Local authorities must prosecute landlords who wilfully ignore laws aimed at protecting tenants, according to the National Landlords Association (NLA), the largest representative body for private-residential landlords in the UK.
A new investigation by the housing charity, Shelter, found that a “small but dangerous” group of landlords are bringing the whole private-rented sector into disrepute. It goes on to say that:
“…the damage that rogue landlords cause to the lives of often vulnerable tenants is enormous and can spread to the wider neighbourhood, with rundown properties blighting communities.”
The NLA is calling on local authorities to give enforcement a higher priority and deal firmly with rogue landlords who choose to exploit their tenants.
David Salusbury, Chairman, NLA, said:
“We roundly condemn the worst excesses in the private-rented sector where a small minority of landlords choose to exploit their tenants by offering sub-standard property which can endanger lives. This is unacceptable and local authorities must act.
“We agree with Shelter that most private landlords are responsible and honest in how they deal with their tenants and look after the properties. But where landlords wilfully ignore the rules and regulations put in place to protect tenants, landlords should expect severe penalties.
“Local authorities simply must do better by adopting a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to those landlords who wilfully break the law. If this rogue element within the sector goes unchallenged, then reputable landlords are tarnished and the image of the private-rented sector is damaged.”
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The problem here seems not necessarily to be the law but the differing efforts applied by different councils in dealing with the problem.
In my experience my local authority is very reluctant to deal with rogue landlords in our private blocks of flats and the situation is further compounded when tenants don't contact the council when they have problems with their landlords (for whatever reason).
I also wonder how anyone knows that rogue landlords are a minority because a minority can be any number up to 49%!
Kind Regards
Miss Sharon Crossland AIPRM
Leasehold Life
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LICENSE LANDLORDS
What I find utterly baffling is how my own landlords' association - the NLA - is fighting against licencing landlords, when this would be one very effective measure against such rogues. I can only surmise that so many of my fellow members are against such a move, for reasons I can only imagine, that the NLA fears a dramatic loss of member and service revenues if it is seen to act against their "interests". I am actually considering leaving the NLA in protest at its stance.
If landlords were licenced, and serious misdemeanours carried the sanction of lifetime disqualification, it would either drive out the rogues, or force them to behave more responsibly.
Tenants already have many more rights than landlords, which is grossly unfair - but this is no excuse for landlords to behave badly or for a continuation of the current unregulated environment.
All landlords are NOT the same, Miss Crossland. Many of us care deeply about the job we do.
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