Trade bodies have vigorously lobbied government during the two and a half year process leading to the delivery of the Fairer Private Rented Sector White Paper this week.
It’s fair to say those bodies were underwhelmed by its contents.
Nathan Emerson, chief executive of ARLA Propertymark, says: “After waiting three years to see exactly what this reform will look like, we’ve now got a set of proposals titled ‘The Fairer Private Rented Sector White Paper’. But there are some elements that don’t appear to be so.
“How is it fair that a tenant can simply end a tenancy at a time of their choosing, but an agent or landlord has to present a valid reason that is defined in law?
“Now we have the detail of what’s being proposed, we will be closely scrutinising it and working with Ministers to help them understand how on a practical level it will impact our letting agents members and their landlords.
“Our sector provides around 4.4 million households in England with a place to live. Property is a good long-term investment but the number of property owners choosing to withdraw from this area is growing.
“That’s the result of a decade of tax and regulatory burden that simply does not incentivise investment, especially for single property landlords who make up 43 per cent of the market.
“The private rental market is already under huge strain with renters outstripping available properties and we need to be able to attract new investment.
“If Ministers really do want to create a ‘fairer private rented sector’, they must work with us to ensure these reforms are carefully balanced and any interventions to achieve short-term objectives do not constrain the market in the longer term.”
And the chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, Ben Beadle, says: “Whilst headline commitments to strengthening possession grounds, speedier court processes and mediation are helpful, the detail to follow must retain the confidence of responsible landlords, as well as improving tenants’ rights.
“We will be analysing the Government’s plans carefully to ensure they meet this test. A failure to do so will exacerbate the housing crisis at a time when renters are struggling to find the homes they need.
“The eventual legislation needs to recognise that government actions have led to a shortage of supply in the sector at a time of record demand. It is causing landlords to leave the sector and driving up rents when people can least afford it.”
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NRLA need not do any analysis, many Landlords have been on the edge as a result of the war the Government has been waging against them for the ladt 6-7 years. This will tip many over the edge, and they'll be selling up in droves ahead of the abolition of Sec.21 becoming Law.
So as the number of prospective tenants vying for properties is 20-30 we can expect that to quadruple as even more tenants vie for far fewer properties.
Good news for Landlords that remain, creaming off the best tenants at premium rents.
Not fairer for Landlords just more of the same totally discriminatory laws, Those Organisations suppose to be helping LL are just creaming off making a fat living off our backs, the more laws and crap they introduce the more money for them. There’s is no representing Landlords who supplies the property and takes all the risks and no one else at risk in law
Simple answer, there are more tenants than landlords, so more votes. Enough said.
Tenants voting tory ? very few I would say
Not so sure,…..Thatcher bought votes back in the 80’s with the selling off of council housing, it may work ! But for those tenants with an IQ above grass …. They will see right through it, and understand it’s all smoke and mirrors, especially when they are paying crazy rents, which keep going skywards.
As per usual landlords are wheeled out as the whipping boys for all that is wrong but the government would do well to heed the saying you reap as you sow for I doubt enough tenants will change their vote to keep the Tories in power for long and hell will need to freeze over before landlords or ex landlords most of whom managed to purchase a single property to let in order to eke out their pathetic state pension, ever consider voting Tory again.
So we now have Mr Ben Beadle CEO of NRLA also talking about improving Tenants rights in this article, the very issue that’s causing the many problem’s in the Private Rented Sector and why so many Landlords are unhappy or wanting out, because of the unfairness and Tenants having too many rights, are we as LL’s supporting an organisation that’s working against our interests and driving a wedge between us and our customers. The Bill has passed the White Paper stage before it turns Green and becomes law.
They should give it, it’s proper title The Private Landlords Confiscation Bill.
I'm not supporting Mr Beadle I'm not a member of the NRLA, I am a long standing member of Eastern Landlords Assoc, however I've cancelled the DDR so my membership will end next year, all we get now is an online magazine 4 times a year full of adverts, they are making no effort to fight our corner
A question is how many landlords can live with tenants having security of tenure in the new so called periodic tenancies system. There weren't many landlords left at all in the 70s and 80s when the Rent Acts were in force so that gives us an indication of the answer to that question. The NRLA is not considering that, but they should be. The Welsh housing reforms still allow no fault termination of tenancies albeit it with a long notice period. Why is that not being argued for by the NRLA in England?
Rod Little in the Sunday Times has written a VERY pointed and true article about the Rental Reform
" I’ve spotted a loose brick in Gove’s housing plan: smashing the landlords will make 11m homeless "
Imagine the Tory shark swimming through a shoal of 13 million little Labour/Lib Dem fishies, easy prey to pick off in one fell swoop.
Mathew, If you are suggesting that a tenant in the PRS will vote for the conservative party, hell will freeze over first.
Tories don’t care about PRS or tenants.
There’s not enough homes in the country for all the people. Buyers vote Tory and renters do not. So to get BTL and second home owners to sell at least increases the supply of homes for sale. Property is merely transferred from investors to owners. Politically positive and a vote winner. Renters aren’t voting Tory at present and certainly won’t after this so no loss there.
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