About the Book (Synopsis from the back cover)
Parasite? The Secret Diary of a Landlord
Get ready to learn what really happens behind closed doors.
Landlords have become one of the most hated groups in society. Parasites, they’re often called. And there’s a lot of them. The Treasury estimates there are almost 2.6 million landlords in the UK with around 5.45 million rental properties.
But the real life of a professional landlord is very different to what most people think. From burglaries and break-ins to drug raids, police warrants, crazy tenant antics, bailiffs, squatters, lawsuits, wrecked properties, interfering council officers, game-playing freeholders to moments of heartfelt joy and happiness, the life of a landlord is never dull. Especially when the government keeps moving the goalposts.
This explosive front line exposé blows the lid off what it’s really like to be a landlord and the shocking reality of renting out a property. Hovering close to a nervous breakdown and likely suffering PTSD, The Secret Landlord exposes truths rarely shared. Stories that will grip you, move you and smack you in the face.
This is the truth, the other side of the door.
My Review
I really enjoy memoir, and The Diary of a Secret Landlord was fascinating. When I was in college, I rented an apartment in Washington D.C. I have experience with renting, but I’ve never really stopped and considered what it might be like to be “on the other side of the door.”
My only complaint about this book was the fact that it contains a great amount of strong language. I am not a fan of cursing or swearing, and in some chapters, I felt as if the author’s strong detracted from the point she was trying to make; however, I enjoyed the book overall.
Part of my fascination with reading nonfiction is the fact that it allows me to see how other people experience the world. Although I did not agree with the anonymous author of this book about many things, she and I had one thing in common: We both strongly identify with our jobs. Both of us derive our sense of being from what we do. For “The Secret Landlord,” this personal identification with her works causes her to deeply struggle with important questions around her personal identity and purpose in life.
Although I disagreed with her on many topics, I found her sarcastic wit and cynicism to be greatly amusing. Within the first few chapters, the reader quickly comes to see that fact is often stranger and more amusing than fiction. Life can be hard, but it can also be quite entertaining. The Diary of a Secret Landlord is a sobering as well as entertaining peak into what the world is like for many people who struggle to make ends meet.
Landlords often get a bad wrap, but this book helps us to see the very human side of their occupation. Within the pages of The Secret Landlord, we meet a woman who is entirely committed to her job and to doing her own small unique part to make the word a better place. A unique and engaging read that fans of memoir and nonfiction will be certain to find both educational and enjoyable.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from Rachel’s Random Resources in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Get your copy at the following links;
Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Parasite-Secret-Diary-Landlord-ebook/dp/B08DTPYVFZ/
Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/Parasite-Secret-Diary-Landlord-ebook/dp/B08DTPYVFZ/
About the Author:
The Secret Landlord has been renting, refurbishing and selling properties across the UK for almost two decades. An award winning landlord, as judged by the National Landlords Association, The Secret Landlord has provided accommodation for hundreds of tenants from all walks of life.
Keep Up with “The Secret Landlord” at the following social media links:
Rev. Rebecca Writes 