29th
Apr 2016
The government’s Housing and Planning Bill, which is still in its report stage, includes measures to take on rogue agents and landlords. However the government is being strongly advised to include measures in tackling rogue tenants.
At present the fledgling Bill includes proposals to not only fine rogue landlords and managing agents but to also ban them from the sector. It contains clauses that will introduce rent repayment orders and those found guilty of such practises will be blacklisted in a nationwide database.
Local councils will be responsible of keeping the blacklist current by supplying the government with the details of guilty parties that should be added to the database.
The Housing and Planning is at the report stage and then just requires a third reading, with appropriate amendments made before receiving royal assent and becoming law.
An association of inventory clerks applauds any actions that dispose of rogue and agents and landlords, but it strongly urges the government to take on rogue tenants.
The chair of the association, Pat Barber, said: “We're well aware that there are criminal landlords and letting agents out there and blacklisting them and banning them from letting property really is a necessary step,
“That said, the measures in the Housing Bill are very one-sided and suggest that it is only landlords and agents that cause problems during tenancies.”
Barber continued: “We know from experience that this is not true, and I personally have come across many horror stories in my time where tenants have trashed a landlord's property or refused to pay rent for long periods of time,
“It would only be fair if troublesome tenants who repeatedly offend could be blacklisted in the same way as landlords or agents.
“The threat of being blacklisted or a fine would hopefully discourage a minority of tenants from misbehaving and help to improve the relationships between landlords, agents and tenants.”
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