Sim Sekhon, managing director of LegalforLandlords, has expressed frustration at comments made by Michael Gove in a recent interview with the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg.
During the interview, the Housing Secretary committed to outlawing no-fault evictions by the next election.
However, a matter of weeks ago, the Government announced that the proposed ban on Section 21 evictions would not be implemented until the backlog of cases and delays in court proceedings had been addressed.
So far, there has been no evidence of progress on that front.
There has been an increase in landlords seeking to use the existing provisions of Section 21 – the so-called no-fault option – to regain possession of their properties.
While some have argued that this increase is due to landlords wanting to ‘punish’ a tenant who has asked for repairs, or to push up rent, Sekhon said this applies to just a small percentage of cases.
He pointed out, with possession hearings taking so long to conclude, that landlords would incur significant losses rather than stand to gain.
According to Sekhon, there is a lack of respect for landlords and the challenges they face.
He said that they are expected to do far more than provide decent, safe housing, but the current system does little to protect them and their interests.
He added that some housing commentators and charities have forgotten that housing, whether owned or rented, is a market, in which one stakeholder – the tenant – is now getting protections that are denied to landlords.
As an example, he cited a recent demand from the Law Society of England and Wales that all tenants facing eviction should be given housing legal aid.
Sekhon asked: “Where is the corresponding demand for support for a landlord whose tenant is playing the system, and who has received no rent for over a year?”
Renters have struggled to find affordable accommodation due to a combination of housing shortages and interest rate rises.
Coupled with cost of living pressures, homeownership is no longer an option for many.
However, Sekhon said that the Renters’ (Reform) Bill would not be a magic bullet – and that it could, in fact, make it harder for renters to secure a tenancy, as landlords will be increasingly selective about who they allow into their properties.
Sekhon stated that the private rental market will only work when all stakeholders are treated fairly.
He said: “The Government should help the rental sector not stifle it further to crowd please and win votes. We need landlords and should be incentivising them.
“If we give them a fair chance, the country has the opportunity to solve some of the issues.”
He concluded: “We don’t need confusing timescales and politically motivated promises from our Housing Secretary.
“We need a realistic, grown-up conversation and a strategy for housing that all stakeholders can support.”
