The government has launched a survey of private tenants in which it asks them whether they would like to be given names and contact details of their landlords.
The spectre is raised in question 18 out of the 20 put to private renters in an online consultation, ahead of the government’s White Paper on rental reform to be issued this winter,
Question 18 says:
What would you be interested in accessing?
information about my landlord (eg, name, contact details);
information about whether the landlord has any relevant conditions for housing offences;
information about the safety standard of of the property (eg, gas safety);
information about the energy efficiency of the property.
The survey was launched earlier this month by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and continues until November 17.
It takes no more than 10 minutes to complete and asks tenants how they found their property, and then more detailed questions on what documentation they were given.
A covering note issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities says: “The survey is aimed at those with experience renting privately in England, or those who are considering renting privately in the near future.”
And elsewhere in the covering note, the Department reveals that the survey is part of the background work for the White Paper and possible Renters Reform Bill, scheduled for release over the winter.
The note continues: “In the Queen’s Speech, the Government committed to bringing forward reforms to drive improvements in standards in privately rented accommodation and supporting local authorities to conduct well targeted, effective enforcement that drives out criminal landlords.
“As part of the Government’s commitment to explore the merits of a national landlord register, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities are engaging with a range of stakeholders across the private rented sector.
“This survey will inform this work and help us to further understand the difficulties individuals face when renting, letting or enforcing property standards in the Private Rented Sector.”
You can see the survey for yourself here.
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I happy with all that, even though most of my properties are managed through an agent now all my tenants have my phone no and are free to contact me direct so long as I have their phone numbers also, I never answer a call from a strange number too many fruitcakes out there that I really do not wish to speak to.
From seeing how incompetent these agents are when it comes to management I’d seriously consider selling up rather than letting these idiots take charge
Many agents, especially the large ones are worse than useless, however the small independent agent I have used in Norwich for over 15 yrs now are excellent.
One of the reasons that landlords like an agent is that they don't want to be contacted by tenants. We also find that those that do have landlords' numbers and contact them direct end up in a mess as the maintenance doesn't get done/recorded properly.
Whether contacted direct or through my agent my repairs / maintenance work is always attended to swiftly generally by myself.
1. My tenants have my contact details, and I have theirs
2. Safety certificates and EPCs have to be given at the start of the tenancy
3. For landlords using an agency then surely that's the best way of getting work done if needed and making sure all contact is therefore recorded and can be evidenced in dispute cases
The only thing that might be of worth to a tenant is if the landlord has any convictions/conditions (I don't) so the majority of the question is pointless.
tenant convictions?
Probably would have been a better use of government money to ask tenants how they are going to find a rental property when landlords are forced to sell their D or C rated properties in the decade ahead!
These surveys are so miss focused on the real issues facing the sector.
Thius is ridiculous, the governments been regulating the PRS and knows the market inside out. Sounds a bit like its loaded in order to get the answers they want.
Obviously we want EXACTLY the same details made available to us regarding tenants convictions arrears etc otherwise it is yet more of the blatant and vicious discrimination we are victims of
Of course the Government have long since forgotten the existing civil and criminal legal rights to be told Landlords address (with criminal sanctions!!)
Section 48 Landlord & Tenant Act 1987 (civil)
Section 1 of the Landlord & Tenant Act 1985 (criminal)
But the more sinister undertow to this is the pervasive assumption that no one knows any law!! Sadly very true.
Our tenants have our contact details, and I encourage them to use them whenever there is even a minor issue - would rather get it sorted sooner rather than later. As Bernard Brandon said - I was always told that they had to be issued a Section 48 notice - and I make sure that our tenants are issued this (email and hard copy), and they sign to say they have had it. Some tenancy agreements also include a Section 48 notice.
The more concerning aspect of this article is the section where they ask tenants what documents they received - we have a standard pack of documents (which is about an inch thick now!) and we email these to the prospective tenants at least a week before they sign the tenancy, then we give them hard copies on the day and go through each and every one with them - often with check-in taking well over an hour now with Right to Rent, inventory, How to Rent, various safety certificates and 'how to' guides, tenancy agreement and so on - but still I have had a tenant recently tell me that she never saw the inventory (although her and her Dad spent a 40 minutes going round the property checking it all), and she said she never received a big pink folder full of things like the gas safety certificate, manuals for appliances, etc... she has had them, and she had them emailed to her, and she signed to say she had had them at check-in- and I have re-sent them again recently on email, which she replied to - but still claims she has never seen them! Some tenants have selective memory on things like this. Asking a tenant what they received isn't necessarily going to give an accurate picture.
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