Labour ‘demonises landlords’ and will empower tenants

Labour has unveiled plans to deliver a new renters’ charter and a decent homes standard for the country’s private rental sector.

But the criticism at the party’s conference in Liverpool of private landlords has been slammed by one organisation as ‘demonising all landlords’.

Lisa Nandy, the shadow secretary of state for Levelling Up, Housing, Communities & Local Government, told the conference: “For private renters, we will tilt the balance of power back to you through a powerful new renters’ charter and a new decent homes standard – written into law.

“Because security in your home, the right to make your home your own and most of all the right to live in a home fit for human habitation is non-negotiable.”

Renters’ Charter to give private tenants new powers

While she didn’t give details in her speech, Ms Nandy did give an interview to the Mirror in which she pledged to deliver a Renters’ Charter that will give private tenants new powers in the first 100 days of a Labour government.

This would include the end of automatic evictions for rent arrears and abolishing no-fault evictions.

The charter will also include the right for tenants to have pets, to make reasonable alterations to a property and introduce a four month notice period for landlords.

Labour is also promising to create a national register of landlords and a legally binding decent homes standard.

They will also look at ways to make tenancy deposits ‘more portable’.

There is also expected to be a consultation with landlords and tenant groups on how to ‘stabilise rent increases’.

‘My priority to tackle the housing crisis’

In her speech, Ms Nandy said: “I will make it my priority to tackle the housing crisis because nothing, nothing is more important than a home.

“The Tories have turned housing into a racket.

“Incentivising speculation and profiteering while millions languish on waiting lists in cold damp homes.

“So, we will mend the deliberate vandalism of our social housing stock.”

She said that Labour would be the first government in a generation to restore social housing to the second largest form of tenure.

This will be, she added, ‘Our mantra’.

‘Labour Party is once again demonising all landlords’

Ben Beadle, the chief executive of the National Residential Landlords’ Association, said: “It is depressing that the Labour Party is once again demonising all landlords.

“The vast majority do a good job, providing a fifth of all housing in the country.

“That is why private tenants are more likely to be satisfied with their accommodation than those in the social rented sector.”

‘What Labour is proposing will seriously damage confidence’

He added: “The combined effects of what Labour is proposing, in particular essentially making rent payments an optional extra, will seriously damage confidence and with it, the supply of homes to rent when demand is already high.

“Tenants will suffer in the long run.

“The reality is that promises of new social housing at some distant point in the future will do nothing to help renters struggling today.”

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