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Licence-to-let proposals target rogue landlords
Sri Carmichael5 May 2009
A national registration system could be introduced to protect tenants from unscrupulous landlords, it was reported today.
Proposals due to be considered by the Government would mean private landlords would have to be registered before being allowed to let residential properties.
Easy access to buy-to-let mortgages has helped the number of buy-to-let investors grow to about one million in England and Wales over the past decade.
Ministers are worried that some rogue landlords are exploiting tenants, The Times reported.
Anyone letting a residential property, including "accidental" landlords who rent out their homes because they are unable to sell them, would have to pay about £50 for the licence.
They would have to comply with certain standards and those who fail to carry out repairs or who intimidate tenants could be struck off the register.
It is understood the reforms are to be outlined in a Green Paper within 10 days. Details of the proposals emerged as a landlord licensing scheme was launched to help protect consumers from cowboy operators.
The Association of Residential Letting Agents (Arla) said all of its members would have to be licensed under its scheme and abide by a strict code of practice.
A spokesman for the Department of Communities and Local Government said they would not be confirming details yet of their response to an independent review into the private rental sector headed by Julie Rugg of the University of York.
"The response will be coming out shortly in the next few weeks and we will not be saying anything until then," he said.
Ms Rugg found up to 50 per cent of privately rented accommodation falls below the Government's decent homes standard.
Reader views (18)
I can see why some people feel the way they do about landlord licencing but all a number of us are looking for is a simple scheme that is a mandatory requirement to join, containing the landlords contact details, the managing/letting agents they use and whether or not they and their agents have accreditation or not. The whole point is try to bring together a market that is severely fragmented.
The debate seems to have been hijacked by powerful organisations stating that they don't see how a licence could eliminate the rogue agent element but this has already been addressed to a certain degree by the initial proposals put forward by Dr Julie Rugg in her review of the private renting sector published in 2008. She said that rogue landlords would be more easily found because they would be the very ones that would not register for a licence! Tenants would then immediately know not to use them!
Sadly though her report is now considered 'old news' as the government have now issued their own response, which is much more involved than hers.
Parts of East London have some of the highest numbers of slum landords in the capital and I remain surprised no one seems to make the connection as to why they slip under the radar when they are not legally compelled to at least make their existence known!
Could it be these that continue to draw the sector into disrepute?
A basic licence and a single ombudsman for redress.
Simple!
- Sharon, London, 01/12/2009 15:35
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What's next ? Registering every contract...... ? Wiil land lords have to pay for goverment mistakes and banks fraud and negligens ?
Shame, U K Pensioners get lower pension than most EU Countries. Less pregnant teenagers..... less allowances and more pensions. Too goody goody with imigrants and UK Nationals beging for food and shelter.
- J Garcia, Alicante-Spain, 01/12/2009 14:35
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I bet that in the detail there is a fat fee that goes to the Treasury!
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke, 01/12/2009 14:35
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Nice new vehicle to start raising more stealth taxes....aren't we all wise to this rubbish yet?
- Jules_London, london, 01/12/2009 14:35
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There are already too many laws against landlords, which, as far as I can make out, are rarely enforced. Anyway, I have a far simpler solution to the bad landlord problem; I move to somewhere better.
- Kate, London, 01/12/2009 14:35
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Socialists poking their nose in again, and wanting to charge £50 a time, can't wait to see this shower kicked out
- P Staker, London, 01/12/2009 14:35
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Such an interering govenment!
LEAVE US ALONE AND STOP TAKING OUR MONEY!
- Ben, W1, London, 01/12/2009 14:35
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This is yet another form of indirect taxation by this abyismal government, while i deplore landlords providing substandard housing, being a landlord my self- I will only pass on this cost to my tenants by raising the rent.
Who really benefits from such crass laws?
- Raminder Bhalla, Northolt, 01/12/2009 14:35
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This is Stealth Tax plain and simple by a desperate bumbling Government in need of quick Cash !
- Enuff, London, 01/12/2009 14:35
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They should do something about commercial landlords who ramp up rents so high that whole communities are hollowed out, with family-run businesses being priced out and replaced by estate agents and Starbucks shops. Some streets now have eight or nine estate agents and no shops that actually sell anything.
- Neil, London, London UK, 01/12/2009 14:35
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It will not be introduced.
This government is running out of time and is desperate to appear to be taking action, after almost 12 years of inaction.
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke, 01/12/2009 14:35
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I suspect this is just Labour trying to meddle where there isn't a problem.
Landord-Tenant law is currently strong enough, but as nobody loves a landlord, they're an easy target for a useless government to target in order to deflect criticism from itself.
That it creates yet MORE state jobs which might be removed by a Conservative administration is a bonus as far as Labour is concerned. They would love to get to the point where everyone is employed by the state and where everyone would be fearful that they would lose their jobs if another party was voted into government.
They must think the electorate is stupid if they think we don't know this.
- George, London, 01/12/2009 14:35
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I thought rogue landlords were all sorted out after the Peter Rackman years, in the 1960s etc.
But I suppose that all reverted back to the status quo under Margaret Thatcher, and continued under Tony Blair’s New Labour.
This is the thing with State Morality; they have it when they fear losing power; but miraculously regain immorality when returned to power.
Governments; like rogue landlords, hate being evicted themselves.
- Mickyinlondon, london, 01/12/2009 14:35
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May be it's time to get the balance right, and start protecting landlords from rogue tenants. Tenants can get away with pretty much anything these days, and there is little protection for landlords, who are seeing falling property values and falling rental incomes.
- Nick, London, 01/12/2009 14:35
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My council owe me thousands in unpaid rent and have put in tenants without my permision.
One law for them ?
Private landlords are propping up the goverment with no thanks.
The goverment cant even run their own houses without us paying them.
Time to sell and leave this dying country ?
Jeff
- Jeff, torquay, 01/12/2009 14:35
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Now that would be fine IF ONLY they (government that is) offered to support such initiatives (if you can call it that) if they covered loss of unpaid rents.
- Tony Islander, Herts, 01/12/2009 14:35
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Ms Rugg found up to 50 per cent of privately rented accommodation falls below the Government's decent homes standard.
what about the all the Council houses which are in poor condition shouldent we have more regulation to improve the service given by councils
- Helen, London, 01/12/2009 14:35
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Ok so ho about a register of unscrupulous and bad tenants?
Why do landlords have to wait so long and pay so much to get rid of non-payers?
- Michael Corby, London UK, 01/12/2009 14:35
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