Author: Terence Ritchie

As part of Government plans to stop landlords being able to take advantage of tenants in the rental market, all private landlords may be required to be registered before letting residential property.

A landlord wanting to let a residential property would have to pay around £50 to register with a national body before being able to do so. This body would then set the standards which, if not complied with, would allow them to ‘strike off’ those landlords who had for example, failed to carry out repairs to the property. If this happened, the tenants would be required to vacate the property, although the Government has suggested that there would be a delay in asking them to do this. One idea has been to set up a ‘social letting agent’ which would place affected tenants into more suitable rental accommodation.

The aim of the new registration system is to root out ‘rogue’ landlords, but in fact it has been suggested that the system may in fact drive out small buy-to-let investors. The system would be regulated by an independent body which would adjudicate complaints made by tenants. Landlords could face losing their licence if these complaints were upheld. Although they would have a right of appeal, it may be many years before they are able to get back into the rental property market.

A Green Paper is set to outline the reforms and is expected by 14th May 2009.