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Rogue landlords database may be a pointless exercise, warns NLA

Introducing a ‘rogue landlords’ database without better enforcement would be a pointless exercise, according to the National Landlords Association (NLA).

A rogue landlords database will finally be opened up to the public offering people, including private renters, an opportunity to search for “the crucial information they need before signing on the dotted line”.

The government was slammed earlier this year when it was revealed that any listings on the database would be kept secret from prospective tenants.

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Only local authorities are given the information, to enable them to target illegal landlords and “name and shame” those failing to provide safe and decent homes.

But James Brokenshire, the communities secretary, has vowed to introduce the change, stating that is “right that we unlock this crucial information for new and prospective tenants”.

Brokenshire announced a 12-week consultation on opening up the database.

The government will also consider widening the list of offences that will warrant blacklisting on the database, such as breaching the new Tenant Fees Act.

A landlord can currently be listed for 14 “banning order” offences, from unlawful eviction and harassment to licensing breaches, or for two fines for housing offences in the past year.

But a freedom of information response three months ago revealed not a single banning order had been issued – and that just four names were on the database.

Chris Norris, director of policy and practice at the NLA, said: “It’s all well and good to open the database up to tenants, but if local authorities aren’t using the powers they have to identify and enforce against these landlords, it’s not really going to be of much use to anyone.

“The inability of local authorities to enforce against bad practice is the main issue facing the private rented sector (PRS). Instead of spending time and money on a consultation, the government would be better off giving that money to local authorities for the sole purpose of tackling criminal landlords.”

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Poll: Do you think there should be a ‘rogue tenants’ database?

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    What have we done as a group of honest tax paying people to deserve such a constant barrage of state abuse.
    I will never vote Conservative or Labour again. Governed by fools.

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    Can we have a rouge tenant data base ?

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    Def need a rogue tenant database. I always publicise any bad tenants with all letting agents in the county. Bad tenants should have only one thing in their mind if I don’t behave and pay the rent I will have nowhere to live it’s that simple.

    I read hope Boris does one useful thing and that is throw Brokenshire four ovens back out where he belongs

    John Cart

    Hopefully Brokenshire will be history come this Friday evening.

     
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    • 22 July 2019 12:57 PM

    You do realise chaps that there is already a free National Database of good and bad tenants.
    It is called Landlord referencingservices.co.uk
    Any LL can register their good and bad tenants on this free database.
    Now if every LL and LA did this then every good and bad tenant could be identified!
    LL would be able to contact previous LL and communicate.
    It is only because LA and LL REFUSE to register their good and bad tenants that the database only had about 800000 tenants registered.
    So even when it is free to do so LL will not help themselves with such a free database already available.
    LL really are just too thick to use facilities that could greatly assist them.
    Using the database would prevent much expense on pointless referencing when the database could have filtered out all the wronguns.

  • PossessionFriendUK PossessionFriend

    Lots of posts on the Govt mis-handling of Housing, especially Section 21 on our Facebook page
    @possessionfriend

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    So why would someone buy a property. When you can live with Security of Tenure in some other persons house and act the jack all you want, it beats falling behind with a Mortgage and guaranteed being removed.

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    • 23 July 2019 17:54 PM

    Agreed; but if this does occur eventually even thick LL will realise that it is a pointless exercise and that they need to adjust their business model.
    Of course some LL will be unable to adjust their business model and if this occurred such LL would be better off leaving the PRS.
    Many LL are going to have to seriously consider their positions in light of all the negative stuff that had and is likely to occur.
    At the end of the day the risk of financial loss is increasing and LL have to decide whether they wish to risk it.
    I believe things are going to get a lot worse before they get better.
    You only have to see what happened in the Irish PRS.
    The Irish S24 devastated the PRS there and still hasn't recovered even though the Irish Govt eventually realised that their S24 version was a disastrously negative policy.
    Their S24 lasted about 3 years before the Govt realised they had got it wrong.
    There is no reason to suggest that the UK Govt would behave any differently.
    So I suggest for the next 5 years S24 will remain and hundreds of thousands of LL will exit the PRS.
    In about 5 years time the UK Govt will realise that S24 had been a disaster and they will struggle to persuade LL to return when they abolish S24.
    For many LL looking at retirement they will be better off getting out of the game now.
    No point in suffering from S24 etc.
    That is what I am doing.
    No way am I prepared to suffer for the next 5 years.
    The PRS will have to manage without me and my capital.
    I'm sure it will manage OK.
    Pity the tenants I will be making homeless.
    But it won't be my problem when I'm out!

     
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