Haart say new tenant protection Bill does not go far enough!
The high street letting agent Haart does not believe the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation and Liability for Housing Standards) Bill 2017-19 goes far enough to protect tenants.
The Private Members Bill brought to Parliament by Labour MP Karen Buck includes giving tenants the right to take legal action over the habitation standards of private rental property. Please Click Here to see full details of the Bill drawn up so far.
Operations director for Haart, Paul Sloan, thinks that tenants did already have the right to sue landlords even if the power was more skewed towards local authorities and that the whole rental market should be changed.
Sloan said “This legislation is not new. Tenants have always been able to take legal action against landlords, but this particular bill, which was originally brought forward two years ago gives more rights to the tenants themselves. It failed to get enough votes in 2015, but was brought forward again in the summer in the wake of the Grenfell tower disaster, and has now got the government backing it needs.”
“The aim of this bill is to raise standards and push the bad boys out of the market, but, it is just another bit of legislation and I think there is a danger that the bad boys will be driven underground rather than out.
“If the government is going to regulate, it needs to regulate the industry as a whole. That’s the only way to raise standards across the board, not this piecemeal approach which seems designed more to win votes than to actually change the way that the rental market operates.”
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Comments: 359
3:30 PM, 19th January 2018, About 8 years ago
Have to agree – any housing legislation needs to apply across the board and be binding on ALL landlords, including LA and HA landlords (and the military?) – and certainly NOT just on the PRS
Member Since August 2013 - Comments: 428
4:15 PM, 19th January 2018, About 8 years ago
Reply to the comment left by D D at 19/01/2018 – 15:30
I believe this legislation will apply to local authorities and housing associations as well as private landlords.
Member Since December 2015 - Comments: 828
4:57 PM, 19th January 2018, About 8 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Seething Landlord at 19/01/2018 – 16:15
do you reslly? you are a fool if you do!
Member Since December 2015 - Comments: 828
5:13 PM, 19th January 2018, About 8 years ago
boycott haart
Member Since August 2013 - Comments: 428
10:55 PM, 19th January 2018, About 8 years ago
Reply to the comment left by terry sullivan at 19/01/2018 – 16:57
Yes I really do. I suggest you read the RLA article, which makes it clear that the Bill applies to all tenures, or perhaps you think that they are fools as well.
Member Since March 2015 - Comments: 1969 - Articles: 1
12:39 AM, 20th January 2018, About 8 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Seething Landlord at 19/01/2018 – 22:55
Perhaps Terry means it’s highly unlikely to be enforced against anyone other than private landlords?
Member Since August 2013 - Comments: 428
9:59 AM, 20th January 2018, About 8 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Luke P at 20/01/2018 – 00:39
I have no idea whether that’s what he meant but I doubt it. One of the changes introduced by this legislation will be that tenants are given the right to take action themselves instead of having to rely on the council to do so.
Member Since July 2013 - Comments: 1434
11:39 AM, 20th January 2018, About 8 years ago
The Bill will allow tenants of local authorities to take legal action against their landlord.
A problem with the current situation is that the prosecuting authority would be the local authority, and a LA cannot take legal action against itself.
The problem with the existing legislation is that it applies only to rent levels that are woefully out of date and no current tenancies are at such low rent levels.
(LA action against private landlords is taken under different legislation)