Labour ‘demonises landlords’ and will empower tenants

Labour ‘demonises landlords’ and will empower tenants

9:35 AM, 27th September 2022, About A year ago 33

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Labour has unveiled plans to deliver a new renters’ charter and a decent homes standard for the country’s private rental sector.

But the criticism at the party’s conference in Liverpool of private landlords has been slammed by one organisation as ‘demonising all landlords’.

Lisa Nandy, the shadow secretary of state for Levelling Up, Housing, Communities & Local Government, told the conference: “For private renters, we will tilt the balance of power back to you through a powerful new renters’ charter and a new decent homes standard – written into law.

“Because security in your home, the right to make your home your own and most of all the right to live in a home fit for human habitation is non-negotiable.”

Renters’ Charter to give private tenants new powers

While she didn’t give details in her speech, Ms Nandy did give an interview to the Mirror in which she pledged to deliver a Renters’ Charter that will give private tenants new powers in the first 100 days of a Labour government.

This would include the end of automatic evictions for rent arrears and abolishing no-fault evictions.

The charter will also include the right for tenants to have pets, to make reasonable alterations to a property and introduce a four month notice period for landlords.

Labour is also promising to create a national register of landlords and a legally binding decent homes standard.

They will also look at ways to make tenancy deposits ‘more portable’.

There is also expected to be a consultation with landlords and tenant groups on how to ‘stabilise rent increases’.

‘My priority to tackle the housing crisis’

In her speech, Ms Nandy said: “I will make it my priority to tackle the housing crisis because nothing, nothing is more important than a home.

“The Tories have turned housing into a racket.

“Incentivising speculation and profiteering while millions languish on waiting lists in cold damp homes.

“So, we will mend the deliberate vandalism of our social housing stock.”

She said that Labour would be the first government in a generation to restore social housing to the second largest form of tenure.

This will be, she added, ‘Our mantra’.

‘Labour Party is once again demonising all landlords’

Ben Beadle, the chief executive of the National Residential Landlords’ Association, said: “It is depressing that the Labour Party is once again demonising all landlords.

“The vast majority do a good job, providing a fifth of all housing in the country.

“That is why private tenants are more likely to be satisfied with their accommodation than those in the social rented sector.”

‘What Labour is proposing will seriously damage confidence’

He added: “The combined effects of what Labour is proposing, in particular essentially making rent payments an optional extra, will seriously damage confidence and with it, the supply of homes to rent when demand is already high.

“Tenants will suffer in the long run.

“The reality is that promises of new social housing at some distant point in the future will do nothing to help renters struggling today.”


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Comments

JohnCaversham

10:26 AM, 27th September 2022, About A year ago

Very simple, a further large chunk of private LL'ds are now guaranteed to exit if the loony left come to power..I will be advising all my tenants not to vote labour and pointing out that rents will rise and many LL'ds including myself may be forced to sell out from under them-the perfect storm with forecast high int rates over the next few years. In my view all private LL'ds should now be taking time to talk to their tenants to educate them if need be. But most tenants are not stupid they understand the implications of ever increasing bureaucracy and eroding of LLds rights. Interestingly, when I go to property meets etc, most of the LLd's there are of a similar age to me ie 50's onwards, there are not so many younger people coming to property in the traditional AST letting sense, the younger guys are shooting for high yielding strategies using prop techs, so that would suggest that many of us will soon be at a point where we think about de-burdening ourselves from this tripe before retirement..

Martin Thomas

10:33 AM, 27th September 2022, About A year ago

The usual story - a politician chasing votes.
By the way, how can anyone that doesn't own a property have "the right to make your home your own"?
Labour's idea as to what constitutes "reasonable improvements" might be very different to a landlord's.
If landlords needed a nudge to sell up, this could well be it.

Judith Wordsworth

10:58 AM, 27th September 2022, About A year ago

2/3rds of my property rental portfolio has now been sold. Phew

The only “clout” PRS landlords have against all political parties is for ALL landlords to issue s21 notices on a named day. Doesn't mean that possession will need to be sort, well not unless the landlord wants to, but it will shock politicians into realising where would 4.7 million people - including their children- be housed!

Darren Peters

11:01 AM, 27th September 2022, About A year ago

"The charter will also include the right for tenants to have pets"

If this was made law, would it override a Leasehold clause specifying 'no pets'?

Justin

11:05 AM, 27th September 2022, About A year ago

Its about time the political lobby representing landlords started doing their job rather than winging.

"Politicians need educating......"

To hope and prey a labour government isn't round the corner is not the right approach, because most landlord bashing has taken place under a conservative government, with little or no fight back from the NRLA and such like....

The lobbying needs to start now with the labour front bench!!

Monty Bodkin

11:33 AM, 27th September 2022, About A year ago

“Because security in your home, the right to make your home your own and most of all the right to live in a home fit for human habitation is non-negotiable.”

Landlords will continue 'negotiating' with their feet with an increasingly un-level playing field.

Being a private landlord isn't compulsory (yet!).

LaLo

11:35 AM, 27th September 2022, About A year ago

Correct me if I’m wrong- but I’m sure I’ve recently read somewhere that Scotland are bringing in ‘tenants can no longer be evicted due to rent arrears’ !! This can’t be right.

KH

11:47 AM, 27th September 2022, About A year ago

The balance of power was skewed in favour of tenants long ago. These proposals by labour will simply tip the balance further. The Labour Party can introduce more and more rights for tenants if they form a government and choose to do so but they will then have to explain to the electorate at the following election why there aren't any private rental properties available. I do not think the entire collective of Labour politicians have the tiniest fraction of business sense between them.

Gromit

11:50 AM, 27th September 2022, About A year ago

All Landlords need to serve a Sec.21 (if it's still allowed) 1 month before the next General Election telling their Tenants that if Labour get in then they are out (and the Sec.21 lapses if Labour don't get in)!!

John Grefe

11:55 AM, 27th September 2022, About A year ago

Reference to Judith's comments. That's a good idea, on the named day issue a Section 21. That would blow their ideas apart, maybe? Over my working life I have seen some "Dodgy" rentals. So it is up to us to maintain a better standard. You do make money, if you don't get out of the business!
Unfortunately, what seems to be the socialist thinkers, Labour, Lib Dems, Greens plus especially left wingers are hell bent crushing a service by landlords! Governments don't or can't do it. This includes the present Welsh & Scottish governments. Thanks 👍

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