A millionaire couple who bought an entire village in North Wales and want to put up rents for residents reportedly live a "luxury" life travelling around the world. The village of Aberllefenni, in Gwynedd, has been bought up by Chris and Lisa Walsh, of Walsh Investment Properties.
The deal consisted of 16 houses and cottages, some of which date back to the 16th Century. Some residents have reacted with anger that they plan to increase rents, but Walsh Investment Properties said "it's fair and reasonable to charge a market rent" and argued that most tenants had been charged a low rent for years, which was "not sustainable".
Last week North Wales Live reported how some residents were unhappy. Sara Lewis, 55, from Aberllefenni, said she had seen her rent increase by £200 each month after the former quarrymen’s home were sold. Now, a report by the Daily Mail has depicted the lifestyle of the Chris and Lisa Walsh.
It claims that they enjoy a lavish life of travelling across the world, including Mrs Walsh posing for photos outside the five-star Bellagio in Las Vegas in 2019 and her Facebook cover photo backdrop being a stunning view of the Greek island of Santorini, reports NorthWalesLive.
“I’m going to go up to the hill by my house to protest and that is the furthest I will go [away from her home],” Ms Lewis, who suffers with chronic emphysema which means she struggles to breathe, told WalesOnline on Monday minutes before she dragged herself up the hill and unfurled her paper banner on the wooden bench which reads: “No breath, no home, no hope!!”.
“I would rather die than leave this village. I’ve lived here for 22 years, my support network is here, my family is from here. It’s become my haven and I don’t want to live anywhere else.”
Aberllefenni community councillor, John Pughe Roberts, told the BBC he was "very disappointed" that the hike up had happened so soon after the sale. He said: "I believe that the intention is to raise the rent so high that the tenants have to move out... Some people who live in the houses are very vulnerable and are going to find it difficult to find the money to pay the difference.
"At the moment, we are trying to work with Gwynedd Council to try and help the tenants, starting with the most vulnerable, to prevent people from becoming homeless. Everyone in the village is concerned, some more than others because of the varying amount the rent goes up". He added: "There are examples where some have to pay £10 a month more than each other for exactly the same house."
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Cllr Roberts has called on the new owner to be "more open" about the rent increase process. It is understood that no construction work or updating has been carried out on the properties since the transfer of ownership. Walsh Investment Properties spokesman Chris Walsh told the BBC: "We can confirm that we haven't raised any rents to date, however we do intend to raise all of the rents to bring them in line with current market values.
"Most of the properties have been paying a low rent for a number of years, unfortunately this is not sustainable in the current economy. We feel it is fair and reasonable to charge a market rent."
Under the previous owner, the family of John Lloyd from Inigo Jones Slate Works, the rent for the homes rose by 3% per annum. Chris Walsh, of Walsh Investment Properties, has previously told the BBC: "Most of the properties have been paying a low rent for a number of years, unfortunately this is not sustainable in the current economy. We feel it is fair and reasonable to charge a market rent.
"All properties were surveyed in January 2023 to enable us to plan any required upgrade works. We believe this will allow us to gain a better understanding of each individual tenant's situation. This direct approach should alleviate any miscommunication and misunderstanding. This will also allow us to build a strong and sustainable rapport with all of our tenants."
A Gwynedd council spokesman has said: "“We are committed to supporting any individual facing difficulties as a result of the housing crisis. All applications for Discretionary Housing Funding presented to us are assessed by our benefits team as a matter of urgency.
"Whilst we cannot comment in detail on individual cases, we can confirm that this particular application is currently being assessed. We would urge anyone who has concerns about their housing situation, is homeless or at risk of homelessness to contact the Council’s Homelessness Service by calling 01766 771000 or visiting this website."
According to the BBC, Walsh Investment Properties did not respond to questions about the eviction notices allegedly sent to some tenants.
