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Renting reforms promises – Tenants unimpressed
Over 60 per cent of tenants say they remain unconvinced of political parties’ promises for the private rental sector, even including Labour’s reform programme to give more rights and powers to renters.
That is the claim of the National Landlords’ Association, which conducted the survey.
Labour plans to reform private renting, including default three-year tenancies and a ban on letting agent fees. The Liberal Democrats have vowed to end the so called practice of retaliatory evictions, introducing the Tenancies (Reform) Bill which is currently making its way through Parliament. The Tories have yet to announce substantial policies for their election manifesto.
But the NLA says Labour will take some consolation from the fact that more tenants – albeit only 13 per cent – believe they have the right approach to housing than any other of the main political parties.
Eight per cent of tenants think UKIP are best placed to improve housing, seven per cent say Conservative, three per cent think the Green Party have the right approach, and just two per cent say Liberal Democrat.
Despite Labour performance, Richard Price, executive director of the UK Association of Letting Agents, says the findings “should serve as a wake up call for all the political parties and specifically Labour.”
He claims Ed Miliband’s party has “swatted away” concerns voiced by the industry over its proposals.
“There are legitimate business costs that letting agents will look to recover from tenants, but these clearly vary from agent to agent and some examples are far too high. What’s important is that fees are fair and transparent from the outset and that the tenant is aware of what they will have to pay, when and why” says Price.
