Housing Minister says Tory policies NOT driving out landlords

Well I don’t exactly feel like they are welcoming and encouraging us to be landlords and to put roofs over their constituents heads.
For me end game in play

Well we can all speculate as much as we like. The real test is how many properties are actually let out?

She’s had 5 different jobs since 2020… from transport to safeguarding. Now housing.. unlikely to understand the impact or bother to speak with landlords. I wonder how long until we get the next housing minister. Hopefully one who understands what landlords are being put through… Why do they keep changing jobs? Pointless if there’s no continuity!

The Rt Hon Rachel Maclean is wrong.
Here’s a letter I recently sent to my My MP and Michael Gove… Redacted is probably appropriate , but happy to share - I politely suggest Rachael takes her head out of the sand and reads it.
For context, it should be noted that I am a proprietor of a small, independent and fully regulated letting agent.

Dear Rt Hon
Thank you once again for taking the time to read my communication.
You may recall I wrote to you back in 2021 expressing my concerns about excessive anti-landlord interference in the private rental sector.
I thought it prudent to update you on the current state of supply, as we reach a critical stage of the Renters Reform Bill.
The concerns and outcomes I expressed back in 2021 are certainly coming home to roost, with a supply crisis worsening by the month and leading to exponential rent increases. Only last week I received 12 separate tenant offers on a 2 bedroom property within 24 hours of marketing. A difficult job advising 11 potential suitors they had been passed over! Such situations are becoming the norm.
I am all for positive reform and tenant security of tenure, with tougher penalties for landlords who ignore compliance and their repairing obligations. Fortunately, such landlords are few and far between, and appear greater in the social housing sector than in the private sector. Suffice it to say, the media sentiment of greedy, uncaring private sector landlords is grossly over exaggerated.
With the current landlord sector exodus worsening, steps need to be taken reverse this trend as a matter of urgency. The majority of the Renters Reform Bill has overwhelming acceptance in our industry, but there are arrears that are too heavily weighed against landlords.
1. Periodic tenancies from the outset are simply unworkable. Given the costs to landlords for compliance, inventories, referencing etc, there must be some commitment beyond 2 months from a tenant from the start of a tenancy. Moreover, most tenants prefer the security of fixed term tenancies. It is probably different in the social housing sector I appreciate, and certainly a reason to consider reforming these sectors independently of each other.
2. The addition of section 8 grounds to incorporate an accelerated possession procedure for rent arrears, or anti-social behaviour, would stop new legislation becoming ‘a gift’ for bad tenants. Section 21 has previously been used for bad tenants in the main and created a buffer for potential court system overload. My view is that removing this buffer, and not including an accelerated possession procedure in a reformed section 8, will collapse the court system completely. This will create anarchy in the sector and drive much of it underground.
3. Deposit reform is unnecessary. The current system provides more than adequate tenant protection and works perfectly well. Any changes that will compromise appropriate tenant responsibility for leaving a property as they found it should be dismissed completely, otherwise it will only serve to drive more landlords away.
I do sense a greater political understanding and a more considered approach is now being adopted. It is important that politicians stand firm and do not bow down to outside pressures and tenant support groups. I am not naïve enough not to acknowledge the importance of young voters, but this should not be the motivating factor for housing reform. Following the current path will make a housing shortage a supply tsunami that will take decades to repair.
Having been in the industry since 1984, I would hope my knowledge and experience can be passed on and used to support a fairer and positive sector for both tenants and landlords alike.
Yours sincerely

Mr Common Sense
(didn’t put this but it’s how I feel!😉)

I wonder when they'll actually wake up and smell the coffee.... Probably when it's too late. Rachel Maclean is deluded or in denial going by her statement. These idiots just have no clue.

I wonder when they'll actually wake up and smell the coffee.... Probably when it's too late. Rachel Maclean is deluded or in denial going by her statement. These idiots just have no clue.

Just because she believes it doesn't make it true! I wonder why she thinks there is a shortage of properties & rents are rising if, as she thinks, new LLs are coming in to replace those leaving?

No surprise can any of them tell the truth, we have a previous double Mayor & Prime Minister in blatant denial what we seen on tv. The recent landlord Property Investment show in London confirmed over 200’00 Private landlords have sold up and exited the Business.
This is what Government planned to happen as the vacancies are being filled by the Big Landlords / Developers / + new boys John Lewis’s etc with Multi Story Blocks of Flats.
However, those are not much use to private landlords former Tenants because their Rents are 30 / 40% higher and can only be Rented by bid earners.
As an example £2’200. pm for a one bed Flat in Greenford in those Blocks check it out for yourselves.
Also by doing this the Government has driven up all remaining Private landlords Rents at a time when demand was never higher and Tenants never struggling more.
This is what Mr Michael Gove call's Fairer Renting for Tenants, the designer & Public lie face of it all Shame on you.

She must give me the name of her optician. The sector looks a lot brighter and healthier through her glasses. If that’s the view from the person in charge there really is no hope.

