Should we understand why a property is empty before introducing more damaging legislation?

Reply to the comment left by Ana at 29/09/2026 – 20:18
Perhaps the problem is Landlords’ do not have a competent or effective representation. The NRLA appear to have been largely supportive of the RRA without asking for checks and balances and success criteria and accountability.

One suspicious thing is the government are now saying landlords must register on the new property database, but NRLA have accepted that Landlords who receive more than £100k from one property do not need to register. This should be a red flag and totally unacceptable? What are the reasons for this?

Reply to the comment left by Judith Wordsworth at 29/09/2026 – 10:02
Its not CPO – see previous article which clearly states ownership remains unchanged.

Reply to the comment left by Ian Narbeth at 29/09/2026 – 12:26
my reading was that the council will be the landlord.

Reply to the comment left by Mick Roberts at 29/09/2026 – 11:21
WOW! didnt realise that and just checked as its unbelievable.

Reply to the comment left by Joe Bloggs at 21:21
The devil will be in the detail. Either the Council may act as agent for the landlord (but without having to pay the blindest bit of notice to what the landlord wants – rather as mortgage deed appoints a receiver put in by the lender as the borrower’s agent – or the Council may have a notional tenancy from the landlord. (I very much doubt it will be on terms that properly protect the landlord’s interests.)
After all, the plan is to go after those nasty, nasty landlords who leave their properties empty. Who in Government cares what happens to the valuable assets of such reprobates?

best solution is to make it clear on the S8 why you are selling. When Gen Rant et el start looking at reasons for evictions, it will be there in black and white.

‘Government interference has made the continuation of running the property as a private rental business impossible. I now plan to sell as a direct result’

Reply to the comment left by Ian Narbeth at 29/09/2026 – 12:26
if the council took my property to relet, with their choice of tenant, but i am still the owner, who is responsible to carryout the due diligence on a complete stranger ?
if the new tenant wants to have a pet, who do they make their request to?
who do they pay rent to?
who carries out monthly / or 6 monthly inspections?
who requests the annual rent increase?

it makes me think this is a desperate political idea to win votes at the next election, without any accountability

Reply to the comment left by JeggNegg at 02/10/2026 – 11:23
if ownership stays with the owner, then the council cannot dictate the terms of any ‘arrangement’. The deeds show who the legal owner is and anyone taking over a private property without the consent of the actual owner is committing theft/fraud.

To change the law to state that the Council can take over a property (as they suggest) means a whole raft of new legislation. Bearing in mind the number of LL’s in the Commons plus the Lords, is this really ever going to come to pass?

I think they have a few more pressing issues to deal with than between now and 2029….