Citizens Advice calling for National Housing Body
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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Back by popular demand
Member Since May 2015 - Comments: 2208 - Articles: 2
9:59 AM, 29th June 2019, About 7 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Paul Essex at 27/06/2019 – 13:46
Yes CAB will not talk to landlords claiming a conflict of interest.
Member Since October 2013 - Comments: 52
10:50 AM, 29th June 2019, About 7 years ago
Reply to the comment left by David Price at 29/06/2019 – 09:59
Doe that suggest Landlords are therefore not ‘citizens’?
Member Since June 2013 - Comments: 3255 - Articles: 81
10:58 AM, 29th June 2019, About 7 years ago
If Citizens Advice go down this route of not talking to Landlords, Well….. Us HB LHA UC Landlords know how that doesn’t work.
And when HB gave us direct contacts/emails/numbers from higher up HB staff, their workload went way down, as did Taxcpayers money got saved, we prevented homeless etc.
Not talking to Landlords like UC do now is an absolutely stupendous decision by Citizens advice if that’s their stance. We could solve so many things by communicating.
Member Since June 2014 - Comments: 1565
5:40 PM, 29th June 2019, About 7 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Old Mrs Landlord at 28/06/2019 – 10:22
“(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!)”
Whatever your opinions, your posts are factually correct and obviously that of a long term private landlord.
If you posted direct from the ‘Bluffers Guide To Ethical Portfolio Private Landlording, (Guaranteed to bankrupt you in 12 Months or your money back)’, then I expect you would be called out, on a site frequented by experienced landlords.
Member Since December 2016 - Comments: 50
2:21 PM, 30th June 2019, About 7 years ago
Don’t know why they are worried – the PRS will be gone in a couple of years and Generation Rent will be living in ‘pods’ (like they do in Tokyo & China) provided by the big Corporate’s at top prices…Enjoy!
Member Since February 2019 - Comments: 152
4:06 PM, 30th June 2019, About 7 years ago
Reply to the comment left by bob the builder at 30/06/2019 – 14:21
Excellent comment.
The only thing that puzzles me about this alleged housing shortage is that in London as far as the eye can see they are building flats. What will this do to supply and demand.
Member Since December 2016 - Comments: 50
4:29 PM, 30th June 2019, About 7 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Frederick Morrow-Ahmed at 30/06/2019 – 16:06
I think they are mostly building new blocks where there were old buildings or scrap bits of land so that is increasing the density for a given area but I do not see demand in inner London (Z 1-2) ever going away unless there is a world wide fiat currency collapse then all bets are off and I think that demand still outstrips the supply increase, further out maybe not so rosey.
Member Since December 2016 - Comments: 50
4:31 PM, 30th June 2019, About 7 years ago
Reply to the comment left by bob the builder at 30/06/2019 – 14:21
I get dibs on coining the phrase ‘Generation Pod’!
Member Since April 2014 - Comments: 460 - Articles: 1
11:43 AM, 1st July 2019, About 7 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Old Mrs Landlord at 29/06/2019 – 08:01
He blocked me on Twitter months ago because I asked him how many members the alliance has:) He has also sent me unpleasant private messages. Not very professional
Member Since April 2014 - Comments: 460 - Articles: 1
11:51 AM, 1st July 2019, About 7 years ago
Reply to the comment left by bob the builder at 30/06/2019 – 16:31
Generation Pod! Love it. On a serious note, if these charities and organisations had started off by reaching out to decent landlords and the NLA/RLA, the housing crisis would not be as critical as it is now. Every attack on the sector forces landlords to reassess risk. Higher risk tenants – low income, benefit recipients, vulnerable and in need of high level support – are no longer a viable risk for many landlords. And homelessness and rough sleeper figures continue to rise