Government plans to make it easier for councils to acquire dangerously poor-quality rental homes must not make it harder for responsible landlords to operate, a property management platform has warned.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham says landlords renting out the worst homes will first be instructed to improve them. If they refuse, councils will be given an easier route to acquire those properties, with new legislation introduced if required.
The Government also intends to strengthen council powers over empty homes and bring more properties into the public housing stock as part of a wider expansion of council housing.
However, COHO says ministers must explain which properties will be affected, the threshold councils must meet and how the proposals will interact with existing housing enforcement legislation.
CALL FOR CLEAR SAFEGUARDS
Vann Vogstad (main picture), Founder and Chief Executive Officer of COHO, says: “Most reputable landlords are completely against rogue landlords. They make everyone else look bad and make it harder for tenants to distinguish between the good and bad.
“So opposition to measures targeting the rogue ones absolutely isn’t about protecting bad ones. But I genuinely hope this isn’t a backdoor route to removing landlords from the private rented sector altogether.”
Vogstad supports action to improve housing standards but warns that the financial and supply implications also need to be considered.
“The concern is that if regulation keeps removing landlords’ ability to manage properties effectively, deal with problematic tenancies and make a reasonable return, more good landlords may simply leave the sector and sell,” he says.
TENANT IMPACT WARNING
COHO argues that a reduction in responsible landlord numbers could restrict rental supply and ultimately harm tenants.
The HMO management platform says its own data, covering around 150,000 tenancies, previously identified several potential adverse consequences for tenants arising from the Renters’ Rights Act.
Vogstad adds: “Crack down on rogue landlords, absolutely. But don’t inadvertently make it impossible for good landlords to operate. Ultimately, that risks hurting tenants too.”
