News from the Residential Property Investor, the bi-monthly magazine for RLA members other artilces from the April / May 2003 issue RPI news archive

Competent regulation - April / May 2003

It is entirely understandable that this Government, elected by fewer than half the electorate, can feel that a 46 per cent response is sufficient to justify its policies to licence houses in multiple occupation (HMOs).

Penalties of up to £20,000 are threatened together with interim management orders to take over the management of any property which fails to measure up, or is not licensed but falls within the definition. And the landlord will lose the rent.

Tenants of the licensed property will be expected to provide references for the landlord or 'property manager' - and the landlord is expected to be responsible for the behaviour of tenants.

Just which lunatic do they propose to be in charge of this asylum? Why, local authorities, of course. Those same local authorities whose remarkable administration of housing benefit has been responsible for the loss since 1997 of over 350,000 tenancies in that sector because landlords are so poorly treated.

The Bill proposes to set property standards based on risk assessment ­ the Housing health and safety rating system (HHSRS) ­ and to impose licensing in 'areas of low demand or other areas'. It also seeks to regulate property management and introduce codes of conduct.

Not surprisingly the RLA has already been working on these last two items. We were the first landlord association to have a Code of practice (1994) ­ and the RLA Accreditation Scheme is the only one with a management module.

We call yet again for responsible self regulation by landlords or by competent agents for those without the necessary skill.
 

other artilces from the April / May 2003 issue

• Competent regulation
• Private landlords set for 'selective licensing'
• Local crackdowns on HMO landlords
• Property prospects better in the north
• Landlords shop for best mortgages
• DTI acts against property investment companies
• Letting returns put at over 20 per cent
• Average house tops £145,00
• London landlord given life sentence
• Government admits to wider anti-social problems
• In brief