Well known auctioneer Clive Emson has attacked the Government for protecting tenants from rogue landlords but failing to protect landlords from rogue tenants.

He said that regulators were in danger of “throwing the baby out with the bath water”, saying that buy-to-let landlords would be scared off by red tape.

Emson said: “There are only a few rogue landlords in the private sector but there are also rogue tenants – legislators seem to have forgotten that.

“For example, [housing benefit] tenants are now sent the rent to pay to the landlord, rather than the landlord receiving it direct from the Government.

“This was on the misguided concept that tenants should be responsible for their own finances. ”

Emson was speaking at a lunch attended by 550 property professionals that marked his firm’s 25th anniversary. The event raised over £10,600 for three charities of which Emson is a trustee.

The company, which works with local estate agents, holds eight rounds of auctions at four locations on consecutive days every six weeks, from Kent to Cornwall.

In the last year £130m of land and property has been sold, with an 80%-plus success rate and £700,000 paid in commission to estate agents.

Emson, 68, founded his auction house in October 1989 as the first in the country which was not tied to multi-office estate agencies.

He said: “It was a first – and a very risky concept in unchartered waters.

“We were soon supported by the independents, who did not see us as a threat but as a unique opportunity to offer a wider choice to their clients.”

Emson was previously the national auctioneer for the property services arm of Prudential.

He is pictured with managing director and son James Emson in front of the company’s hot air balloon