Ben Beadle, Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, who provided oral evidence, responds to the Public Accounts Committee’s report on the regulation of the private rented sector:
“Today’s report rightly makes the case for a comprehensive, data driven strategy for the private rented sector.
“Too often reforms have been piecemeal, based on insufficient information to understand their true impact or how workable they are.
“Such a strategy needs to include assessing the impact of reforms on the supply of homes for rent at a time when demand for them is soaring.
“We agree with the Committee’s concerns about the postcode lottery that exists in tackling rogue and criminal landlords.
“Tenants and responsible landlords are being let down by the pitiful lack of enforcement action by councils using the array of powers available to clamp down on bad practice in the sector.
“Our research shows however that landlord licencing schemes are not a panacea to improving this.
“As Ministers prepare to publish plans for further reform, they should heed the Committee’s call for them to better understand the enforcement needs and capacity of local authorities.”
I couldn’t agree more. Landlords register? Then what? Landlords need to be part of a redress scheme rather than getting a piece of paper. Some local licencing schemes take months to approve an application. It’s a mess.
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More ammunition for Liverpool Council to justify the £27m receipts of fees it wants to charge landlords for licensing.
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Nothing about the implication of making it discriminatory to refuse benfits tenants. Nothing about protecting good landlords from rogue tenants. Remind me, Ben, what does the L in NRLA stand for?
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I was actually thinking the same, they’re really not looking after their members (landlords) interests whatsoever.
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