Labour slammed for treating all landlords as ‘exploiters’

The Renters’ Rights Bill will “wreck the rental market and drive up rents” warns Kemi Badenoch.

In a letter to The Telegraph, Ms Badenoch slams Labour for their one-sided view of landlords, accusing them of treating all landlords as “exploiters.”

She points out the irony that the only MP in Parliament found guilty of mistreating tenants is Labour’s own Jas Athwal.

Ms Badenoch, now the Shadow Housing Secretary, claims she opposed elements of the Conservative government’s Renters’ (Reform) Bill, including the abolition of fixed-term tenancies.

Reduce supply of rental homes

Ms Badenoch criticises Labour for thinking “more regulation is the answer to every problem.”

She tells The Telegraph: “Labour’s new Renters’ Rights Bill shows they don’t understand the value of property rights and they can’t see landlords as anything other than exploiters.

“Funny, as the only MP in this Parliament who has been found to mistreat tenants is one of their own – Jas Athwal.

“We all want to see a better deal for tenants but, as ever, Labour thinks more regulation is the answer to every problem.

“Their Bill will reduce the supply of rental homes, drive up rents and deter the building of new homes for hard-pressed young people.

Landlords provide a vital service

Ms Badenoch claims “Labour do not understand the truth that landlords provide a vital service to the property market”.

She tells The Telegraph: “Landlords provide a vital service. The private rented sector is vital for many who can’t yet afford a mortgage, for young people and those who need to move for work.

“The overwhelming majority of landlords are people who care for their tenants and ask only that their property be respected and a fair rent is paid.”

Ms Badenoch adds the abolition of fixed-term tenancies will cause chaos in the rental market.

She said: “Instead of landlord and tenant freely entering into a contract they can renew when the terms expire, all tenancies will continue indefinitely until terminated by the tenant – there will be no more fixed-term tenancies.

“If a landlord wants to recover possession of their property they will have to obtain a court order.

“Worse than that, the landlord can only apply to get their own property back on the basis of a limited list of reasons.

“What sort of market is it where you can’t decide what to do with your own property? This is a violation of the principle of freedom of contract.”

More balanced reforms

Ms Badenoch says she opposed the Renters (Reform) Bill abolition of fixed-term tenancies and wanted more balanced reforms that protected both renters and landlords.

She tells The Telegraph: “Other ministers and backbenchers agreed with me that we should fix the housing market to benefit renters without violating property rights.

“While we were rightly proud that the Conservatives oversaw the building of a million new homes, this was simply not enough.

“A functioning housing market is in everyone’s interests and this is what Labour should be focusing on.”

Ms Badenoch’s full letter to The Telegraph can be seen here (for some users this may be behind a paywall)

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