x
By using this website, you agree to our use of cookies to enhance your experience.
Graham Awards

TODAY'S OTHER NEWS

Government has “sympathy” for landlords - but no assistance

The Leader of the House of Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg, says the government has sympathy for the plight of many landlords during the Coronavirus crisis.

However, there is no indication of any change in legislation or financial help for the sector.

Rees-Mogg was responding to a request by fellow Tory MP Robert Syms, who late last week called for a debate on what he described as a “very unhappy” landlord sector.

Advertisement

Syms told his fellow MPs: “[The private rental sector] provides valuable property for people, yet throughout this crisis landlords have been prevented from managing their properties and evicting people, even those with arrears from well before the crisis.

“I know of landlords who have not been able to evict people exhibiting anti-social behaviour and causing distress to other tenants because of restrictions the government have imposed.

“Some people who could pay rent are not paying rent, but some of the residential landlords are still having to pay mortgages. This is a troubled sector and we should explore all of the issues.”

Rees-Mogg, answering for the government, told the Commons that he was “not unsympathetic” to private landlords facing financial hardship.

“Although we have laid regulations to require bailiffs not to enforce evictions until 11th January, there are exemptions – this is important – for the most serious cases, such as anti-social behaviour and illegal occupation.

“We are grateful to landlords for their forbearance during this unprecedented time.

“Some may have been able to benefit from postponements of mortgage payments, which have been made available, but we strongly encourage tenants in all relevant government guidance to pay their rent or to have an early conversation with their landlord if they have any difficulty doing so.”

Syms’ unhappiness at government policies towards the private rental sector is not the only Tory criticism recently.

Dr Rosalind Beck, a doctor of Criminology and a Conservative Party member in South Wales, has twice in recent months written on the Conservativehome website that the former eviction ban and other anti-landlord measures have been detrimental to tenants as well as agents and landlords.

Want to comment on this story? If so...if any post is considered to victimise, harass, degrade or intimidate an individual or group of individuals on any basis, then the post may be deleted and the individual immediately banned from posting in future.

  • George Dawes

    Platitudes don't pay the bills, the tories are obviously the party of big business and bankers , they don't care about small businesses or the workers and especially PRS

    Labour are the party of the shirkers and the dole scroungers with a no face leader millionaire hypocrite QC drip bobbing his head in late agreement with the blonde clown

    Sadly it seems there's no party that represents the working man/woman anymore

  • icon

    Don't want sympathy, just want tenants that pay, and a quick way of getting rid of those that don't.

  • icon
    • 30 November 2020 09:38 AM

    Absolutely.

    Govt. must set up special courts that can fast track evictions. So that the whole landlord system does not collapse leading to housing shortages that will inevitably will be even more pressure on Govt. funds.

    That of course, they cannot cope with.

  • icon

    Pity Rees-Mogg's loyalty to the Government doesn't extend to his ~3,000 Landlords in his constituency

  • PossessionFriendUK PossessionFriend

    Its the Governments place to house those that can't pay ( and Well they know it )
    - not private individual landlords of single properties, often key workers relying upon the rental income either to sustain their minimum wage, or even as sole income.

  • icon
    • 30 November 2020 17:12 PM

    I fully agree...And should be implemented now!!!!!

  • girish mehta

    Keep putting barriers for landloards they will move out . Less houses then more homeless people for councils to find accommodation . They then have to pay higher rents. Build to rent sector will pick up the slack but doubt if they will be willing to take this tenants on. And the housing allowance the claim will make unaffordable. Clueless politicians serving their own interest . Housing crisis will go on for decades. Only people to benefit are government and banks. Thus safeguarding their jobs and these politicians can work as consultants and directors and earn mega bucks
    No political pArties are interested in working people except misinforming through media ,promises freebies, break promises only to get votes so they can exploit them further. And

  • icon

    Until we get a proactive landlords association we will just be ignored by Government. Ironically when Shelter speaks the media are all over it. When was the last time you heard the NRLA on any form of media standing up for its members?
    They are totally ineffective, members should threaten to not renew until the Association actually grows some balls and comes out fighting. One wonders what the CEO and Board actually do and if they really think they are making any difference.
    The plight of landlords and the industry has never been in such a bad state, and no help from the NRLA.

  • icon

    i left nla for that reason

icon

Please login to comment

MovePal MovePal MovePal
sign up