Has the NRLA lost its way?

Up and down the country there are some absolutely superb local landlords associations very knowledgeable on national issues as well as local ones. For a national voice, and on sharing learning on things like local licencing, maybe we could create a networked alliance of our local associations ?

Anyone a member of the
https://thebla.co.uk/

Other than NRLA, The Guild of Residential Landlords are the only other Landlord Association which has submitted written evidence to the Committee Stage of the Renters Rights Bill.

https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3764/publications

I’m not saying NRLA is perfect, but anyone promoting any other associations need to consider why they would be better if they didn’t even submit evidence to such an important process?

Reply to the comment left by Boris at 11/11/2024 – 18:36
Not true. Evidence of Portsmouth and District Private Landlords Association submitted by Alwin Oliver was directly quoted in the committee stage report on why S21 needed to be retained for HMOs.

The NRLA are a good source for information, especially for new landlords and offer good advice and I’m still a member and still recommend them to friends. but I’ve lost all respect for them to be someone that stands up and speaks for landlords.
Agreeing to ban S21 when they know damn well that the government is not going to reform the courts is a kick in the teeth for the very members that pay their wages.
I’ve been a landlord for over 30 years (although only in the last 10 years or so I’ve owned more than 1 rental house) and I’ve never had to use S21, but to loose it will be a loss and put more pressure on the courts, that can currently not manage the workload they have.
At times I wonder if the NRLA are run by Generation Rant.
When friends who have bought BTL houses ask me about them, I have always said that they are good source for information and advice and for someone new to being a landlord, it’s worth joining to learn the laws and do basic training, but do not expect them to stand up for landlords against government legislation.
As previously said there are more tenants than landlords, so an easy win for whichever government is in place to bash landlords for votes, until it’s too late for them and the tenants have to pay big corporate companies rent, who need to pay dividends to share holders and will without a doubt put up rents every year.

Landlords really do need an organisation that will stand up for them in Parliament. I’d be happy to join.

The NRLA is a company that saw a gap in the market to make money. It is not any sort of Union.
It mostly makes money from
(1) those that, and sorry if this offends, too lazy to research, learn and understand what is required to be a PRS landlord ie the obligations and responsibilities, to amass the correct legal and regulatory documentation needed and keep abreast of the changes.
(2) running expensive courses
(3) Advertising developments and other property related matters for third parties from which, and others may be able to confirm, they obtain commission or fees.
The NRLA states it “is a not-for-profit organisation, limited by guarantee rather than by shares, which means any financial surplus it derives goes back into the business for the benefit of its members”.
InEnglish law an association is a group of people which is formed and acts for a common purpose. The common purpose should be the protection of PRS Landlords and their activities and importantly to fight their corner.
The people that join the NRLA seem to have no say in how the company is run, nor how it is to act for a common purpose, nor has any sort of constitution, nor the leadership put in place by those who are members.
Call me a cynic but personally I believe that the NRLA may not now be fit for purpose as “an association “ to act for the PRS landlords common good or what PRS landlords need today.

Reply to the comment left by Northampton Landlord at 11/11/2024 – 15:53
I think most landlords would agree with getting Section 21s through the court system in an agreed timescale.
Then, if Section 21s need replacing, agree a timescale for Section 8s.
If, as we know will happen, and Section 8s are implemented, the court system will not cope, so Section 21s will need reinstating.
I have suggested this to the NRLA and you can guess what their response is. No response at all. Useless.

Reply to the comment left by Simon F at 11/11/2024 – 18:42

Apologies if I missed something, but have had a double check, and can’t see any of that written evidence from an Alwin Oliver on the publications page for the bill.

That said even if it were made, my point was that there does not seem to be many active alternatives to the NRLA from a campaigning point of view, and given that the Association you mentioned appears to just tailor to local Landlords, this remains the case for most outside of Portsmouth.

(& just for the record….Also, can’t see ‘Alwin’, ‘Oliver’ or ‘Portsmouth’ minuted anywhere in the transcripts from the complete committee stage process.)