Contents

• Introduction

• Current issues affecting landlords

• Current campaigning activity

• A new enforcement model for the Private Rented Sector
• Studentification
• European Union proposals relating to derivative trades and the effect on property lending
• Government’s proposals relating to water charging
• Taxation of Residential Landlords
• Disability Discrimination Act
• LACORS Fire Safety Guidence – The Next Steps
• Section 21 Under Threat
• RLA Manifesto
• RLA CO-ORDINATES TENANT CHOICE ALLIANCE

• Past campaigning activity

• RLA Act on Landlord Tax Issues
• The Importance of Section 21
• Fire Safety in Shared Houses
• Improvements to fire safety
• Implementation of HMO licensing
• Energy Performance Certificates
• Protocol for Rent Arrears
• The role of the County Court
• Housing Act 2004
• Amenities in HMOs

• Submissions

• Green Deal & Energy Company Obligations
• Revised London Housing Strategy
• SERVICE SPOTLIGHT: Video Inventory
• Where Health and Safety Legislation has gone wrong
• A NEW SOCIAL HOUSING REGIME? – A DISCUSSION PAPER
• WELSH ASSEMBLY GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO CONSULTATION PAPER - THE PRIVATE RENTED SECTOR IN WALES
• RESPONSE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION PAPER: NEW HOMES BONUS
• RESPONSE TO COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION PAPER – LOCAL DECISIONS: A FAIRER FUTURE FOR SOCIAL HOUSING
• RESPONSE TO THE LAW COMMISSION CONSULTATION PAPER - NUMBER 195: CRIMINAL LIABILITY IN REGULATORY CONTEXT
• Initial Response To HM Treasury - Consultation Paper: A New Approach To Financial Regulation

• What you can do

The importance of campaigning

Our prime objective is to lobby Government and Parliament on behalf of our members.

One of the main reasons why Residential Landlords join the RLA is because they want to support a Landlords Association which is campaigning vigorously on behalf of private residential landlords.

The common theme of our campaigning is that the costs of unnecessary regulation ultimately fall on tenants.

Ongoing Campaigning – our objectives

The RLA constantly lobbies to reduce the regulatory burden on our members, while encouraging responsible and professional Landlords. Much legislation is unclear and the RLA campaigns for clarity so that Landlords are aware of their responsibilities. The RLA also lobbies to try to achieve practical and workable legislation, we want to see light touch regulation.

How We Campaign on Your Behalf

The RLA is now a well regarded respondent to Government consultations and we make sure that our members' views are put over clearly to central Government. We maintain regular contact with senior civil servants and, when necessary give the Landlord’s viewpoint to Ministers. We liaise with other Landlord associations and particularly the British Property Federation to ensure that responses are co-ordinated.

• RLA representatives regularly attend consultation meetings to make sure that your views are passed onto central and local government and other interested bodies. We maintain contact with the Association of Chief Fire Officers and the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health Officers.

• We give evidence to Parliamentary enquiries. 

• The RLA retains solicitor Richard Jones and its Parliamentary Consultant, Geoffrey Lawler (former MP) to put over Landlords’ viewpoints. We also keep the Press updated with regular press releases through the RLA retained PR consultants, Powell Communications.

The RLA campaigning team, lead by Directors Mark Butterworth and Chris Town and RLA Secretary/Solicitor, Richard Jones, have already achieved much.

We believe that we are the only national Landlords association who are vigorously campaigning and campaigning to protect the interests of private residential landlords.

We believe that by being independent of the Government we are better able to serve member’s interests.

Mark Butterworth	Chris Town