Rented property slammed by report

Thursday, 14 August 2008 12:00 AM

Too much privately rented property in the UK market is in a "poor condition and is poorly managed" according to a new report from the Law Commission.

Furthermore, the law does not operate as it is intended to do so, and is causing the market to slip further into a state of disrepair.

These are the conclusions of the third and final part in a series on housing law reform the Commission, entitled Housing: Encouraging Responsible Letting.

In response, the Commission has put forward proposals for the better regulation of the private rented sector with the hope of improving living standards.

The proposals, which are designed to promote self-regulation and enhance voluntary initiatives, include:

• Creating a housing standards monitor (for each of England and Wales) for the private rented sector.

• Establishing an associated stakeholder board to which representatives of all sides of the private residential rented property sector are appointed.

• Developing a single code of housing management practice for landlords.

• Making landlord accreditation schemes available in every local authority area, and launching a pilot programme for home condition certificates.

Implementation of these proposals is all the more urgent in the present climate, argues the Commission, as demand for rented property is increasing as potential homebuyers refrain from the market as prices fall.

"The recommendations in our report are aimed at benefiting both landlords and tenants by enabling them to use existing legal processes more productively thereby more fully realising the intended impact of housing legislation," explained Professor Martin Partington, the commission's special consultant on housing law.

"Implementation of these reforms would not only improve rental conditions for tenants, but also help to build the reputation and professionalism of landlords.

"More broadly, it would encourage institutional investment in the provision of rental accommodation, enhancing the important role of this sector in the wider economy."

The Law Commission is a non-political independent body, set up by Parliament in 1965 to keep all the law of England and Wales under review, and to recommend reform where it is needed.

In response to the recommendations the National Landlords Association's (NLA) chairman David Salusbury said: "The NLA welcomes many of the staged reforms the Law Commission proposes.

"In fact, further enhancing good practice to build on voluntary self-regulation can only be a good thing for both landlords and tenants.

"We are pleased to see the recognition that local authorities have an important role to play in the enforcement of regulation.

"It is critical to assess this report alongside the other reports and consultations to ensure we break this 'piecemeal' approach to the private-rented sector."

Chris O'Toole

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