The growing problem of rogue tenants needs addressing and the Housing and Planning Bill should be amended to address them, according to one organisation.
The Association of Independent Inventory Clerks (AIIC) says the legislation is aimed at tackling rogue letting agents and landlords but there should be measures aimed at tackling rogue tenants too.
The new law has proposals that would both fine and ban criminal letting agents and landlords and bring in rent repayment orders and place details of blacklisted landlords and agents onto a database.
The plan is for the database to be maintained by local authorities so they can keep track of offenders.
However, while the new law will help deter rogue landlords, there’s still a lot that needs to be done with the problem of rogue tenants.
Banning and blacklisting criminal letting agents and landlords
The AIIC’s chair, Patricia Barber, said: “We are aware that banning and blacklisting criminal letting agents and landlords from letting property is necessary.
“But the Housing Bill is one-sided and suggests that it’s only letting agents and landlords who cause a problem during a tenancy. We know this is not true from experience and I have come across horror stories where tenants have refused to pay rent for long periods or trashed a landlord’s property.”
She added: “It would be fair for troublesome tenants to be blacklisted in the way as agents or landlords are with the threat of being fined or blacklisted would discourage tenants from misbehaving and help build the relationship between them, agents and landlords.”
Right to Rent scheme changes will protect landlords
Meanwhile, MPs have confirmed that changes to the controversial Right to Rent scheme will protect landlords who want to evict illegal immigrant tenants from their properties, says the
Residential Landlords’ Association (RLA).
The news comes after the government made changes to its Immigration Bill to protect landlords who take reasonable steps within an appropriate timeframe to end tenancies of those who are living illegally in the UK.
Previously, letting agents or landlords faced the prospect of criminal sanctions if they had failed to carry out checks that their tenant had the right to rent their property before deciding to evict them.
This potential legal loophole led to the RLA campaigning for a change and its policy director, David Smith, said: “We welcome this pragmatic change to the Right to Rent scheme which will provide protection from the unintended policy consequences for good landlords.”
Under the scheme, letting agents and landlords must carry out immigration checks on prospective tenants to ensure they have a legal right to remain in the UK.
