What’s next? All tenants to live rent free?!

Published: 20/11/2014

It takes quite a bit to rattle our Rob but the proposal from Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather has certainly got under his skin:

“What is it with this constant onslaught against landlords? It’s starting to feel like critics will only be satisfied when they have removed every last inch of a landlord’s rights, particularly with this latest move – to pass a bill which could make it virtually impossible to evict a tenant before the end of their tenancy.

“I think that one aspect that is getting completely overlooked is how fundamental a successful private rental sector is to the property industry as a whole. By wrapping the sector up in even more red tape will only discourage landlords from entering or remaining in the market. This will then create a further shortage in properties, push up rents and ironically result in more tenants forced to rent property from the landlords that these laws and regulations are trying to stamp out.

“Given the important role private landlords play I continue to be gobsmacked at the vendetta there seems to be against them. And yet these critics appear oblivious to the reverse side of the coin – the number of rogue tenants who are causing a living hell for their landlords, the rogue tenants who are fully aware that they are a part of a system which already strongly favours and protects them.

“If things are that bad maybe the government should step up and expand our social rental sector to a wider rental market and help tenants escape the evil clutches of the private landlord… on a rent free basis.”