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TODAY'S OTHER NEWS

Yet more red tape? Gold and Silver rental standards being considered

Just when you thought there could not be any more rival licensing or accreditation systems in the private rental sector, a London council has shown otherwise.

Labour-controlled Southwark council is consulting on proposals to introduce a Gold and Silver Standard for the private rented sector - and, just as with licensing, it says the system would improve standards. 

Private rental units now make up a quarter of the housing in Southwark.

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A council statement says: “There are different types of landlord operating within this market: rogue and criminal landlords; inexperienced, reluctant or accidental landlords; and professional, responsible landlords.”

The council claims that each type requires a different approach. 

“The council’s focus has been on enforcing against rogue landlords, with steps also taken to educate the inexperienced and provide support to the professional” it says.

However, it says there is now an opportunity to recognise landlords who already provide a better service than the one required by law, encourage other landlords to achieve a higher standard, and give tenants a better idea of the standard of accommodation that they should be offered.

“We are proposing to introduce a Gold Standard for those landlords who meet the quality criteria set out in the document attached below. These criteria recognise good practices that go beyond legal requirements” says the council. 

“We are also proposing to introduce a Silver Standard, as a midway step for landlords as they improve their properties and the tenancies they offer.”

The council is consulting on the idea until May - you can see the consultation online questionnaire here.

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    And of course there will be yet more fees.

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    Oh dear!

  • Angus Shield

    Really; why??????
    We manage two flats in Southwark (from our office here in Wiltshire), I manage to visit them every 4 months and organise repairs usually within 24 hours or even sooner; are we 'GOLD' then or just doing our paid job like all the other reliable agents?
    Mr Corbyn, please may I have my GOLD star.

  • James B

    Do these people have really nothing else to do ? Or maybe just income generation from the cash cow landlord database

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    This has to STOP NOW! What other industry is being obliterated with continual additional regulation. Too much because of a few bad landlords. We urgently need more “named” exposure of bad, non paying, disttuctive tenants. C’mon landlord bodies let’s see you standing up for us. We’re being steam rolled here whilst most of us are trying to do a bloody good job!

  • PossessionFriendUK PossessionFriend

    Why, should Landlords in this fiscally challenging time where Every piece of legislation in past 5 years has cost them AND Tenants more money.- invest Above requirements. Its hard enough coping with Tenant rent shortfalls, damage and legal costs. etc Not to mention the extra Tax Govt has robbed only Landlords of - Sec 24.
    You'd have though Southwark would have learned from the successful challenges against other authorities for ' trying it on' by requiring more conditions in their Licensing schemes than the law mandated.

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