want to ask like, you know, if landlords are so hard done by, why are so many people sort of convinced that all these property investors like you got rich while they got locked out of owning a home? I I it is a question that many people are asking themselves. You know, that's why landlords are getting so vilified."
"I mean, listen, people that own properties like myself, we worked really hard. You know, I've been I've been I left school at 16 and I've worked my ass off to build up what I built up and I do have a lot of properties and I make it and I make income from it. Um, but I think those people generally landlords are are making the economy better. They're increasing to the GDP um of of the economy. They're buying houses that first-time buyers wouldn't be able to buy and restoring them for profit. Yes. But that's the that's that's that's the way of the world. We're not going to do things for free. And when you've got people like this gentleman, you know, clearly angry and and and sour. I mean, I don't know the guy, but he he seemed very angry to me at how he how he, you know, attacked me and attacked my character rather than actually having a conversation about uh what we were talking about."
"Let's not be snowflakey here. Come on. Come on. Let's not stop crying about words. to me when you go to the pub and you go and take order a pint and try and buy the pint and say to the publican, 'Oh, it's all right if if it'd be better if you didn't make a profit on this pint. Thanks very much, mate.' And then just walk."
"A lot of publicans don't make profit. A lot of publicans work for."
"That's also because of Labour government policy because of the crazy high."
"I don't I don't think I don't think the Labour government invented franchising, Samara. I'm afraid to say. I don't think they invented franchising of pubs. Yeah, but you said that you said that you don't think landlords should be able to um make a lot of profit from being landlords. I don't think that makes any sense."
"Yeah, I mean that it's literally like you going into buying."
"But then but then rather than discussing that you you you know attack and come out with lots of opinions rather than."
"Talking about."
"Oh, I think you're not I think you're not a particularly serious person. I'm not a housing expert. So I I just don't think the conversation is general. I think you should have a housing expert and someone who hasn't, you know, ran so many schemes over the last couple of years, a former illusionist and, you know, I think all the viewers, if they had any question about your character, should just search up Danny Butcher's name and read that article."
"Well, I think it's a really Yeah. Sorry, S. No, I was just saying you're definitely not a housing expert. That's for sure. Um."
"That's what I just said. That's what I just said."
"Yeah. Yeah. No, I'm agreeing with you. It's the one thing that we agree on that you're you're definitely not a housing expert. And I would agree on and I think that the fact that when you say."
"Yeah, I just said that. can keep repeating it, but you know."
"I find this more of a debate about policy. I think that's why I brought you in here, Andy, because you do know a lot about left-wing policy and the craziness that ensues on that side."
"You should have brought in someone from the Green Party or someone who works for a housing think tank. And actually, you know, if you were to get a real landlord, someone from a landlord's association, not this social media clown, then perhaps you could have had a more informed discussion tomorrow."
"Well, this guy put this guy evicted someone for voting for voting for Green Party policies. So, you know, we just wanted to have a conversation about that. But I think it's been very informative. I think we can see both sides of the debate and where people stand on and and that was the uh that was what we were trying to do here. So, thanks so much both of you for putting forward."
"Thank you. And I wish you all the best."
"No problem. All right. Thank you. And uh join me for another episode of Triggered next week. That's thanks to Andy Tels and thanks to Samuel Leeds as well, property developer."