The top table of the National Residential Landlords Association has met with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s team at Downing Street.
In addition to a string of specific issues, chief executive Ben Beadle and policy director Chris Norris majored on rental reform - picking up on some recent toning down of the anti-landlord mood music by Housing Secretary Michael Gove.
Beadle says: “Our work on renters reform has been greatly bolstered by the welcome tone adopted by ministers at DLUHC about landlords. Given this, we are seriously concerned at the failure by other departments to do likewise.
“Most notably we saw the recent announcements on Right to Rent fines gave the impression landlords were to blame for those living in the country illegally, as well as statements on childminding in rental properties calling on landlords to be ‘open-minded’ – completely ignoring the fact there are a number of major barriers, including non-negotiable mortgage and insurance conditions.
“We want to ensure that the Government’s reforms to the PRS secure the confidence of responsible landlords.
“However, nervousness in the sector will be compounded by the rhetoric coming out of other departments in Government, which could serve to crystalise a sense that the Government is using landlords as scapegoats for difficult policy challenges.
“We will continue to represent members at the very highest level to make sure changes brought in as part of renters reform are fair to both landlords and tenants.”
Other issues discussed by the NRLA include court reform to ensure possession cases are dealt with in a timely manner in the post-Section 21 era; and whether selective licensing need exist after the introduction of a property portal as envisaged in the Renters Reform Bill.
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They rolled over on S21 so easily. Unforgivable.
The government doesn’t respect them at all. Especially will 100k of members out of 2.5m landlords.
I don't respect the RNLA either. Having been a member for many years I eventually became disillusioned with them and left this useless organisation who did nothing to help landlords whatsoever. They just saw landlords as an income stream to refer products to for a commission and to sell courses to etc.. The senior managment make a good living out of it just like Shelter management do. Which seems to be it's main purpose.
No wonder they only have 100k members out of 2.5 million landlords.
I am an NRLA member but the figure of 100,000 members is misleading and the average member holds more than one property (Ie. I hold 10+) so the market share that NRLA members hold of the renter households is much more. Most of the 2.5m LLs own 1 property. My big issue is the lack of support they gave to S24 especially with the petition earlier this year. I have meeting with BB and I am sure I will make my feelings felt.
Give him some beans Dwin..!
That's a very good point about the number of properties NRLA members own. I own 16.
Their lack of campaigning or support over Section 24 or any of the other property specific tax increases has been disgusting.
It will do no good, to the public we are on the same level as the American XL Bully 🐕….. Hated 😱. If landlords stay in the PRS then this just has to be accepted.
It is not the duty of a private landlord to care for people with financial difficultis, but it is of the responsible government to create the conditions for those weak to have a decent life.
Dwin, I don’t necessarily agree if everyone had ten that would be a million not 2.5m or as revenue says 2.74m landlords declared for tax but not everyone has ten and many only one or two but I take your point. So do you pay the same for your Membership of ten as the person that has only one or has the number of properties any bearing, NRLA must be missing a trick or as I suspect on a bad footing or landlords would have flocked to them but alas not when you see Mr Beadle & Mr Gove cosying up together in the same picture in this issue of their magazine.
We were far better off before the merger between NLA & RLA with 50k members each. We had Mr. David Salisbury and Richard Lambert of NLA that stood up for our rights but they got pushed out in the merger and we are landed with this lot of self interest.
Suppose if you include British Landlord Association its still less than 150k members between the lot of them.
Just Scrap THE STUPID RENTERS REFORM BILL that has caused all this homeless, high rents and landlord exit.
Was the merger in preparation for the Renters Reform Legislation which has sought to turn all private rental sector properties into social housing?
A "social housing executive" was placed in charge of the NRLA in 2020.
That social housing executive was Ben Beadle according to the article in The Negotiator entitled "Leading landlord associations the RLA and NLA FINALLY merged"
I was the first area representative appointed by the new NRLA. I didn’t last very long before David Sulsbury asked me to leave as I didn’t fit into the organisations ethos. He was right. What do landlords want? What they are getting, which is almost a cartel. It’s now very hard to become a HMO landlord compared to when I started, the result rents are rocketing and landlords are leaving in droves so less competition. Speak to the average landlord. Their concern is themselves and getting tenants who stay and pay. A fairer or more balanced market would increase competition and this is the opposite of what existing landlords want.
Apart from this site, I have yet to come across a landlord and I know many who cares about the abolition of section 21. No landlord wants to evict a tenant for no fault. The reason they use section 21 is because they have been feed the myth that it’s easier to evict a tenant using section 21, than using Section 8. I have now evicted nearly 400 tenants are using section 8 rental arrears with 100% success. Yes I’ve been lucky, anyone who regularly uses the eviction courts will know it can be almost a lottery. Abolition of section 21 will make, I believe little difference to evictions but make it appear fairer. Gone will be the no fault ground and I personally welcome it. The government intends to create other grounds under section 8 to be able to evict tenants and generation rent have just woken up to this and beginning to complain. We now have a situation where landlords who are unable to adapt are upset along now with tenants who now realise that they still can be evicted. I suspect the government have realised this renters reform bill is going to leave nobody happy and further damage the private rented sector. Improving the eviction process would certainly help me and other professional landlords and do nothing for tenants except increase the number of evictions.
