Housing minister Kris Hopkins has launched a new guide to give private rented sector tenants the need to know rental rights at their fingertips.
Hopkins said that encouraging a new generation of well-informed tenants with easy access to useful and understandable information would help root out the small minority of rogues and raise the game of any landlords who don’t know what is expected of them.
This guide is part of the Government’s wider work to bring clarity and fairness to the system and ensure that England’s 9 million private rented sector tenants have the knowledge to hold their landlord to account, without introducing excessive regulation which would force up rents and reduce choice.
The Association of Residential Lettings Agents (ARLA) supported the launch of the guide.
Susan Fitz-Gibbon, president of ARLA, said: “Embarking on renting a property can often be a daunting time for people, with would be tenants sometimes expected to make a quick decision, provide extensive information and sign numerous documents before their dream home is snapped up by someone else.
“The DCLG guide will hopefully make the rental process smoother for tenants and offers simple, straightforward guidance for people who are looking to rent, empowering them to make informed decisions.”
The British Property Federation (BPF) also welcomed the report’s launch. The BPF, alongside a number of organisations, contributed to the report, supporting its aim of bettering the UK’s rental market by providing tenants with a clear outline of their rights and responsibilities.
Ian Fletcher, director of policy at the BPF, said: “As people find it increasingly difficult to get a foot on the property ladder and the number of renters increases year-on-year, it is important for tenants to be properly equipped to deal with the rental market. The majority of landlords offer a good-quality, professional service for tenants, but the complexity of letting a property can provide fertile ground for those who seek to exploit the unwary. Ensuring that tenants are aware of what they should expect from a tenancy is an important step in making sure that the rental market operates at a high standard.”
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Comments
Lets hope the guide makes tenants aware of their responsibilities too.
After 20 years of being a landlord, I have to say that the standard of tenants is deteriorating rapidly. We never had problems with any tenants during the first ten years.
A big problem now is the endless relationship dramas, where couples seem to split up so frequently and then stop paying the rent. Perhaps there needs to be a law that says if one partner leaves the property, the landlord can end the tenancy at four weeks notice?