Shelter claim 45% of private renters are victims of illegal actions

Shelter claim 45% of private renters are victims of illegal actions

9:54 AM, 14th September 2021, About 3 years ago 23

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Shelter are claiming that 45% of private tenants in England are victims of some form of illegal behaviour carried out by their landlord or letting agent.

Research carried out on Shelter’s behalf by YouGov surveying 3,5000 PRS tenants reported 25% of tenants suffered landlords or letting agents entering a property without permission. The YouGov survey also found:

22% of tenants reported essential safety or household appliances like smoke alarms, central heating or water supplies were not working when they moved into a property.

18% said their landlord or letting agent had broken the law by failing to secure their deposit in an approved Government protection scheme.

9% reported they’d been threatened or harassed by their landlord or letting agent.

Polly Neate, Shelter’s chief executive said: “Home is everything. Yet millions of private renters across the country don’t feel safe or secure in theirs because of landlords and agents who flout the law.

“People should not have to put up with broken safety alarms, strangers bursting into their homes unannounced or the threat of harassment and violence. Enough is enough. Nobody is above the law and renters are tired of being powerless to enforce their rights.

“The government has promised voters a fairer private renting system that punishes illegal behaviour by landlords and letting agents. To deliver on this promise, its Renters’ Reform Bill must include a National Landlord Register that makes landlords fully accountable and helps drive up standards across private renting.”

Paul Shamplina of Landlord Action responded on Facebook: “Shelter UK you are just scaremongering, your stats are not a true reflection of the PRS, the 3500 tenants you would have surveyed are tenants that have contacted you, who naturally have issues with their landlords, so their percentage will be way higher.

“Didn’t the English Housing Survey say 83% of tenants are happy with their accommodation in the PRS. Of course, there is a lot of work to be done in raising standards. I think your strategy would be best suited pursuing the Social Landlords, especially after watching ITVs ‘ Living in Squalor’. Polly Neate I’m happy to debate with you.”


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Comments

Gromit

15:05 PM, 16th September 2021, About 3 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Chris @ Possession Friend at 15/09/2021 - 15:50
I can't remember a time when the either the NLA or RLA truly represented Landlords. All they've ever been is Government lap dogs/mouth-piece.
Where were they when Sec.24 was being mooted? Where are now the the Abolition of Sec.21 Notices is being mooted? NOWHERE.

SGSAM

7:43 AM, 18th September 2021, About 3 years ago

Almost certainly slanted garbage from Shelter as usual
1) Do the tenants in question know their contract almost certainly guarantees permission to enter given 24 hrs notice.
2) Smoke alarms. Most contracts now state it’s the tenants responsibility to check smoke detectors regularly and replace batteries so it’s unlikely this was illegal. Heating in my experience would be the agent/tenant not knowing how a thermostat works
3) DPS- read your contract.If the money isn’t in the DPS report the agent. In my experience tenant had no idea it was there and asked me for their password and tried to blame me for slow pay out when they hadn’t responded to DPS
4) Did threatening behaviour involve asking for overdue rent by any chance?
My recent experience
1)Agents refusing to accept my ELectrical and gas safety certs carried out by competent contractors on technicalities that not even my contractor could understand.
2)Tenant complaining of no hot water - you guesses it, neither agent or tenant could work the thermostat

SGSAM

7:51 AM, 18th September 2021, About 3 years ago

Well done Shelter. More biased press against Landlords. One stat you might want to look at . 3 months ago there were 230 2bed flats for rent 1/2 mile radius of my flat in SE16. This week there are 42. I have never seen stock this low. Shows everyone is giving up on BTL. Many are putting flats back on AirBnB now tourists are coming back.

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