Criminal landlords will lose benefit payments under Labour plan

... another reason not house tenants on benefits.

and in doing so, the MAJORITY of good landlords will deem this and unacceptable risk and therefore not take on benefit recipients.

Meanwhile those 'rogue' landlords who provide bad housing, will continue to take the risk as the number of benefit recipients desperate for accommodation rise and the potential for prosecution reduces.

The Councils just want someone else to take the burden of housing off them whether that be from the general housing list, o the expensive temp or emergency accommodation lists. There is no way any 'savings' made by doing this will be put into investing/enforcement/prosecution of these 'rogue' LL's.....it will simply disappear into the coffers.

The result of all this? Less people housed in good private properties, more in places where the LL is providing sub standard accommodation, and the government pats themselves on the back for being seen in 'tackling the issue' and standing up for benefit tenants rights (as well as securing back rent payments already made).

Going to be interesting to see what they do to tenants who create sub-standard housing from what was perfectly good and acceptable when they moved in.

As for tackling anti-social behaviour and drug use, been battling with such an issue with one tenant creating such havoc in flats that one family has left, one is terrified and staying with a friend temporarily and another two are looking to move. All too scared to make statements, attend court or phone police.

Until the justice system is upgraded to deal with this type of issue “immediately and effectively” the government is punishing the wrong people, if the landlord.

Someone who understand the problems associated with private renting needs to be dealing with this, not people who just offer politically appropriate soundbites and rhetoric.

Ministers need to speak to people who “know” what is happening rather than those who “think” they do.

If this applies to 'criminal' landlords then I am all for it.

Reply to the comment left by Marlena Topple at 13/02/2025 - 10:07...begs the question if they are 'criminal' landlords, then they must have been convicted of something, and so why is the government/council not vetting those who offer to provide such housing to vulnerable tenants in the first place?
Landlords receiving uncapped benefit payments are those providing specific 'supported or exempt accommodation'. Many are doing so the protection of being set up under a company. Points to the council not doing the due diligence before awarding contracts it seems.....

Also, these landlords don’t tackle ‘open drug use and anti-social behaviour’ which have overwhelmed streets in Blackpool, Birmingham, Blackburn and Hull.

If it is in the streets then isnt that the Police issue?

"To tackle these issues, Labour says it will also unveil a new licensing scheme and tougher standards." - guess who is going to end up paying for another licencing scheme.

Fact 1 - people have to live somewhere
Fact 2 - a great many PRS landlords won't rent to Benefit claimants or vulnerable people.
Fact 3 - "Vulnerable" has more than one meaning. A certain amount of "vulnerable" people will have made lifestyle choices that have made them undesirable as tenants.

In many cases it's a straight choice between rough sleeping or bad accomodation. Is anyone out there willing to provide a fully compliant, decent home at benefit level rent to a vulnerable person? I let to certain types of "vulnerable" but certainly not to other types.

Being too harsh with the rogue landlords will have consequences. If the financial penalties force them to close down where will their tenants go? The Councils have massive waiting lists, the PRS aren't enthusiastic and we certainly don't have access to the support these people ideally need, so what does that leave? I'm certainly not condoning rogue landlords but I do think the full impact of all potential consequences needs to be considered when deciding on a course of action. How many of us want an influx of vulnerable homeless people turning up in our town centre?

Reply to the comment left by Marlena Topple at 13/02/2025 - 10:07
YOU will BE the ‘criminal’ LL for missing your proposed *annual* EPC by a day or it dropping a band (owing to inconsistent assessors) and you’re now stuck renting a <C rated, considered a criminal and all your current (and future) benefit payments for this and the rest of your portfolio will cease forevermore!

Reply to the comment left by Luke P at 13/02/2025 - 11:25
You make a cogent case for not taking anyone on benefits.