ARLA, which has been one of many bodies campaigning against Sarah Teather's private members' bill on revenge evictions, has made a new warning that the measure exposes landlords to frivolous and vexatious cases.
The association's managing director David Cox says that while he agrees that retaliatory [revenge] evictions should be put to bed once and for all, he has many concerns.
For example, there is a risk that category 2 hazards [under the Health & Safety Executive's rating system] could be created by tenants in arrears to avoid evictions. We are also concerned that in many blocks of flats and converted houses common parts' are not under the landlord's control but are the freeholder's responsibility says Cox.
He says it is therefore not equitable for landlords to be penalised for something that is outside their control. These clauses need further thought before we could welcome this Bill; as it stands, it will inevitably lead to unintended consequences claims Cox.
ARLA says any legislation designed to tackle a minority of rogue operators should not infringe or restrict the rights of professional landlords and agents or frustrate legitimate possession proceedings.
Teather's bill, which has been reported on extensively in Letting Agent Today, will be discussed by MPs tomorrow.
Comments
Well said Mr Cox. I have thought of many reasons why a change in this area will be a disaster but I hadn't thought of the communal areas issue which is most worrying.
Fingers crossed that this latest zany idea by ill-informed politicians desperate to get their names on the statute book is defeated.
One question. Mr Cox and his management team at ARLA must have an absolute wealth of knowledge of the PRS so why are they not consulted BEFORE a members bill is proposed