The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) is calling on the government to ensure that reforms are made to the way good landlords can repossess properties in legitimate circumstances.

The new Conservative government has pledged to end Section 21 repossessions in the rental market.

The party also pledged to strengthen the rights of good landlords to repossess properties when they have good cause to do so, and that is something that is urgentlly needed sooner rather than later according to the RLA. 

The group is calling on ministers to ensure that the new framework provides comprehensive grounds upon which landlords can repossesses properties in cases such as anti-social behaviour and tenant rent arrears, with guarantees about the timeframes involved for each and measures to prevent abuses by problem tenants.

The RLA also wants this to be underpinned by developing a dedicated, properly funded housing court to ensure considerable improvements to the time taken to rule on, and enforce, possession cases.

David Smith, policy director for the RLA, commented: “We look forward to working constructively with the government as it develops its plans for the private rented sector. 

“With the demand for rented housing remaining strong it is vital that the Conservatives’ plans for the sector, whilst being fair to tenants, have the full confidence of landlords.

“The election should also be seen as an outright rejection of Labour’s plans for rent controls. They would have undermined investment in the sector, choked off supply and made it more difficult for tenants to find the good quality homes to rent they need.”