Tag Archives: private tenants

Renters need fairer access to affordable credit

The poverty premium is taking a crippling toll on people who can least afford it. It’s estimated that every year those living in poverty pay an extra £490 for the basics of energy, phones, white goods, food and furniture. But how can it be fair that the poor pay more?

The problem is that the rental payments of Britain’s 11 million renters aren’t recorded or recognised in the same way that mortgage payments are. This means some of the least well-off pay the most to borrow. All the while, over two-thirds …

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged , , and | 3 Comments

New Committee report out saying tenants needed more protection

The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee has released a report today saying that the “most vulnerable tenants need greater legal protections from retaliatory evictions, rent increases and harassment so they are fully empowered to pursue complaints about repairs and maintenance in their homes.”

This report on the private rented sector found that many properties were sub-standard, calling on the Government to address the ‘clear power imbalance’, with

tenants often unwilling to complain to landlords about conditions in their homes such as excess cold, mould or faulty wiring.

I am appalled that this …

Posted in News | Also tagged , , and | 7 Comments

Radical, liberal rental reforms are needed

The government has launched a consultation on banning letting fees, a proposal originally tabled by Liberal Democrat peer Olly Grender. It’s responsible and right to address the shortcomings for tenants of a private rental market that now accounts for 19% of all households. And as the consultation paper sets out, there’s an economically liberal logic to the ban as well.

As a liberal, I’m not against market-based proposals for social problems. On the contrary, I’m all for them. In the summer after I left school, I worked temporarily as a Housing Allocations Officer. I see no reason in principle why housing associations should be the main providers of homes to people on benefits, for example — providing there’s enough housing to go round, and so long as people aren’t trapped in poor-quality accommodation. Indeed, greater choice for those on benefits within the private sector may be to their advantage, and improve social mobility overall. What’s more, it’s cost effective provision from the point of view of the state. However, there’s an obvious barrier to decent private rental accommodation frequently faced by those on benefits: the reluctance of so many private landlords to rent their properties to them. For many people, this is unfair discrimination. Banning letting fees is a positive step, but won’t tackle this sort of problem. My issue with the government’s plans is that they’re another example of Theresa’s tokenism.

Private landlords, with perhaps a “buy to let” as their pension pot, and renters are both likely to be among our party members. What could we as Liberal Democrats propose to help groups of tenants with little available capital beyond their rent money into better quality accommodation and, at the same time, keep landlords on board who want to protect their assets from risk? 

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged | 4 Comments
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Recent Comments

  • Anders Larson
    @Andrew Melmoth - link me to his portfolio and we will see....
  • Andrew Melmoth
    - Anders Larson Ok, let's take a concrete example. The Duke of Westminster inherited land and property worth £9 billion while paying comparatively little inhe...
  • paul barker
    80 arrests today, including an 81 year old ex-magistrate. At some point Labour are going to have to find a way to make another U-turn & the longer they wait...
  • ANDERS LARSON
    @Andrew Melmoth That’s exactly the problem. You’re describing 20th century fixed assets, not capital as it actually operates today. The wealthiest don’t j...
  • Andrew Melmoth
    How do you move a mansion, a grouse moor, a football club, or a chain of high street stores? The rich own assets. Some of those assets are mobile. Some aren't....