RLA welcome government crackdown on criminal landlords

RLA welcome government crackdown on criminal landlords

10:29 AM, 5th November 2019, About 5 years ago 8

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New funding announced by the Government to tackle criminal landlords is welcome, but is nowhere near enough says the country’s leading landlords’ organisation.

Ministers have announced that local authorities will be able to access almost £4 million in new funding, as part of what it describes as a “crackdown on criminal landlords” for 2019/20. This comes after £2 million was made available for similar efforts in 2018/19.

Whilst the Residential Landlords Association welcomes the Government’s focus on rooting out criminal landlords, it warns that the amount simply is not enough to properly find and root out the crooks. The funding comes on the day that the RLA has shown that whilst the number of regulations imposing new obligations on landlords has increased by a third since 2010, councils are failing to properly use them.

David Smith, Policy Director for the Residential Landlords Association, said:

“We welcome the Government’s focus on rooting out criminal landlords. For too long the debate has been driven by ideological calls for more regulation of the sector. What is needed is better enforcement of the powers already available to root out the minority who bring the sector into disrepute.

“That said, today’s funding is simply not enough to achieve this. Rather than throwing odd bits of cash around the Government needs to provide proper, multi-year funding to councils to enable them to plan and prepare clear strategies to find the crooks whilst supporting good landlords. This includes ensuring enough funding is in place to recruit sufficient numbers of well-trained enforcement officers.”


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Comments

Rob Crawford

15:22 PM, 5th November 2019, About 5 years ago

I don't have an issue with money being provisioned to root out bad landlords but not to fund initiatives that just don't work. Councils need guidance on how to find and prosecute these landlords - licensing is not the answer! They also need motivation and a whole new client focused ethos. Without this, it's a waste of money! That is what I object to!

Ros poldermans

10:03 AM, 6th November 2019, About 5 years ago

£4million for bad landlords but no funding for bad tenants
The funding must be for both?

TheMaluka

10:22 AM, 6th November 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Ros poldermans at 06/11/2019 - 10:03
I feel you need to be corrected like a naughty schoolchild. Write out 100 times "There is no such thing as a bad tenant"

Ros poldermans

10:45 AM, 6th November 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by David Price at 06/11/2019 - 10:22
Thank you yes I have been naughty I will Write out my lines but my pocket tells me there is a bad tenant £5,000 worth

amarni

11:14 AM, 6th November 2019, About 5 years ago

Surely, we as landlords and members of various landlord representation bodies should only be concerned and interested in supporting ourselves in running our businesses in a responsible, correct and lawful manner? Since when do we together with the sheep within landlord bodies become the police here? I am fed up with hearing and reading about us criminal landlords and the RLA/NLA and its members being encouraged to become a neighbourhood watch of others and like sheep making a 'bah! bah!......... full sir! to every pronouncement from the jobsworth in the government.

Why and how did councils even become so involved in PRS businesses or encouraged to be anyway?
The exception being to ensure that those landlords on their registers housing UC claimants receive Rental payment are paid and on time.

They should be working with these landlords not busying themselves with the rights and wrongs of tenants complaining about landlords but never noticing the lack of these tenants complying.

Here in Guildford, another 3 x properties, 3 x bedroom, spacious, well-built, bargate stone, 17th century build; one previously housing the local borough council, head janitor/maintenance leader, have now been sold into the private sector 2018/2019. That income covers say 20 council workers for 1 year but is lost forever. This is a libdem ward too. Generation rent are trying to gain a pious foothold here too. All these types like nothing better than to save us from ourselves!

Michael Barnes

17:20 PM, 6th November 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by amarni at 06/11/2019 - 11:14
If there were no criminal landlords, then life would be better for us good landlords.
We need them removed.

Plus local councils reasonably have a duty to meet the welfare needs of their residents, which includes taking action if their homes are substandard; not everyone can afford to vote with their feet, unfortunately.

Larry Sweeney

20:50 PM, 6th November 2019, About 5 years ago

The Criminal landlord narrative has been flogged to death. The RLA by bleating about criminal landlords is giving succor to organisations like Shelter the housing charity which houses nobody. Perhaps the RLA/NLA might shout a little louder about criminal tenants. Tenants who live of the tax payer, tenants who wreck property, tenants who use rental properties for criminal activities and tenants who cause ASB. Let me be clear however, unlike the haters who villify landlords non stop , we in the Alliance state that the majority of tenants like most landlords are honest decent hardworking taxpayers. That narrative might not suit everyone.
Finally congratulations to top management at Shelter who trousered over £700k . Nice earner.

Monty Bodkin

22:33 PM, 6th November 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Michael Barnes at 06/11/2019 - 17:20
"If there were no criminal landlords, then life would be better for us good landlords."

Of course it would, no one would seriously argue otherwise. It's like saying;

"If there were no bad people, then life would be better for us good people".

The reality is;

Driving out good landlords creates criminal landlords.

Always has done, and always will do.

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