The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has claimed that the government’s private rental sector policies are reducing the number of properties available in the market, squeezing choice and forcing up rents.
And David Smith, its Policy Director, has called on both prime ministerial candidates, whoever wins, to radically change policy tack, or see the situation grow worse for tenants.
The RLA has set out its own ‘manifesto’ calling on both Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt to reverse the current government’s tax clampdown on the sector, sort out the confusion over its evictions reform and give councils more money to root out criminal landlords.
Smith also once more attacked ‘all forms’ of rent controls, which it says serve only to dry up the supply of homes to rent, reduce choice for tenants and thereby increase rents overall.
Tight-lipped
So far Boris Johnson has kept tight lipped about the private rental sector, whereas Jeremy Hunt this week promised to create 1.5 million new homes within the PRS over the next ten years.
But this is offset by the government’s own data, which reveals that ten per cent of landlords – representing 18 per cent of all tenancies in the sector – plan to reduce the number of properties they let.
Also, five per cent of them plan to leave the sector altogether and recent RLA research suggests that 46 per cent of landlords plan to sell some or all of their 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,” says David Smith.
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