While the majority of buy-to-let landlords feels that there is too much regulation in the private rental sector, most tenants say that there is not enough.
Market Financial Solutions (MFS) has commissioned an independent survey among a nationally-representative sample of 2,000 UK adults, which included 702 existing tenants and 211 landlords.
The study found that 73% of tenants say that the rental market needs tighter regulation to protect renters, but over three fifths – 63% – of landlords feel that the government has introduced too much.
Most (65%) landlords feel unfairly penalised and targeted by the Government in the past decade.
Yet a large majority (74%) of tenants say more needs to be done to improve the standard of rental properties. Even more (77%) want rental price controls.
A further 78% of tenants say that renters should be able to claim rent back if they are made to live in poor quality accommodation. Seven in ten (69%) say there should be more multi-year, long-term lets in the rental market.
In the 2022 Queen’s Speech, the government committed to scrapping Section 21 evictions for private tenants: 62% of tenants think the government was right to do this, but 40% of landlords say that the ban has left them with tenants whom they want to move out of their properties but cannot.
Paresh Raja, CEO of MFS, said: “Clearly, there is some discord between landlords and tenants on the topic of further regulation in the private rental sector. With rents rising, tenants obviously feel that not enough is being done to protect renters, with many showing clear support for rent controls and tenants being able to claim money back if their accommodation is not of a high enough standard.
“That said, the influx of regulations in the past decade has left a majority of landlords feeling unfairly targeted. We must work to strike a careful balance – we need a buoyant rental market, so squeezing landlords too tightly might result in a greater number of poor quality or empty rental properties. In a market that’s already grappling with an undersupply of properties and an ever-growing demand, this could have detrimental ramifications for rental prices in the future.
“As such, while it’s vitally important that tenants feel protected in the private rental sector, the government must tread a fine line between protecting renters and disincentivising landlords.”
Virtually 3 times the number of tenants to landlords consulted. How reliable is that likely to be? The position has been known for years and the Government has had a policy of landlord bashing and discouraging landlords which is being compounded. Despite all of the suspect surveys the fact is landlords are leaving the market in droves and the only losers are going to be tenants. Are the Government going to sort out the housing problems NO. Do they have funding to do so NO. Has their actions given the private landlord confidence it is a sound place to invest their hard earnt funds NO. I can’t believe they have failed to deal with the NHS strike the Conservative Paty sems to be the TURKEY THAT VOTED FOR CHRISTMAS! The public give great support to the NHS even if the postmen and rail workers border force etc as of less importantance to the country’s well being.
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The NHS strike is not about pay (how was that ever going to make them more efficient!), its a red herring as they are already on starting pay of just under £28k up to £46K and want an increase of 19%. Its all about back door politics with trade unions and Labour wanting to bring the government down with either a snap election with all the goings on today or when one is called one day with a false opinion. Deluded to think any party in power would give them 19% pay rise, that takes away more resources for efficiency.
Government will change back and forth, the real culprits are the permanent civil servants pulling the strings. Ending Sec 21 should be challenged in court if they are that stupid to follow through with it. But who will take up the challenge?
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