REVEALED: How the new ‘property portal’ for landlords and tenants will work

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First details of the ‘private rental portal’ revealed in yesterday’s Queen’s Speech have emerged.

LandlordZONE understands that the portal will be similar to but more comprehensive than the ones already in operation in Wales and Scotland, using the address of each private rented property in England to create a database of homes and their landlords/agents.

As in Scotland, this is likely to include the owner of the property, the company managing it if applicable and a contact address for the owner/management.

This portal may then be linked to any redress cases linked to the property and its landlord, and will include any information on outstanding repairing standards enforcement orders and other breaches of the Decent Homes Standard.

Landlords are to get their own ‘ombudsman’ service that will enable tenants and landlords in dispute to resolve issues outside of the court system.

Briefing notes accompanying the Queen’s Speech explain that: “The Bill will… help landlords understand their obligations, give tenants performance information to hold their landlord to account, and help councils crack down on poor practice”.

Regulatory info?

But at this stage, it is not clear whether the portal will include regulatory information such as additional or selective licencing, gas safety, MEES and electrical checks.

In Scotland, landlords on the register must use their registration number on property listings advertising their listing so that prospective tenants can check their previous history, a requirement that is likely to be copied in England.

Speaking at an online Geospatial conference yesterday, David Holmes, senior policy adviser for the private rented sector at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), said: “It could provide more data to give local authorities accurate information on private rental properties, and support the targeted enforcement of standards based on a better understanding of the stock.

Obligations

“Also, it could improve private landlords’ awareness of their obligations and be a conduit for communicating changes and provide tenants with more information on the standards of properties they are viewing and obligations a landlord could owe to them.”

If like the Scottish and Welsh systems, landlords in England found to have broken rules could be thrown out of the portal, making it impossible for them to rent their properties legally.

Sean Hooker, Head of Redress at the PRS, says his organisation “looks forward to working with the DLUHC to developer its plans for the portal”.

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