A legal expert is warning landlords to be wary of joining local council ‘Safer Renting’ schemes

These seemingly well-intentioned projects may have a hidden agenda – to gather information landlords may not be obligated to disclose.

Phil Turtle of Landlord Licensing & Defence says: “The concern lies in the potential for these schemes to act as a trap for unsuspecting landlords.

“By participating, landlords could be inadvertently providing information that could be used against them in the future.”

The issues of concern for landlords include asking them to declare compliance with various regulations, says Turtle.

That request could be construed as an admission of guilt if the council later discovers a violation.

Also, councils may not have complete information on a landlord’s properties and by joining the scheme, landlords may unwittingly fill in these gaps towards enforcement action.

Again, this could potentially lead to future investigations.

Turtle highlights a further concern: “The way the collected information will be used and stored is often unclear.

“Landlords may be unaware of how this information could impact them in the future.”

He suggests that before joining any Safer Renting scheme, landords should carefully review its requirements and how the information will be used, and use a specialist in landlord housing law if required.

In addition landlords should maintain meticulous records of all property maintenance, inspections and tenant communication to help defend against any future allegations.

Turtle concludes: “Landlords play a vital role in providing housing for countless individuals and families. It’s crucial they understand their rights and obligations, and approach these schemes with caution.”