Well I guess she would say that wouldn't she, if she wants to keep her job! Doesn't make it true. Also its an easier job if "everything is OK as it is" and you don't have to engage in difficult negotiations with the chancellor and others more senior to yourself to get things changed.

so scary that she's in this job when she's so very naïve ! Recent story is of an elderly lady lived in the same house for over 20 years now told to quit - cant blame the landlord!

Usual Tory tactics, deny everything
I'm reducing my Portfolio and exiting

KB... Me too!!

"Housing minister Rachel Maclean is quoted as saying her government’s policies are NOT driving landlords out of the private rental sector."

Just underlines how out-of-touch Ministers and their advisors are. They only have to look at the most recent EHS & ONS data to see the real situation.

I am not sure she does believe what she is saying - I think that most of the politicians today are more interested in their own careers and following whatever the party line is at that moment rather than the good of the country. I suspect she knows exactly what is happening and how tenants are being affected but as long as she has her bright shiny career she will not give a damn!

It used to be 2.71 million at its peak Rachel, so at 2.3m thats not one in one out is it really? Perhaps one in 10 out over the last 6/7 years since the slide started.

8 Section 21x in the past month 6 of whom are selling, does that not clarify what is going on and other agents are saying similar things. Landlords are leaving!

The false narrative is the one that states that landlords tell tenants to leave if they want a repair carried out. Firstly that scenario obviously couldn't apply to landlords who let for fixed terms, and secondly, all property owners want to keep their properties in good condition and prevent them from deteriorating.

And yet when interviewed about why they are selling property and leaving the sector LL's all say they have been forced out of sector by Tory policy. The figures speak for themselves.

She reminds me of Boris 😂😂 in total denial until the death ☠️

Last time I let a 3 bedroom with small garden I had 13 people wanting to rent it within 2 days of being advertised. All sounded suitable tenants, families with Children. 2 of them offered 3 months rent up front. Estate Agent asking if I'm likely to buy any more houses as all rentals are in high demand and they don't have enough supply. I was assured by EA tenants are having to pay top rents as shortage of supply. Rachel needs to go to EA and try to rent a house.

Who would believe anything that comes out of a politician's mouth ?

We've decided it's time to start divesting. We have a tenant very concerned about the possibility of us selling and proactively offering us more rent. Sure, the rent is below par but it demonstrates the concern many tenants have. With higher interest rates and insurance and the challenge of inflation, it's no longer attractive to be a landlord with a small portfolio - We could probably get 20+ years out of the capital spending at the rate of our net income. In out mid 70s, why bother with the hassle of the properties?
It's not all the fault of government but if government was sensible they would realise the pressures on the PRS and take action to help rather than continue to hinder.

It would help if the NRLA became more vocal in favour of Landlords, but that does not seem to be happening. The leftists seem to be having it all their own way! Time for a reset I believe!

Clueless or dishonest, we expect nothing less of our politicians.

I tweeted Rachel this morning I told her I was a landlord and corrected her that landlords are being driven out by too much tax and regulations. I told her my properties are for sale too because tenants will not have more rights over my property then me. So it's all okay now she knows.....?

The conservatives have a mantra, and most stick to it. She said others will come in, ie the banks, Tesco, insurance companies, companies with failed people running them like John Lewis etc.

Just when I thought the Tories might actually have developed a brain cell, they wheel out yet another one who proves that isn’t the case. If McLean thinks there hasn’t been a shrinking of the sector but a growth, perhaps she can explain why tenants are always complaining there’s nowhere to rent and that they think rents are rocketing? Even Shelter keep telling us rents and homelessness are rocketing but obviously they can’t be if the sector’s supply needs are being met, right? So now we have it from the top. McLean must know, so we can clearly accept her wisdom and genius as correct. No shortage, so no massive rent rises. Brilliant!

Another article in this LLD Today bulletin (about Govt. LLD tax changes resulting in less Treasury revenue) states:
"According to Zoopla, compared to the five-year average, demand for rented housing is up 46 per cent whilst supply is down 38 per cent."
Why, with rents rising more than previously - which should be attracting landlords to increase supply, is supply going down unless it is a result of Govt. policies (past and forthcoming).
I believe Zoopla more than a stupid politician like McLean.

John, couldn’t agree more they are not vocal enough in many way’s but I am not going to knock them too much, they are helpful and all we got really.
However still with the amalgamation of Residential Landlords Association and National Landlord Association between them they still have only a miserable number of Landlords members about 100k and it’s taken 40 / 50 years to achieve this and that includes gobbling up smaller LA’s away back. They should have 100’s of Thousands of landlords enrolled by now.
I would have expected them to be able to get 100k extra to join in a year if they were vocal enough, advertise and promote the Business pro-actively, have canvassers to push the Brand, heavens knows there’s 2.7m of a pool of landlords to fish from, it should be the easiest thing in the World to do, not least in the current climate with rogue regulators attacking landlords unfairly from all angles, it should be a piece of cake.
I hope they are not too busy developing niece Markets for themselves, like stupid Deposit Schemes, now Redress and Mediation / child minders.
Get out there and promote your Business if you are worth your salt. Those chit chat seminars at events are not doing much for you like Billingsgate, you had a captive audience with the place heaving with troubled landlords, yet no canvassers to get more signed up, even
Big Issue have people outside Tube stations.