Generation Rent has raised detailed concerns about a proposal from the Liberal Democrats to introduce a national register of landlords.
The Lib Dems’ manifesto commitments include the immediate abolition of Section 21 evictions and three-year tenancies as standard; council crackdowns on Airbnbs, holiday lets and second homes; a minimum energy standard for rental properties, and the landlord register.
But Dan Wilson Craw, deputy chief executive of Generation Rent, says: “A national register of landlords is essential, with England the only UK nation without one. But by specifying ‘licensed landlords’ begs the question of whether the party would require all landlords to be licensed as well, or just apply the register to the roughly 7% of landlords who currently need a licence.”
He’s also concerned at other Lib Dem ideas and says: "A commitment to 'immediately' ban no-fault evictions is a good first step. However, the commitment to three-year tenancies by default is confusing – it is not clear whether tenants could move home within the three years if their circumstances change, or if landlords would need a reason to evict at the end of the period.
“The abolition of no-fault evictions must be paired with open-ended tenancies to provide tenants with both security and flexibility.
“The Liberal Democrats are also correct to right a wrong of the previous parliament by raising minimum energy efficiency standards for private rented homes, which is essential to eradicate fuel poverty and bring down energy bills for renters.
"The manifesto contains positive proposals with the potential to improve the affordability and quality of rented homes. However, without a more comprehensive offer of reform to renting, including limits to rent increases, renters will continue to suffer from the same imbalance of power with our landlords that has undermined our security for so long, and this must be addressed by the next government."
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Generation Rent are so deluded. They really have no conception that landlords don't have to be landlords, and many are already on the cusp of selling everything.
And when any remaining benefit or value to being a landlord has been completely eradicated by these delusional noise makers, the remaining landlords will sell up and put the money else where. Has no one told these morons It isnt compulsory?
Sarah - when that happens there will be no need for Generation Rent!
Having been at the top of the agenda for so long with the RRB, the tenant's groups are now finding that in an election parties care more about the FTB vote! Renters' groups are being pushed to the sidelines again & they don't like it!
They just don’t get it 🤷♂️ They never will ☠️The PRS is dead.
The PRS is dying at pace. Being replaced by the CPRS (Corporate Provided Rental Sector). Has any journalist pressed Generation Rent on what they think of the CPRS?
Actually maybe this new sector should be called CCCP (Corporates Catering for Contractual Property). Seems more appropriate.
A S - As I have said before I suspect GR sponsored by CPRS! Otherwise why would they be so hellbent in killing off the PRS?!
"Renters will continue to suffer from the same imbalance of power with our landlords that has undermined our security for so long..."
The imbalance being the landlord owns the home and when you smash it up and stop paying the rent the LL gets a tad miffed?
Every proposal for rent reform tips the balance further in the tenants way. If it was balanced a non-payer would be out in 3 months. There'd be a national register of tenants and a record of late / missed rent payments would affect the credit score and stop all tenants having the latest mobile on contract.
Why 3 months? If you shop lifted £800 of goods you would be arrested immediately
Dan really does STICK IN YOUR CRAW.😠
The national register thing doesn’t worry me as in the event of a tenant wanting to defame you I think it only draws attention to the complainer who won’t be offered a property by other landlords
Unfortunately I doubt the tenant would ever be named and it would just say landlord kicked me out and not mention that they hadn't paid rent for a year.
Well Dan you set this up and police it, then I'll do the same with an online tenant register, fair?
We are Registered at Birth.
All this idiot does is bleat like an irate crow. Craw! Craw! Craw! A party could offer free houses for life to all renters and he would want more.
There are 1000 times as many bad Tenants than landlords. Ever wondered what happens to the tenants from hell when they are finally evicted owing thousands and leaving your property with thousands of pounds of repairs? The present system allows them to move into another poor unsuspecting Landlord's property and start all over again. IT'S A TENANT'S REGISTER THAT'S NEEDED NOT A LANDLORDS'.
Yes I think my tenants register would have a lot of black markers in it
All the Groups like GE. Will NEVER never be satisfied . No matter how much red tape is passed. They need something to carp on about to make them worth their hefty pay packets!
There will be no fairness with the removal of S21, TRRB or licensing.
Did you know licensing Schemes categorises you, restricts and devalues your property loosing your ability to rent to who you want and it’s costing you thousands on licensing fees, Compliances and property devaluation.
Say you now have a family of 4 classed as one household and apply for a license it will be a Selective License you’ll be granted but you had previously let to Sharers for many years you are now blocked from doing this in future as that would be 4 household so that would be an Additional licence or Mandatory if 5 but you don’t have that licence and can’t let to them anymore,
So when your property becomes available and individuals turn up you can’t rent to them even though you done it for 20 years you are paying the Council to destroy you. In London as result landlords are shying away from families forming Mandatory HMO’s letting rooms individually for £1’000.00 pm each.
That’s no good for Tenants and families get nowt. Congratulations Mr Gove..
The LAW can not be "immediately" changed. That demonstrates gross ignorance and ineptitude. 😑
I can't see that it says that in the Liberal Democrat manifesto. Specifically on housing it says:
Build the homes people desperately need, with meaningful community engagement, by:
Expanding Neighbourhood Planning across England.
Building ten new garden cities.
Allowing councils to buy land for housing based on current use value rather than on a hope-value basis by reforming the Land Compensation Act 1961.
Properly funding local planning departments to improve planning outcomes and ensure housing is not built in areas of high flood risk without adequate mitigation, by allowing local authorities to set their own fees.
Encouraging the use of rural exception sites to expand rural housing.
Trialling Community Land Auctions to ensure that local communities receive a fair share of the benefits of new development in their areas and to help fund vital local services.
Encouraging development of existing brownfield sites with financial incentives and ensuring that affordable and social housing is included in these projects.
Introducing ‘use-it-or-lose-it’ planning permission for developers who refuse to build.
Putting the construction sector on a sustainable footing by investing in skills, training and new technologies such as modern methods of construction.
Ensure that all development has appropriate infrastructure, services and amenities in place, integrating infrastructure and public service delivery into the planning process.
Make homes warmer and cheaper to heat with a ten-year emergency upgrade programme, and ensure that all new homes are zero-carbon, as set out in chapter 5.
Remove dangerous cladding from all buildings, while ensuring that leaseholders do not have to pay a penny towards it.
Help people who cannot afford a deposit to own their own homes by introducing a new Rent to Own model for social housing where rent payments give tenants an increasing stake in the property, owning it outright after 30 years.
End rough sleeping within the next Parliament by:
Urgently publishing a cross-Whitehall plan to end all forms of homelessness.
Exempting groups of homeless people, and those at risk of homelessness, from the Shared Accommodation Rate.
Introducing a ‘somewhere safe to stay’ legal duty to ensure that everyone who is at risk of sleeping rough is provided with emergency accommodation and an assessment of their needs.
Ensuring sufficient financial resources for local authorities to deliver the Homelessness Reduction Act and provide accommodation for survivors of domestic abuse.
Give local authorities new powers to control second homes and short-term lets in their areas, as set out in chapter 15.
Protect the rights of social renters by:
Proactively enforcing clear standards for homes that are socially rented, including strict time limits for repairs.
Fully recognising tenant panels so that renters have a voice in landlord governance.
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Can somebody find where the abolition of Section 21 is stated in the manifesto?
I expect in GR and Starmer's eyes it can
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