5th
May 2015
Ed Miliband has promised rent increases would be capped at inflation and tenants given standard three-year contracts to stop tenants being "ripped off". Does this influence the way you will vote?
There were three straightforward answers that they could respond to:
- Yes, I’m likely to vote labour
- No, this does not influence my vote
- Yes, I’m more likely to vote labour
Within just a couple of days PIMS received over 500 votes with an overwhelming majority of landlords stating that they would be less likely to vote Labour.
- Yes, I'm less likely to vote Labour 62.67%
- No, this does not influence my vote 32.57%
- Yes, I'm more likely to vote Labour 4.76%
Richard Merrick says : "PIMS does not wish to become involved with the political posturing that all parties are now engaging in their "staged" public addresses, however we wrote a blog post on exactly what the Main Parties are using in their manifestos, that will directly affect landlords and the private rented sector."
What are the Party Policies on Housing? - 2015 General Election
"It is an excellent summation of what the PRS can expect if any of the parties get into power, and the one party that will invest the most into new homes is the Lib Dems, who are promising 300,000 each year."
Throughout the industry it is being "touted around" that Labour has lost virtually 50% of their support from landlords in the private rented sector, since the 2010 General Election. (Down from 11% to 6%) The two main protagonists in the election (PIMS is well aware of the influence that a certain party North of the Border may have on future policies/government) both have voters’ pledges that will affect the PRS.
Richard Merrick says: "The Conservatives are planning to offer Right –to –Buy Social Housing stock to Social housing Tenants, with up to 70% below true market value. At the end of the day it will be landlords and private renters alike who will be bearing the cost.
"Labour will be introducing rent caps, three year tenancies and banning letting agents’ fees.....all nice incentives to attract the private tenant voters. However if these regulations are passed then there could be a real danger of PRS landlords selling up their portfolios and leaving the market.
What some people do not understand is that this will force people out on the streets, as they are unable to afford getting onto the property ladder, which is down to the present economic state of Britain.
"The solution for any new government is quite simple.......commit to and build more homes, in a ‘perfect world’ it would be 300,000 per year. Landlords are not the problem in this housing crisis.......it is the lack of new builds."
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