RLA wants tough clampdown on rogue landlords

The Residential Landlords Association has called for rogue landlords to be pursued more vigorously and prosecuted, in a bid to clean up the private rented sector.

And RLA chairman Alan Ward says the recent Chartered Institute of Housing report was correct in saying one way of improving the quality of the accommodation was by giving landlords a financial incentive to improve their properties above minimum standards.

Ward says the RLA is campaigning for landlords to be able to treat any improvement needed to bring a property up to standard as an allowable expense' instead of deducting it from their capital gains tax liability, as happens now.

The CIH report urges the government to give additional funding and tax benefits to landlords who sign up for a recognised accreditation scheme - funding that would be denied to landlords who did not sign up.

Ward says the majority of decent and honest landlords should be allowed to self-regulate and claims there should be a single accreditation standard which would allow landlords to register once, and be recognised by all local authorities, rather than be licensed separately in each location where they own rental properties.