Government funding not enough

Government funding not enough

6:50 AM, 3rd January 2020, About 4 years ago 2

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Government funding to root out criminal landlords is welcome, but inadequate to tackle the scale of the problem, the RLA has said.

Ministers have today confirmed details of more than 100 local authorities in England which will share £4 million in new funding, as part of what it describes as a “crackdown on criminal landlords”.

Whilst the Residential Landlords Association welcomes the Government’s focus on rooting them out, it warns that the amount is nowhere near enough to tackle the crooks.

The RLA has long been calling on Ministers to provide proper, multi-year funding for councils to enable them to plan long term strategies to root out for good those criminal landlords who bring the sector into disrepute. This must involve sufficient funds to boost the number and skills of Environmental Health Officers.

David Smith, Policy Director for the Residential Landlords Association, said: “We welcome the Government’s focus on rooting out criminal landlords. For too long the debate has been driven by ideological calls for more regulation of the sector. What is needed is better enforcement of the powers already available to tackle the minority who bring the sector into disrepute.

“Today’s funding though is nowhere near enough. Instead of offering inadequate and sporadic pots of money, it is critical that the Government provides proper, multi-year funding to enable councils to plan and prepare workable strategies to find the criminal landlords. This should be supported by councils having the political will to prioritise enforcement against the crooks rather than tying good landlords up in licensing schemes which do nothing to protect tenants.”


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Comments

Paul Essex

15:52 PM, 3rd January 2020, About 4 years ago

I am deeply concerned that the liberal elite don't understand the problem. People live in poor accommodation BECAUSE it's cheaper than better. Forcing landlords to make the accommodation better will mean that tenants with small budgets will no longer be able to afford to live locally. None of these so called solutions will actually create cheap high quality housing, in fact they will end up pushing those on the lowest incomes into bed and breakfast or even out of the area completely.

Mick Roberts

11:01 AM, 4th January 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Paul Essex at 03/01/2020 - 15:52
Great words Paul. Harsh to some not in the know, but true.

My mate has cheap HIMO rooms, not great he says. The male tenants say 'Have u got anything cheaper? They don't mind worse, just want cheaper.

All these improvements come at a cost. New Builds are more expensive cause they cost more money for the latest stuff.

I already put higher spec boilers in mine.
Decent kitchens.
But u start asking me to put wired smoke alarms, IP lights, Electrical certificates, EPC's, £890 Council Selective Licenses (which the tenants gets nothing out of) & this costs more money.
And rent pays for EVERYTHING.

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