WIREDGOV

Landlords are calling on the government to ensure comprehensive reforms are made to the way good landlords can repossess properties in legitimate circumstances.

Whilst the Conservative Party pledged in its manifesto to end Section 21 repossessions in the rental market, it also promised also to strengthen the rights of good landlords to repossess properties where they have good cause to do so. 

The RLA is calling on Ministers to ensure that the new framework provides clear and comprehensive grounds upon which landlords can repossesses properties in cases such as anti-social behaviour and tenant rent arrears, with guarantees about the timeframes involved for each and measures to prevent abuses by problem tenants.

This needs to be underpinned by developing a dedicated, properly funded housing court to ensure considerable improvements to the time taken to rule on, and enforce, possession cases.

Constructive work

David Smith, Policy Director for the RLA, said:

“We look forward to working constructively with the government as it develops its plans for the private rented sector.

“With the demand for rented housing remaining strong it is vital that the Conservatives’ plans for the sector, whilst being fair to tenants, have the full confidence of landlords.

“The election should also be seen as an outright rejection of Labour’s plans for rent controls.

“They would have undermined investment in the sector, choked off supply and made it more difficult for tenants to find the good quality homes to rent they need.”