Queen's speech proposals designed to give local authorities new powers to crack down on landlords and anti-social tenants could put an even greater strain on the private rented sector, according to the Residential Landlords' Association (RLA).

The RLA - which represents landlords with more than £1.3 billion worth of property and more than 40,000 tenancies across the UK - believes that the proposals will simply add another tier of legislation to the 58 Acts of Parliament which already affect landlords.

Chairman Martin Moylan said: "This latest legislation will simply add to the burden that private landlords already face.

"Where does this sit with all of the other legislation which exists to deal with these very issues. Increasing "regulation creep" is one of the greatest issues facing private landlords. Of course we want unscrupulous landlords to be tackled but we also want the vast majority of landlords who provide a valuable housing resource in the UK to be able to get on with doing so,.

"What the Government consistently fails to recognise is that even if anti-social tenants are banished from local authority housing they still end up in the private rented sector once registered social landlords have washed their hands of them.

"This doesn't solve the problem, it merely passes it on to private landlords who don't have the same powers to deal with the tenants if they continue with their anti-social behaviour.

"Most of those evicted under any new legislation will end up living in properties owned by private landlords in communities where 70% of residents own their own homes.

The RLA is addressing the issue of anti-social tenants by introducing an Accreditation Scheme for landlords which, among other requirements, insists that they take up character references for tenants.

Martin Moylan added: "The accreditation scheme will identify reputable landlords who are prepared to adopt standards and abide by an disciplinary code. If we are aiming for that then we should also have some way of identifying reputable tenants.

"We need more joined up thinking by Government to ensure that the problem is not merely passed from the public to private sector.

"For example, rather than introducing new legislation ever year, the Government should establish a national reference agency to keep details of people's behaviour during their tenancies in the same way that credit references are kept by financial services providers.

"This would make it far easier for landlords and local authorities to tackle the problem. You find it harder to get credit if you consistently fail to pay off your debts - why shouldn't you find it harder to get accommodation if you consistently demonstrate anti-social behaviour?

"A tenant should have to agree that documents chronicling their behaviour throughout their tenancy can be made available to landlords of all tenures.

"While a very small minority of tenants will never change there will be others who are more likely to behave once they know that their behaviour is logged, making it more difficult for them to get a choice of accommodation in the private or social sectors."

Anyone wanting more information about the RLA should visit www.rla.org.uk or call 0161 962 0010

New legislation

Coupledwith the proposals not to pay housing benefit direct to landlords, the onslaught of regeneration creep will not help the regeneration of Britain.

ENDS November 2002