Renters' Rights Bill

Written evidence submitted by a PRS Landlord from the North West (RRB17)

Letter from PRS Landlord from the North West, we have properties we rent out in the North West.

We are proud PRS Landlord’s whom pride ourselves providing excellent quality rental properties.

We do look after all our valued Tenants in a professional manner.

We have been PRS Landlords for nine years and counting, we aim to be a long term professional landlord. We are members of the NRLA for nine years and hope to highlight areas of real concern for the RRB in it’s current format.

We are aware changes are needed in certain areas yet there is a real concern that some points noted below are too harsh and have real difficult unintended consequences with the RRB creating hardship for both Tenants and Landlords.

Please see below, thank you.

Concerns: 

1.0 Two months Tenant notice anytime is unrealistic it would be better with 6 months Tenancy agreement with 1 month notice.  Air bnb type customers sign up then just disappear after 2 months with cost consequences driving up our operating costs and therefore rents increase or we sell up due to too many risks and restrictions.

2.0 Rent increases  every 12 months if going to Tribunal need to be backdated to start at the beginning of your next 12 month period as stated on a section 13. Delays will be too costly, too risky. The Tribunals cannot cope with too many Tenants all stalling their genuine realistic rent increases. It would become common practise / knowledge ALL tenants delay all rent rises because they can free of charge and no real measures to restrict this abuse of this system.

Consequences: 

3.0 Rent inflation caused by Gov.uk RRB policy will also reduce available properties in the PRS due to too many restrictions imposed on the PRS Landlord.

4.0 Time to amend the RRB before another housing crisis becomes national headlines. 

5.0 Please kindly work with the PRS and a better deal for all maybe within reach which benefits both Tenants and Landlords now and in the future. The RRB is heavily weighted in favour of Tenants yet the consequences are too harsh for many PRS Landlords with real difficult consequences impacting both Tenants and Landlords. Landlords are selling their properties due to the RRB and will continue to downsize their portfolios causing greater homelessness across the UK.

6.0 The NRLA are a trusted organisation that can help Gov.uk work with the PRS for an improved RRB for the benefit of all in the PRS sector.

7.0 We cannot afford millions / billions needed to support the additional homeless people whom will be made homeless by the RRB.

8.0 Thank you for your time, just a few areas that need reviewing has an Impact Assessment been carried out the unintended consequences are a disaster in the making.

October 2024