Tim Wilson William Ruddle with his wife Louise

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From next year, owners of rental properties will have a number of tax perks axed, leaving many landlords with little option but to sell up.



It is tenants who are set to suffer the devastating consequences of the changes hardest.



Chaplain William Ruddle, 40, currently owns nine properties in Essex, Lincolnshire and Wales, which he bought at auction over the past eight years.



The father of two charges rent that is around 10 to 15 per cent below market, partly because of his social conscience and also to attract long-term, good quality tenants.



The set-up has worked well to date.



Reverend Ruddle's low-income tenants, who include cleaners and pensioners, can afford the costs and he has been able to generate a steady income at a time of ultra low interest rates.



But the Baptist minister now has to sell at least three or four of the homes, as a result of the tax changes.

GETTY George Osborne has been hitting landlords with higher taxes

In the remaining properties, the father of two will hike rents.



Tenants will either be left homeless or with higher monthly bills.



Along with the millions of buy-to-let owners, the amount of tax relief Reverend Ruddle can claim against costs, such as mortgage interest, is to gradually be reduced to the basic rate of income tax of 20 per cent from next April.



The change was announced in George Osborne's 2015 Summer Budget.



It comes with changes to wear and tear allowance allowance, which had been equal to 10 per cent of rents but has been replaced with a new system where landlords have to deduct the exact amount of replacing furnishings.



In practice, it means Reverend Ruddle's buy-to-let portfolio will go from producing a current income of around £15,000 a year to less than £500 by 2020.

Tim Wilson Tax changes mean Reverend Ruddle will have to displace tenants

Furthermore, the pastor will be be pushed into the higher tax rate band, which as a side-effect means that he would lose his child benefits.



He has now written to all of his tenants and warned them to expect higher rents when a contract come up for renewal.



Speaking to Express.co.uk, Reverend Ruddle said: "I would go as far as to call the tax immoral.



"Some landlords will see their effective tax rate go up to more than 100 per cent.



"I've got to make people homeless.



"I'm really angry on behalf of my tenants."



He added: "At least seven out of my nine tenants believe they have no realistic prospect of being able to buy a property.



"Having to displace low-income tenants doesn't seem to be very fair.



"They don't have any other options.



"What's going to happen to rents?"

Almost all landlords are considering increasing rents to pay for higher taxes, according to recent research by the Residential Landlords Association.



The trade body said the changes may free up more homes for first-time buyers but for those who can't afford to become owners, housing will be more difficult and expensive.



Through a crowd funded campaign landlords are now launching a legal case against the tax changes, with the Judicial Review is being led by Cherie Blair.



Reverend Ruddle is supporting the challenge.



He said: "The only thing needed for evil to happen is for good men to remain silent."

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