Joel was quite probably the nicest landlord in Britain. In almost ten years, he never once raised the exceptionally reasonable rent and he told me to forget about it entirely when I was made redundant. If we were lucky, we might see him every few weeks and he would always arrive with cake or biscuits, ready to entertain us with his expansive stories and easy laugh. He was engaged in a constant routine of maintenance with the old house and seemed to know how to fix just about anything – though, there was a memorable incident of his accidentally painting a bedroom bright pink. I also remember fondly, the usual sight of him departing with a huge bundle of garden waste tied haphazardly to the roof of his car. I hope Joel knew that his fairness helped his past and present tenants to save towards so many good things – travelling, higher education, house deposits and a wedding. He was so happy to hear that my partner and I were finally buying a house and I am sorry that we will not see him there for the tea, cake and stories as promised.