Do you support Shelter's call for Landlord registration?

theartfullodger

Shelter recently published a briefing on the private rented sector
(see..
http://england.shelter.org.uk/news/august_2009/bring_private_rented_sector_up_to_scratch
)
Specifically this includes

We are calling for the Government to introduce both a landlord registration system and a centralised regulator. We believe that regulation should be simple and proportionate, and should encompass:

• A national register of landlords – each landlord would receive a unique registration number and pay a low annual fee.
• A national, autonomous body with statutory powers to oversee regulation.
• A common code of practice and support for professionalisation, training, and development of best practice for landlords.
• Proactive and effective enforcement of existing statute.
• Better redress and complaint routes and promotion of tenant rights.

This reform would protect, not affect, good and law-abiding landlords.

In addition, we also need: regulation of letting and managing agents;
mandatory standard written tenancy agreements; and the simplification
of tenancy law. Shelter would also like to see greater security of tenure so
that tenants know that they can enforce their rights without the risk of being
evicted in retaliation.

Do you support Shelter's call for Landlord Registration??

Cheers & thanks for your views, whatever they are!

Lodger

Nosht

It will come whether you like it or not.Once the Tories take over they have promised to scrap the HIP scheme but the EPC one must stay as it is an EEC idea.Regards,N.

Fishingtime

This is just another stelth tax on the LL.
I know there are some dodgy LLs out there but also some good ones.
I would not support it

Nosht

FYI
Not only a registration charge for LL but also for each property, although there is a small discount for multiple properties within the same council area.
Registration lasts 3 years & the financial penalties for trading without are enormous.

Regards,

N.

theartfullodger

Nosht states..

FYI
Not only a registration charge for LL but also for each property, although there is a small discount for multiple properties within the same council area.
Registration lasts 3 years & the financial penalties for trading without are enormous.

referring I think to the existing, Scottish only, Landlord Registration Scheme, which may or may not be the used as a model for a scheme in England & Wales.

Cheers!

Lodger (btw a registered & accredited Scottish Landlord).

Jowo_2

I'm for it - it will flush out the landlords who hide from authorities, such as the HMRC, who are least likely to manage their properties well.

I've used the Scottish scheme to successfully tackle non-payment of common repairs and got an absent landlord to pay back 3 years worth of arrears.

robin_banks

yoxford2008 wrote: »

This is just another stelth tax on the LL.
I know there are some dodgy LLs out there but also some good ones.
I would not support it

If this roots out dodgy ones and there are plenty then how can this be a bad thing. It may also reduce HB fraud which in many instances is perpertrated by the LL.

Jowo_2

Hopefully, they will take the best aspects of the Scottish scheme - namely, the need for a person to be 'fit and proper' to have permission to let which gets rescinded if they are convicted of breaking housing law and rent penalty notices where the local authority instructs the tenant to stop paying rent to a non-registered landlord.

And hopefully, they will resist the passivity of some local authorities in enforcing compliance. For example, over a year after it was implemented, a freedom of information request showed that Glasgow council had thousands of landlords registered but had not prosecuted any, nor issued any rent penalty notices. That's not the case now as they've banned one notorious slum landlord in Govanhill.

Gingernutmeg

I'm not entirely sure what this is going to achieve, beyond annoying 'good' LLs and not really addressing the problems of 'bad' LLs. Unless there's reform of the legislation right through, then just saying that there's better protection of tenant's rights is a bit hollow. Seems to me another thing like the Deposit Protection Scheme - can't say that's really made an awful lot of difference in terms of making renting easier. I'm all for making renting better (for both LLs and tenants, as if LLs didn't have to worry so much about it taking months and costing a fortune to deal with bad tenants then I think the whole situation would become much less combative).

Also it completely fails to address the issue that in many cases, it's not necessarily the LL who is causing the problems (or at least, it's not usually the been the LL who's made problems worse ...). In the first instance, I'd rather see all of these things applied to Letting Agents - compulsory registration, a body with statutory powers to oversee regulation, a push towards training and professionalism and better redress and complaint routes for tenants (because what's there now is worse than useless). I think that anything like this has to address that there's often three 'groups' in the renting 'relationship', (the LL, the LA and the tenant) and all of them need to behave appropriately and understand that there will be repercussions for bad behaviour. Seems to me that at the moment, all of these groups can potentially get away with murder and it's just not really working for anyone.

clutton_2

""It may also reduce HB fraud which in many instances is perpertrated by the LL.""

would you like to expand on the "many" instances of landlords defrauding HB ?

its more likely to be defrauding tenants running off with their LHA - oops - sorry - not thats not seen as fraud is it ?

theartfullodger

'comeon clutton, you don't expect anyone to outline in a public forum how to defraud the council, surely??? (It does happen, promise.., )

Cheers!

Lodger