Renter groups call on the next government to ‘fix our broken rental system’

We have now come to the point where landlord fines are completely out of proportion with the ‘crime’. I could drive uninsured at 80mph in a 30 limit and only be fined £200 (plenty of examples of this). I could shoplift up to £199 with impunity.

.. and council owned homes are protected from these fines. Justice, what justice.

Reply to the comment left by GlanACC at 13/06/2024 – 09:35
“The letter also highlights that annual rent rises of 9% mean low-income households are ‘being charged rents they cannot afford’ and there are no alternative housing options.”

That’s partly because the labour, conservative and SNP governments around the UK have penalised small portfolio landlords and driven competition out of the market at a time when demand was rising. It’s a crisis created by government.

One good bit of policy that’s out there is the rent-a-room scheme that provides a tax advantage to rent out rooms in your principle private residence. Maybe someone should suggest that the amount of tax-free-cash available under the rent-a-room-scheme should be increased over what it is now to make it more attractive.

If renters want to rent for more than 6 mths they need to pick a council house. If they change the PRS system then they need to be accountable, i.e.
Do they clean the house so mould wont form.
Do they pay rent on time. Do they clean the house.
Do they tidy the garden.
Do they keep the noise down.
Do they clean the windows
All of the above, no i didnt think so. They need to act like they want to stay, before we sell up. Its a two way street, landlords are sick of being attacked on all sides, consider this when there are only council houses left.

“Clearly, renters cannot afford more policy failures.”
Nor can landlords.
With all the legislation, the disproportionate fines for minor errors in paperwork, the hassle and fear of not being able to recover possession of our own property when tenants default – and are allowed to continue doing so through an inadequate (and often acquiescent) legal system – the financial losses as a result of the above, is it any wonder Landlords are selling up?
POLITICIANS: WAKE UP!

I’ve also sent open letters mainly to Labour VIPs stating a LLs point of view. I’ve had some acknowledgments but little more. If a lot of other LLs do the same then it might do some good. To ‘wear them down’ seems to be the best tactic!

Reply to the comment left by LaLo at 13/06/2024 – 10:26
Given that labour is dependent upon the electorate in the north of the UK, particularly Scotland, I would have thought that labour needs to highlight the fact that SNP rent controls in Scotland have made things worse because they are exacerbating the supply of housing.

Government policy to force small landlords to sell.

It’s working.

Now it’s the landlords fault.

‘a quarter of tenants….three homes in five years’, so what, I’ve had a tenant for five years which is their choice, others who have actively moved around the new ‘hotel’ like form of development, without context ALL comment is potentially deceptive.

Reply to the comment left by Beaver at 13/06/2024 – 10:08
“The letter also highlights that annual rent rises of 9% mean low-income households are ‘being charged rents they cannot afford’ and there are no alternative housing options.”

Should read..
Landlords are having no choice than to increase ALL rents as a result of passing on additional costs they are themselves being charged, in order to be able to continue to let properties until further state provision is increased.

Generation Rent and Shelter are doubling down on their own foolishness. The Renters Reform Bill will not deliver on commitments. When, as is inevitable, it is re-introduced by Labour (probably with some anti-landlord bells and whistles on) I predict it will make the housing crisis worse.

The Government has “delivered” a series of anti-landlord policies since Osborne’s disastrous s24 tax hike. Has this made things better for tenants? No. Has it hurt landlords? Yes, undoubtedly. Will more of the same achieve a different result? Only an insane person would think so.

The Government should be subsidising housing providers (AKA private landlords) not persecuting them. Until HMG and the tenant lobby groups get that into their thick skulls and start helping those who are providing accommodation, matters will not improve.