Profile incomplete
9:35 AM, 27th September 2022, About 2 years ago 33
Text Size
Labour has unveiled plans to deliver a new renters’ charter and a decent homes standard for the country’s private rental sector.
But the criticism at the party’s conference in Liverpool of private landlords has been slammed by one organisation as ‘demonising all landlords’.
Lisa Nandy, the shadow secretary of state for Levelling Up, Housing, Communities & Local Government, told the conference: “For private renters, we will tilt the balance of power back to you through a powerful new renters’ charter and a new decent homes standard – written into law.
“Because security in your home, the right to make your home your own and most of all the right to live in a home fit for human habitation is non-negotiable.”
While she didn’t give details in her speech, Ms Nandy did give an interview to the Mirror in which she pledged to deliver a Renters’ Charter that will give private tenants new powers in the first 100 days of a Labour government.
This would include the end of automatic evictions for rent arrears and abolishing no-fault evictions.
The charter will also include the right for tenants to have pets, to make reasonable alterations to a property and introduce a four month notice period for landlords.
Labour is also promising to create a national register of landlords and a legally binding decent homes standard.
They will also look at ways to make tenancy deposits ‘more portable’.
There is also expected to be a consultation with landlords and tenant groups on how to ‘stabilise rent increases’.
In her speech, Ms Nandy said: “I will make it my priority to tackle the housing crisis because nothing, nothing is more important than a home.
“The Tories have turned housing into a racket.
“Incentivising speculation and profiteering while millions languish on waiting lists in cold damp homes.
“So, we will mend the deliberate vandalism of our social housing stock.”
She said that Labour would be the first government in a generation to restore social housing to the second largest form of tenure.
This will be, she added, ‘Our mantra’.
Ben Beadle, the chief executive of the National Residential Landlords’ Association, said: “It is depressing that the Labour Party is once again demonising all landlords.
“The vast majority do a good job, providing a fifth of all housing in the country.
“That is why private tenants are more likely to be satisfied with their accommodation than those in the social rented sector.”
He added: “The combined effects of what Labour is proposing, in particular essentially making rent payments an optional extra, will seriously damage confidence and with it, the supply of homes to rent when demand is already high.
“Tenants will suffer in the long run.
“The reality is that promises of new social housing at some distant point in the future will do nothing to help renters struggling today.”
Previous Article
Fixed-term tenancies MUST remain says The Lettings Industry CouncilNext Article
Can tenants take in Ukrainian refugees?
David Judd
12:31 PM, 27th September 2022, About 2 years ago
Heaven forbid they do the same for car rental, holidays, flights - bunch of fools. Conservatives might need a good kick up the butt, but if Labour gets in and starts all the above, expect an exodus of private landlords.
Simon Williams
15:18 PM, 27th September 2022, About 2 years ago
Well, at least they haven't gone all out for rent controls. That is actually progress of a kind. Of course, they'd love to do it - but maybe some Labour insiders know there's already a serious supply problem, even if they'll never admit it.
In my view, the only survival strategy for the landlord of the future will be to invest in energy efficient one bedroom flats in popular areas, rented by employed professional couples with decent jobs who (in my experience) almost never fail to pay rent and leave well before you'd want them to go.
Or, for better yields, larger HMO's which are already so heavily regulated that there's not a whole lot more that can be added, rented out to overseas students who (in my experience) pay rent reliably and leave after about a year.
And it doesn't matter how many laws are passed prohibiting discrimination against dog owners, the self-employed, those on benefits etc etc. There will be so much choice of tenant for those landlords left in the game, that you won't need to discriminate. Someone else will just happen to make the cut in the selection process - if that is the way the landlord wants it.
Darren Sullivan
15:19 PM, 27th September 2022, About 2 years ago
This is a shambles of a policy.
No way to evict for non payment of rent give your head a wobble.
Is she one of the of you own nothing you will be happy brigade?
JamesB
15:57 PM, 27th September 2022, About 2 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Darren Sullivan at 27/09/2022 - 15:19
Yes, so we get abolished s21 on the promise that other grounds for eviction will be strengthened and then quietly they don't get strengthened, then Labour come in and take those away.
You couldn't make up the rubbish that keeps coming out in this country at the moment. Nobody would believe you.
LaLo
19:08 PM, 27th September 2022, About 2 years ago
I’ve also heard Labour are planning for open ended contracts!
Denise G
19:39 PM, 27th September 2022, About 2 years ago
Reply to the comment left by JohnCaversham at 27/09/2022 - 10:26
I wouldn't dream of advising anyone else, least of all our tenants, how to use their vote - but it occurs to me that there's really not much 'demonising' of private landlords left for the Labour Party do to after 10 years under the Tories!
Kam Ahluwalia
21:10 PM, 27th September 2022, About 2 years ago
Simple fact, there are far more voting private tenants than voting landlords and so it is good business for leftwing polliticians to cast all landlords as evil, slumlords and money grabbers and all tenants as victims. They have heaped on and are heaping on so much to skew things toward the tenant but claim landlords still have power in the process. They have also grabbed at our funds relentlessly. To those that disagree:
Removing our right to regain our property if and when we need it.
Making eviction of distructive non paying tenants expensive and near impossible as the tenant can claim all sorts of rubbish in defence and be believed.
Forcing landlords to upgrade properties beyond what we ourselves live in (EPC, EICR, CO detectors).
Having many of us pay the Selective Licence pseudo TAX for no benefit to anyone but the councils' coffers.
Take away our rights on who lives in our properties (try excluding Universal Credit, ASBOs, or huge dogs).
Having the one sided deposit scheme see us robbed of money we should have for repairs and excess cleaning and clearing up after bad tenants.
Hitting us with higher Stamp Duty.
Removing our ability to offset our interest paid on mortgages against tax. No other industry cant offset interest it pays out against tax.
Talk of right to buy at discounted prices.
Talk of preventing us buying more places.
Talk of rent freezes so our income falls against inflation while their mates in the millitant unions are free to get pay rises for their members.
Talk of letting tenants do half baked changes to our properties that could wipe thousands off their values and cost a fortune to fix. I had a tenant take out a supporting wall to get a through lounge once and we almost lost the upstairs. I've had people paint ceilings black and doors gloss red. At least I could recover costs on these but maybe not in the future?
Making Tax Digital - extra work for me and around £500 a year on software.
You would think they wsnt us all to give up so they can house the 6,000,000 we currently do themselves.
John Grefe
21:13 PM, 27th September 2022, About 2 years ago
Regarding Lalo's comments. Yes, Ms "Crakey" Sturgeon and her party do plan to stop tenants being evicted because of rent arrears! What ever next.
At Labour's conference today there's reference to Blair's policies and I see a former party leader, the worst of the two brothers, another big Muppet! Happy days 🥂
Kam Ahluwalia
21:20 PM, 27th September 2022, About 2 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Denise G at 27/09/2022 - 19:39
Right to buy, mandatory pets permission, removal of Section 21, forced to upgrade properties to EPC grade B, continued freeze on HB payment levels, right for tenants to do any modifications they want to our places, talk of restricting B2L purchasing so owner occupiers get in. And in addition to the above that are or have been policy expect higher Stamp Duty, punative ctax on empty rental properties, limits on B2L funding, and...
Richie
22:35 PM, 27th September 2022, About 2 years ago
What a load of wash she's as bad as Truss. Are there no labour landlords? Mang in the House of Lords that for sure.
For Gods sake build more council houses!
Where I live a vast amount of County Council owned land or with first options are sold to developers, why not build council houses on most of it. Where are all the new council estates being built as they did back in the day?