Will the renters reform bill get quietly shelved? I know where I would put my money!
Jim HaliburtonTheHMODaddy
Why would you welcome the loss of the 'no fault ground'? It's hard enough for landlords as it is to prove / win anything. S21 is about the only good thing we have, and that's already been watered down over the years. Why should we lose S21 and have to wait to go to court just to get our own property back? By wait I mean all the time it takes just to get to court, without giving them the opportunity to serve bogus counter-claims and their not paying the rent.
I don't care about the number behind the S - I only care that when a tenant is not keeping to their side of the contract I can remove them without a lengthy & expensive process. Our court system is a disgrace.
I would definitely welcome greater separation between fault and no fault evictions. Section 8 needs to be perfected before Section 21 is changed though.
Any tenant who is evicted for a fault based reason should suffer the consequences of their actions. Quite what those consequences turn out to be is a little unclear. Where will these people live? How will their children be housed?
For the genuinely blameless there needs to be some safety net so they aren't faced with paying the full cost of a move they didn't want or expect. Quite how that could be funded needs thinking about. Maybe the government should use some if the excessively high CGT landlords pay when selling up to give any genuinely blameless tenant £2000 to cover their inconvenience and moving costs?
To remind landlords that iHowz have been campaigning for two years to retain the S21 (see our campaigns page - ihowz.uk/the-unintended-consequences-of-losing-the-section-21-notice/).
We are also holding a meeting for MP's and Lords in the House of Commons on November 22nd to promote our campaign, specifically warning of the potential unintended consequences of abolishing the S21.
We are of the opinion that there will be more homelessness because of this, rather than retaining it, as claimed by Shelter.
There’s something a bit off with your timeline there Jim. I’ve been on the inside of the NRLA for 20 years, including as a regional rep, and have never known you to be on the team. Also, you couldn’t have been in the new NRLA before David Salusbury had a word with you as he was dead long before the NRLA came along. We’d had Richard Lambert as chairman in the years leading up to the merger. Just sayin’.
My concern and worry is: who to vote at next elections, all parties seesm to agree that the greatest evil to fight here are Landlords!
I agree no one wants to evict for no reason but when relationships breaks down between landlord and Tenant and no Section 21 where does that leave you trapped in an untenable situation and guaranteed to happen with RRB.
The hidden and not much discussed truth, add into the mix ASB 🆘 and some landlords are in for a very hard time.
I see there's new government guidance from the Dept of Levelling Down on mould. Unlimited fines for landlords.
Gove says: “Damp and mould in the home are not the result of ‘lifestyle choices’, and it is the responsibility of landlords to identify and address the underlying causes of the problem, such as structural issues or inadequate ventilation.” Mmmm... There's someone who's not a landlord or knows what he's talking about....
Gove is a fool - every time he speaks more uninformed tripe pours out of his mouth
There was no mould in the property when I lived in it, the mould occurred because the tenant had too many people living illegally in the property and did not ventilate it adequately.
I had the same experience. Council, no win no fee lawyer and thousands spent fixing it. Not taking the risk with all this unlimited fines BS.
Well I know there’s a lot of sympathy for people on Benefit with Children since the Benefit system have almost abolished marriages for sure.
Single Parents with kid’s obviously the order of the day to be kept and housed and all the other stuff, it’s rampant you won’t keep enough build for them but no one dare speak about it. I suppose in reality there’s usually a partner there contributing also I live in a real World.
Spare a thought for the working family who are renting with kids and have to pay all including full nursery fees and no child allowance, or paying a Mortgage for that matter.
The Benefit Tenant can sometimes out bid the working Tenants because if say for argument sake they are getting 700 / 800 pm it’s a lot better than having to find t full amount ?. Everyone talks about funding as if it’s a magic tree but it more of my money they want as if 45% isn’t enough.
The amazing thing is no one asked us or mooted the questions about removal of S21 or the introduction of S24 as if we didn’t exist, after all we are the main players but instead listen to people that don’t supply any housing and let them make Policy.
The only people with any involvement in the consultation have been student landlords and those providing social housing. Private landlords' interests have not been considered which is why the Renters Reform Legislation is a disaster from everyone's perspective.
Well done Peter good to hear from you and thanks for fighting our corners.
iHowz. Another Landlord Association of which I am a member for many years, who are prepared to stand up for our rights and Represent us at the highest level and have good legal connections.
@peter littlewood - will the discussion and outcome of 22 Nov mtg be available in any form?
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