Sep

Renting reforms are ‘whack-a-mole policies disguised as a strategy’ NRLA tells MPs

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NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle has urged MPs to rethink the Renters Reform Bill in a passionate defence of the PRS while giving evidence to the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) committee.

Along with Generation Rent, Shelter and the British Property Federation, Beadle was quizzed by the cross-party group and warned that it the proposals were not got right, they would cause a continued exodus of landlords from the sector.

“This is a series of whack-a-mole policies disguised as a strategy,” he told the meeting. “Government has taxed the pants off individual landlords – it’s more attractive to rent your property on Airbnb to a stag party than it is to a long-term sustainable tenancy.”

He questioned whether proposals to ditch Section 21 evictions would be viable when the court system was still recovering from the pandemic.

Confidence

“Landlords need the confidence that if there is a fault, they can rely on a judicial process that will be fair. Courts dragging their heels and not letting landlords get possession is a problem.”

Responding to Shelter’s comments that landlords were turning renters on benefits away, Beadle said supply was the issue.

“If you’ve got 400 people queuing around the block, landlords will choose a tenant with less risk. We need to see improvements to the Universal Credit system which gives landlords confidence.

“If you’ve been bitten on the backside by Universal Credit not talking to you or not processing your claim for direct payments, you’re not going to use it.”

Decimate student lets

He warned that proposals to bring in periodic tenancies would decimate the student lets sector and also urged the government to combine legislation governing the PRS to present it in an understandable way – using the property portal to bring together landlords’ paperwork to give tenants confidence and help local authorities target rogue landlords.

But he added: “The quid pro quo is you don’t need some elements such as selective licensing.”

Watch the Select Committee hearing in full.

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