Don’t over-regulate landlords! Warning to UK governments

Avoiding over-regulation across the UK should be a priority to keep existing landlords in the sector as well as attracting buy to let investment. 

That’s the view of ARLA Propertymark which has issued a statement saying it’s consistently called for the enforcement of existing rules, rather than demanding new ones.

The trade body says with around 170 pieces of legislation that must be adhered to within the sector, the burden of compliance - combined with mounting financial pressures - means more must be done to support landlords.

Propertymark says that since lockdown, renters and landlords whose finances have been affected cannot keep tenancies going without additional financial support. 

The £65m funding recently announced for those in rental debt in England provides some help, however almost four million low-income households across the UK are in arrears with their household bills - yet this new money will be targeted at those who are most at risk of homelessness, excluding a significant number of others from help. 

The association says: “A programme of support would ensure Local Housing Allowance rates and Universal Credit are adequate and more effective so that landlords and letting agents would have more confidence to offer tenancies to claimants. Local councils would also be given adequate funding to drive up standards through enforcement.”

The statement also reiterated ARLA’s position on energy efficiency, demanding decision-makers across the UK move away from a one-size-fits-all policy and develop energy efficiency proposals that work with the different ages, conditions, and sizes of properties. 

“This way each of the governments across the UK can target grants and funding support based on the characteristics of a property rather than its tenure” insists Propertymark.

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