RLA – It’s time to root out criminal landlords

RLA – It’s time to root out criminal landlords

10:31 AM, 11th September 2018, About 6 years ago 10

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The RLA wants councils to commit to rooting out the criminal landlords giving the sector a bad name, following the publication of the University of York’s report on private rented housing today.

The association, which contributed to the report, said it is time local authorities showed strong political leadership and used powers already at their disposal to tackle the ‘rogues’.

David Smith, policy director for the Residential Landlords Association said that all though satisfactions rates are high, according to the English Housing Survey 2016/17, there is still room for improvement.

He also asked for a root and branch review of all regulations affecting the sector.

He said: “We welcome today’s report which the RLA contributed to.

“Whilst the Government’s own data shows that 84% of private tenants are satisfied with their accommodation, no one should have to face living in sub-standard accommodation.

“With RLA research showing that there are well over 100 Acts of Parliament regulating the sector, the problem is with the enforcement of these laws.

“We are calling on councils to provide the political leadership needed to use the extensive powers they have to find and root out the minority of landlords who are criminals and have no place in the market.”

He  continued: “We agree with concerns about the complexity of the legislation surrounding the market. Tenants, landlords and local authorities all need to clearly understand their roles, responsibilities and the powers available to tackle poor housing. For many this has become difficult to achieve.

“A root and branch review of all regulations affecting the sector needs to be carried out to understand if they are achieving what was originally intended. There is no point passing new laws and regulations if the existing ones are not being enforced properly.”


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Comments

amarni

15:04 PM, 11th September 2018, About 6 years ago

Is this all the RLA and that other well-known landlord association have to worry about?

I would prefer to see RLA pro-actively concerning themselves with fighting on behalf of landlords against the councils treating every landlord as if they were a corporate entity and and ensuring their rogue tenants are not added and abetted to criminalise the landlord It is akin to asking the council to root out all criminal activity in the country. Who will be responsible for the hiring of the extra personnel required? And at what cost Let them sort out Shelter and their Grenfell Tower along with the others they own first. They must have been aware that much of the sub-letting in this high-rise was rife and unauthorised.

Larry Sweeney

16:25 PM, 11th September 2018, About 6 years ago

Completely agree with Amarni. Well said. The reality is that these so called landlord associations do not represent us. How dare they come out with this "rogue landlord "speel. We are sick of these utterances from equally useless politicians. Time for put upon Landlords to come out fighting. I have a question for these so called Landlord bodies. Why are you not calling out your Council pals for the illegality of their schemes. Sefton Council latest to run foul of GDPR. No you are too busy sucking up and co regulating the Council rotten schemes. I urge every serious landlord to ditch their memberships. Put these council lackeys out of business and let us get real representation.

Gary Dully

16:26 PM, 11th September 2018, About 6 years ago

I am quite honestly sick to death of this organisation virtue signalling, instead of getting on with what it should be doing, which is promoting and campaigning for measures against rogue tenants, who systematically ruin the lives of good, honest, people that only have committed the crime of trying to improve their lives by offering a good, cheap and fair service to their fellow citizens, who are without the means or good fortune to be able to purchase their own homes.

Instead, it keeps jumping on the bandwagon of more beatings for landlords legislation instead of attacking the actual rogues who I doubt even have a gas safety certificate passed in the last 10 years, let alone an EPC, Legionnaires Disease Risk Assessment or electrical safety inspection.

There is already legislation passed to deal with these things, but unless you are on the radar already you can still go unnoticed by the authorities.

Even today, I have been told that one of my small HMO's requires a new standard of smoke detector certificate that is usually, apparently, required also by office blocks and high storey buildings.

Its a 3 bed semi detached in Crewe for gods sake, not Grenfill Towers!

Why is this continuing?

Smallpox, measles, diphtheria risk assessments will probably be next on the list.

The costs of compliance in this industry are multiplying at a phenomenal rate.

Watch this space.

AA

21:08 PM, 11th September 2018, About 6 years ago

They are looking for charitable status so they can get some public funding to line their pockets. They almost sound like the B team for Shelter Self appointed, self proclaimed and self serving.

Luke P

9:08 AM, 12th September 2018, About 6 years ago

I called on P118 members a year or three ago to ditch their memberships of these useless organisations, but there were people telling me they have their place! The NLA/RLA WILL be listened to by Government, so we (collectively) need to jolly-well make sure they don't step outside of their remit -which they do regularly- so logically, I don't see how they can 'have their place'...?

Miascot

9:28 AM, 12th September 2018, About 6 years ago

I can’t understand why the councils don’t delegate this to people with a bit of get up and go!

Already in Edinburgh it is a fine of £250k if you are found to be unregistered. I have tried to get communal repairs done only to find a rogue landlord owns one of the flats; I report it to the landlord registration department and they ask how I know??? I say I checked the landlord registration list and he is not on it! They say how do you know he or she is renting it out and I say all the other owners tell me, there are tenants in the flat they chat with and they say that is not proof - what do you want us to do about it.

GO GET THE UNREGISTERED LANDLORD YOU IDIOT and earn the country £250k set up a report a landlord hotline (registered landlords have nothing to fear) and earn yourself millions a day; use the millions a day to employ people who will pay taxes and you can build council houses, cut grass, empty bins, fill pot holes etc etc

Not rocket science - if only the people in power had brains or an incentive to actually do their job.

We need a trump or Maggie in power just to implement the rules we already have - no need for more rules, just use the ones that have been there often for centuries.

AA

16:54 PM, 12th September 2018, About 6 years ago

Mark - we need to rebrand property 118. The term union has too many inferences..
P118 - UKL FEDERATION ( UK Landlords Federation) . The neutrality of the name of the organisation will allow P118 to be consulted on PRS issues. Just a thought.

AA

20:26 PM, 12th September 2018, About 6 years ago

"We need a trump or Maggie" - Maggie in her prime maybe. Trump ??? Yikes-sends a shiver down my spine.

Miascot

21:04 PM, 12th September 2018, About 6 years ago

Reply to the comment left by AA at 12/09/2018 - 20:26
Ok Maggie in her prime but now that she is gone and Trump is American we will need to accept Boris - at least he has grown a pair! We need someone mad, eccentric, not normal - politics has to change!

AA

14:29 PM, 13th September 2018, About 6 years ago

...mmm...Boris....tricky one that. As having studied economics at Uni, as an advocate for Brexit, not a good idea. As saying it like it is , yes okay. For example if I went to the greengrocers and bought a turnip and taped it to my head and Boris called me a turnip head, I really can't object can I ?

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