attracting fines<\/strong> if done overtly. And those are just the headline measures.<\/p>\nLooking at all this, it is as if Labour believes the private rented sector is not required at its current size.<\/p>\n
I gather that was the mood music at its conference in Liverpool this month during the various fringe meetings that took place, several of which were attended by housing minister Matthew Pennycook.<\/p>\n
Landlords vs Tenants<\/h3>\n The lost balance here is that while it can be argued that a lot of these reforms have been a long time coming (and perhaps would have been better introduced individually over a longer period rather than hitting landlords in one go) what the legislation doesn\u2019t tackle is rogue tenants<\/strong>.<\/p>\nIn my experience of reporting on this market for many years, the problem of violent or deceitful tenants is just as widespread as rogue landlords.<\/p>\n
This bill, as several experts have pointed out, may protect innocent renters from bad actors, but it will also be a blank cheque for those who seek to dodge rental payments fraudulently and enjoy a free housing ride.<\/p>\n
This may sound as if I lack compassion and of course I realise many tenants are struggling to pay their rent, but all the many landlords and letting agents I know have a story to tell about at least one tenant who after moving in stopped paying the rent after a few months, knowing full well that it takes 25 weeks<\/strong> at least to get them out via the courts, and often much longer.<\/p>\nAnd in one case, the tenant involved worked for a well-known firm and earned more than \u00a350,000 a year, so no one argue they had an economic imperative to default.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
My point is that while the Renters Rights Bill, given its name, is all about giving tenants more power within the relationship with their landlord (and that\u2019s no bad thing) too many landlords will eventually feel that they can no longer make a reasonable living from renting out their properties. Supply will dwindle, and rents will rise<\/strong>. Politicians should always be careful what they wish for.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
<\/noscript>Tenants moving into new home<\/p><\/div>\n