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15:12 PM, 19th April 2023, About A year ago 34
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The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and Generation Rent have smeared private landlords in a demand for an immediate Government crackdown on those who provide homes for tenants on housing benefit.
Mr Khan says it is ‘a scandal’ that billions of pounds is being paid in rent to private landlords who he alleges are letting cold, dangerous or dilapidated properties across England.
Mr Khan says that more than a billion pounds is being used from housing benefit to ‘line the pockets of private landlords’.
And he is calling once again for the power to freeze rents in the capital to help prevent bad landlords who, he claims, are profiteering from letting poor quality homes.
Generation Rent is also calling for action, and it says that ‘private landlords provide worse accommodation than social landlords’.
Mr Khan said: “It is a scandal that some private landlords are profiting from letting sub-standard housing that is unfit for 21st century living.
“Renters would feel more secure raising complaints about the condition of their property if they didn’t face the threat of arbitrary eviction, which is why I have long called for Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions to be abolished.
“The Government should also give me the power to drive up standards and introduce a rent freeze in London to help people during this cost-of-living crisis.”
Dan Wilson Craw, the acting director of Generation Rent, said: “It is an outrage that not only can private landlords provide worse accommodation than social landlords, but they get paid more for it.
“Increasing reliance on the private sector to provide housing has resulted in a higher bill for the public purse with nothing to show for it but poorer living standards.
“The government has an opportunity with the upcoming Renters’ Reform Bill to give private renters higher expectations of their landlord and introduce much tougher penalties for landlords who fall short of the Decent Homes Standard.”
On Twitter, Mr Khan tweeted: “Londoners are being priced out of their city. That simply isn’t right. How much longer will the Govt ignore my calls to fix this? Give me the power to freeze London rents.”
In response, Ben Beadle, the chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, replied: “FFS. You have all the powers you need to build and create the environment for new homes. Get on and use them. You are *literally* pricing people out of London through ULEZ and adding extra cost at the worse possible time.”
An analysis from City Hall reveals that in England, landlords are being paid £9 billion every year to deliver ‘non-decent’ rented properties, and £1.6 billion of this comes from housing benefit.
According to the government, ‘non-decent’ is the official government designation for a home that poses a risk to the resident’s life or health, is cold, in a bad state of repair or lacks modern facilities.
The research reveals that the highest rent spend is in London where landlords receive £3.5 billion in rent, of which £500 million comes from housing benefit for 180,000 private ‘non-decent’ rented homes.
The next worst region is Yorkshire and the Humber where landlords are picking up nearly £1 billion in rent, of which £130,000,000 is housing benefit for 160,000 privately rented, ‘non-decent’ homes.
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Ofer Moses
13:36 PM, 21st April 2023, About A year ago
Reply to the comment left by PH at 21/04/2023 - 13:04
I totally agree, however, and legalities aside, if their recommendations are reasonable and affordable, I'd rather comply than complain.
If their requests where unreasonable/unaffordable, I would challenge.
Jessie Jones
22:23 PM, 23rd April 2023, About A year ago
"The research reveals that the highest rent spend is in London ....... of which £500 million comes from housing benefit for 180,000 private ‘non-decent’ rented homes."
Well £500 million for 180,000 homes is £2778 per home, or £231 per month. I'm not surprised they are 'non-decent' homes at that price. It does indeed look as if some of these figures are just made-up.
T G
4:53 AM, 6th May 2023, About A year ago
Private landlords play an important role in providing rental housing for individuals and families, and their contributions to the housing market should not be underestimated. However, there are also concerns about the quality and affordability of rental housing, as well as issues related to landlord-tenant relations, which have led to calls for reforms in the rental housing sector.
Some of the policies proposed by various groups and individuals to address these issues include:
1 - Rent control: This is a policy that places limits on the amount that landlords can charge for rent increases. Supporters argue that this can help to ensure that rental housing remains affordable, particularly in areas with high housing costs. However, opponents argue that rent control can lead to a reduction in the supply of rental housing, as landlords may be disincentivized from investing in new properties or maintaining existing ones.
2 - Tenant protections: This may include policies such as eviction moratoriums, which provide tenants with temporary relief from eviction during periods of economic hardship, or requirements that landlords provide tenants with a minimum level of habitability, such as ensuring that properties are safe and free from hazards.
3 - Increased support for affordable housing: This may include policies such as tax incentives for developers to build affordable housing, or the creation of public housing programs to provide affordable housing for low-income households.
Overall, there is a growing recognition of the importance of rental housing policies in ensuring that all individuals and families have access to safe and affordable housing. However, the specific policies and strategies that are most effective in achieving this goal may vary depending on the specific context and circumstances.
T G
4:54 AM, 6th May 2023, About A year ago
Private landlords play an important role in providing rental housing for individuals and families, and their contributions to the housing market should not be underestimated. However, there are also concerns about the quality and affordability of rental housing, as well as issues related to landlord-tenant relations, which have led to calls for reforms in the rental housing sector.
Some of the policies proposed by various groups and individuals to address these issues include:
1 - Rent control: This is a policy that places limits on the amount that landlords can charge for rent increases. Supporters argue that this can help to ensure that rental housing remains affordable, particularly in areas with high housing costs. However, opponents argue that rent control can lead to a reduction in the supply of rental housing, as landlords may be disincentivized from investing in new properties or maintaining existing ones.
2 - Tenant protections: This may include policies such as eviction moratoriums, which provide tenants with temporary relief from eviction during periods of economic hardship, or requirements that landlords provide tenants with a minimum level of habitability, such as ensuring that properties are safe and free from hazards.
3 - Increased support for affordable housing: This may include policies such as tax incentives for developers to build affordable housing, or the creation of public housing programs to provide affordable housing for low-income households.
Overall, there is a growing recognition of the importance of rental housing policies in ensuring that all individuals and families have access to safe and affordable housing. However, the specific policies and strategies that are most effective in achieving this goal may vary depending on the specific context and circumstances.