Don't worry - not taking it personally, was hoping you weren't either.

Perhaps if it was as many as ten in one area that might have an effect. But my four properties are spread over London and outside it. I'm not sure I'm any more or less likely to sell and therefore release to market than anyone owning privately - my experience of SE22 is that people buying there tend to stick around, but that's just anecdote admittedly.

And on occupant investment, the two flats I rent out were never in better condition than when I got them ready to market - nicer than when I lived in them!

I totally agree about the whims of the UK rental market. My parents rented in London in the '60s (this being the time when you could afford a roomy flat on the edge of Hampstead on the salaries of a comp. teacher and a junior lecturer) and their rent was agreed for TEN YEARS!! Germany has far more renters for lots of reasons - but one of the causes/effects is that renters have a much better deal there. Ironically you do get property being kept off the rental market that way - people sometimes rent more than one place because it's cheap to do so.