SoldOut Online - Better, safer and more successful renting for the future, says NLA and Crisis

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Better, safer and more successful renting for the future, says NLA and Crisis

2009-10-09

The national charity for single homeless people, Crisis and the National Landlords Association (NLA), the UK’s leading representative body for private-residential landlords, have joined forces to call on the Conservative Party to deliver a new vision for the private-rented sector (PRS) which focuses on encouraging growth and professional standards and tackling rogue operators effectively.

‘New Directions for Renting: A New Vision for the Private-Rented Sector’, to be launched at the Conservative Party Conference today, urges policymakers to make better use of the sector to offer a wider range of housing options and increased access to sustainable accommodation.

Leslie Morphy, Chief Executive, Crisis, commenting on the forthcoming launch said: “The PRS is often the tenure of choice for students and young professionals. But with the right support and safeguards in place, it can also provide a sustainable home for many homeless and vulnerable households for whom there are few other options. We are today calling on policymakers to make the changes necessary to create a thriving PRS that provides all tenants with well managed and maintained homes. They must ensure that support is available to help people on low incomes access the PRS, drive out the worst elements of the sector and reform housing benefit to promote housing stability and ensure that work always pays”.

David Salusbury, Chairman, NLA, who will speak at the launch said: “This contribution not only outlines our vision for the private-rented sector but also makes clear that we expect councils to take seriously the need to develop PRS access schemes. Without this commitment, the ‘hidden homeless’ will continue to come up against barriers in creating sustainable tenancies and so the cycle continues. We know that most landlords are professional, business-orientated individuals, but we also know that a small minority of rogue operators continue to bring the entire sector into disrepute. We are determined to shine a light on bad practice, while offering the support and advice needed to make a success of letting residential property”.

Comments:

Sharon

How Do We Know?

2009-10-08 18:22:21

I'm always bemused by the consant mantra that rogue landlords and agents are in a minority? I am part of a Right to Manage company for a block of flats in East London and I had an absent landlord (who was convicted for fraud and sentenced to 8 years inside) managing agents who left the building to rot and got themselves out of managing it by simply failing to file at Companies House (whereas we are threatened with all sorts if we don't comply witgh legislation), individual landlords who don't give a jot about their tenants as long as they get the rent, and letting agents that don't give a jot either, carrying out shoddy work when they can be bothered to do any work at all. And this is only one block!! Leasehold and the PRS is built on no foundation whatsoever because of one reason and one reason only - no entry criteria whatsoever. If we are serious about making the PRS a viable alternative in housing choice then we need to start preparing some foundations otherwise everything else is simply tinkering around the edges.