Housing minister Grant Shapps is under fire after announcing a crackdown on ‘tenants from hell’ in social housing.
Shapps has said that he will make it easier for anti-social tenants to be kicked out.
But the Residential Landlords Association said that as a result, private landlords could find themselves unknowingly taking on such nightmare tenants, without the power to check their tenant records and with no powers to take effective action against them.
RLA chairman Alan Ward said: “The RLA strongly supports efforts to combat anti-social behaviour by tenants who blight communities across the country.
“However, by addressing the behaviour of tenants in the social rented sector alone, such tenants will simply find themselves with no alternatives but to seek private rented accommodation. Data Protection laws make it difficult for landlords to properly reference the behaviour of new tenants.
“The Government is once again looking to the PRS to meet the UK’s housing needs. What landlords require is a reformed court system that enables a quicker, more effective response to tenants causing anti-social behaviour, without the current delays of up to eight months to regain possession.
“Anti-social tenants affect both the private and social rented sector, and the RLA is calling on the Government to work with the sector to combat anti-social behaviour in all its forms.”
Under the measures announced by Shapps, nightmare tenants in social housing will face swifter eviction.
Shapps will also lengthen ‘probationary tenancies’ for new social housing tenants from a year to 18 months.
The Government is also reviewing the anti-social behaviour tool and powers available to the police, councils and social landlords, and will publish a consultation on proposed changes shortly.
Comments
oh dear! .....purveyors
Gourmand Gossip:
I agree with most of your sentiments, especially the takeovers by perveyors of insurance products. I have just retired after 35 years of running my own multi-disciplined agency so have been through it all! However, my point was that many lettings are being conducted by those who know very little of the legalities and specialist knowledge required. It does not have to be obtained from sources other than from knowledge and experience within the firm - but in many many cases it is not carried out. Hence my words 'bolt-on'
I come from a generation where an Estate Agent did Surveys, planning advice, Sales and Lettings, (residential and commercial for both) I was robbed of my Profession in 1986 when the Pru and GA came along.
Since then the correct and proper way of providing clients with "whole" service has disappeared. My life since then has been providing the industry with services that ensure that the folk who have no interest in Professional qualification or night school learning have good practice applied to what they do.
I am now told I have to waste 12 hours (CPD) a year with some half wit blabbing on nonsense in order to retain qualifications I had to earn.
When the Governing bodies became more interested in commercial money making and bloating their own egos than professional standards, that is when our Profession became an industry.
Gourmand Gossip:
You are quite right in saying that the lettings 'industry' (although I prefer the term 'profession') has the wit to do the job properly. However, in my view it is the 'selling' side that seems to just bolt on a lettings dept. with no staff training or specific qualifications that is the main problem. Lettings is a specialist business and should be seen as such.!
Shapps is rapidly getting an Yvette Cooper reputation for not thinking things through.
If he wants to fuel social unrest carry on. But come on, any agent who wants 8 hours sleep is simply going to run a mile from these folk.
If anyone thinks the letting industry has not got the wit to ask for details of previous agent or previous landlord. Must be thicker than the skin of a corporate HR Director.
Unles a spaceship arrives fro Mars what is the credible explanation for these socially inept Ferals stepping foot over the threshold of PM agencies?
I am starting to wonder which egot is advising Mr Shapps, they clearly have no understanding of either Property or Sociology