Landlords calling for change of attitude to rental sector from Tory hopefuls

1 Jul 2019 02:24 PM

Landlords are urging the candidates to lead the Conservative Party to adopt a more positive approach to the private rented sector.

In a letter sent to Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson the Residential Landlords Association warns that the interests of tenants are not being well served by policies which are reducing the supply of homes to rent.

According to Government data, 10 per cent of landlords representing 18 per cent of all tenancies in the sector plan to reduce the number of properties they rent out whilst 5 per cent of landlords representing 5 per cent of tenancies plan to leave the sector altogether. Recent RLA research suggests that 46 per cent of landlords are planning to sell some or all of their properties.

This comes following a raft of Conservative policies aimed at dampening investment in the market, including imposing a tax on landlord investment in new homes to rent. This means that landlords investing in new rental housing are hit by a 3 per cent stamp duty levy.

Most recently the Government has proposed limiting the ability of landlords to repossess properties when they need to.

As a result of the fall-off in investment, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has warned that expectations for increasing rents are now at their highest point for 3 years.

The RLA is calling on the leadership candidates to back its 5 point plan for the sector, namely:

David Smith, Policy Director for the Residential Landlords Association, said:

“The new Conservative Prime Minister needs to reconsider the approach to the private rented sector. Otherwise the situation for tenants will just get worse as they face less choice and higher rents because of a growing shortage of properties.

“We need a raft of changes that will encourage more investment in high standard homes rather than efforts to scapegoat landlords for failures by successive governments to build enough homes.”

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Last week, the RLA together with the JCWI and campaign group the3million called for both Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt to scrap the Right to Rent scheme, following a High Court ruling that the scheme causes discrimination against British ethnic minorities.