The government is to blame for rising rents and homelessness – leading landlord claims

A Nottingham landlord warns that each new anti-landlord measure will only lead to higher rents and more homelessness.

Mick Roberts, one of Nottingham’s largest landlords to house benefit tenants, tells Property118 why councils and the government is to blame for the housing crisis.

Mr Roberts says a combination of factors including minimum EPC C targets and selective licensing is causing more landlords to sell.

Selective licensing only punishes good landlords

Mr Roberts tells Property118 that laws by the government have now made it harder for tenants to find a property as landlords become more selective.

He said: “The government don’t want landlords helping tenants on benefits, and they are the ones that introduced Universal Credit, which has zero communication with landlords. Many landlords now don’t rent to tenants on benefits.

“Councils brought in selective licensing which only punishes good landlords with well-maintained houses rather than criminal landlords who can get away with it. We had to raise rents to cover costs, and now we avoid renting to high-risk tenants.”

Mr Roberts adds that extortionate fines have also created additional burdens for landlords.

He tells Property118: “A landlord can be fined £30,000 if a tenant removes the battery from a smoke alarm and the landlord can’t prove it.

“A landlord can also be fined £30,000 if they rent a one-bedroom flat to a single person, and that person moves a partner in without the landlord knowing if the selective licence is only for one occupant.

“The government started fining landlords £5,000 if they didn’t properly check tenants’ passports during Right to Rent checks. As a result, landlords stopped renting to anyone who might even slightly be suspected of being an illegal immigrant, causing innocent UK citizens to suffer.”

Tenants with pets can no longer find a place to live

Mr Roberts says many pet-owning tenants are facing difficulty in finding a place to live.

He tells Property118: “We all love pets, but we just want to insure against any potential damage they may cause. Just like when you buy an expensive sports car, you’re allowed to be charged higher insurance.

“If tenants were allowed to pay a higher deposit to cover potential pet damage, and if the pet caused no damage, the tenant would simply get their deposit back — job done. That way, only those responsible for damage, around 10%, would pay for their own damage.”

Mr Roberts blames the introduction of caps and restrictions on tenancy deposits, which means landlords in England can no longer request a higher deposit for tenants with pets. Deposits have been capped in England since the Tenant Fees Act was introduced in 2019.

He said: “The way the government has it now, everyone loses. We all know what happened when pet deposits were scrapped — we warned them it would happen.

“Now, all pet owners pay higher rent, whereas before, if there was no damage, there was no extra charge. Now, there’s an unfair charge on every pet owner, and they’ve got Shelter and others to thank for that.”

EPC C targets causing homelessness

Mr Roberts also claims Ed Miliband’s rule for all private rented sector properties to meet EPC C targets by 2030 will only cause homelessness.

He said: “What if a tenant was living in a warm, damp-free property, paying 30% less than market rent? The home already had the latest boiler, windows, doors, kitchen and more – it was an EPC D rating, and the tenant was perfectly happy.

“However, with Ed Miliband’s new rule that all private rented properties must meet EPC C, it could cost landlords up to £10,000 to upgrade. As a result, the landlord won’t be able to offer the affordable rent anymore and will have to increase it.

“Alternatively, the landlord might decide to sell the property, leaving the tenant with nowhere to go.”

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