Citizens Advice calling for National Housing Body

Citizens Advice calling for National Housing Body

15:21 PM, 26th June 2019, About 5 years ago 42

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Citizens Advice has conducted a survey into the PRS and concluded renters do not receive the same level of protection as in other essential consumer markets. Click Here to view the full survey.

Therefore they are calling for a ‘National Housing Body’ to set consistent standards, providing more protection for tenants and make it easier for landlords to do their jobs. The proposed new body could be included in an existing or brand new independent institution.

However, it is proposed the focus for the body should be on:

  • Setting the right standards: it could implement measures to standardise and clarify standards for landlords. For example, it could develop a simplified code of practice, or standardise ‘fit and proper person’ tests. Using membership of the new landlord redress scheme, the body could develop a register of landlords and use it to regularly communicate with landlords on new and upcoming regulation. This would make it easier for landlords and tenants to know exactly where they stand.
  • Create consistent expectations and requirements
  • Proactive ongoing monitoring: a national body should proactively enforce rules.​ ​This will take the onus away from tenants to pursue enforcement actions and make it easier to access redress.
  • Supporting landlords to meet their obligations: this body should be a resource for landlords to turn to to answer questions, and provide feedback guidance on regulation. This way, landlords will find it easier to know what their obligations are and follow them – providing a better standard of service for tenants.

The survey found:

  • 22% of tenants experiencing disrepair end up spending their own time or money fixing the problem.
  • 9 in 10 tenants don’t know whether a responsibility is theirs or their landlord’s.
  • 1 in 4 landlords were not able to correctly identify any of the potential outcomes of failing to meet their obligations towards tenants.
  • 1 in 3 landlords find it difficult to keep up with rules and regulations.
  • 75% of landlords agree that having a single national body responsible for standards would make their job easier

RLA policy director, David Smith, said:

“There are already well over 150 laws containing 400 regulations affecting the private rented sector. The powers are already there for councils to tackle and root out criminal landlords who cause misery for their tenants.

“What is lacking are both the will and the resources to properly use them. We fail to see how establishing a new body of this kind will help to address this.”


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Comments

AJ

17:49 PM, 27th June 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Luke P at 27/06/2019 - 15:27
if the CAB don't talk to landlords that means they don't class landlords at citizens

Annie Landlord

18:25 PM, 27th June 2019, About 5 years ago

Apparently the results come from an online survey involving just over 2000 tenants and just over 1000 landlords. I've asked CAB how they verified the information being provided and whether the property MOT and redress scheme would apply to social landlords too. Awaiting a response.
I find it unbelievable that 26% of the landlords admitted their property didn't have a gas safety certificate or smoke alarm. Really?

Old Mrs Landlord

19:06 PM, 27th June 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Annie Landlord at 27/06/2019 - 18:25They somehow seem to have tracked down the criminal landlords who operate under the radar but who when discovered are happy to admit to their misdeeds! The methodology of this survey seems almost designed to attract input from jokers, aggrieved tenants and the indefatigable anarchist keyboard warriors who regularly post on the HPC website and who could all easily pose as landlords.

Mick Roberts

7:07 AM, 28th June 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Old Mrs Landlord at 27/06/2019 - 19:06
That's amazing how they tracked down the criminal landlords. As Nottingham Council can't find their criminal Landlords, approx. 50% 16,000 who haven't come forward to pay their License. Maybe the Council should ask CAB how they do this.

Old Mrs Landlord

7:58 AM, 28th June 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Mick Roberts at 28/06/2019 - 07:07
Agreed, it is amazing. However, with regard to my remarks in that post about the flawed methodology, I have to admit I have not researched the methodology and what I said was a knee-jerk reaction to what Annie Landlord posted about checks on and verification of responders.
Now I read (Property Industry Eye) that Theresa May says legislation to remove S.21 will come in about six months, to be operative next spring. Obviously going to be a real, in-depth consultation then, isn't it? Definitely no knee-jerk reactions on the part of government.

Mark Shine

8:43 AM, 28th June 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Old Mrs Landlord at 27/06/2019 - 19:06
Yes, you’re correct - the HPC mob regularly encourage each other to participate / manipulate PRS related surveys or polls. Their existence means that most housing related online surveys are likely to produce inaccurate results.

Annie Landlord

10:03 AM, 28th June 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Old Mrs Landlord at 28/06/2019 - 07:58
Well, I'm still waiting for CAB to explain how they verified the information. Or indeed how they verified that tenants were tenants and landlords were landlords. Maybe some other landlords also could tweet/fb/email them to ask? The stats are so screwed I just can't believe they can be verified

Old Mrs Landlord

10:22 AM, 28th June 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Annie Landlord at 28/06/2019 - 10:03
Sorry, I steer clear of FB, Twitter and all similar social media platforms. (In fact I'm surprised Larry Sweeney hasn't asked for proof that I am actually a landlord and not a figment of some malevolent entity's imagination!)

Mark Shine

22:23 PM, 28th June 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Old Mrs Landlord at 28/06/2019 - 10:22
OML... pls do not give Larry ideas 💡 that may adversely affect you. I’d like to make clear to all the many external ‘voyeurs’ of this forum, that Larry’s tactics certainly do not adequately represent the vast majority of LLs...

That said, totally accept Larry has done way more than most LLs to challenge TPTB’s real agenda and motives.

It’s still a dilemma 4 me...

Old Mrs Landlord

8:01 AM, 29th June 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Mark Shine at 28/06/2019 - 22:23
He told me in no uncertain terms not to reply to his posts so I don't. I suppose I shouldn't even have allowed myself that tongue-in-cheek reference to him, but it's a fact that he knows less about me than about Amelia. I trust Neil Patterson not to reveal my name but even if it were known, googling it would get you nowhere. As far as I can tell Larry is well-intentioned but his attitude and tactics are so far removed from my own that I am unable to join his Alliance. The most recent thread he started on this platform revealed he has got himself a ghost writer or at least a decent proof reader/copy editor - a wise move in my view. With the support of the right team his Alliance may yet achieve more victories along the lines of his success with regard to Liverpool licensing; I just know I couldn't work with him. From what others have written I gather some of his Twitter posts risk bringing the Alliance into disrepute. Other readers can make up their own minds about how representative he is of the majority who post on this forum.

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