42% of landlords reluctant to rent to non UK passport holders post Right to Rent

42% of landlords reluctant to rent to non UK passport holders post Right to Rent

11:46 AM, 18th December 2017, About 6 years ago 17

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A recent survey by the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) of almost 2,800 landlords has found that 42% were reluctant to rent to anyone except those with a UK passport and 49% are less likely to rent to someone who has permission to stay in the UK for only a limited time.

RLA Policy Director David Smith wrote:

“Under the Right to Rent policy landlords are responsible for checking the immigration status of their tenants and face prosecution if they know or have reasonable cause to believe that the property they are letting is occupied by someone who does not have the right to rent in the UK.

“It is little wonder that faced with the threat of prosecution landlords, having been effectively turned into border police, are playing it safe.

“Given that according to Oxford University’s Migration Observatory, the foreign born population is almost three times as likely to be in the private rental sector as UK-born nationals, this policy is actively discriminating against them.

“A policy that was designed to make the country a hostile environment for illegal immigrants is also creating a hostile environment for those who do not have a passport. This includes the 17% of legitimate UK residents who do not hold a passport.

“Despite assurances from the Government about making allowances, landlords are fearful of being caught out by forged identity documents which are becoming more prolific as a result of the policy.

“Ministers might have reached some sort of agreement with the EU last week about the status of EU nationals living in the UK, but without legal certainty landlords will not know who they can and cannot rent to and for how long.

“Landlords cannot be blamed for being cautious when the threat of criminal prosecution hangs over them and they do not have the knowledge or experience to act as border control officers.”

David Smith called for The Home Office to suspend the scheme pending a full and detailed assessment of its impact on tenants and prospective tenants.


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Comments

Jonathan Clarke

19:20 PM, 20th December 2017, About 6 years ago

Reply to the comment left by money manager at 20/12/2017 - 11:00
Good point!

Mick Roberts

7:37 AM, 22nd December 2017, About 6 years ago

Exactly same as me Jonathan. I go away for a week, when I get back, I have 4 rents that have just 'stopped', for all different reasons. by LHA for their silly excuses, more recently it's the automatic computer system Atlas.
I go away for 2 weeks, I get EIGHT rents 'stopped'.
And takes me hours & days & weeks of dialogue with HB & tenants etc., to get the rents back on. As the tenants just get fobbed off by the normal HB staff.
That's why I can't go away for more than 7 days at the moment.
You telling me about new staff, they han't got a clue. And because they're the ones with HB above their desk, everyone that rings is wrong. I tell 'em, Let's just imagine I AM RIGHT, Oh No they say u r wrong Mick, so complaints & to higher people who eventually say what are u playing at HB person.
I've been doing it 20 years, know virtually everything there is to know about HB/LHA, & does my nut in telling what's supposed to be a trained HB person, that he's getting it wrong.
Ha ha yes, I have a mate HB man high up in the Landlord section, he is good, but he loves PRESSING THAT SUSPENSION button. They get satisfaction out of it. I say to his colleagues jokingly Don't let him get hold of it, he will just suspend it & ask for proof later.
And then I've got brilliant high up woman who will ring as I'm driving & say Are u near such & such house, as we need quick letter signing. We solve in 3 mins what could take normal staff months.

terry sullivan

12:18 PM, 23rd December 2017, About 6 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Mick Roberts at 18/12/2017 - 12:57
direct payment was a labor policy to screw prs landlords--and councils will not prosecute those tenats that defraud the system--i have personal experience of this--one was roi towrag, other was a pole

terry sullivan

12:20 PM, 23rd December 2017, About 6 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Mick Roberts at 22/12/2017 - 07:37
local govt depends on agency staff on frontline--most do not stay for long--too much crap actually doing work that permanent staff have avoided--my sons have personal experience of this

terry sullivan

12:23 PM, 23rd December 2017, About 6 years ago

Reply to the comment left by amarni 1 at 18/12/2017 - 18:29
stop all benefits--you work for ffffyour money--no work=no money. lifes tough

amarni

15:34 PM, 23rd December 2017, About 6 years ago

They have been in power long enough to take responsibility for their actions and manner of the manner of implementation of UC; ignoring those landlords on the receiving end having an input at the rock face.

My comments are pertinent and observational. The weakness of the party negotiators was shown when Cameron arrived back from EU talks with Herr Juncker with absolutely nothing - the attitude conveying nothing could change it ! It is often the small occurrences that gets noticed, ie tripping when stepping down into and out of a car (Mrs Clinton) or eating a sandwich in public (Millaband) or a post question remark made with sound system still running (Brown), May standing in front of a battle bus, alone.

Take note of the attitude the former East Bloc countries take toward Brussels overarching EU direction finger pointing on borders - they simply create their own borders made up of barbed-wires.

The many crass governmental (Tory) changes impacting those landlords in the private rental sector (certainly not how to make friends and influence people) coupled with major changes within social care sector benefits system to UC is a huge undertaking and the the government knew it would be difficult, and parts of it a disaster. It is their lack of common-sense understanding or implementing it without a major fallout and outrage following that astound one.

Mick Roberts

6:57 AM, 25th December 2017, About 6 years ago

Reply to the comment left by terry sullivan at 23/12/2017 - 12:18
I'm having a sneaky hour in the office on Xmas day (how sad is that), before missus & kid get up.

It is wrong that tenants get away scott free with spending Taxypayers money.

I've never seen in 9+ years of LHA any Newsreader on the TV channels make a show of this. 'What, we the taxpayer are doing what is required, using our taxes to make sure this unemployed tenant got a home, & he she is then spending OUR money on holidays, drugs etc.? And the Landlord has already told the Powers that be this will happen? You are joking! And the Govt bought this system in against the advice of Landlords who KNOW their tenants?'

Why has this never been portrayed as it is?

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