RLA CAMPAIGNING ACTIVITY

The Importance Of Campaigning

The RLA’s prime objective is to lobby Government and Parliament on behalf of our members.

For many members, the key reason for joining the RLA is to support a landlord’s association which is leading campaigns on behalf of private residential landlords on issues of importance to the sector.

The RLA is one of the most effective campaigning organisations for landlords and the common theme of our campaigning is that the costs of unnecessary regulation ultimately fall on tenants.

Ongoing Campaigning – Our Objectives

The RLA 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 achieve practical and workable legislation.  We want to see light touch regulation for the majority of compliant landlords that enables local authorities to better use finite resources to address the minority of landlords who bring the sector into disrepute. 

Past Campaigning Successes

Regulation of HMOs – Under rules introduced by the previous Government, all properties converting from being used as a C3 family dwelling to a new C4 HMO would require planning permission. Following a personal phone call from the Housing Minister, the RLA’s Chairman was told that the Government would scrap the requirement for blanket planning and instead give discretion to local authorities as to whether they would use an Article 4 directive.

Landlords Leading Voice in Westminster – The RLA is now the country’s leading voice for landlords, representing their interests and those of the sector as a whole with an extensive and ongoing programme of meetings with key MPs, Peers, civil servants and policy organisations. The RLA was also the only landlords organisation to provide evidence to a recent Parliamentary committee inquiry on housing benefits and will be supporting research and events by a number of think tanks looking at the long term future for the private rented sector. 

£100,000 Tenancy Agreement Threshold - The RLA was the only landlords association against this idea.  It does not just affect the large landlords in London but many landlords of larger properties such as student properties up and down the country.  Although the limit went up in October 2009, we were instrumental in persuading the then Government not to bring it into force earlier to give landlords time to prepare.  In particular, affected landlords will have to protect any deposits they hold.  The Government had proposed originally to implement this with two weeks notice!

Regulation of Buy to Let Mortgages - The previous Government had been persuaded to think again about this idea.  It would increase the cost of borrowing and make it harder to obtain loans.  Like many people the RLA is sceptical as to the effectiveness of this kind of regulation anyway. 

Water charges - We successfully persuaded the previous Government and the water industry to drop their idea to make landlords of HMOs responsible for water charges and to model water charging on council tax which would have been a complex nightmare for everyone.  We persuaded them that so long as the landlord notifies the water company as to who the tenant is (which is good practice anyway), then the landlord will not become liable for water charges.

Proposed EU Directive on disability - We have helped persuade the EU to water down the requirement that landlords may have to make changes in advance to their properties to accommodate disabled tenants.  We continue to campaign against proposals that landlords may have to carry out structural works to their properties.

Current Campaigning Activity

Article 4 Directives – We are leading the campaign against the use by local authorities of Article 4 directives to restrict the spread of HMOs. In making representations to MPs, councillors, local planning officers and other relevant planning organisations the RLA argues that placing restrictions on the growth of HMOs will hamper the ability of young professionals and students to access appropriate housing, with evidence also showing that in areas where planning restrictions are imposed, home owners face a significant reduction in the value of their properties.

Green Deal – As Parliament considers the Government’s plans for a “Green Deal” to improve the energy efficiency of the private rented sector, the RLA is working with MPs and Peers to ensure they are fully aware of the unique pressures faced by the sector in improving the energy efficiency of stock, 40% of which was constructed pre-1919. The RLA will also keep a close eye on ensuring the Government continues to be mindful of its commitment that measures introduced do not have an impact on the availability of PRS accommodation. 

Fiscal Stimulus – With many prospective tenants unable to access the home owner sector as a result of being unable to afford mortgages and with waiting lists for social rented housing continuing to increase, the demand for each rented property that becomes available is continuing to increase. The current tax treatment of the sector does little to support growth to meet such demand. The RLA has developed a series of proposals which would provide greater encouragement for the sector to grow. A meeting has already been held with officials from the Treasury, and work will continue to press those with an influence over the Treasury in Parliament to support the measures proposed ahead of the Budget on the 23rd March.

Local Housing Allowance – Whilst the Government’s decision to allow local authorities to provide direct payment of LHA to landlords prepared to lower their rents is a step in the right direction, the RLA believes that all tenants should be able to opt for direct payment to landlords, which for many tenants would provide greater financial security and certainty. The RLA is continuing to press the case with key MPs and Peers working in conjunction with other, like minded organisations. With the Welfare Reform Bill due to be published shortly as this article was written, the RLA will seek to use this as an opportunity to advance its case still further.   

With all campaigns and activity, RLA members have a key role to play in campaigning their own local MPs and Councillors. For further information and advice on how to work with them contact the RLA’s consultant, Ed Jacobs on 0113 278 0211 or email policy@rla.org.uk.