Labour Party Manifesto for ‘Private Renters’ 2017 released

Labour Party Manifesto for ‘Private Renters’ 2017 released

12:05 PM, 16th May 2017, About 8 years ago 26

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The Labour Party Manifesto 2017 promises to end insecurity for private renters.

The Party pledges to control rent increases (Rent Controls) and introduce new consumer rights for tenants with more secure tenancies and more Landlord Licencing.

This section of the document states:

“Labour will make new three year tenancies the norm, with an inflation cap on rent rises. Given the particular pressures in London we will look at giving the Mayor the power to give renters in London additional security. We will legislate to ban letting agency fees for tenants.

We will also empower tenants to call time on bad landlords by giving renters new consumer rights. Renters are spending £9.6 billion a year on homes that the government classes as ‘non-decent’. Around a quarter of this is paid by housing benefit. A Labour government would introduce new legal minimum standards to ensure properties are ‘fit for human habitation’ and empower tenants to take action if their rented homes are sub-standard.

We will reverse the cruel decision to abolish housing benefit for 18 to 21 yearolds, which risks putting even more vulnerable young people on our streets.”

Click Here to see the full document


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Monty Bodkin

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16:24 PM, 16th May 2017, About 8 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Alison King" at "16/05/2017 - 15:42":

Two thirds of homes that fail the decent homes standard are owner occupied, should the state interfere there too?

Anne Noon

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16:35 PM, 16th May 2017, About 8 years ago

Over regulation of multiple occupancy properties will lead to landlords turning to single households. In st Albans, I know of Landlords who are thinking of back8ng out of the multi-occupancy market because of ridiculous regulations. A twice monthly demonstration of how the fire extinguishers work ( that is if they are present, which is not a requirement , so the answer is to remove them altogether. Notices as to how to get in touch with the "manager" at all hours - mine already do contact me during anti - social hours. I have just spent 2500 upgrading the fire precautions I put in 15 years ago, when licensing was not a requirement. And this is without the implementation of Labour's policies. Where will all those itinerant workers or workers on low wages find accommodation? Will councils build hostels for single people? Yet another stab in the back for us hard working and law-abiding "Armchair Investors"!!l

Cautious Landlord

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16:55 PM, 16th May 2017, About 8 years ago

So there you go then. As if universal credit was not enough to encourage any landlords with a choice to avoid benefit claimants like the plague labour provide a further incentive - the implied withholding of housing benefit when the tenant has a moan up. Good luck local authorities is all I can say - best get some tents in.

Kate Mellor

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0:22 AM, 17th May 2017, About 8 years ago

There are already MORE than sufficient regulations to protect tenants. If they wanted to actually achieve anything meaningful they'd be better served by actually providing the funding and staff needed to ENFORCE the existing regulations and take action against some of the criminals such as those showcased on Nightmare Tenants Slum Landlords. Sadly governments just want the easy route of doing things for appearances rather than making a genuine improvement ?

Michael Barnes

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8:09 AM, 17th May 2017, About 8 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Mark Alexander" at "16/05/2017 - 14:26":

Deed of Assurance is far better in my opinion as there are too many complications with the Labour Party proposal.

Yes, but how would you make that compulsory, and what minimum terms would you impose?

Good landlords will do good things; legislation is to (try to) make bad landlords do good things.

terry sullivan

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8:21 AM, 17th May 2017, About 8 years ago

remember may and her cronies are not Conservatives--i cannot vote for them

Monty Bodkin

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8:24 AM, 17th May 2017, About 8 years ago

Labour will make new three year tenancies the norm, with an inflation cap on rent rises.

I don't think they've thought this through.

Imposing three year tenancies would remove a lot of accidental landlords from the market increasing rents (good for me!).
The average tenancy is already longer than that, mostly ended by the tenant.

Putting a cap on rent rises will result in all AST's having an automatic annual rent rise clause.
CPIH yesterday was 2.6%, so a £20-30 annual increase on the average tenancy.
Currently, most landlords don't increase rents during tenancies.

Lib Dem manifesto out today, wonder what 'improvements' to the rental market they will come up with.

Steve Hards

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16:32 PM, 22nd May 2017, About 8 years ago

Rent controls, eh?

So they haven't read (or else read and ignored) the Parliamentary briefing paper on the history of rent control in the UK? ( http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06747/SN06747.pdf )

It's also notable that the fastest post-war rise in property prices in France happened while rent controls applied. (The reference is rather obscure, but can be found, in English, in chart "1.1. Home price index in constant currency" in the download in section "1.1 The French housing market and its environment since 1800" on this French Government webpage:
http://www.cgedd.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/house-prices-in-france-property-price-index-french-a1117.html

Steve Hards

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16:48 PM, 22nd May 2017, About 8 years ago

Further to my comment above, rent controls were re-introduced in Paris and some other major cities in August 2015. A quick internet search will reveal a number of opinions on the pros and cons, but I thought the following item was quite well balanced and should be required reading for all pro-rent control politicians. In essence, it's fraught with problems, unintended consequences and bureaucratic costs. Who'd have thought it?
http://www.lodgis.com/en/lodgis-agency/press-room/press-releases/rent-controls-a-long-awaited-law-but-no-benefits-for-either-landlords-or-tenants/

Mike D

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16:13 PM, 30th May 2017, About 8 years ago

Nonsense; I've had tenants as long as 5-6 yrs, they stay because they want too, and they leave when they want too, i have only removed 1 tenant in 16 yrs, and that's because they didn't pay the rent and cost me more in damages.
I know there are bad landlords, but please would you move into a ‘non-decent’ home? I've had 1 tenant who wanted out because 'of the damp'....or the condensation they created and didn't clean, i know through 1 that mine became 'non-decent' because of their actions.....
They are defending indefensible behaviours and blaming landlords, generation flash the cash, are lazy and dependent on being helped, the more you do for them the more liabilities they will take.

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