0:01 AM, 26th June 2025, About 7 months ago 22
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Generation Rent claims “it’s no problem if landlords want to leave the market,” despite the ongoing housing crisis.
Chief executive, of the tenant group, Ben Twomey, made the bold claim during a Work and Pensions Committee session on local housing allowance rates.
Previously, Property118 reported the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) spoke at the same committee, warning that landlords are facing rising costs and that dozens of tenants chasing every rental property is causing a drop in supply.
Danny Kruger, Shadow Minister for Work and Pensions, questioned Mr Twomey’s stance on the Renters’ Rights Bill.
Mr Kruger says that whilst he can understand the arguments for the abolition of Section 21, the number of landlords leaving the market could cause huge rent increases.
Mr Kruger asked: “You are aware of the number of landlords who are talking about quitting the rental market. Should the government do anything to mitigate the danger of landlords leaving the rental market?
“Maybe it will end up with more housing for sale for you and others, but surely that is a major driver of the rent increases we see.”
However, Mr Twomey appeared unconcerned about landlords leaving the rental market.
He told the committee: “In the long term, it is no problem at all if landlords want to leave the market. We certainly do not want to twist arms to keep landlords who do not want to be letting in the market.
“It is not a problem in the long term because the bricks and mortar of those homes do not sink into the ground. They will hopefully be available for first-time buyers, for example. They could also be bought by another landlord who will continue to rent it out.”
Mr Twomey admitted that in the short term, landlords leaving do cause problems, particularly with evictions.
He adds: “In the short term, the problem is that it often causes evictions, because most landlords do not sell with tenants in situ.
“We are keen that the bill passes as soon as possible to end section 21 no-fault evictions and to make sure that we have the right protections in place so that evictions are legitimate if they happen.
“There will still be a way to evict for sale, but the notice period will be four months as opposed to two months at the moment, which gives tenants more time to find another place.”
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Lomondhomes
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Member Since November 2020 - Comments: 42
9:10 AM, 26th June 2025, About 7 months ago
Thanks Mr Twomey. That has really helped ease my conscious as I’ve already stated selling, sadly with some that have been with me for over 20 years. Lis Truss was suicidal in her budget. Governments are now giving us a death by 1,000 cuts.
Gromit
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Member Since September 2015 - Comments: 1010
9:52 AM, 26th June 2025, About 7 months ago
Just confirms that Generation Rent are just anti-Landlord and not pro-Tenant unless of course lack of choice and higher rents benefit Tenants.
dismayed landlord
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Member Since December 2015 - Comments: 290
9:55 AM, 26th June 2025, About 7 months ago
I am so glad I have their consent.
Good bye – and the best of luck to the tenants you claim to support. !! 🤣🤣
Marlena Topple
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Member Since July 2016 - Comments: 162
10:08 AM, 26th June 2025, About 7 months ago
This chap clearly has no concept of the laws of supply and demand.
Judith Wordsworth
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Member Since January 2015 - Comments: 1371
10:11 AM, 26th June 2025, About 7 months ago
As supply becomes less GR will be screaming for rent caps.
Interesting though reports state 53% of PRS landlords have left or are leaving the sector in the last 3 years. Though I started off-loading 5 years ago when the Renters Reform Bill rose its head.
Had it on good authority that the last government was not actually going to enact the Bill ie let it run out of time and was an appeasement to the likes of Shelter and Generation Rent and hoped was a vote catcher for the under 35’s.
Monty Bodkin
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Member Since June 2014 - Comments: 1546
11:52 AM, 26th June 2025, About 7 months ago
“It is not a problem in the long term because the bricks and mortar of those homes do not sink into the ground.”
They don’t get built in the first place.
BTL has been responsible for millions of new homes.
Mike231
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Member Since February 2023 - Comments: 21
15:02 PM, 26th June 2025, About 7 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Lomondhomes at 26/06/2025 – 09:10
This government is about to reap the whirlwind, too many tennants and not enough houses to rent in the private sector, have just got advanced possession orders for a number of houses, one tennant has been in the house for 25 years a good tennant one of the best, but I’ve had enough luckily I have no mortgages apart from capital gains will take the money and say goodbye and goodnight
John Gelmini
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Member Since October 2024 - Comments: 49
15:15 PM, 26th June 2025, About 7 months ago
Ben Twomey and the government doesn’t understand basic economics,the fact that there are 17 million too few houses .
Thus with landlords leaving the market there won’t be enough houses or enough landlords .
These are both long term problems associated with the fact that landlords like Black Rock ,Legal and General and the new Lloyds Bank subsidiary are not interested in substandard and troublesome tenants.
Such people will end up in tents and the streets so Twomey’s tone of voice and attitudes are based on fallacies .
NewYorkie
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Member Since October 2013 - Comments: 1588 - Articles: 3
15:30 PM, 26th June 2025, About 7 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Monty Bodkin at 26/06/2025 – 11:52
With a dozen renters chasing every rental, if one manages to become a buyer, that still leaves 11 competing for one less property.
Cider Drinker
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Member Since December 2023 - Comments: 1522
16:43 PM, 26th June 2025, About 7 months ago
The end result is that those who can buy their own homes will do so even if they would prefer to rent. Some people prefer to rent because it makes moving to a larger property or moving for work easier.
Those who can get social housing will do so. There isn’t enough social housing and priority is not given as we might expect.
If you can’t afford to buy or don’t have the financial skills to manage your own home, and if you don’t win the social housing lottery, you will be desperately seeking a private rental. Private landlords will only choose the very best applicants.
The less attractive applicants (from a private landlord’s viewpoint) will be placed in temporary accommodation, possibly for decades.