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Written by Emma Lunn

The National Landlords Association (NLA) has accused tenants’ campaign group Generation Rent of releasing “first class propaganda” as the group officially launched its “Renters Manifesto”.

The list of demands include the reform of the private rental market, a right for tenants to insist on a five-year tenancies, and the professionalization of landlords and letting agents.

The group also called for a “new housing market that allows buyers to opt-out of rising house prices” and a new Department for Housing to be set up by the Government.

The campaign is calling for the Government to build houses that can only be sold on for a limited increase in price, which it says would deter speculators and ensure that people could buy a home for little more than the cost of building it.

Generation Rent director Alex Hilton said: “As speculators have snapped up London’s houses, prices have risen so far people living and working here have simply given up on ever buying a home. Most people want to buy somewhere to live, not something they can flip for a profit, and this is what our bubble-free housing market offers them.”

Richard Lambert, chief executive officer at the NLA, said that while no one should have to put up with poor property standards or live in fear of their tenancy ending, the UK private rented sector is not at crisis point.

“Far from renters experiencing a second class service, our research findings match those from government and academia which show that seven in 10 tenants are happy with their property,” he said, “Generation Rent seems to overlook the fact that tenancy durations are determined largely by tenants, not landlords. Like any other business landlords want happy customers and steady income and it’s simply not the case that they look to evict their tenants at the first opportunity. 

“The number of tenants who lose their homes through so called ‘revenge evictions’ represents 0.1% of households who rent privately. Far from indicating a market failure, it actually shows that Generation Rent is well off the mark.”

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