Guardian: Laid to waste by a feeding frenzy

"The one common theme is that the buy-to-let brigade, helped by tax breaks and easy lending, are able to outbid local first-time buyers and then, all too often, fail to maintain their properties or monitor their tenants" "we even had landlords who wrote telling us of the "obscene" profits they've made and agreeing that tax breaks should be removed" "the two flats to the council as emergency accommodation. He charges £750 a week" 750 a week!!!!! "The neighbour has lost much of its best housing stock, sold off at a discount to tenants, who have subsequently sold to buy-to-letters. Ironically, the council, she says, is now forced into renting back the same homes - at double or triple the cost - to house those on its waiting list." "'Dunno,' he said. 'A load of asylums, I reckon.'"